1. The estimate is built from the main design
For a loan to build a house, Croatian banks ask for a cost estimate (troškovnik) that shows what the build will cost. It is prepared from the main design or the execution design. An execution design is not mandatory for a family house, so the basis is usually the main design: architecture, structure and building services.
The main design already contains a statement of estimated construction costs, but that is a rough figure per discipline. The cost estimate breaks the work down item by item, with a description, a quantity and a price. Only then can the bank and the valuer see exactly where the money goes.
For the estimate, send us
- The main design for all disciplines, if it was not made by our office
- Materials and fittings you have already chosen
- The bank's requirements for the estimate, if you have them
When the design is ours, we already have everything and need nothing more from you.
2. We calculate quantities from the design
For every type of work we calculate the quantity: cubic metres of excavation and concrete, square metres of walls and roofing, kilograms of reinforcement, metres of gutter. The take off, the calculation behind each quantity, stays with the item, so every figure can be checked.
For our own designs the quantities come straight from the 3D BIM model, where every wall, slab and opening has its real dimensions. That is why the estimate matches the drawings instead of a rough guess.
A take off for strip foundations, for example: length × width × depth, added up for all walls. The valuer or a contractor can repeat the same calculation.
3. Every item is described in full
An item states what is built, from which material and what the price includes: supply, transport, installation, formwork, removal of surplus. A unit price then means the same thing to everyone who reads the estimate.
Each description comes with a unit, a quantity, a unit price and a total. Items are numbered by stage and trade, so you can refer to any of them in a quote or a contract.
| No. | Item description | Unit | Qty | Price € | Total € |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6.1. | Casting reinforced concrete strip foundations in C16/20 concrete, in the ground and in formwork above ground level. The price includes supply and transport of concrete, machine placing and curing. | m³ | 24.50 | 185.00 | 4,532.50 |
Illustrative figures. Prices in a real estimate depend on the market and the building location.
4. Work is grouped by construction stage
Items are grouped by trade and trades by construction stage. The estimate ends with a summary: the total for each trade, for each stage and overall.
The stages follow the order of construction, so the estimate shows what each phase costs. That helps the bank if it pays the loan out in parts, and it helps you plan the build and line up contractors.
Stages in our estimates
- 01Structure: preparation, earthworks, masonry, formwork, reinforcement and concrete
- 02Roof structure and sheet metal
- 03Closing the shell: windows and the entrance door
- 04Interior: masonry, tiling and joinery, plumbing, drainage and electrical installations
- 05Finishing: floors, metalwork, painting, external connections, lightning protection
The estimate is signed by a licensed engineer. The final sheet shows the value of the work without VAT, the VAT and the total with VAT, because a private investor pays for the work including VAT.
5. You submit it to the bank with the loan application
The estimate goes with your loan application, and a licensed valuer uses the design and the estimate to value the future house. For a construction loan the mortgage is usually registered on the plot where the house will stand.
Each bank decides how much of the value it finances and how it pays out. Erste Bank, for example, states up to 80 % of the estimated future value of the property, paid out according to the cost estimate checked and confirmed when the loan is approved, until the occupancy permit. Other banks may have different terms.
Before ordering an estimate, ask your bank for its list of documents, how long an estimate stays valid and how the loan is paid out. If the bank has its own requirements for the estimate, send them to us with the design.
6. Use the same estimate for contractor quotes
When contractors price the same items, their quotes can be compared line by line. You see at once who left an item out and who is expensive on a particular trade.
The estimate then becomes part of the construction contract, which must be in writing. In the contract you agree whether you pay unit prices or one total price for the whole house.
Unit prices
- What is agreed
- A price per unit for every item in the estimate
- Final amount
- Depends on the quantities actually built
Turnkey
- What is agreed
- One total price for all work needed to build and use the house
- Final amount
- Covers extra and unforeseen work, and is not reduced by shortfalls, unless the scope is changed by agreement
Any departure from the design needs your written consent, otherwise the contractor cannot charge more for that work. Unless the contract says otherwise, a contractor who works on schedule may ask for a higher price when the cost of materials and labour rises by more than two percent, and only for the part above two percent.
Common questions about the estimate
How long does it take to prepare?
A few days, depending on our workload and the size of the project. The exact deadline is written in the offer before we start.
Do you prepare estimates for designs by other designers?
Yes. Send us the main design for all disciplines and we will reply with a deadline and a price.
Is the cost statement in the main design the same as an estimate?
No. The main design must contain a statement of estimated construction costs, a rough figure for each discipline. The cost estimate breaks the work down item by item, with quantities and unit prices, and that is the document the bank asks for with the loan application.
Source · Rulebook on the content of building designs, art. 32 ↗
Do you supervise the build or confirm progress for the bank?
No, we only prepare the estimate. Work done and interim invoices during construction are certified by the supervising engineer, and the bank may run its own check before each payment.
How long is an estimate valid for the bank?
That is up to the bank. Prices of materials and labour change, so a bank may require the estimate to be no older than a set period. If your loan application is delayed, check that period before you submit.
Is there state support for building a house?
The state agency APN ran subsidised housing loans until 2023. Today it runs a first home measure for Croatian citizens under 45, which for a newly built family house includes a VAT refund. Conditions include an occupancy permit that became final after 1 January 2025 and a construction contract with invoices or interim invoices certified by the supervising engineer. Only VAT registered contractors count.
Source · APN, subsidised loans (Croatian) ↗