It is estimated that it currently costs around PLN 6,200 to build 1 square metre of a single-family house (on average, all technologies) to developer condition. As recently as the beginning of 2021, this was less than PLN 4 thousand. In the case of buildings with wooden technology, the cost is 6.5 thousand square metres on average. Is that cheap or expensive?
Statistics, statistics. Anyone who can verify them knows how they can blur the true picture of the market. The simplest mathematical explanation, of course, concerns the question of the ‘average’ price. The price per m2 of building will be lower for larger houses and lower, for small houses. The range of houses in traditional technology is dominated by houses of 100-120 m2. In the case of wooden houses, these are smaller houses of 60-70 m2, and this result is mainly driven by orders for holiday homes. And already our average price index is falling apart like a house of cards. But that’s not all, because when analysing prices, we also have to bear in mind the attic, which – with or without it – significantly changes the cost of construction.
So how are timber house prices shaping up today? We asked at the source. A timber-frame house with a usable attic with an area of 100 m2 on one’s own plot, built to a developer’s state in an energy-efficient standard, is offered by the companies surveyed by us for 5.7-6.5 thousand zlotys per square metre. In contrast, a building of the same area in CLT technology will cost PLN 7.5-8 thousand per square metre.
The price is influenced by many additional factors – from the place of installation to the type of window joinery. So we have a certain picture of how the timber construction industry looks like against the background of the entire house building industry in Poland. So why do we need these general averaged statistics? They don’t actually serve the investor. It is not for the client to look into the CSO and suggest how much they will spend on building a house. However, they are a useful tool as indicators to compare market situations and to build some forecasts, to understand trends.
What does the price depend on?
The simplest answer is: on the relationship between supply and demand. But it is not at all obvious in the timber construction industry. Interest in wooden houses is growing, consumer awareness and knowledge of the advantages of the technology is also growing. And here is an important aspect.
We have a market in a phase of maturation and mutual adjustment of the offer. But the offer is changing extremely dynamically. It is a very different market than it was even 10 years ago.
The timber house a customer asked about a decade ago was mainly made of logs and lumber, or with the addition of OSB. In that time, new materials have emerged: from KVH, BSH, LVL to CLT, advanced carpentry joints, and full prefabrication services – which completely change the costing of a timber house. So comparing the average prices of timber houses from a decade ago to those being built today does not provide a clear answer – why have they risen so much? And if – as predicted – they rise again by up to 20% in 2024, how will this affect the industry?
Do you know the answer? Or do you want to know what other market players think about it? Developers, contractors, timber suppliers?
During the HOLZBAU POLAND 2024 FORUM we are creating a special debate zone – open thematic discussions moderated by experienced experts. You are welcome!
DEBATE 23-24.04.2024
Building with Solid Wood
the debate is led by: Szymon Karwowski, Sylva
What are our expectations from C24, KVH, CLT, HBE wood suppliers?
Certifications, standards, quality, customer service.
What influences the prices of wood materials?
Why is so little structural timber produced in Poland?
Stockpiles or just-in-time production?
Is/will wood construction be healthy for humans and the environment?
moderated by: arch. Tomasz Mielczyński
Passive building design, thermo-modernisation.
A compromise between design and energy efficiency.
Factors, calculations, bureaucracy.
New requirements – EU directives – how they will change the way we build and design.
The timber construction market: do you want to be a shark or a minnow?
debate moderated by
How to build a supply chain in timber construction?
What competencies are needed for successful market expansion?
How do you network?
What does your customer want to hear about your offer?
Social media and timber construction: why do we need Facebook and TikTok?
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