A four-bedroom bungalow in Nigeria now needs roughly ₦17.6 million in materials and labour at 200 square metres – about ₦88,000 per square metre. That is a modelled figure, built on verified October 2026 prices, and every assumption is shown below so you can substitute your own.
If your budget was set in 2024, it is short by about 62% on the same quantities.
What the materials actually cost
These unit prices are verified, from our October 2026 price survey and suppliers’ published lists:
| Material | 2026 price | 2024 price | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cement, 50kg bag | ₦11,000–15,000 | ₦3,500–4,500 | +144% to +233% |
| Blocks, 6 inch | ₦1,100 each | ~₦600 | +83% |
| Sand, 30 tonnes | ₦250,000 a trip | ₦165,000 | +52% |
| Granite, 30 tonnes | ₦780,000 a trip | ₦530,000 | +47% |
| Iron rods | ₦1,150,000 a tonne | ~₦167,500 | +587% |
| Roofing sheets | from ₦60,000 per bundle of 15 | – | – |
| Floor tiles | from ₦4,600 per sqm | – | – |
The iron rod number is the one that breaks budgets. A tonne has risen by roughly ₦980,000 since 2024, and a modest bungalow uses three to four tonnes.
The worked example: 200 sqm, four bedrooms
The quantities below are modelled on standard Nigerian building practice, not taken from a specific bill of quantities. The unit prices are the verified figures above.
| Item | Quantity assumed | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Blocks | 3,000 at ₦1,100 | ₦3,300,000 |
| Cement | 130 bags at ₦13,000 | ₦1,690,000 |
| Sand | 3 trips at ₦250,000 | ₦750,000 |
| Granite | 3 trips at ₦780,000 | ₦2,340,000 |
| Iron rods | 3.5 tonnes at ₦1,150,000 | ₦4,025,000 |
| Roofing | 9 bundles at ₦60,000 | ₦540,000 |
| Floor tiles | 200 sqm at ₦4,600 | ₦920,000 |
| Materials subtotal | ₦13,565,000 | |
| Labour and supervision | 30% of materials (assumed) | ₦4,069,500 |
| Total | ₦17,634,500 | |
| Cost per square metre | ₦88,172 |
Which assumptions matter most
The labour rate. I have used 30% of materials. In practice Nigerian labour runs structurally higher – often 40–50% on labour-intensive bungalows, less where a contractor prices by square metre. Every 10 percentage points on labour moves the total by about ₦1.36 million.
Cement quantity. 130 bags covers structure, blockwork, plastering and screeding for a house this size. A design with more blockwork, or a raft foundation on soft ground, takes more.
Cement price. The verified range is ₦11,000–15,000. I used ₦13,000. At the top of the range the same 130 bags cost ₦260,000 more.
Roofing. Nine bundles assumes a simple hipped roof over 200 sqm at roughly 260 square metres of sheeting. A steeper pitch, a more complex plan, or heavier gauge sheeting costs more – and ₦60,000 is a starting price for the thinnest specification.
What is not in this figure at all: land, foundation excavation and laterite filling, windows and doors, plumbing and sanitary ware, electrical installation, ceiling, painting, kitchen, external works, professional fees, and the cost of financing. A completed four-bedroom bungalow with those included will exceed this number substantially.
Why the total moved so far from 2024
Running the same quantities through 2024 prices gives ₦4,991,250 across the five shared lines. At 2026 prices those same lines cost ₦8,080,000 – an increase of 62%.
Two things drove it. Cement and rods rose far faster than general inflation. And the naira’s depreciation raised the naira cost of anything imported or dollar-linked – rods, roofing, tiles, fittings.
Diesel roughly doubled from ₦850–900 a litre in January 2026 to about ₦1,700, and every sand and granite trip is a haulage cost. Suppliers 40km further out can be 30% more expensive for exactly that reason.
How to actually control it
Get a bill of quantities, not an estimate. A BOQ prices quantities against your drawings. A per-square-metre quote hides the quantities, and the quantities are where the money moves.
Buy rods and cement in one transaction if you can fund it. These two lines alone are ₦5.7 million in the example, and they are the most volatile. Staging the purchase spreads cash but exposes you to price rises on the most inflationary materials.
Check the block count against the drawing. Blocks are the easiest item to inflate, because nobody counts 3,000 pieces on site. Ask for the wall area calculation.
Price haulage separately and compare suppliers. For sand and granite the material is cheap and the transport is not. A closer supplier at a higher unit price is often cheaper delivered.
Do not set the budget at the low end of every range. The ₦11,000 cement and ₦60,000 roofing bundle are the cheapest specifications available. Budget at the middle and treat the low end as a windfall.
Add a contingency of 10–15%. Ground conditions, design changes and price movements in a 6–12 month build are near-certainties, not risks.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to build a 4-bedroom bungalow in Nigeria in 2026?
About ₦17.6 million for materials and labour at 200 square metres, on a modelled basis using verified October 2026 prices – roughly ₦88,000 per square metre. Excluding land, foundation works, fittings, services and professional fees.
How many bags of cement for a 4-bedroom bungalow?
Around 130 bags for structure, blockwork, plastering and screeding in the example. The figure rises with more blockwork or a raft foundation.
How many blocks do I need?
About 3,000 for a 200 square metre bungalow at ₦1,100 each – roughly ₦3.3 million. Confirm against your own wall area.
Why is building so much more expensive than in 2024?
Cement, iron rods and haulage all rose sharply. On the same quantities, five core material lines are up 62% since 2024, with iron rods up around 587%.
Is ₦10 million enough to build a 4-bedroom bungalow?
Not at 200 square metres on these prices. ₦10 million covers roughly the structure and roofing without finishes, services or external works.
Last updated: 7 November 2026. The cement range (₦11,000–15,000; 2024: ₦3,500–4,500), blocks (₦1,100; 2024 ~₦600), sand (₦250,000; 2024 ₦165,000), granite (₦780,000; 2024 ₦530,000), iron rods (₦1,150,000 a tonne; 2024 ~₦167,500), roofing from ₦60,000 per bundle of 15 sheets and tiles from ₦4,600 per sqm are from our Cost of Building Materials in Nigeria 2026 price list, sourced from BusinessDay’s August 2026 market reporting and a supplier’s October 2026 list. Quantities (3,000 blocks, 130 bags, 3 sand trips, 3 granite trips, 3.5 tonnes of rods, 9 roofing bundles, 200 sqm of tiles) and the 30% labour allowance are modelled on standard practice, not taken from a bill of quantities. The 62% comparison applies the five shared lines to 2024 prices. Diesel at ₦850–900 in January 2026 and about ₦1,700 now is from the same price list. This is a budgeting model, not a quotation.
