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Cost

Construction Cost Calculator

Put your own figures in and get a clear estimate: materials, labour, waste, markup, total, and the cost per square metre.

Results update as you type. Nothing to sign up for.

Measurements

Area in

Used for the cost per unit area. Leave it if you do not need that.

You need approximately

0USD

estimated renovation cost

Subtotal

0USD

Markup

0USD

Total

0USD

Per m²

0USD

Enter your material, labour or other costs above and the estimate will build itself.

Cost breakdown

Materials
US$0
Labour
US$0
Transport and delivery
US$0
Other costs
US$0
Subtotal
US$0
Markup (15%)
US$0
Total estimate
US$0

Per m²

Project area
50 m²
Materials
US$0
Labour
US$0
Total
US$0

What to buy

  • Materials

    50 m² project

  • Labour

    Trades and subcontractors

  • Transport, waste and other

    Logistics and overhead

Want a cost too?

Add your prices in the cost section of the form. We never guess prices — a made-up figure is worse than none.

How to estimate a construction project

  1. List your material costs, including fittings and anything you hire.
  2. Add labour — your own time and any trades or subcontractors.
  3. Add transport, delivery, and other costs such as permits, skips or scaffolding.
  4. Apply a waste allowance to the materials. Offcuts and breakages are real money.
  5. Add your markup on the subtotal: that is your margin and overhead, not profit on paper.
  6. Divide by the project area to get a cost per square metre you can compare against other jobs.

The estimate formula

Material waste = materials × waste %

Subtotal = materials + waste + labour + transport + other

Markup = subtotal × markup %

Total = subtotal + markup

Cost per m² = total ÷ project area

Example: a 50 m² renovation

Say 8,000 of materials, 6,000 of labour, 400 of transport and 600 of other costs. A 5% material waste allowance adds 400, giving a subtotal of 15,400. A 15% markup adds 2,310, for a total of 17,710 — about 354 per square metre.

Frequently asked questions

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