What Does It Cost to Build a New Four-Bedroom Home in the West Midlands?

What Does It Cost to Build a New Four-Bedroom Home in the West Midlands?

MWArchitectural often speaks to clients who are dreaming of designing and building their own home in the West Midlands. One of the first and most important questions we’re asked is: “How much will it cost to build a new four-bedroom house?” While overall costs can vary depending on location, land acquisition, legal fees, taxes, design ambition, and site conditions, we’ve outlined below a realistic guide to help you plan your project with confidence.

Managing a construction project can be stressful: leaning on carefully designed construction documentation helps avoid costly mistakes and delays

1. Construction Costs

For a typical four-bedroom detached home of around 180–220m², 'shell' construction costs in the West Midlands currently range from £2,000 to £2,800 per square metre. That means a total build cost of around £360,000 to £600,000 for a well-designed family home.

This figure covers the core structure, materials, and labour but excludes land purchase, professional fees, and planning costs.

Typical breakdown of major cost elements:

• Labour and materials are usually split roughly 50/50. Labour rates remain high across the region, while materials such as timber, insulation, and steel continue to fluctuate due to supply chain pressures.

• Windows and doors are a major component of the build, typically costing £25,000–£50,000, depending on whether you select premium aluminium or standard uPVC systems.

• Kitchens and bathrooms together can range from £25,000–£40,000, depending on quality of fittings and finishes.

• Internal finishes such as flooring, decoration, stairs, and joinery often represent 15–20% of the total build cost - approximately £60,000–£90,000 on most projects.

• VAT is not usually chargeable for new-build homes although some contractors may include it and ask you to claim it back at the end of the project - this should be budgeted for.

Don’t overlook groundworks, drainage, and foundations, particularly if your site has poor ground conditions or level differences. It’s sensible to include a 10–15% contingency for unexpected items during construction and coming out of the ground is a frequently overlooked source of headaches.

Early design stages ensure you maximise the potential from your investment

2. Design and Consultant Fees

We believe that investing in good design pays dividends - not only in achieving a beautiful home but also in managing cost, energy efficiency, and buildability.

• Architect’s fees typically range between 8–12% of the construction value for full services, covering everything from initial design and planning to technical drawings and on-site inspection. This may sound a considerable investment but this individual will be crucial to the success of your project and heavily involved for a project programme that is likely span a number of years.

• Additional consultant costs may include:

  • Structural Engineer: £3,000–£6,000

  • Energy/SAP Assessor: £500–£1,000

  • Drainage or topographical surveys: £1,000–£2,000

  • Quantity Surveyor (optional but heavily recommended): £2,000–£5,000

Together, these design and consultant costs usually total £30,000–£50,000, depending on complexity and this should be accounted for in your total budget.

The design of any new home should carefully respect planning policy and surrounding context

3. Planning and Statutory Fees

Planning fees for a new home in Coventry or the wider West Midlands are relatively modest but still worth including in your budget:

• Planning application: around £500–£700 (although this doesn't include the reports and surveys that might be required - see our other blog posts for more information on this)

• Discharge of conditions: approximately £300 per application and we would try to discharge as many conditions as possible in one application

• Building Regulations approval and inspections: around £1,000–£2,000

If your site is within a Green Belt or Conservation Area, extra consultant advice and reports (for example, ecology, flood risk, or heritage assessments) may be required, adding modestly to costs. Additionally, the above is assuming a single application whereas your individual circumstances might instead benefit from a two-stage application (i.e. outline and reserved matters) or a pre-application advice stage which will de-risk the project although add slightly to the upfront costs and timescales.

4. Total Project Budget

When combining construction, design, statutory fees, and contingency, a realistic total project cost for a new four-bedroom home in the West Midlands sits between £450,000 and £700,000.

5. Our Advice

We always encourage early collaboration and we are obliged to work within your budget to the usual standard expected of architectural professionals (we are not Quantity Surveyors but should lean on their experience). Sharing your target budget allows us to shape the design in line with what’s achievable - balancing space, specification, and long-term value. We can also help you obtain accurate quotes from trusted contractors and guide you through each stage of the build.

Building your own home is a significant investment, but with careful planning, transparent budgeting, and professional guidance, it can be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life.

If you’re considering building your own home in Coventry or the surrounding West Midlands, get in touch with MWArchitectural - we’d be delighted to help you bring your ideas to life.