Construction Costs 2025: Everything you shouldn't ignore

Construction Costs Checklist 2025: Everything you shouldn't overlook. Construction is arguably the biggest investment in life. Using a checklist to track costs and experience costly surprises takes into account forgotten items.

Checklist for construction costs in 2024: everything you shouldn't miss (Photo: Shutterstock- Jeanette Dietl)

Cost checklist: structure the big project

To ensure you don’t lose track of your main project, a checklist helps you list and account for all cost items. This means you have a detailed cost overview from the start to meet a specific budget and spot any threats of overruns in time.

It is important to know the most important housing construction costs regarding the planning and execution of the construction project. Important: You should not just try to build a prefabricated house cheaply, but also consider all the aspects that are really important to you.

Calculate construction costs per square metre

Usually only the total construction costs of a house are given and a checklist includes the final prices. It may make sense to break down the costs per square metre. It is not just the construction costs, but also the additional costs of the purchase price, commission fees, registration in the land registry, notary fees, etc.

The total volume is obtained from all cost points that need to be estimated for the construction of the new prefabricated dream house. A construction loan can then be planned and cost points that may exceed the budget can be optimized or completely cancelled.

When it comes to a house, the shell is always created, followed by the interior. (Photo: Shutterstock- JRP Studio)

Break down total costs into cost blocks

Before creating a separate cost checklist for the home and property, it can be helpful to break down the total costs into cost blocks. A full listing of all home construction costs helps identify the largest cost driver, which is useful if cost-saving measures need to be considered because the budget has been exceeded.

Cost blocks can be divided as follows:

Total cost of the property

This block may be the most expensive due to the selected feature z. B. can be located in a particularly exposed location.

The checklist includes:

• Purchase price,
• brokerage fees,
• notary and title deed expenses
• property transfer tax.

Total cost of the shell

In the case of a house, the shell is always created, followed by the interior. These two main steps can also be seen as separate cost blocks. This factor is the second largest cost item after the property purchase.

The following cost items for sewing the shell should be on the checklist:

• Foundation construction,
• Construction of external walls,
• Putting the roof structure,
• Stair installation,

Total cost of outdoor facilities

The house is on its own property, everything is finished. Now it is time to install the outdoor facilities, which of course also need to be demolished and planned from a cost perspective. The cost pool of the outdoor facilities can best be included in the savings measures, as most of these points can be addressed later.

The cost pool for outdoor facilities is best included in the savings measures, as most of these points can be addressed later. (Photo: Shutterstock-nnattalli)

Note: The more fully designed the lot is immediately after construction, the more expensive it will be. If owners decide to let the property “grow” gradually or simply add to the plantings on a budget, there is tremendous potential for savings here.

Therefore, the checklist includes:

• the cost of fencing the property
• parking lot construction,
• a garage or
• a carport for one car or several vehicles.
• The terraces, paths and lawns to be created are also included in this cost block.
• Even plants used as privacy screens can become spoiled.

Auxiliary construction costs

This cost block contains different individual items and is treated differently in each checklist. For example, property transfer tax or notary fees are sometimes counted as property costs, while other checklists count them as ancillary building costs.

In general, it can be assumed that ancillary construction costs are around 15 percent of the total costs (Photo: Shutterstock-Phovoir)

Here the contractor must note the total cost of his future prefabricated house and classify it as ancillary or property costs.

It is important to remember that these costs are for the house alone. In general, it can be assumed that ancillary construction costs are around 15 percent of the total costs, but they vary from state to state due to differently set fees.

The checklist includes:

• pre-construction inquiry cost,
• construction permit,
• construction management
• possible insurance
• Development costs should also not be forgotten.

Transport costs

This cost factor is not mandatory on the checklist for new home costs, but it can be useful depending on the amount of goods to be moved. If you want to have an expensive piano or grand piano transported, you should expect at least 500 Euros to be added to the normal moving costs.

The latter can also be included as a sub-item on the checklist for auxiliary construction costs. At this point, you can save a lot of money by doing it yourself later. If you do the moving yourself, you do not have to pay a moving company.

For example, since the old apartment also needs to be renovated, certain cost points still need to be factored in. According to the motto “Small animals make dirt too”, there are additional cost items piece by piece and these eventually add up.

Special requests result in special costs for a house. These points should also be added to the checklist. If you want to have a winter garden, a pool in the garden or an underground car park, you need a higher budget than average and a separate item on the checklist.

If you want to have an expensive piano or grand piano shipped, you should expect at least 500 Euros to be added to the normal shipping costs. (Photo: Shutterstock-Monkey Business Images_)

The extra cost is the point most likely to be recovered and recouped later.

Underground parking is not applicable in every prefabricated house, but it is useful if a basement is planned. It can incur up to 50,000 euros as additional costs. A pool and winter garden also cost up to 30,000 euros, but are differently expensive depending on the version.

It is important to factor in not only the execution costs, but also the additional planning efforts of the architect or structural engineer and additional permitting fees.

Calculate costs in advance

It makes sense to use planning done by an architect or structural engineer to get a good overview of the costs for the house and to be able to prepare a detailed checklist. However, the property costs have already fallen because the architect will only plan the dream house once the property has already been purchased.

However, funds already spent may still be included in the total cost list. Even during the construction project, it is important to use the checklist to get an overview of whether the budget has actually been met. Savings may need to be implemented so that the overall budget can still be maintained.

Building a house is probably the biggest investment in life. (Photo: Shutterstock-REDPIXEL.PL)

Costs of creating a checklist: Cost overview example

Builders can use a checklist to avoid costly mistakes, so you should note the cost groups listed above and enter the known amounts.

Important: If you have received a total budget from the construction planner, you should definitely look at the additional costs. Find out which ones are included in the total price and which ones come separately. The amounts you know can be written immediately after the relevant item on the checklist.

Checklist building costs: construction costs

• Architect
• Structural engineer
• energy consultant
• Establishment of the construction site
• Development costs for the property
• Construction electricity and water supply
• Foundation and creation of the basement
• Base plate
• Shell construction costs
• Roof and roof insulation
• Windows, doors, shutters
• Electrical and lightning protection installations
• Installation of smart home technology
• Installation of sanitary facilities
• Installation heating
• Interior plaster
• Exterior plaster
• Floor screed and insulation
• Creation of a ventilation concept
• More technical equipment

Checklist for construction costs: Interior construction

• Laying floor coverings
• Furnishing of bathroom and toilet including plumbing and fittings
• Painting and wallpapering
• Cooking utensils
• Creation of the winter garden
• new furniture
• Lamps and lights
• collect
• sauna
• other equipment

Checklist for building costs: open space

• build a garden
• Plants and hedges
• Garden and tool shed construction
• Construction garage or parking lot
• Roads and pavements
• Creation of the terrace
• Installing or placing privacy screens
• Design of the entrance
• Porch

If a builder has a special request, such as covering the base of the house with straps and doing without the usual plaster, this becomes significantly more expensive. (Photo: Shutterstock-Robert Kneschke)

Checklist creation costs: additional costs

Other cost items should be considered as cost elements for outdoor facilities. They should be included in the general budget, but it is possible to separate them from the same budget. This means that the related work on and in the house can also be done later. However, it has been shown that it is better to include individual additional costs in the general calculation.

If a builder has a special request, such as covering the plinth of the house with straps and doing it without the usual plaster, this becomes significantly more expensive. He removes this cost factor and assumes that his project can be realized in a few years. However, since the operating costs and other expenses of the house are high, the implementation of the straps is postponed from year to year.

So the house building costs are valid for a checklist to be done: Set the budget a little higher and directly implement all your wishes, provided that they are not classified as a completely unnecessary luxury and do not completely break the construction budget. Later implementation is possible, but practice has shown several times that the implementation of additional wishes is often not realized.