How Much Does It Cost To Build A House In Uganda
The cost of building a house in Uganda is 30 million Ugandan shillings to 850 million Ugandan shillings on average. The size of a house determines the cost of the entire building process. On average, the cost of building a 3-bedroom house in Uganda is 150 million Ugandan shillings-300 million Ugandan shillings. We will take you through different house sizes and how much they cost to build. We will also show you how to save money when building a house.
Size is not the sole determining factor in building a house’s cost. Other factors affect the cost of construction, including house design. As we will illustrate, two houses of the same size can significantly differ in building cost due to these factors. When building a house, one has to consider all of these factors to estimate how much you need before anything.
A budget plan is necessary when building a house to have a clear view of how much you will need on average. Before taking you through the cost of different house sizes, we will familiarize you with the basic requirements of building a house in Uganda.
Also, check out the price of tiles in Uganda.
House Size And Cost Of Building In Uganda
| House Size | Cost |
| 1-bedroom | 50 million Ugandan shillings-Ush. 120 million Ugandan shillings |
| 2-bedrooms | 200 million Ugandan shillings-500 million Ugandan shillings |
| 3-bedrooms | 150 million Ugandan shillings-300 million Ugandan shillings |
| 4-bedrooms | 250 million Ugandan shillings-700 million Ugandan shillings |
| 5-bedrooms | 250 million Ugandan shillings-700 million Ugandan shillings |
| 6-bedrooms | 450 million Ugandan shillings to 850 million Ugandan shillings |
Cost Of Building A House In Uganda Per Square Meters
The cost of building a house in Uganda per square meter is 900,000 Ugandan shillings-2 million Ugandan shillings on average. It is essential to know this to help you draw a budget because of the following reasons:
- Contractors charge per square meter.
- Building materials are sold per square meter.
- The cost of buying land is determined by its size. The size of a plot is measured in square meters.
Cost Breakdown Of Building A House In Uganda
Building a house requires a plan because a single construction lasts a long time. To avoid running low on money in the middle of a construction project, homeowners need a budget for the compulsory requirements of building a house. Below are the basic requirements of building a house and how much they cost in Uganda.
1. Cost of buying land in Uganda
The average cost of buying land in Uganda is 5,000 Ugandan shillings-20,000 Ugandan shillings per square meter. The government charges an average percentage of 0.5%-2% of the total value of the land. The cost varies depending on the location of the land. In Ugandan cities like Kampala, lands are priced higher than lands in rural settings. Buying land close to the main road, an airport, or any effective means of transport is expensive. The cost goes down as you draw further into the interior regions.
Although building a house in Ugandan cities costs highly, the availability of resources eases the process. Buying land to build a house in rural areas might be cheap, but availing the necessary building materials and labour, among others, makes it difficult.
2. Cost of hiring labour to build a house in Uganda
The cost of hiring labour to build a house in Uganda is 100,000 Ugandan shillings-800,000 Ugandan shillings per month on average. The lowest-earning workers are the ones that do manual labour e.g. carrying bricks or mixing concrete, among others. The experience level needed to work at a construction site determines the cost of hiring labour. Construction jobs requiring a worker to be experienced have higher rates than those without. Construction labourers in rural areas have lower rates than those in the cities due to the difference in the cost of living.
3. Cost of basic building materials in Uganda
There are a lot of house designs that use different building materials that suit their design. Homeowners prefer to customize their houses to what suits them best. This shows that the building materials used to build one house differ from another. However, basic building materials are used in any construction, no matter the design. Below is a table of these building materials and their cost in Uganda.
Primary Building Materials And Cost In Uganda
| Building Material | Cost |
| Lumber | 500 Ugandan shillings-1,500 Ugandan shillings per inch |
| Cement | 5,000 Ugandan shillings-20,000 Ugandan shillings per bag. See more on cement prices in Uganda. |
| Bricks | 200 Ugandan shillings-3,000 Ugandan shillings per brick |
| Blocks | 2,000 Ugandan shillings-4,500 Ugandan shillings per block |
| Roofing | 7,500 Ugandan shillings-25,000 Ugandan shillings per square meter. More on iron sheet prices in Uganda. |
| Paint | 5,000 Ugandan shillings-20,000 Ugandan shillings per liter |
| Ballast | 150,000 Ugandan shillings-200,000 Ugandan shillings per lorry |
| Sand | 100,000 Ugandan shillings-150,000 Ugandan shillings per lorry |
Cost Of Building A 5-Bedroom House In Uganda
The cost of building a 5-bedroom house in Uganda is 250 million Ugandan shillings-700 million Ugandan shillings on average. A 5-bedroom house is the size of a mansion which explains why it is expensive. To build a house, this big one needs to have a large sum of money set aside for building materials, hiring labour, and transportation of building materials, among others. The cost of buying a 5-bedroom varies depending on the location of construction. When working with a low budget, you should build your house in a rural area.
Cost Of Building A 4-Bedroom House In Uganda
The cost of building a 4-bedroom house in Uganda is 200 million Ugandan shillings-500 million Ugandan shillings on average. A 4-bedroom house is a perfect size for a large family. The cost of building this house varies depending on the following factors:
- House design: Complex houses require more building materials and highly experienced labourers, making them more expensive than houses with simple designs.
- Location of the construction site: Building a house in areas with a high cost of living is more expensive because labourers charge high and the lands cost more than in rural areas.
- Quality of building materials: Cheap building materials are of low quality. Using high-quality building materials to build a house is expensive.
Cost Of Building A 3-Bedroom House In Uganda
On average, the cost of building a 3-bedroom house in Uganda is 150 million Ugandan shillings-300 million Ugandan shillings. This house is of moderate size and is suitable for an average family of 4-7 members. With a mortgage, most middle-class Ugandan citizens can afford this house. When working with a low budget, you can find other ways to build a 3-bedroom house at an affordable price. Building in rural areas is cheaper than in urban centres. If you have to build your house in the city, you can save money with a simple-design 3-bedroom house.
Cost Of Building A 2-Bedroom House In Uganda
The cost of building a 2-bedroom house in Uganda is 50 million Ugandan shillings-120 million Ugandan shillings on average. A 2-bedroom house has enough space for a starting family. The size of the house is favourable when one is working with a low budget. The materials needed to build a 3-bedroom house are easily transported because of the size. Another thing is you will need a smaller labour force than in larger houses. Finally, a 2-bedroom house uses a small space. Therefore, you will not spend much to purchase land.
Cost Of Building A 1-Bedroom House In Uganda
The cost of building a 1-bedroom house in Uganda is 30 million Ugandan shillings-90 million Ugandan shillings on average. Construction of small houses in urban centres is not typical unless it’s in bulk to rent out. Building a house to stay in personally is more practical because you can hire labour at low prices. With the unavailability of building materials in rural areas, you can transport them at a fair cost from nearby towns because a 1-bedroom house doesn’t need a lot of building materials.
FAQs
200 million Ugandan shillings-500 million Ugandan shillings on average. A 4-bedroom house is large, which is a high building cost. The cost of building varies depending on the following factors:
1. Design of the house: A high-end design house costs more because a lot of resources are needed, e.g., labour and building materials.
2. Location: Building a 3-bedroom house in the city is more expensive than in rural areas.
3. Quality of building materials: The cost of low-quality building materials is lower than that of high-quality building materials.
150 million Ugandan shillings-300 million Ugandan shillings on average. However, the cost of building a 3-bedroom house can go lower than this or much higher depending on how you will draw a plan. To save on cost, you can do the following:
1. Be minimal in how you buy your materials for building.
2. Have a simple design for your house that does not require a lot of building materials.
3. Buy the land to build your house away from the primary means of transport and cities.
Ush.30 million-Ush. 90 million on average. A simple house can be a 1-bedroom house or a single room. You can reduce the cost of building a simple house by:
1. Having the house built with recycled building materials e.g. iron sheets.
2. Take responsibility for a section of the labour e.g. transportation of building or supervision, among others.
3. Get discounts by buying all your building materials from one spot.
50 million Ugandan shillings-120 million Ugandan shillings on average. A 2-bedroom house built in the city is relatively more expensive than in rural settings, especially if you must buy the land first. The price of buying land is high in Ugandan cities due to high demand from business people who want to set up businesses where there is a vibrant economy.
900,000 Ugandan shillings-2 million Ugandan shillings per square meter on average. Between this range, you can afford to build a 1-bedroom- or 5-bedroom house, depending on your budget. The size you choose, however, does not affect the state of your house. With a well-drawn budget plan, you will still afford to build this house to completion without compromising any essential features.
60-80 sheets of iron on average. Here, the design of the house will determine how many iron sheets are needed for roofing. A good example is house designs that have dormers. This design needs more iron-sheet compared to houses that have simple-designed roofing. Flat roofing does not use many iron sheets compared to pitched roofing.
100 50kg bags of cement on average, depending on the following factors:
1. House design: Complexity in house design requires more cement. A 3-bedroom house with a wall separating the dining room and living room uses more cement than one without a wall. There are 3-bedroom houses that do not have a store in the house. These houses use less cement.
2. Ground stability: The stronger the ground, the less cement will be used to set the foundation.
3. Enough worker supervision: A good supervisor that understands construction is necessary to ensure the workers do not waste cement.