3 Bedroom Flat in Nigeria: How Much Does It Cost to Build and Roof

Having your own home is an exciting prospect, but it can also be an expensive one. If you’re considering building your own home and are looking at costs, the first question on your mind might be: how much does it cost to build and roof a 3-bedroom flat in Nigeria? The truth is, there’s no easy answer here; factors like the size of your flat, what materials you use, where you live and how much experience you have all play into this price tag in different ways.

That said, we’ve done our research and have put together some rough numbers here so you can get a sense of what you might expect to pay if you decide to build and roof your own 3-bedroom flat in Nigeria.

Structure of a 3-Bedroom Flat in Nigeria

When identifying a 3-bedroom flat in Nigeria, you could find one master bedroom, two other rooms, and with the addition of other homes spaces such as bathroom/toilet, balcony and the kitchen.

In most cases, the Master bedroom have a personal bathroom and toilet (usually in the same space), while the remaining two rooms could manage cost by sharing the same bathroom and toilet. In some situations, however, each room has its bathroom/toilet and there is a visitors’ toilet for the sitting room.

The Building Permit Process

The first step when building any type of structure is securing a building permit. Depending on the municipal authority’s requirements, this can take anywhere from two weeks to six months. Once you have secured your permit, you need to find a builder who is licensed by the same authority.

You will have to sign an agreement with the builder that specifies your rights as well as their obligations. Make sure you read it thoroughly before signing. For example, if the contract says that the builder will provide all materials needed for construction and installation, then this includes windows and doors.

The contract should also specify how much time the builder has been given to complete work within agreed deadlines.

In calculating the cost of building a 3-bedroom bungalow in Nigeria, it is advisable to break down the construction process into stages. This is the norm and is actually helpful in planning your progress. For a bungalow, we can split the construction stages into:

• Foundation (German floor) / Soak-away Stage.
• DPC to lintel level Stage.
• Roofing Stage.
• Plastering / Finishing Stage.

Legal Documents Needed Before Building a House in Nigeria

Here are the documents:

• Before building a house, you need the following legal documents:
• Certificate of Occupancy from the Local Government.
• Building Permit from the Local Government.
• Certificate of Compliance from the Works Department.
• Fire Protection Certificate from the Fire Service.
• Electrical Installation Certificate from Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

After acquiring land, the building construction can then begin.

Roofs Used in Building 3-Bedroom Flat

There are several different types of roofs that can be used in the construction of a 3 bedroom flat. The most common is a flat roof, which is cheaper to construct and less time consuming than other types of roofs. However, it does not provide much protection from rain and wind damage. If you want to protect yourself from these elements, then you should consider constructing an insulated galvanized steel sheeting with asphalt shingles or corrugated iron sheets on top of this type of building structure.

The second most common type of roofing material used for construction purposes is pitched roofs, which require more work but offer better protection against harsh weather conditions like heavy rainstorms or strong winds blowing across your home at high speeds during rainy season (June through November).

Note: Every estimate made here is based on 2nd quarter 2022 market research.

Of course, getting land in developed part of Lekki, Ikoyi, Asokoro, Ajah, Jabi, etc will cost more than in undeveloped areas in the country. This shows that the cost of purchasing land in Nigeria varies based on location/environment and size.

Also, large pieces of land will cost more than smaller pieces of land in the same area.

Depending on the aforementioned factors, purchasing land to build a 3-bedroom apartment in Nigeria may cost anything between 200,000 and 100 million Naira or higher.

You can’t just hire bricklayers and other forms of labor to start building without having a well-drafted 3-bedroom flat building plan. For this, you will need to hire the services of a professional and experienced architect.

The architect will create a three-bedroom flat plan and design that suits your needs, and sometimes, may liaise with a building agency that will provide the required labor and materials to complete your 3 bedroom flat.

The services of the architect and wages of the laborers may cost anything between 400,000 and 2 million Naira.

Many architects and architect firms in Nigeria can help you create and design a great building plan for a 3 bedroom flat in Nigeria.

Construction of a Three Bedroom Flat
After drafting a suitable 3 bedroom bungalow building design, now you can move into construction properly.

The construction stage is where the abstract ideas and designs of the architect are brought to life.

Construction takes many phases which must be done sequentially, and the first of these phases is Foundation Laying (German Floor)/Soak Away.

Cost of Foundation (German Floor) / Soak-away Stage

This is the first stage of construction and it includes setting out, digging, concrete work, block laying, backfilling, and flooring as the processes in this stage.

Material Requirements for Setting-out with profiles
4 pieces of 1 x 12 plank @ NGN 1,200 each plus NGN 800 (for dividing each into 5 (@ NGN 200 each) = NGN 5,600
4 bundles of Pegs @ NGN 1,200 each = NGN 4,800
2″ and 3″ Nails = NGN 1,200 worth of nails
4 bundles of rope @ NGN 200 each = NGN 800
Labour = NGN 5,000
Estimated cost of setting-out = NGN 17,400.

Material Requirements for Digging / Excavation

We will need some diggers and shovels for the job. These tools can cost about NGN 2,000 to rent.
Labour = NGN 10,000
Estimated cost of digging = NGN 12,000.

Material Requirements for Concrete work / Blinding

For a standard foundation of 150 mm base-thickness, assuming 0.45m (breadth or height) and 85.5m (entire length) = 5.77125 m3

10 bags of cement @ NGN 4,600 each = NGN 46,000
20 tonnes of sand x 2 = NGN 80,000
20 tonnes of Granite = NGN 140,000
We don’t need reinforcements (Iron bars) because the soil is good, firm, and dry.
Liters of water as needed.
Labour = NGN 25,000
The estimated cost of concrete work = NGN 291,000.

Material Requirements for Laying Foundation Blocks

Using 9-inch blocks and laying 4 coaches, you will need

12 bags of cement @ NGN 4,600 each = NGN 55,200
644 pieces of 9-inch vibrated blocks (including 10 percent wastage) @ NGN 200 each = NGN 128,800
Plumbing work = NGN 25,000
The remaining sand from concrete work will be used here.
Labour = NGN 35,000
The estimated cost of laying foundation blocks = NGN 244,000.

Material Requirements for Filling

I suggest digging the soak-away and septic tank alongside making the foundation so that the soil dug up from the soak-away pit, septic tank, and well can be used for backfilling. This will save you the cost of buying some tons of sand for foundation filling and also save you the cost of clearing the dug-up soil where it is unused.

After filling the foundation, water it for about 10 hours and leave it for days (or some weeks) before flooring for natural compaction. In the end, you might need to buy just a few tons of sand if the soil dug up from the well and septic tank is not enough.

Assuming you buy:

3 nos 20 tonnes laterite (fairly clayey) at NGN 18,000 = NGN 54,000
Labour = NGN 10,000
Estimated cost of filling foundation = NGN 64,000

Material Requirements for Foundation Casting / Flooring

25 bags of cement @ NGN 4,600 = NGN 115,000
Waterproof / nylon = NGN 15,000
The remaining granite and sand from concrete work will be used here.
Labour = NGN 18,000
Estimated cost of flooring = NGN 148,000

Material Requirements for Septic Tank, Soak-away pit and Well

The septic tank, soak-away pit, and well should be constructed first in order to have water for the work and sand for filling the foundation later.

700 pieces of 6-inch vibrated blocks @ NGN 170 / block (for a septic tank of 3m x 3m x 3m) = NGN 119,000.
22 bags of cement @ NGN 4,600 = NGN 101,200 (including plastering).
Number of well-rings as required.
Sand and granite from concrete work will be used here.
Labor for septic tank, soak-away pit, and well = NGN 80,000
The estimated cost of constructing both the septic tank, soak-away, and well = NGN 300,200.

Total Estimated Cost for this stage = NGN 1,076,600 (excluding the cost of wellrings).

Cost of Construction From Damp Proof Course (D.P.C) To Lintel Level
This is the next stage in the construction process and begins where the German floor ends. It covers the main block work including wall partitions for the various spaces in the house. The materials listed below are just estimates of what you get in a modest 3-bedroom flat. Again, ensure you get a Bill of Quantities for your building plan as that’s the only way to know the exact material requirements for your house. This stage ends at the roof level.

Material Requirements and Labour for Block work
2100pcs of 6-inch stone dust vibrated blocks @ NGN 170 = NGN 357,000.
(The cost increases when you use 9-inch blocks)
15 tonnes of sharp sand = NGN 40,000
30 bags of cement @ NGN 4,600 = NGN 138,000
Labour = NGN 120,000
Estimated cost of block work = NGN 655,000. (This includes the two coaches of blocks after lintel)

Material Requirement for Lintel Casting
20 length of 12mm rod @ NGN 2,100 / length = NGN 42,000
10 length of stirrups @ NGN 500 / length = NGN 5,000
35 length of 1 x 12 x 18 wood @ NGN 1,700 / length = NGN 59,500
Nails plus wire for binding = NGN 13,000
8 bags of cement @ NGN 4,600 = NGN 36,800
Remaining sand will be used here.
The remaining granite from concrete work is used.
Labour plus carpenter = NGN 30,000
The estimated cost of the lintel level = NGN 186,300

Estimated Total Cost for this stage = NGN 841,300.

Cost of Roofing 3 Bedroom Bungalow Stage
The cost of roofing varies with the type of roofing materials and design you choose to use. The cost given below represents 0.45 mm thick aluminum roofing sheets. The true cost of all stages remains that shown on the bill of quantity document.

Material Requirements for Roofing
320 length of 2 x 3 x 12 wood @ NGN 450 = NGN 144,000
45 length of 2 x 6 x 12 @ NGN 840 = NGN 38,250
25 length of 1 x 12 x 12 wood @ NGN 1,400 = NGN 35,000
1/2 bag of 2-inch nails @ NGN 5,800 = NGN 2,900
11/2 bags of 3-inch nails @ NGN 6,000 = NGN 9,000
1/2 bag of 4-inch nails @ NGN 6,500 = NGN 3,250
Aluminium (0.45mm thick) roofing, transportation and Labour = NGN 685,900
Total Estimated Cost for the roofing stage = NGN 918,300.

Cost of Finishing Stage
This stage includes plastering, wiring, plumbing, fixing of windows, doors, tiles, and other essentials. The cost here varies regarding the quality of materials you use. Below is an estimate for a very modest finishing.

Material Requirements for Electrical works

Wires, Pipes, Conduit Boxes, etc = NGN 400,000
Material Requirements for Mechanical and Plumbing Works
Kitchen sink, Pipes, WC, Washing Hand Basin, Overhead Tank, Shower, etc = NGN 500,000

Material Requirements for Ceiling

Woods for nogging, P.O.P Sheets, External wood finishing, P.V.C Boards, Tank nails, etc plus labor = NGN 450,000

Material Requirements for Windows and Doors

Windows, doors, burglary proof, and fixtures plus labor = NGN 500,000
Material Requirements for Wall Rendering and Painting
Plastering and painting plus labor = NGN 500,000
Material Requirements for Floor Finishes
Tiles and others plus labor = NGN 250,000
Estimated Total Cost for this stage = NGN 2,600,000.

Grand Total = NGN 1,076,600 + NGN 841,300 + NGN 918,300 + NGN 2,600,000 = NGN 5,436,200

As you can see from the computations, the entire cost of constructing a three-bedroom apartment is less than NGN 6,000,000. But, of course, this only includes the building of a three-bedroom home in Nigeria, as when it comes to furniture fittings, you have several possibilities. In addition, the expense of clearing the land after construction was not included. However, compared to the cost of constructing a three-bedroom home in Nigeria, the sum is not that large.