Cost Of Building a House in Nigeria: Shelter is a basic necessity desirous for our Survival, and a House provides Shelter for us. This is why Houses are everywhere in Nigeria as we the citizens cannot do without living in a House. Thus, everyone needs a house and everyone must live in a house for shelter.
In Nigeria, you may get a House for Shelter either through renting an apartment or building your own apartment. In totality, whether you rent an apartment or otherwise it still requires the building of such an apartment by the Owner (Landlord) and same is the case when you build your own apartment.
Have you ever considered building an apartment otherwise called a House? Or have you ever wondered the monetary costs involved in building a House? Or do you know the estimated cost in case you want to start building a house? This Article seeks to assist you by giving a rough estimate of the cost of building a house and how you may go about building such a house.
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Building a House In Nigeria
Building a House involves the following:
a. Acquiring a Land: To build a house, you necessarily need to acquire your own land as you cannot build your house on nothing or another Man’s land. Before you spend money on buying a Land, it is very important that you investigate the title of the land to be sure that the title is bonafide and that there are no encumbrance on the Land.
Then after buying the Land, you must acquire a Certificate of Occupancy, Official Gazette, Survey Plan of the Land, and the deed of conveyance which seals your acquisition and now ownership of the Land. Upon acquiring the Land, you may now proceed with your plans of building a House on the Land.
b. Architectural design: The plans of building a House on your land begins with you setting out the architectural design of the type of house you want to build. This Architectural design involves the paperwork and design of the house drawn by a Professional, the structural drawings of the house, and the bill of quantities and materials involved in building the house.
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c. Approval of Architectural design: When the Architectural design of your house is ready and before you start building on your Land, you need to obtain the building approval from the relevant Government authorities by submitting your Architectural design, your survey plan, Certificate of Occupancy, and Evidence of Payment of your Application fee. After getting the approval of the relevant Government authorities, you may now go ahead and start developing on your Land.
d. Execution of the building: After doing the above three, you may now begin the execution of the purported structure of your House on your Land. This may be done through an Engineer or a Contractor who will oversee and supervise the building of your house and will be involved in the setting out of your land, trench excavation, foundational work for erecting the building, Column casting, Floor casting, Laying of blocks, Lintel Casting, roofing, and all other processes involved in ensuring the success of the construction of your house.
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Cost Of Building a House (Breakdown of expenses)
The Cost of building a House in Nigeria is dependent on a multiplicity of factors, including but not limited to:
1. Price of the Land
2. Cost of building materials
3. The type of house you want to build
4. Cost of Workmanship
5. Miscellaneous.
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1. Price of the Land: As established earlier in this Article, a Land is very important for building a House. To build a house, It is either you buy a Land instantaneously or you build your house on a Land which you may have acquired before either through inheritance, outright purchase or otherwise. Either ways, you must have purchased the Land for a Price and this Price often helps in determining the total cost which you will spend in building your house.
The Price of a Land differs per state. For example, a Land in Lagos State is way more expensive than the cost of a Land in Enugu State. Moreso, the price of a Land differs per locality in a State. For example, the price of a Land at Independence Layout, Enugu State is triple the price of Land at Obiagu, Enugu State. Also, the Price of a Land In a developed area is more expensive than that of a Land in a developing or less developed area.
All in all, the State, Locality, development of the locality, and sometimes urgency of the sale may determine the price of the Land. But be rest assured that you need a budget of nothing less than One Million Naira if you’re to purchase at least a plot of Land in a good locality in Nigeria.
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2. Cost of Building Materials: Another factor which determines the cost of building a House is the cost of the materials necessary for building such a House. The materials necessary for building a House in Nigeria, are:
a. Cement: Cement is necessary for making concrete which is used in setting the foundation of the building and erecting the walls of the house. Cement gives strength and resilience to your building, and is a very important building material.
A bag of Cement in Nigeria currently costs 4,200 Naira, and in building a House of any type, you need a minimum of 100 bags of Cement. Meaning that you will spend nothing less than 400,000 Naira on Cement.
b. Concrete: A Concrete is another very important building Material. It is made up of a mixture of Sand, Gravel, Granite, Cement, and Water.
A sharp sand costs 4,000 Naira per 1 ton. A filling sand costs 2,000 Naira per 1 ton, a Soft Sand costs 4,000 Naira per 1 ton and 18,000 per 5 tons. Granite Stone costs 7,500 Naira per 1 ton and 38,000 Naira per 5 tons. Gravel stone costs 6,000 Naira per 1 ton and 30,000 Naira per 5 tons
Cement as already discussed costs 4,200 Naira per Bag.
All these aforementioned materials will be needed in sizeable tons to make a Concrete necessary for building your house.
c. Metals: Aluminum and Steels popularly known as Rod in Nigeria is another important building material. Aluminum is usually used for roofing your house. You definitely can’t live in a house unless it is roofed. An Aluminum roofing sheet or Zinc sheet for roofing a house costs 4,500 Naira per square meter, and you could spend over 300,000 Naira in getting the right quantity and quality of roofing sheet for your House.
An Iron Rod on the other hand provides Support and strength to your building. It costs 8,500 Naira per 52; 16 Steel diameter (mm) pieces. A 30mm for same quantity costs 30,500 Naira.
The steel diameter (mm), Ton, and type of Rod you need for your building depends on the type of building and recommendation of your Contractor. But be rest assured that you are spending nothing less than 50,000 Naira in getting the appropriate ton and steel diameter for your building.
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d. Wood: Wood is a common building Material due to its tensile strength, Electrical and heat resistance, Sound absorption, and beauty.
A wood costs a minimum of 6,000 Naira per sheet.
e. Blocks: A block is responsible for a building, as a house is commonly built on blocks. Thus, to build a house in Nigeria, you need hundreds or most times thousands of blocks.
Blocks for building a house comes in different kinds. It may be a 6inches ordinary block, a 9inches ordinary block, a 6inches stone dust block, a 9inches stone dust block.
A 6inches ordinary block costs 250 Naira per block.
A 9inches ordinary block costs 280 Naira per block.
A 6inches stone block costs 300 Naira per block.
A 9 inches stone block coats 350 Naira per block.
Hence, the overall cost of Blocks depends on the kind of block you need for your building and it’s quantity. But be rest assured that you will spend at least 30,000 Naira on blocks as you will definitely need over 100 blocks for the construction of your house. These are the basic materials you need for building your house. In addition to POP (plaster of Paris), glass, plumbing materials, plastering materials, and more.
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3. Type of House: The type of house you intend to build is another major determinant of the sum of money you will spend in building your house. For example: If you are building a Bungalow, you are going to spend a minimum of 5 Million Naira and above. If you are building a Flat, especially a block of flats for yourself and other tenants, you will spend a minimum of 12 Million Naira.
If you are building a basic duplex, you will spend a minimum of 20 Million Naira, and the list goes on for higher types, designs, and structure of houses.
4. Workmanship: The success of building a House is attributed to workers who ensures the building of the house. These workers includes: Engineer, Contractor, Bricklayer, Iron bender, Carpenter, Labourer, Electrician, Plumber, and Plasterer.
The cost of Workmanship depends on the amount of work to be done and the type of house. But basically, the professionals earn a larger sum for their Workmanship. An Architect who draws the design and plan of your House earns 100,000 Naira or more for his services. An Engineer or Contractor earns 200,000 Naira or more for his services.
Other workers are usually paid according to their services and your agreement with them, and the Labourers are usually paid 2,000 – 4,000 Naira per day. So let’s say you have up to 10 Labourers working on your house, you will be rest assured to spend a minimum of 20,000 Naira per day for every day of work till they finish building your house.
In totality, the Workmanship required for building a House in Nigeria ranges from 400,000 Naira till infinity.
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5. Miscellaneous: Miscellaneous in this context refers to other expenses which will be executed in building your house. This includes: The cost of Transportation of building materials, Cost of Painting your House, Cost of furnishing your house, and other costs which may arise in the course of building your house.
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Important Facts About Building A House In Nigeria To Know
1. Acquisition of Land and Documentation: Purchasing land is one of the first stages in building a house in Nigeria. Prior to buying a land, careful investigation and due diligence are essential. It is important to carefully consider factors including location, closeness to facilities, accessibility, and legal ownership. To confirm the legitimacy of the land and determine its legal status, it is advised to retain the services of a certified land surveyor and attorney.
It is also crucial to get the required land papers. A Certificate of Occupancy (C of O), a Deed of Assignment, and a Survey Plan are examples of these documents. These records serve as proof of ownership and safeguard your investment. It is crucial to confirm that the land title is clear from liens, disagreements, and legal action of any kind. Working with specialists and consulting lawyers can make navigating the difficult property documentation process easier. A skilled architect or construction specialist who is familiar with the local requirements might be hired to help speed up the approval procedure.
2. Building and Quality Control: It’s critical to work with knowledgeable, experienced specialists when it comes to building. It is advised to engage with a trustworthy builder or contractor that has a history of producing high-quality work. Make sure they have the required knowledge, trained labour, and access to top-notch building supplies.
To make sure that standards and specifications are followed, constant supervision and quality control procedures should be put in place during construction. This include routine site visits, inspections, and monitoring of the development of the project. To guarantee durability and safety, it is crucial to employ certified building materials such concrete, bricks, and electrical and plumbing equipment.
3. Construction and Quality Control: When it comes to construction, engaging competent and experienced professionals is vital. Hiring a reputable construction company or contractor with a track record of delivering quality workmanship is recommended. Ensure they have the necessary expertise, skilled labor, and access to quality building materials.
During construction, regular supervision and quality control measures should be implemented to ensure adherence to standards and specifications. This includes regular site visits, inspections, and monitoring of construction progress. It is essential to use approved building materials, such as concrete, bricks, and electrical and plumbing fixtures, to ensure durability and safety.
Regulations pertaining to health and safety must be followed. It is essential to give safety a high priority throughout the building process by providing the necessary safety gear, enforcing safety procedures, and assuring worker welfare.
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In Conclusion, it is instructive to note that there is no static or said price of building a House in Nigeria, but these five considered factors are the major determinants of the eventual sum of money you will spend in building a house in Nigeria. Be rest assured that to build a house in Nigeria from the scratch, you are to budget nothing less than Four Million Naira.
Edeh Samuel Chukwuemeka ACMC, is a Law Student and a Certified Mediator/Conciliator in Nigeria. He is also a Developer with knowledge in HTML, CSS, JS, PHP and React Native. Samuel is bent on changing the legal profession by building Web and Mobile Apps that will make legal research a lot easier.