What does it cost
to build?
An honest, line-item estimator for a house build in Harare — land through handover, with an editable timeline. Numbers are 2026 market averages.
FIG.CTell us the project.
▸ ESTIMATED TOTAL
$180,717
$1,291 / m² built
Every line, in build order.
Tap any unit rate to override it. Empty the field and tab out to revert to the tier default.
▸ Pre-build
$53,100
| Item | Rate | Qty | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
Land purchase (stand) Stand purchase price per m². Set automatically by density node. | USD / m² stand | 1,000 | $50,000 |
Conveyancing & legal Title-deed transfer, legal fees, Deeds Office levies. | USD lump sum | 1 | $1,500 |
Title-deed sanity check Independent legal verification before purchase. | USD lump sum | 1 | $350 |
Geotechnical investigation Soil classification, SPT, Atterberg limits, foundation recommendation. | USD lump sum | 1 | $700 |
Land surveyor + site setting-out Boundary verification, pegs, contour survey, site set-out. | USD lump sum | 1 | $550 |
▸ Plans & Approvals
$10,368
| Item | Rate | Qty | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
Architect fees Registered architect, drawings + plan approval submission. | % of build cost | — | $4,895 |
Structural engineer Foundation + superstructure design + structural certification. | % of build cost | — | $1,632 |
MEP / electrical engineer Electrical, plumbing, mechanical design + certification. | % of build cost | — | $979 |
Quantity surveyor Bill of quantities, milestone valuations, cost control. | % of build cost | — | $1,632 |
Plan-approval fees (Harare City Council) City council plan submission + scrutiny + approval levies. | USD / m² built | 140 | $630 |
Environmental impact assessment (where applicable) EIA only required above certain footprint or sensitive sites. | USD lump sum | 1 | $600 |
▸ Structure
$35,140
| Item | Rate | Qty | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
Site clearing & preparation Clearing, levelling, temporary fencing, site office, ablutions. | USD / m² built | 140 | $1,400 |
Foundations Excavation, reinforcement, concrete, formwork. Higher rate for difficult soils. | USD / m² built | 140 | $11,900 |
Superstructure walls + lintels Brickwork, mortar, lintels, ring beams, internal partitions. | USD / m² built | 140 | $18,200 |
Concrete floor slabs + screeds Ground slab, suspended slab where applicable, levelling screeds. | USD / m² built | 140 | $3,640 |
▸ Roof
$9,660
| Item | Rate | Qty | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
Roof timber / steel structure Treated trusses or steel, battens, fascias, treatment. | USD / m² built | 140 | $5,880 |
Roof covering Basic IBR / mid clay tile / premium concrete tile / luxury slate-look. | USD / m² built | 140 | $3,080 |
Gutters, downpipes & flashings Galvanised or aluminium, downpipes, parapet flashings, waterproofing. | USD / m² built | 140 | $700 |
▸ MEP
$16,310
| Item | Rate | Qty | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
Plumbing — first fix Hot/cold pipework, drainage, soil stack, in-wall reticulation. | USD / m² built | 140 | $3,080 |
Plumbing — second fix + sanitaryware Toilet, basin, shower / bath, taps, fittings — per bathroom. | USD / bathroom | 2 | $3,200 |
Electrical — first fix Conduit, cabling, distribution board, earthing, ZESA submission. | USD / m² built | 140 | $2,520 |
Electrical — second fix + fittings Sockets, switches, lights, ceiling fans, alarm + data cabling. | USD / m² built | 140 | $1,960 |
Solar + backup system 3kW basic → 12kW+ luxury with battery storage and inverter. | USD lump sum | 1 | $4,500 |
HVAC / split-system aircon Inverter splits per bedroom + living. Basic tier excludes HVAC. | USD / bedroom | 3 | $1,050 |
▸ Finishes
$20,480
| Item | Rate | Qty | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
Internal plaster + skim Two-coat plaster, dryliner skim where specified. | USD / m² built | 140 | $1,960 |
Floor & wall tiling Local porcelain / mid imported / premium large-format / luxury marble. | USD / m² built | 140 | $3,920 |
Paint & decoration Two undercoats + topcoat. Premium = washable / texture coats. | USD / m² built | 140 | $1,400 |
Ceilings + cornices Rhinoboard standard / suspended bulkheads / coffered detail. | USD / m² built | 140 | $1,400 |
Joinery — doors & windows Internal flush doors + aluminium windows. Luxury = timber + double-glazed. | USD / m² built | 140 | $4,200 |
Kitchen — joinery, stone & appliances Cabinets, worktop, sink, taps, oven, hob, extractor. | USD lump sum | 1 | $5,500 |
Built-in wardrobes Per bedroom — melamine basic to oak veneer luxury. | USD / bedroom | 3 | $2,100 |
▸ External Works
$27,500
| Item | Rate | Qty | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
Boundary wall + gate Approximation per m² of stand. Includes gate + intercom on mid+. | USD / m² stand | 1,000 | $10,000 |
Driveway & paving Interlocking blocks → cobble → exposed aggregate. | USD lump sum | 1 | $3,500 |
Landscaping & garden Lawn + plants → designed garden → architect-led landscaping. | USD lump sum | 1 | $2,000 |
Borehole + tank + pump Drilling (averaged), 5000L tank, pressure pump, filtration. | USD lump sum | 1 | $6,500 |
ZESA electricity connection ZETDC quotation + transformer share where applicable. | USD lump sum | 1 | $2,500 |
ZINWA / municipal water connection Connection + meter + service pipe. | USD lump sum | 1 | $800 |
Sewer or septic system Council connection where available, otherwise septic + soakaway. | USD lump sum | 1 | $2,200 |
Swimming pool (optional) Concrete shell, plant, fencing, deck. Excluded on basic / mid by default. | USD lump sum | 1 | $0 |
▸ Contingency
$8,159
| Item | Rate | Qty | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
Contingency (10% of build) Industry-standard buffer against variations, weather, scope drift. | % of build cost | — | $8,159 |
▸ FIG.G — PROJECT TIMELINE
54 weeks · ≈ 13 months · 13 phases
01 ·
Site acquisition & title
02 ·
Geotech + architecture + engineering
03 ·
Plan approval — Harare City Council
04 ·
Site clearing & setup
05 ·
Foundations
06 ·
Superstructure walls
07 ·
Roof structure + covering
08 ·
MEP first fix
09 ·
Plaster, screed & weathertight
10 ·
Finishes, joinery, kitchen
11 ·
MEP second fix + fittings
12 ·
External works
13 ·
Snags & handover
▸ TOTAL · 54 weeks · 13 months · phase durations are editable
▸ ESTIMATE · NOT A QUOTE
This calculator produces a general estimation based on average 2026 Harare market rates. It is intended to guide budgeting decisions, not to commit NeftStroi Engineering to a price. A real quotation requires a site visit, geotechnical investigation, approved drawings, and a line-item bill of quantities. Contact us for a quote.
Turn the estimate
into a quote.
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