What is a structural shell (hrubá stavba): what it includes, open vs. closed shell and 2026 prices
When a builder offers "the shell for 2.5 million", everyone pictures something different. One company delivers walls without a roof, another a house with windows and a finished roof. So before you compare quotes, pin down what a structural shell (Czech: hrubá stavba) actually means.
The definition in plain words
The structural shell is the load-bearing structure of the house: everything that holds the house up and keeps the weather out, but nothing yet that makes it habitable. It is not a legal term; each company defines the scope in the contract. In practice there are two levels:
- Open shell — foundations, load-bearing walls, floor slabs, staircase, roof frame and roof covering. The house stands but is "walk-through": no windows or doors.
- Closed shell — the same plus windows, entrance door, garage door, flashings and, if any, the chimney. The house is weather-tight and ready for interior work.
What the shell includes
| Stage | Scope |
|---|---|
| Earthworks and foundations | topsoil strip, excavation, strip footings, slab, underground drainage, service sleeves |
| Vertical structure | external and load-bearing walls (brick, Ytong, VELOX, concrete), lintels, ring beams |
| Horizontal structure | floor slabs, staircase, beams |
| Roof | rafters or trusses, battens, underlay membrane, roof covering |
| Closing (closed shell only) | windows, entrance door, garage door, sheet-metal work, chimney |
What is not in the shell
Facade insulation and render, partitions (sometimes included — check), electrical, plumbing and heating, floors, tiling, interior doors, kitchen, bathrooms, utility connections and landscaping. All of that is the "fit-out" and usually costs about as much as the shell itself.
What a shell costs in 2026
| Item | Guide price |
|---|---|
| Open shell (masonry house) | CZK 14,000–19,000 per m² of floor area |
| Closed shell | CZK 17,000–23,000 per m² |
| Share of a turnkey house price | roughly 50–55% |
| 120 m² bungalow, closed shell | typically CZK 2.1–2.7 million |
Prices exclude VAT, the plot and utility connections. Our actual rates are in the 2026 construction price list; more detail on cost in structural shell cost.
What to check in a quote
- Ask for an itemised budget, not one lump sum. Otherwise you cannot tell whether the roof covering is included or just the battens.
- Check windows and the chimney — the items most often "forgotten" between open and closed shell.
- Earthworks and foundations are often underestimated; on a slope or poor ground they grow.
- Scaffolding, crane, site utilities and toilet — ask who pays for them.
Shell only, or straight to turnkey?
A shell makes sense if you can organise the fit-out yourself (tradesmen in the family, time). If not, compare both routes in our article shell or turnkey house and get a guide price for both in the online calculator. We build in Prague and the Central Bohemian Region with a fixed contract price for the shell.
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