Guide
Cost to build a 3-bedroom house in Nigeria (2026)
6 October 2026 · 4 min read
A 3-bedroom house is a different budget from one country to the next, and from one finish to the next in the same street. These are the figures for Nigeria in 2026, worked out from published, dated rates rather than a single price per square metre: the house itself, and everything a real build pays for around it.
A 3-bedroom house of about 125 m², with three bedrooms and two bathrooms, standard finishes, built by a contractor in Lagos with a boundary wall, costs about ₦41 million all in — between ₦32 million and ₦51 million. Land is extra. Rates checked September 2026.
By the finish you choose
The finish changes two things at once: the size of the rooms, and the rate per square metre, which is for the house alone. A house built by a contractor, including their margin, from foundations to finishes. It excludes land, fees, approvals and anything outside the walls. The all-in figures add what a real build also pays for.
| Finishes | House, per m² | 3-bed, all in |
|---|---|---|
| Basicabout 85 m² | ₦120,000–160,000 | ₦22,300,000 |
| Standardabout 125 m² | ₦160,000–230,000 | ₦41,100,000 |
| High-endabout 175 m² | ₦250,000–400,000 | ₦89,400,000 |
By where you build
The same house with standard finishes, in each part of Nigeria the rates cover:
| Where | Likely, and the range |
|---|---|
| Lagos | ₦41,100,000₦32 million to ₦51 million |
| Port Harcourt | ₦39,000,000₦30 million to ₦48 million |
| Abuja | ₦34,500,000₦27 million to ₦43 million |
| Another city (Ibadan, Enugu…) | ₦32,100,000₦25 million to ₦39 million |
| Rural home | ₦29,600,000₦23 million to ₦36 million |
From city-by-city rates for a standard build; Port Harcourt and rural homes are allowances.
Where the money goes, phase by phase
The standard house in Lagos, split the way it is built. Each phase carries its share of the contingency and of prices rising while it waits its turn.
| Phase | Likely | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Plans, approvals and fees | ₦1,570,000 | 4% |
| Site preparation | ₦827,000 | 2% |
| Foundation | ₦8,470,000 | 21% |
| Walls up to the roof | ₦6,410,000 | 16% |
| Roofing | ₦4,310,000 | 10% |
| Windows and doors | ₦2,450,000 | 6% |
| Electrical and plumbing | ₦4,230,000 | 10% |
| Plastering and finishes | ₦5,530,000 | 13% |
| Boundary wall, drains and paths | ₦7,290,000 | 18% |
| Total | ₦41,100,000 | 100% |
The building itself, from the foundation to the last coat of paint, is about ₦39 million of that. It's the part a builder quotes for, and the figure to hold their quote against.
A bedroom more, or fewer
| House | Floor area | All in |
|---|---|---|
| 2-bedroom house | 100 m² | ₦33,600,000 |
| 3-bedroom house | 125 m² | ₦41,100,000 |
| 4-bedroom house | 145 m² | ₦47,100,000 |
| 5-bedroom house | 170 m² | ₦54,500,000 |
An extra bedroom usually brings a bathroom with it, which is why the step up is more than the room alone.
What moves the price
- Your own builders instead of a contractor: about 11% less, if someone you trust is on site every day.
- Two storeys instead of one, the same 125 m²: about 2% less. Less foundation and roof, but a concrete slab, a stair and a heavier frame.
- Clay or black cotton soil: about 6% more. Rock near the surface: about 5% more. A sloping site: about 6% more.
- Wet ground or near a wetland: about 24% more, and it needs approval from your state's planning and environment authorities before work starts.
- Prices rising while you build: materials in Nigeria are rising about 25% a year. These totals allow for a 12-month build starting now.
What's in the figure, and what isn't
In: the house, site preparation, drains and connections, a boundary wall and gate, plans and approvals, a 15% contingency and prices rising over the build. Not in: the land, a borehole, a septic tank, solar power and furniture. What those extras cost, and where every rate comes from, is in the guide to the cost of building a house in Nigeria.
An estimate from published rates is for budgeting, not a quote. Before you sign with anyone, get a bill of quantities priced for your plans and your plot.
Price your own house, then get quotes against it
The building cost calculator for Nigeria works from these same rates. Tell it your bedrooms, bathrooms, floors, ground and finish, and it prices your house phase by phase, ready to turn into your budgets in Trace My Build. Then ask service providers where you're building for quotes: each one is set against these rates, phase by phase, so a price far under the range is flagged before you choose. Not sure how to choose? Read how to find a builder or project manager you can trust, from abroad.