Renovation cost calculator
A per-square-metre estimate with systems and contingency.
How it works
Total = area × rate per m² × (1 + systems %) × (1 + contingency %)
An estimate, not a quote, and the arithmetic is deliberately visible so you can argue with it. The uplifts compound rather than add: a 25% systems uplift and a 10% contingency is a 37.5% increase, not 35%. Typical Italian rates run roughly 350-600 per m² for cosmetic work, 600-1,000 for a full refurbishment, and 1,000-1,600 where layouts move and systems are replaced. Ten to fifteen per cent of contingency is normal on any building older than about forty years.
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Frequently asked questions
- What rate should I use?
- Cosmetic work sits around 350-600 per m², a full refurbishment 600-1,000, and a gut renovation with new layouts and systems 1,000-1,600. Regional differences are large; a local quote beats any table.
- What belongs in the systems uplift?
- Anything replaced rather than refreshed: electrics, plumbing, heating, windows. Each typically adds ten to fifteen per cent, and they add up quickly when a flat has not been touched in decades.
- Why is contingency separate?
- Because it is not part of the job, it is the part of the job nobody has found yet. Keeping it visible stops it being quietly spent before work starts.