🇹🇱 Timor-Leste · Construction cost guide · Updated 2026
How much does it cost to build a farm building in Timor-Leste?
Building a farm building in Timor-Leste typically costs $153,600 to $326,400 in construction cost — roughly $256–$544 per square metre over 600 m² of floor area. That excludes land, professional fees and statutory charges.
Timor-Leste is one of the lower-cost construction markets in the world — it ranks 137 of 200 countries on our construction cost index, at about 32% of United States build costs. This page prices a farm building — open-sided steel-frame barn on a hardstand slab with sheeted roof — at 600 m² of gross floor area, then breaks the cost down element by element so you can see where the money actually goes. Costs are quoted in USD for comparability; the local currency in Timor-Leste is USD ($), and a bill of quantities generated from your own drawings is priced in USD using the Mapa de Quantidades standard.
What is being priced
The figures on this page price a farm building in Timor-Leste at 600 m² of gross floor area over 1 storey, specified as open-sided steel-frame barn on a hardstand slab with sheeted roof. Construction cost only — land, professional fees, statutory charges, utility connections and loose furniture are all excluded, and together commonly add another 15–30%.
Cost by specification level
| Specification | Construction cost (USD) |
|---|---|
| Basic / low-cost finish | $110,592 – $235,008 |
| Standard finish | $153,600 – $326,400 |
| Premium finish | $222,720 – $473,280 |
Where the money goes
Elemental split of construction cost for a farm building of this type. Percentages are concept-stage cost-planning proportions; the ranges below apply them to the totals above.
| Element | Share | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|---|
Substructure & floor slab Excavation, footings, hardcore and a power-floated slab carrying vehicle loads. | 22% | $33,792 – $71,808 |
Structural frame Portal frame or columns and rafters, including fabrication and erection. | 30% | $46,080 – $97,920 |
Envelope — roof & cladding Sheeting, purlins, gutters, flashings and translucent roof lights. | 20% | $30,720 – $65,280 |
Doors, openings & fit-out Roller shutters, personnel doors, and any office or ablution pod. | 10% | $15,360 – $32,640 |
Services Power, lighting, fire protection and drainage. | 10% | $15,360 – $32,640 |
External works & preliminaries Hardstanding, site setup, supervision and temporary works. | 8% | $12,288 – $26,112 |
Get the real number for your own plans
A benchmark tells you the ballpark. Upload your dimensioned drawings and get an itemised, source-cited bill of quantities priced in USD ($), measured to the Mapa de Quantidades standard Timor-Leste professionals use.
Price my Timor-Leste projectBuilding farm buildings in Timor-Leste — frequently asked
How much does it cost to build a farm building in Timor-Leste?
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Building a farm building in Timor-Leste typically costs $153,600 to $326,400 in construction cost — roughly $256–$544 per square metre over 600 m² of floor area. That excludes land, professional fees and statutory charges. At a basic specification the same building lands nearer $110,592–$235,008; at a premium specification, $222,720–$473,280.
What is the cost per square metre in Timor-Leste?
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About $256–$544 per m² for this building type at a standard finish. Per-m² rates rise with storey height (frame, cores and cranage) and with specification, and fall on simple single-storey plans.
What is the biggest cost item?
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Structural frame — about 30% of construction cost, or $46,080–$97,920 on this build. Portal frame or columns and rafters, including fabrication and erection.
Does this include land, fees and furniture?
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No. These are construction costs only — materials, labour, plant and site preliminaries. Land, statutory approvals, professional fees, connections, landscaping and loose furniture are all additional, and together commonly add 15–30% on top.
How do I get an accurate figure for my own plans in Timor-Leste?
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Benchmarks give you the ballpark; a measured bill of quantities gives you the number. Upload your dimensioned floor plans to Enormous Buildings and get an itemised, source-cited BoQ in USD in the Mapa de Quantidades format that Timor-Leste quantity surveyors and lenders expect — free to preview.
Why do build costs vary so much between countries?
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Three things dominate: labour cost, how much of the material basket is imported, and the code requirements the building must satisfy. Timor-Leste sits at index 32 against the United States at 100, which is why the figures above differ from what you'd see quoted for the same building elsewhere.