Bands by intervention level
| Intervention | Cost per m2 | 80 m2 apartment | Content |
|---|---|---|---|
| Refresh | EUR 300 - 500 | EUR 24,000 - 40,000 | Painting, overlaid floors, minor works |
| Medium | EUR 500 - 800 | EUR 40,000 - 64,000 | Bathrooms and kitchen, partial services, windows |
| Full | EUR 900 - 1,300 | EUR 72,000 - 104,000 | Internal demolitions, complete services, all finishes |
| Premium | EUR 1,400 - 2,200 | EUR 112,000 - 176,000 | Redesigned layout, high-end materials, automation |
Professional fees (10-15 per cent), VAT at the applicable rate and a contingency of 10-15 per cent must always be added, because in existing buildings you discover by demolishing. The tax deductions in force, which in Italy change with every budget law, must be checked at the project date: they are a financial variable, not a guaranteed discount.
Example bill of quantities: full renovation of an 80 m2 apartment
Two bedrooms, one bathroom plus a shower room, eat-in kitchen, 1970s condominium. The example represents the most recurrent case in the segment.
| Work item | Quantity | Unit price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demolition and disposal | lump sum | EUR 6,500 | |
| Chasing and builder's work | lump sum | EUR 3,800 | |
| Complete electrical installation | 80 m2 | EUR 95/m2 | EUR 7,600 |
| Plumbing and heating installation | 80 m2 | EUR 130/m2 | EUR 10,400 |
| External windows | 14 m2 | EUR 550/m2 | EUR 7,700 |
| Plaster, screeds, plasterboard | lump sum | EUR 9,200 | |
| Floors and wall tiling (supply and fixing) | 80 m2 | EUR 90/m2 | EUR 7,200 |
| Two complete bathrooms (sanitaryware, taps, works) | 2 | EUR 9,500 | EUR 19,000 |
| Internal doors | 6 | EUR 480 | EUR 2,880 |
| Painting | lump sum | EUR 3,400 | |
| Total works | EUR 77,680 | ||
| Professional fees and permits (12%) | EUR 9,300 | ||
| Contingencies (12%) | EUR 9,300 | ||
| Indicative total, excluding VAT | EUR 96,280 |
The resulting full cost per m2 is around EUR 1,200, consistent with the full-renovation band. Note the weight of the two bathrooms: almost a quarter of the works on barely 10 per cent of the floor area. That figure explains why the same area can cost very different amounts depending on the number of wet rooms.
The items estimates forget
| Item | Why it escapes | Order of magnitude |
|---|---|---|
| Rubble disposal | sometimes excluded from the contractor's pricing | EUR 1,500 - 4,000 |
| Scaffolding or platform for windows | needed even for internal works | EUR 800 - 3,000 |
| Upgrading communal drainage stacks | discovered during demolition | EUR 2,000 - 6,000 |
| Building permits and notifications | separate from the works quote | EUR 1,500 - 4,000 |
| Testing and installation certificates | required by law | EUR 800 - 2,000 |
| Fitted furniture and kitchen | excluded by definition | variable |
| Double handling if the home stays occupied | not quoted | 5 - 15% of the works |
In condominiums a procedural variable is added: works touching common parts (drainage stacks, facades, roofs) require assembly approvals and have their own timelines, which must go into the programme before materials are ordered. The time to obtain approval must be allowed for before work starts.
How to read and compare quotes
There is only one operating rule: compare on the bill of quantities, not on the price per m2. Two contractors offering EUR 60,000 and 85,000 for the same apartment are most likely describing different works, not charging different prices. The correct method has three steps: define the specification before requesting offers (which works, which qualities, which exclusions); ask for unit prices and not only the lump-sum total, so differences become readable item by item; verify that the quantities match measured reality. The logic of which floor areas to use as the denominator, when reducing everything to a cost per m2, is in the article on how to calculate cost per m2.
Note: the figures shown are 2026 orders of magnitude for the Italian market, for guidance only. Every project requires a specific estimate based on a bill of quantities; the tax deductions in force must be checked at the project date.