House shell cost 2026: price per m² and what makes it up

In 2026 the structural shell of a family house in the Czech Republic (hrubá stavba) costs roughly CZK 15,000–20,000 per m² of usable floor area as an open shell and CZK 18,000–24,000 per m² as a closed shell with windows and an entrance door fitted. Our prices start at CZK 14,000/m² for an open shell and CZK 17,000/m² for a closed one. A closed shell for a house with 120 m² of usable area therefore costs about CZK 2.2–2.9 million on the market, excluding VAT.

This article is only about money: what the shell price is made of, how much goes into the foundations, walls, floors and roof, what pushes the price up, and how to spot a quote that leaves something out. What exactly the shell includes, how long it takes and how to accept it at handover is covered in our main guide the structural shell: scope and process.

Shell price per m² in 2026

Option	Typical market range	Our price
Open shell (up to and including the roof)	CZK 15,000 – 20,000/m²	from CZK 14,000/m²
Closed shell (windows and entrance door fitted)	CZK 18,000 – 24,000/m²	from CZK 17,000/m²
Turnkey house, standard spec (for comparison)	CZK 35,000 – 45,000/m²	from CZK 31,000/m²

Prices exclude VAT, are per m² of usable floor area and apply to Prague and the surrounding region. They come from our 2026 construction price list. The shell makes up roughly half — up to 55% — of the price of a turnkey house, which is why this is the part of the budget where quotes deserve the closest comparison.

Shell cost by house size

The simple calculation is usable floor area multiplied by the rate per m². The range reflects the difference between a simple and a complex house, good and poor ground, and cheaper and more expensive materials.

Usable area	Open shell	Closed shell
100 m²	CZK 1.5 – 2.0 m	CZK 1.8 – 2.4 m
120 m²	CZK 1.8 – 2.4 m	CZK 2.16 – 2.88 m
150 m²	CZK 2.25 – 3.0 m	CZK 2.7 – 3.6 m
200 m²	CZK 3.0 – 4.0 m	CZK 3.6 – 4.8 m

The difference between an open and a closed shell is CZK 3,000–4,000 per m². For a 120 m² house that is CZK 360,000–480,000 for the windows, the entrance door and their installation. If you are comparing quotes priced per m³ of built volume (obestavěný prostor), the conversion is explained in construction cost per m³.

What the price is made of: a 120 m² house budget

Here is a model two-storey house: 120 m² of usable area, a footprint of about 75 m² and a gable roof. All rates come from the price list; quantities are indicative and for your house they will come from the design drawings.

Part of the shell	Calculation	Approximately
Complete foundations (excavation, strip footings, slab, insulation, service ducts)	75 m² × CZK 3,500 – 5,500	CZK 260 – 410k
Roof structure (timber trusses or rafters)	approx. 110 m² of roof × CZK 900 – 2,000	CZK 100 – 220k
Sarking boards, membrane, battens	110 m² × CZK 250 – 500	CZK 28 – 55k
Roof covering (price list rates: metal from CZK 1,900, tiles from CZK 2,300/m²)	110 m² × from CZK 1,900	from CZK 210k
Flashings, gutters and downpipes	approx. 35 lin. m × CZK 450 – 900	CZK 16 – 32k
Walls, ring beams, lintels, floor slabs, stairs, chimney	remainder of the open shell price	approx. CZK 1.2 – 1.5 m
Open shell total	120 m² × CZK 15,000 – 20,000	CZK 1.8 – 2.4 m
Windows and entrance door incl. installation	120 m² × CZK 3,000 – 4,000	CZK 360 – 480k
Closed shell total	120 m² × CZK 18,000 – 24,000	CZK 2.16 – 2.88 m

The table shows where the big money is. Walls and floor structures account for about half of the closed-shell price; the roof and foundations together for a little under a third. Saving on the roof covering or the flashings therefore moves the total far less than the choice of walling system and floor type.

Why a "slab for a thousand" is not the price of foundations

Quotes often show a 150 mm concrete slab on its own at CZK 680–1,400/m². That is only concrete and reinforcement. Complete foundations — with excavation, strip footings, damp-proofing, radon protection and service penetrations — cost CZK 3,500–5,500 per m² of slab. For a house with a 75 m² footprint the difference is more than CZK 200,000. More detail is in our article on the foundation slab: cost and process.

What raises and what lowers the shell price

• Ground conditions and slope. Excavating strip footings costs CZK 450–900/m³. On flat, firm ground this is a minor item; on a slope or made-up ground the volume of earth and concrete multiplies.
• Shape of the house. Every corner, bay and projection adds masonry, ring-beam formwork and labour. A plain rectangle is the cheapest.
• Bungalow or two storeys. A single-storey house needs roughly twice the foundations and roof for the same usable area, so it costs more per m². See bungalow or two-storey house.
• Roof. The roof structure costs CZK 900–2,000/m² depending on complexity. Hips, dormers and valleys push the price towards the upper end.
• Walling system and floors. Clay block, aircrete and insulated concrete formwork differ in material cost, speed and whether a crane is needed. A cast-in-place floor slab costs differently from precast planks.
• Location. Prague and the Central Bohemian Region are typically 10–35% more expensive than smaller regions.
• Access and site set-up. A narrow access road, nowhere to put a crane or store materials on the plot all mean more manual work.

Labour cost: what tradespeople charge

The per-m² rates in the tables above are for complete supply — labour and materials. If you buy the materials yourself and hire a firm for labour only, the work is usually charged by the hour or at an agreed price per task. Indicative 2026 hourly rates from the price list:

Trade	Hourly rate
Bricklayer (zedník)	CZK 350 – 550/h
Carpenter / roofer (tesař / pokrývač)	CZK 400 – 650/h
General labourer	CZK 250 – 350/h

Buying materials yourself can save the contractor's margin, but you then carry the risk of missing or wrongly ordered materials, idle crews and warranty disputes. On a shell, where one trade follows another within days, that often costs more than it saves.

How to read a shell quote

Two quotes for the same house can differ by hundreds of thousands and both can be "honest". Usually it is because they do not cover the same scope. In the itemised budget (položkový rozpočet) look for:

1. Open or closed? Are the windows, entrance door and sills included?
2. Complete foundations, or just the slab? Excavation, footings, damp-proofing, radon protection, service ducts.
3. The whole roof? Structure, sarking or membrane, battens, covering, flashings, gutters and downpipes.
4. Chimney and stairs — are they listed as separate items?
5. Scaffolding, crane, transport, site set-up — who pays?
6. Removal of soil and rubble. A 3 m³ skip costs CZK 4,500–7,000 in Prague, and excavation usually needs several.
7. Bill of quantities (výkaz výměr) — do the wall and roof areas match the drawings?

Common mistakes that make the shell more expensive

• Comparing only the bottom line. The cheaper quote often simply leaves out scaffolding, waste removal or flashings.
• Underestimated groundworks. Without a ground survey the foundations are priced blind and the extras appear once digging starts.
• No contingency. Keep at least 5–10% in reserve for unforeseen work.
• Design changes during construction. A moved opening or a different floor system after work has started are the most expensive changes.
• A winter break without protection. Wet masonry and floor slabs then take a long time to dry and delay the finishing trades.

Checklist before you sign

• Do you have an itemised budget, not just a total price per m²?
• Does it clearly state whether the shell is open or closed?
• Are complete foundations including radon protection included?
• Are the walling material, wall thickness and floor type specified?
• Are the roof covering and flashings specified?
• Who pays for scaffolding, crane, transport and waste removal?
• Are payments tied to completed stages rather than dates?
• Does the contract include a fixed price and a procedure for extra work (vícepráce)?

The budget does not end with the shell, though. What the whole house costs until you move in, including the finishing works and the items that are never part of a turnkey price, is calculated in how much it costs to build a house.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a house shell cost per m²? An open shell costs CZK 15,000–20,000 per m² of usable area, a closed shell with windows and door CZK 18,000–24,000 per m². Ours start at CZK 14,000 and 17,000/m² respectively. Prices exclude VAT.

How much does the shell of a 120 m² house cost? About CZK 1.8–2.4 million open, CZK 2.16–2.88 million closed, excluding VAT.

What share of the house price is the shell? Roughly half, up to 55% of the turnkey price.

How much do windows and the door add to an open shell? Based on the price list rates, CZK 3,000–4,000 per m² of usable area, so CZK 360,000–480,000 for a 120 m² house.

Is it worth buying the materials yourself? Only if you can handle the ordering and logistics. Idle crews and missing materials on a shell easily wipe out the saved margin.

We build house shells in Prague and the Central Bohemian Region at a fixed price with an itemised budget. The calculator below gives you an indicative figure for your house, and we will prepare a detailed budget for your design free of charge.