How much does it cost to build a house in Adelaide?

The average size of a new house build in Adelaide is 213.4sqm, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics data, which means a new home build would cost anywhere between $418,264 and $810,920.

Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Cost of building a house in Adelaide

One of the biggest determining factors of how much it will cost you to build a home is how many bedrooms you choose to incorporate in your floorplan.

Typically, most construction jobs are priced on a per square metre basis, and the more bedrooms included means the more square metres needed for the build.

Building a two bedroom house will range in price from $223,200 to $660,000, based on a floorplan of 120sqm.

New house builds in Adelaide are typically smaller than other capital cities in Australia, and most comprise of three bedrooms or more.

A three bedroom house build will cost between $325,500 and $456,000, based on an average floorplan of 175sqm.

Building a four bedroom Adelaide home will cost anywhere from $483,600 to $988,000, assuming an average size of 260sqm, with two bathrooms.

Cost of building a two storey Adelaide home

Building a second storey home in Adelaide will cost about $800 per sqm but this can reach as much as $1000 per sqm, or an additional 10% to 20% of construction costs, or sometimes this can even be much more.

This extra cost is attributed to the complexity of the build which requires more complex construction methods including staircases, extra external walls and scaffolding.

An extra level also needs more labour, additional materials and coordination costs.

Other factors that impacts the cost of building a home in Adelaide

Land prices, finishes and fittings, and weather are among the array of factors which can impact how much a new home build will cost in Adelaide.

The cost of land

Greater Adelaide’s median lot price grew 19% in 2024, to $307,000, according to the Urban Development Institute of Australia’s State of the Land Report 2025.

The report revealed that new land has traditionally been priced at 37% of the Greater Adelaide median established house price.

During the past two years the ratio has remained at 37%, which indicates lot price increases are remaining tied to median house price increase and are therefore considered ‘fair value,’ it noted.

Fairmont Homes sales manager Russell Slater said it was becoming more challenging for first-time buyers to get into the market, purely because of the total cost to build. 

The cost of building a home has risen since the pandemic and that has begun to settle but land availability was currently quite constricted.

“That scarcity is driving up land prices,” Mr Slater said.

The size of the home

Bigger homes cost more to construct because they require more materials and labour.

Site works

Some builders charge for site and footing costs outside of the build contract.

“The worst thing for first-home buyers is being asked for more money after committing to a contract,” Mr Slater said.

Unforeseen delays

Delays in the timeframe of a new home build can add unforeseen costs and often place the buyer in limbo while they wait to move into their home.

Such delays can be due to weather conditions, for example.

The extra costs are due to the impact delays can have on scheduling, which makes the efficient coordination of trades difficult.

The complexity of your home design

Project homes cost less than a custom designed home due to the fact that builders benefit from economies of scale, as they order materials in bulk and repeat the same design multiple times.

A custom design involves the use of specialist materials and finishes to create a one-off home design.

The choice of materials and finishes

Choosing high specification finishes, higher-end materials and custom cabinetry, for example, will add a significant increase in the total cost of your new home build.

The land you are building on

Sites that are hard to access, or that are sloping, will incur extra costs because of the more complex construction that is required.

This can include the need for retaining walls or excavation.

Soil quality and drainage can also add to a new home build cost as this plays a big part in the foundation works of a new home build.

Costs on top of the actual house build

Fencing, gates, paving, driveways, letterboxes and additional lighting are all extra expenses to consider when building.

A swimming pool, landscaping and lawns are other considerable costs to budget for.

Government incentives and grants for new homes

Here is an outline of the government incentives and grants on offer if you are building a new home in Adelaide:

First Home Buyer stamp duty relief

If you are a first home owner buying land or properties valued up to $650,000, you are not required to pay stamp duty. This grant also has no income threshold.

First Home Owner Grant

This $15,000 grant is on offer to eligible South Australian buyers if they buy or build a new home. 

HomeBuilder

This $15,000 allowance is for contracts entered into between January 1 and 31 March 2021; $25,000 for contracts entered into between June 4 and December 31, 2020

The one-off payment towards building a new home is available to buyers who entered into a contract to build a home between June 4, 2020 and March 31 2021, and complete their application before June 30, 2025

To be eligible, the land’s value must be less than $750,000 (including land and contract to build).

And the applicant must earn less than $125,000 as an individual, or $200,000 as a couple.