The orders of magnitude observed
Luxembourg professional sources converge on similar ranges. Those ranges are read together with their scope.
| Scope | Order of magnitude observed |
|---|---|
| Weathertight shell | around €1,600 to €2,100 / m² |
| Turnkey | around €2,400 to €4,000 / m² |
These figures exclude land and ancillary costs, which are the subject of the corresponding branches.
The width of the turnkey range reflects finish level and construction method, covered in the article on what changes the works cost.
These orders of magnitude do not replace a quotation. They serve to frame an envelope, check the consistency of an offer and rule out proposals plainly outside the market.
What a range actually covers
Three limits, and ignoring them produces estimates wrong by tens of per cent. They concern the stage, the area and the specification level.
Scope varies. The same label may include or exclude equipment, external works, or certain technical services.
The reference area varies. A price related to living area and one related to built area give appreciably different results for the same building.
The date matters. Construction prices evolve, and the official index documents that movement, covered in the article on index and price revision.
The three questions to ask
Before using any price per square metre, whatever its source. Four questions arise beforehand.
What scope. What exactly does this price cover, and above all what does it not.
What area. Living, built or gross, the difference being far from negligible.
What date and what type of project. An old figure, or one covering a different brief, does not transpose.
A price per square metre without answers to those three questions is unusable, even from a serious source.
Why this figure is never enough
Two reasons, both returning to this guide's theme. They concern land and labour costs.
It excludes the most variable item. Land does not enter the construction price per square metre, although it drives most of the gap between projects, as the article on why land dominates the budget explains.
It excludes ancillary costs, in the order of fifteen to twenty per cent of construction cost, covered in the corresponding branch.
A construction price per square metre is therefore a market indicator, not a project envelope.
Legitimate use
Three uses where this figure genuinely helps. It serves to frame, to compare and to check.
Framing an envelope at an early stage, before any drawing, as the article on estimating before a design exists explains.
Checking the consistency of an offer received, a significant gap with market orders of magnitude calling for explanation.
Comparing two variants of the same project, at identical scope and area, which neutralises definitional bias.
The articles in this branch
The article on shell and turnkey covers the scopes. The stages are defined there.
The article on breakdown by trade covers the internal structure of the works budget. The proportions are given there.
The article on what changes the works cost covers the three levers. The factors are ranked there.
This article reflects the state of the data at the date of checking and serves professional orientation. It does not replace a quotation or a detailed estimate.