Construction cost estimation in Nigeria
Elemental cost plans and pre-tender estimates built from measured quantities and location-specific rates, with every assumption written down.
An estimate is a measurement, not a guess with a number on it
Most construction cost figures in Nigeria are produced by multiplying floor area by a rate somebody heard. It is fast, it is cheap, and it is the reason budgets collapse at the point where the roof should be going on.
A proper estimate works from measured quantities. Concrete is measured in cubic metres, blockwork in square metres, roofing in square metres with laps, and each measured quantity is multiplied by a rate gathered from real projects in a real location on a known date. The gaps and the risks are then added deliberately, in the open, where you can see them and argue with them.
- Measured quantitiesEvery significant cost line traces back to a measurement, not an assumption.
- Location-specific ratesLagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and rural sites are priced differently, because they cost differently.
- Stated date basisEvery rate carries a date so you know how current it is.
- Visible contingencyRisk allowance is a stated line you can reduce or remove, not a silent 15%.
- Sensitivity, not just a totalWe show what happens if cement, steel or the exchange rate moves.
The three levels of estimate, and when each is appropriate
| Level | Based on | Use it for | Reliability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Order of magnitude | Floor area and building type | Deciding whether a project is affordable at all; early land decisions | Wide range, ±30–50% |
| Elemental cost plan | Drawings at concept or developed stage, grouped by building element | Design decisions: which roof, which finishes, what to defer | Moderate, ±15–20% |
| Pre-tender estimate / priced BOQ | Full measured quantities from complete drawings | Tendering, contract sum, cost control, checking contractor prices | Tight, ±10% on the measured scope |
We will tell you which level you are actually getting. An order of magnitude estimate presented as though it were a tender figure has ruined more projects than a missing drawing.
What actually drives cost in Nigeria
Knowing these lets you make the decisions that matter, and ignore the ones that do not.
Ground and substructure
Waterlogged ground, high water table, soft soil and sloping sites can add a large percentage to foundation cost before a single block is laid. In parts of Lagos, Port Harcourt and the Niger Delta this is the single most underestimated item.
Specification drift
Tiles become marble, aluminium becomes imported, the roof changes. Each choice is small in isolation and cumulative in effect. A cost plan lets you see the total consequence while you can still change your mind for free.
Access and haulage
A site reached by a bad road costs more for sand, granite and blocks, and it slows every trade. Haulage is a real cost line, not a rounding error.
Services and external works
Septic and soakaway, water storage, electrical connection, boundary wall, gate and paving routinely account for a meaningful share of a finished compound, and are often left out of headline figures.
How we report an estimate
A number without a basis cannot be negotiated with.
- Elemental breakdownSubstructure, frame, roofing, finishes, services, external works, preliminaries and contingency, each with its own figure.
- Rate scheduleThe rates used, with date and location basis, so a contractor can challenge a specific rate rather than the whole number.
- Assumptions registerEvery assumption made where information was incomplete, listed so you can correct it.
- Sensitivity tableCost at the current rate, and the effect of a stated move in cement, reinforcement or exchange rate.
- Cash-flow profileIndicative spend by stage, so you can plan funding rather than discovering it.
Cost estimation questions
Can you tell me the cost per square metre before I send drawings?
We can give a range, and we will be honest that it is a range and not a quotation. Cost per square metre is a blunt instrument: it hides specification, ground conditions, location, and whether the figure includes finishes, services and external works. Two houses of identical floor area in Lagos can differ by more than 60% on cost. The range is useful for deciding whether a plot is affordable; it is not useful for deciding what to pay a contractor.
How accurate is a cost estimate from drawings?
Accuracy depends on the completeness of the information. From a full drawing set with a specification, an elemental estimate is typically within 10% of a properly tendered price for the same scope. From a sketch and a verbal description, it is an order of magnitude, and we will label it as such rather than lend it false precision.
Do you publish current Nigerian construction rates?
No, and we would advise caution about anyone who does. Material prices in Nigeria move with the exchange rate, fuel and haulage, and they differ sharply between Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and rural sites. We build estimates from rates gathered on live projects, and we state the date and location basis of every rate used so you can judge how current it is.
Should I fix a contract price or build on re-measurement?
It depends on how complete your drawings are. With a complete design, a fixed price with a well-defined variation clause gives certainty. Where design is still developing, measurement against a BOQ with agreed rates is fairer to both sides. Either way the BOQ is the instrument that makes the choice possible.
Get a cost figure you can defend
Send drawings, a specification if you have one, and the site location. You will get a written estimate with its basis stated line by line.
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