How much to build a Block of 4 Flats (2-bed each) in Lagos
A block of 4 two-bedroom flats — the classic Lagos rental investment property. Annual rental income of N4M-N12M depending on location. Payback period: 8-15 years.
🧱 How much will it cost to build?
Pick a house type, finish level and location — see the cost breakdown by stage.
Stage-by-stage cost breakdown
Total estimate: ₦120,000,000–₦180,000,000
Labor rates for this build
All construction artisans you'll need for this project
| Role | Daily rate | Monthly rate |
|---|---|---|
Bricklayer/Mason Lays blocks, renders walls. The most critical artisan — bad bricklaying means uneven walls and structural issues. Experienced bricklayers charge premium. | ₦5,000–₦10,000 | ₦120,000–₦250,000 |
Carpenter Roofing framework, formwork for concrete casting, doors/window frames. A good roofing carpenter prevents leaks for decades. | ₦5,000–₦8,000 | ₦100,000–₦200,000 |
Plumber Water supply and drainage installation. First fix (before plastering) and second fix (after tiling). Poor plumbing causes the most expensive post-construction repairs. | ₦4,000–₦8,000 | ₦80,000–₦180,000 |
Electrician Wiring, conduit installation, panel board, earthing. MUST be certified — unlicensed electricians cause house fires. First fix and second fix stages. | ₦4,000–₦8,000 | ₦80,000–₦180,000 |
Tiler Floor and wall tile installation. Specialist tilers (marble, porcelain) charge N10K-N18K/day vs N5K-N8K for standard ceramic. | ₦5,000–₦12,000 | ₦100,000–₦250,000 |
Painter Interior and exterior painting. Screeding, filling, undercoat, and finishing. A 3-bedroom needs 2-3 weeks of painting work. | ₦4,000–₦7,000 | ₦80,000–₦150,000 |
POP Installer Plaster of Paris ceiling specialist. Paid per sqm (N3K-N6K/sqm installed) rather than daily rate. Cornices and decorative work cost extra. | ₦5,000–₦10,000 | — |
Welder/Iron Bender Bends and ties iron rods for reinforcement. Also fabricates gates, burglar-proof bars, and railings. | ₦4,000–₦8,000 | ₦80,000–₦160,000 |
Laborer (General) Carries materials, mixes mortar, assists artisans. A site needs 3-6 laborers depending on project size. | ₦3,000–₦5,000 | ₦60,000–₦100,000 |
Site Engineer/Foreman Supervises construction, reads drawings, manages artisans. A qualified site engineer prevents costly structural mistakes. 5-7% of project budget. | ₦15,000–₦30,000 | ₦350,000–₦600,000 |
📝 The Lagos context
A block of flats is an income build first and a home second — several self-contained units (commonly 2 or 3 bedrooms) stacked on one plot to multiply the rent a single piece of Lagos land can earn. The economics work because much of the cost is shared: one foundation, one roof, one set of external walls and services carry several rental units, so the cost per flat falls as you add floors and units. That is exactly why blocks of flats dominate the mid-market rental supply across the mainland.
The total is driven by the number of units, the finish level and the structural engineering — more floors mean heavier foundations, more columns and more steel. Material costs (cement, rods, blocks) set the shell; finishing, repeated across every unit, is where small per-flat choices multiply into large sums. Because the structure repeats, buying structural materials in bulk and standardising the finishing specification across units are the biggest levers on the final figure.
Treated as an investment, the questions are yield and phasing. Work the expected rent per unit against the all-in build cost to judge the return, and consider whether to build and let in phases to ease cash flow. Get the structure and the services right once and the same design pays out across every unit for years — the reason a block of flats remains one of the most reliable property plays in Lagos.