Bands by type
| Type | Cost per m2 | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Open canopy / machinery shelter | EUR 150 - 250 | Structure and roof, partial enclosure |
| Hay store / enclosed store | EUR 200 - 300 | Cladding, compacted or concrete floor |
| Equipped agricultural store | EUR 280 - 380 | Industrial floor, electrical, roller doors |
| Livestock barn | EUR 350 - 600 | Special flooring, ventilation, slurry storage |
| Processing rooms | EUR 700 and above | Hygiene requirements, process services |
The jump between store and barn is the segment's main discontinuity: moving from sheltering materials to sheltering animals introduces animal welfare, slurry management and sanitary requirements that multiply the services items. The two uses share the structure and almost nothing else.
Why agricultural buildings cost less
Finishes are absent. Structure, roof, cladding: the agricultural building is essentially envelope, with no plaster, ceilings, quality floors or aesthetic detailing.
Services are minimal. Lighting, power outlets, often no climate control: the services of an agricultural store are worth a fraction of those of a production building.
Heights and spans are modest. Functional needs (machinery parking, bale storage) are met with contained spans and heights, which simplify structure and foundations.
Tolerances are wide. Floor flatness, air-tightness, thermal performance: requirements that in production buildings are specification items remain merely functional here.
The limit of these savings must be stated clearly: they hold as long as the building remains a container. Every added function (processing, direct sales, livestock) brings the project back into industrial or commercial cost logic.
The items specific to livestock
For barns, four chapters absorb the cost difference against a store. None of the four can be compressed, since they follow from regulatory duties.
Flooring must resist chemical attack, point loads and continuous washing, with slopes and channels for collection.
Ventilation, natural or forced, sized on animal welfare, with ridge vents, adjustable openings and sometimes mechanical systems.
Slurry storage (tanks, slabs, covers) is a reinforced concrete work with regulated containment and capacity requirements, and it accounts for a significant share of the budget.
Automation of feeding, milking or watering: process systems with their own costs, independent of the building.
Budget example: a 600 m2 machinery shelter
Precast structure, 15-metre span, 5 metres clear height, three sides enclosed, machinery parking use. The example represents the simplest case in the segment.
| Item | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Foundations and slab | EUR 34,000 | |
| Structure and roof | 600 m2 × EUR 160 | EUR 96,000 |
| Cladding on three sides and doors | EUR 38,000 | |
| Industrial concrete floor | 600 m2 × EUR 35 | EUR 21,000 |
| Essential electrical installation | EUR 12,000 | |
| Professional fees (11%) | EUR 22,000 | |
| Contingencies (7%) | EUR 15,000 | |
| Total excluding land and fees | EUR 238,000 | |
| Full cost per m2 | / 600 | ~EUR 397 |
Here too the full cost far exceeds the band of the structure alone: EUR 160 per m2 for the structure becomes 397 for the complete project. It is the same gap observed in industrial work, and the same recommendation: build the budget item by item, not by multiplication.
Note: the figures shown are 2026 orders of magnitude for the Italian market, for guidance only. Every project requires a specific estimate and verification of the applicable regional and municipal rules.