Build cost calculator for Saudi Arabia
Enter the built area and pick a level of finish. The tool multiplies area by rate, shows the answer as a range rather than a single number, and splits it across the stages of the build so you can see what the payments should look like. The rate is almost the whole answer, so it arrives as an editable field with the date it was last checked.
The total of every floor, not the plot size. An annexe and a garage count if they are roofed.
Shell is structure only, handed over as concrete and blockwork. Standard and premium are turnkey, and differ in finishes and joinery rather than in the structure.
Default price from the Saudi Arabia market — checked August 2026 — change it to the quote your contractor gave you.
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Estimated cost
880,000.00 SAR
400 m² × 2,200.00 per m²
Breakdown
Expected range: 720,000.00 SAR to 1,040,000.00 SAR
Cost across the stages
| Rate used | 2,200.00SAR/m² |
| Excavation and foundations (8%) | 70,400.00 |
| Concrete frame and steel (27%) | 237,600.00 |
| Blockwork and plaster (12%) | 105,600.00 |
| Electrical, plumbing and AC (18%) | 158,400.00 |
| Finishes (25%) | 220,000.00 |
| External works and sundries (10%) | 88,000.00 |
- The figure excludes the land, permit fees, design fees, utility connections and furniture.
A budget estimate, not a quotation. The proportions move with the design, and the real figure comes from a bill of quantities and a tender. Do not sign a contract against this number.
How it's calculated
Cost is estimated from a rate per square metre of built area. This is the standard early-stage method, and it is enough to tell you whether a project is within reach before you spend anything on design. It does not replace a bill of quantities, but it is far better than a guess.
The rate is almost the whole answer, and it is the only number on the page that goes out of date. So it arrives as an editable field with the date it was last checked printed underneath. Put your contractor's rate in it and the result becomes yours rather than the market's average.
The answer is shown as a range between the low and high rate for the chosen level, because a single number reads like a quotation and is not one. Below it is the split across build stages: ordinary proportions that tell you what the payments should look like, and that expose the quote asking for half the money before the digging starts.
- Cost = built area × rate per square metre
- The range comes from the low and high rate for the chosen level
- A shell splits across four stages, a turnkey build across six
- The proportions always add to a hundred percent, because they are shares and not prices
- The figure excludes land, permits, design and utility connections
Worked example
A villa with 400 m² of built area at a standard finish, at a rate of 2,200 SAR per m²:
- Cost: 400 × 2,200 = 880,000 SAR
- Range between 1,800 and 2,600 per m²: 720,000 to 1,040,000 SAR
- Excavation and foundations at 8 percent: 70,400 SAR
- Concrete frame at 27 percent: 237,600 SAR
- Finishes at 25 percent: 220,000 SAR
A realistic budget is around 880,000 SAR for the build alone. Add the land, permits, design and utility connections, and hold back ten percent for variations.
FAQ
Does the figure include the land?
No, it is the build only. Land is usually the largest single item in the whole project and its price swings enormously between districts, so estimating it per built square metre makes no sense. Add permit fees, engineering office fees and connections for power, water and drainage as well.
What is the difference between shell and turnkey?
A shell is a concrete frame and block walls, handed over with no electrical, no plumbing, no finishes and no doors. Turnkey covers all of it, up to walking in and living there. Note that finishing after a shell usually costs more than the shell did, so building a shell to save money defers the larger amount rather than removing it.
Why is the gap between standard and premium so wide?
Because the structure is identical and the whole difference is in what you touch and see: stone instead of local tile, bespoke joinery instead of off the shelf, ducted air conditioning instead of splits, home automation. Those items have effectively no ceiling, which is why the premium range is the widest.
Can I use the stage split as a payment schedule?
Use it for comparison, not for copying. The proportions shown are the usual shape of a build cost, and they expose the problem when a quote asks for forty percent before the digging starts. The actual payment schedule belongs in the contract and should be tied to work certified by a supervisor.
When should I update the rate?
Every time a quote arrives. The defaults are dated and the date sits under the field, but building materials move quickly and steel moves fastest. Enter the rate you were actually offered, because it is the only number that belongs to your project.
Related tools
Sources
✓ Reviewed September 2026- Rates per square metre for each level of finish are dated in the pricing config and shown as an editable field, because they are the only numbers on this page that go out of date
- The stage proportions are the usual way a contract price divides across the trades. They are shares rather than prices, and always add to a hundred percent
- A shell splits across four stages ending at the structure, and a turnkey build across six stages covering services, finishes and external works
- The figure excludes land, permit fees, design fees, utility connections and furniture, each of which has to be estimated on its own
Assumptions used
- Skeleton is structure only, handed over as bare concrete and blockwork. Standard and premium are turnkey, and differ in the finishes, joinery and fittings rather than in the structure.
- How a contract price usually splits across the trades. Proportions, not prices: they shift with design, but the shape holds well enough to tell you what a stage payment should look like.