Cost bands by type
| Type | Indicative cost per m2 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Open structure (canopy, shelter) | EUR 150 - 250 | Structure and roof only |
| Agricultural building | EUR 200 - 350 | Simplified construction and services |
| Precast concrete or steel warehouse | EUR 280 - 450 | Structural and architectural package, finished |
| Masonry warehouse | EUR 220 - 300 | For limited spans, now a minority choice |
| Finished warehouse with standard services | EUR 400 - 700 | Standard services, limited ancillary offices |
| Complex facility (advanced logistics, production) | EUR 700 - 1,200 | Special services, extended fire protection, office block |
As in residential, the figures exclude land, urbanisation fees, professional costs (typically 12-15 per cent of the works in industrial projects) and heavy external works (yards, internal roads), which in a production facility can be worth as much as a bay of the building itself. Taken together, those items add a good third to the value of the works.
Where the cost forms: structure, envelope, services
In industrial construction three blocks dominate the budget and explain almost all the variance between quotes. They act independently and do not offset one another.
The structure: spans and heights rule. Moving from 15-20 metre spans to 30, or from 6 to 10 metres clear height, changes sections, foundations and cost per m2; that is why comparing warehouses per m2 without stating spans and heights means nothing.
Roof and cladding: insulation is the emerging variable. A performing sandwich panel, rooflights, photovoltaic readiness (a de facto requirement in many new developments) shift the cost by tens of euros per m2 compared with the plain sheeting of a generation ago.
The services: this is the block that turns a warehouse from 350 into 800 euros per m2. Fire protection (detection, hydrants or sprinklers depending on the activity and fire load), industrial electrical systems, heating or cooling of the volumes, compressed air and process systems: the intended use writes the estimate more than the building does.
Traditional, precast, agricultural: how to orient
The precast warehouse in reinforced concrete or steel is today's dominant solution: EUR 280-450 per m2 for the structural-architectural package, reduced site times and contractually locked prices. The serious comparison with traditional building, and the out-of-package items that undermine it, are in the article on precast warehouse costs.
The generic warehouse (production, storage, workshops) with its complete bands, from foundations to services, is developed with a budget example in the article on the cost of building a warehouse. Its bands cover the whole span of the type.
The agricultural building benefits from constructional simplifications (heights, finishes, reduced services) that place it at EUR 200-350 per m2; barns and shelters however have specific needs (ventilation, floors, storage) covered in the article on agricultural building costs. The distinction between store and barn is the real cost divide.
Worked example: a 1,000 m2 production building
Precast concrete warehouse, 20-metre span, 7 metres clear height, standard services and an 80 m2 office block. The example runs from the bare building to the delivered project.
| Item | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Precast structure and envelope | 1,000 m2 × EUR 380 | EUR 380,000 |
| Services (electrical, fire, heating) | 1,000 m2 × EUR 150 | EUR 150,000 |
| Finished office block | 80 m2 × EUR 1,100 | EUR 88,000 |
| Yards and external works (estimate) | EUR 70,000 | |
| Professional fees (12%) | on works | EUR 82,000 |
| Total excluding land and fees | EUR 770,000 |
The resulting average cost, EUR 770 per m2, shows by itself why synthetic bands must be handled with care: the bare building was at 380, the complete project is at double. The doubling is explained entirely by items the opening band did not cover.
Timelines and out-of-quote items
Two elements complete the reading of any industrial quote. Timelines: a standard precast building is erected in a few weeks, but the full path (design, building permit, foundations, erection, services, occupancy approval) generally takes 8 to 14 months, and for a company the months of delay are lost production capacity, a real cost that appears in no per-m2 table. Recurring out-of-quote items: utility connections and the electrical substation (tens of thousands of euros at industrial power ratings), fire safety filings and testing, plot works, fencing and weighbridge. Before signing, the list of what the price does not include is worth as much as the price itself.
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 and up-to-date regional price books.