01/05/2020
COST OF BUILDING A 3 BEDROOM BUNGALOW IN NIGERIA.
In my previous post i discussed about things to consider when buying properties in Nigeria, I mentioned some documents needed for important informations about the property you want to buy, at this point, I want you to be informed about how much it will cost you to build a 3 bedroom bungalow, after you've already bought a pieces of land and all the documents have been perfected by your lawyer, and you've paid off the omo onile, and also obtained their family receipt, with the realtor his agency fee, you can now start your building project.
Buying a piece of land in Lagos State will cost you # 200,000, 000 and above.
On this article you would get full details on the cost of building a 3 bedroom bungalow in Nigeria.
Most times when people hear the cost of building a 3 bedroom bungalow in Nigeria from friends, they get scared. The cost they get to hear, run into tens of millions at some point. Honestly, you can build a 3 bedroom bungalow for as much as N50,000,000, or as low as N5,000,000. This cost is affected by a number of factors ranging from:
1) Location of the property.
2) Cost of building materials.
3) Quality of building materials.
4) Charges of professionals as it varies.
There's a normal process you have to follow before you commence the building project, make sure you have all required approved documents for the construction process e.g
1) Architectural drawings.
2) Structural drawings.
3) Mechanical drawings.
3) Electrical drawings.
Some people look down on this process, this is very wrong, that's why some houses later collapsed or have some electrical or plumbing problems, to avoid this you need to follow the right process.
In calculating the cost of building a 3 bedroom bungalow in Nigeria, it is advisable to breakdown the construction process into stages. This is the norm and is actually helpful in planning your progress. For a bungalow, we can split the construction stages into:
Foundation (German floor) / Soak-away Stage.
DPC to lintel level Stage.
Roofing Stage.
Plastering / Finishing Stage.
Cost of Foundation (German Floor) / Soak-away Stage
This is the first stage of construction and it includes setting out, digging, concrete work, block laying, backfilling and flooring as the processes in this stage.
Material Requirements for Setting-out with profiles
4 pieces of 1 x 12 plank @ NGN 1,200 each plus NGN 800 (for dividing each into 5 (@ NGN 200 each) = NGN 5,600
4 bundles of Pegs @ NGN 1,200 each = NGN 4,800
2″ and 3″ Nails = NGN 1,200 worth of nails
4 bundles of rope @ NGN 200 each = NGN 800
Labour = NGN 5,000
Estimated cost of setting-out = NGN 17,400.
Material Requirements for Digging / Excavation
Some diggers and shovels will be needed for the job. These tools can cost about NGN 2,000 to rent.
Labour = NGN 10,000
Estimated cost of digging = NGN 12,000.
Material Requirements for Concrete work / Blinding
For a standard foundation of 150 mm base-thickness, assuming 0.45 m (breadth or height) and 85.5 m (entire length) = 5.77125 m3
10 bags of cement @ NGN 2,600 each = NGN 26,000
20 tonnes of sand x 2 = NGN 80,000
20 tonnes of Granite = NGN 100,000
We don’t need reinforcements (Iron bars) because the soil is good, firm and dry.
Litres of water as needed.
Labour = NGN 25,000
Estimated cost of concrete work = NGN 231,000.
Material Requirements for Laying Foundation Blocks
Using 9-inch blocks and laying 4 coaches, you will need
12 bags of cement @ NGN 2,600 each = NGN 31,200
644 pieces of 9-inch vibrated blocks (including 10 percent wastage) @ NGN 170 each = NGN 109,480
Plumbing work = NGN 25,000
The remaining sand from concrete work will be used here.
Labour = NGN 35,000
Estimated cost of laying foundation blocks = NGN 200,680.
Material Requirements for Filling
I suggest digging the soak-away and septic tank alongside making the foundation so that the soil dug-up from the soak-away pit, septic tank and well can be used for filling the foundation. This will save you the cost of buying some trips of sand for foundation filling, and also save you the cost of clearing the dug-up soil in a case where it is not used for filling.
After filling the foundation, water it for about 10 hours and leave it for days (or some weeks) before flooring for natural compaction. In the end, you might need to buy just a few trips of sand if the soil dug-up from the well and septic tank is not enough, assuming you buy, it will cost:
3 trips of 20 tonnes laterite (fairly clay) at NGN 18,000 = NGN 54,000
Labour = NGN 10,000
Estimated cost of filling foundation = NGN 64,000
Material Requirements for Foundation Casting / Flooring
25 bags of cement @ NGN 2,600 = NGN 65,000
Waterproof / nylon = NGN 15,000
Remaining granite and sand from concrete work will be used here.
Labour = NGN 18,000
Estimated cost of flooring = NGN 98,000
Material Requirements for Septic Tank, Soak-away pit and Well
The septic tank, soak-away pit, and well should be constructed first in order to have water for the work and sand for filling the foundation later.
700 pieces of 6-inch vibrated blocks @ NGN 150 / block (for a septic tank of 3m x 3m x 3m) = NGN 105,000.
22 bags of cement @ NGN 2,600 = NGN 57,200 (including plastering).
Number of well-rings as required.
Sand and granite from concrete work will be used here.
Labor for septic tank, soak-away pit and well = NGN 80,000
Estimated cost of constructing both the septic tank, soak-away and well = NGN 242,200.
Total Estimated Cost for this stage = NGN 865,280 (excluding the cost of well rings).
Cost of Construction From Damp Proof Course (D.P.C) To Lintel Level
This is the next stage in the construction process and begins where the German floor ends. It covers the main block work including wall partitions for the various spaces in the house. The materials listed below are just estimates of what you get in a modest 3-bedroom flat. Again, ensure you get a Bill of Quantities for your building plan as that’s the only way to know the exact material requirements for your house. This stage ends at the roof level.
Material Requirements and Labour for Block work
2100pcs of 6-inch stone dust vibrated blocks @ NGN 150 = NGN 315,000.
(The cost increases when you use 9-inch blocks)
15 tonnes of sharp sand = NGN 40,000
30 bags of cement @ NGN 2,600 = NGN 78,000
Labour = NGN 120,000
Estimated cost of block work = NGN 553,000. (This includes the two coaches of blocks after lintel)
Material Requirement for Lintel Casting
20 length of 12mm rod @ NGN 2,100 / length = NGN 42,000
10 length of stirrups @ NGN 500 / length = NGN 5,000
35 length of 1 x 12 x 18 wood @ NGN 1,700 / length = NGN 59,500
Nails plus wire for binding = NGN 13,000
8 bags of cement @ NGN 2,600 = NGN 20,800
Remaining sand will be used here.
Remaining granite from concrete work is used.
Labour plus carpenter = NGN 30,000
Estimated cost of the lintel level = NGN 170,300
Estimated Total Cost for this stage = NGN 723,300.
Cost of Roofing 3 Bedroom Bungalow Stage
The cost of roofing varies greatly with the type of roofing materials and design you choose to use. The cost given below represents 0.45 mm thick aluminum roofing sheets. The true cost of all stages still remains that shown on the bill of quantity document.
Material Requirements for Roofing
320 length of 2 x 3 x 12 wood @ NGN 450 = NGN 144,000
45 length of 2 x 6 x 12 @ NGN 840 = NGN 38,250
25 length of 1 x 12 x 12 wood @ NGN 1,400 = NGN 35,000
1/2 bag of 2-inch nails @ NGN 5,800 = NGN 2,900
11/2 bags of 3-inch nails @ NGN 6,000 = NGN 9,000
1/2 bag of 4-inch nails @ NGN 6,500 = NGN 3,250
Aluminium (0.45mm thick) roofing, transportation and Labour = NGN 685,900
Total Estimated Cost for the roofing stage = NGN 918,300.
Cost of Finishing Stage
This stage includes plastering, wiring, plumbing, fixing of windows, doors, tiles, and other essentials. The cost here varies with respect to the quality of materials you use. Below is an estimate for a very modest finishing.
Material Requirements for Electrical works
Wires, Pipes, Conduit Boxes, etc = NGN 400,000
Material Requirements for Mechanical and Plumbing Works
Kitchen sink, Pipes, WC, Washing Hand Basin, Overhead Tank, Shower, etc = NGN 500,000
Material Requirements for Ceiling
Woods for nogging, P.O.P Sheets, External wood finishing, P.V.C Boards, Tank nails, etc plus labor = NGN 450,000
Material Requirements for Windows and Doors
Windows, doors, burglary proof, and fixtures plus labor = NGN 500,000
Material Requirements for Wall Rendering and Painting
Plastering and painting plus labor = NGN 500,000
Material Requirements for Floor Finishes
Tiles and others plus labor = NGN 250,000
Estimated Total Cost for this stage = NGN 2,600,000.
Grand Total = NGN 865,280 + NGN 723,300 + NGN 918,300 + NGN 2,600,000 = NGN 5,106,880
As you can see from the calculations, we arrived at a total cost of building a 3 bedroom bungalow which is below NGN 6,000,000. This involves just the construction of the 3 bedroom bungalow in Nigeria. As for the furniture fittings, you have a variety of options you can choose from. Also, clearing the site after the construction was not factored into the cost. However, the amount is not so much when put into the cost of building a 3 bedroom bungalow in Nigeria. But, if you still want to furnish the house with more expensive materials, you will spend more.
