How much does it cost to build a house in Victoria?
A guide from Costd. Read time 4 minutes.
Everyone asks for a cost per square metre and nobody can build to it. Two houses of the same size can differ by hundreds of thousands of dollars because the money sits in the decisions, not the floor area. Here are the honest bands, then what actually moves the number.
The bands, 2026
- Volume builder, standard range: roughly $2,500 to $3,500 per square metre of floor area, before site costs and upgrades.
- Custom builder, good finish: roughly $3,500 to $5,000 per square metre.
- Architect-designed, high finish: $5,000 to $8,000 per square metre and beyond, driven by glazing, joinery and detailing.
- Renovations and extensions: usually more per square metre than new work, because of demolition, tie-ins and working around what is there.
These are wide on purpose. Anyone who gives you a narrower number from a floor area alone is guessing.
The five decisions that move the number
- The site. Slope, rock, fill, access, bushfire and wind ratings, distance from trades. None of it is on the floor plan and all of it is in the price. A sloping coastal block can add six figures against a flat suburban one.
- Glazing. Large or unusual windows and doors are one of the biggest single lines in a custom home.
- Joinery. Kitchens, robes, built-ins and the finish on them.
- Comfort systems. Heating, cooling, hydronics, solar and batteries.
- External works. Driveways, retaining walls, decks, pools, fences and landscaping, which are usually excluded from a house price.
Get a number for your project
Send what you have, even a brief and photos of the block, answer twenty questions, and we send back a cost range priced from finished houses with the drivers named. From $164 inc GST, back in 48 hours. Start here.
This guide is general information from a registered builder, not legal or financial advice. More guides · Pricing