Budget breakdown by trade
The usual weight of each trade in a construction budget.
Trade · Amount (€)
Indicative calculation, run in your browser. No data is sent anywhere.
When a budget is set before detailed pricing, the first question is how much each trade weighs. The orders of magnitude are known: structure takes a quarter, joinery and services a significant share, finishes less than people think.
This breakdown is there to spot an anomaly more than to price: if a quote puts 20 % into paint and 12 % into structure, something deserves a question. It is a quick reading tool, to be set against the project's real quantities.
You can also let the plan supply these figures for you.
Bill of quantitiesFrequently asked questions
Do these percentages hold for renovation?
They describe new build. In renovation the structure already exists: the shell weighs far less, while demolition, services and finishes take a much larger share. Use them as a landmark, not a rule.
Can I change the percentages?
Not on this page: it gives a typical split. For a split that matches your project, the plan-derived trade breakdown computes each trade from real quantities, which gives weights specific to the job.
What is this split useful for early on?
To decide where to arbitrate. If the budget is 15 % over, knowing that joinery weighs more than paint saves time otherwise spent shaving the wrong trade. It is a conversation tool between client and project manager.