How much to build a Mini Flat (Room & Parlor) in Lagos
A room and parlor — the entry-level Lagos rental unit. Commonly built as a block of 4-6 units for rental income. The most profitable rental investment per sqm in Lagos.
🧱 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: ₦12,000,000–₦18,000,000
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
Mini-flat — one bedroom, a sitting room, kitchen and bathroom — na the smallest standalone unit wey most people dey build, and often the cheapest way to enter property development for Lagos. On a plot, a row or block of mini-flat na classic rental play: modest per-unit build cost, steady tenant demand from young single and couple, and quicker rental turnover than bigger unit. The build cost below no include land, wey for Lagos frequently na the biggest single line of the whole project.
Where the number go land depend mostly on finish level and location. Basic finish dey keep cost down with standard tile, fitting and painting; standard finish dey add better tiling, fitted kitchen and decent sanitaryware; luxury finish (POP, quality door, premium fitting) fit push the figure up by wide margin for the same floor area. Material price — cement, rod, block — dey set the structural cost, while finishing na where your choice dey swing the total.
The smart approach for mini-flat na to control the structure tight and spend selectively on finishing. Buy structural material in bulk for soft price window, supervise blockwork and concrete for quality, and put the finishing budget where tenant actually notice — the kitchen, the bathroom and the floor. For first-time developer, mini-flat na the lowest-risk way to learn the process while you build something wey go rent.