Turnkey house price in the Algarve

Direct answer: a turnkey house in the Algarve today costs from €1,750/m² incl. VAT when you choose a modular Passive House with Class A guaranteed by contract. Fixed price, a binding timeline with penalties for delays and no surprise overruns. A 145 m² two-bedroom + office starts at €253,750 (house only, excluding land).

Ecoimport Wood is a first-choice option — and at the same time the best alternative — for anyone who wants to build turnkey in the Algarve. An option, because we cover the entire cycle: design, licensing at the câmara municipal (municipal council), industrial production of the Passive House panels in a European factory, delivery to site, assembly on the foundation, finishes, utility connections, the licença de utilização (occupancy licence) and the Class A energy certificate. An alternative, because compared with traditional brick construction we solve exactly the three problems that worry anyone who has already asked for a quote: 20-25% overruns at the end of the build, timelines that slip by several months, and quality you only discover once the house is finished.

In this article we explain the full turnkey concept (what Portuguese law means by a fixed price, what an honest contract must include and where the traps lie), show real current prices per m² and by typology, walk through our process step by step from first contact to key handover, and sum up why we are a good choice for Portuguese families and for the international market (British, German, Dutch, French and Spanish buyers) purchasing in the Algarve.

What a turnkey house in the Algarve really is

A genuine turnkey contract hands over a habitable house on the day you receive the keys — no outstanding works, no loose ends, no trips back to the builder asking for snagging to be finished. Anyone delivering all of this under a single contract should include:

• Architectural and engineering designs (structural, thermal, acoustic, electrical, ITED telecoms, gas, water, SCIE fire safety).
• Submission to the council, follow-up of the licensing process at the municipal council and payment of all fees.
• Foundations, Passive House building envelope and a watertight roof.
• Complete building services: electrical, plumbing, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR), gas and telecoms.
• Finished interiors: flooring, wall finishes, painting, suspended ceilings, doors and skirting boards.
• Fitted kitchen with appliances, and complete bathrooms with sanitaryware and taps.
• Meter activation (water, electricity, gas) and connection to the public networks.
• Licença de utilização (occupancy licence) issued by the municipal council and the energy certificate handed over.

Marketing offers call proposals “turnkey” that still leave the client paying separately for licensing, solar panels or utility connections. If these items are not written into the contract, expect 15% to 30% in extra costs at the end of the build. That is why the comparison below distinguishes the advertised price from the real price paid.

Realistic turnkey prices in the Algarve today

The price per square metre in the Algarve varies with the construction method, the level of finishes and — above all — the honesty of the quote. The following table shows ranges observed on real current projects:

The table shows that the advertised price does not always match the final amount paid. With traditional construction, the average gap comes from overruns, price revisions and items omitted from the initial quote. With kits, the kit price is attractive, but assembly, licensing and finishes double the total cost. Ecoimport Wood's turnkey modular house is the only option in the table where the advertised price is the price you pay — because the contract contains an express fixed-price clause with no automatic revision.

How the Ecoimport turnkey process works, step by step

From first contact to key handover, the process is split into eight verifiable milestones:

1. Milestone 1 — meeting and plot assessment. We review the caderneta predial (property tax record), the site location plan and the council's PDM (municipal master plan). If needed, we file a PIP (prior information request) with the municipal council to confirm the plot can be built on before going any further.
2. Milestone 2 — architectural and engineering designs. We design the house around your plot and the agreed typology, with all technical engineering disciplines built in from the start.
3. Milestone 3 — submission to the council. We submit the licensing application to the municipal council with all designs, technical specifications and statements of responsibility.
4. Milestones 4 to 6 — council review. Between 3 and 5 months of technical review in the Algarve, depending on the council. We answer any requests for clarification at no extra cost to the client.
5. Milestone 7 — approval and factory production. As soon as the permit is issued, our European factory produces the Passive House panels in 2 weeks under controlled industrial conditions (humidity, temperature and dimensions audited).
6. Milestone 8 — assembly, finishes and handover. Assembly on site in 2 weeks + finishes and testing in 4 to 6 weeks. This is followed by a joint inspection and key handover, with the occupancy licence and energy certificate.

Realistic total: 6 to 9 months from the CPCV (promissory contract) to key handover. No time wasted on uncoordinated subcontractors, no stoppages due to material shortages and no night shifts because the build has missed its deadline.

What the €1,750/m² price includes as standard

Unlike many “budget” quotes that later need topping up, Ecoimport Wood's base price from €1,750/m² incl. VAT includes:

• Passive House envelope with 250-300 mm of continuous insulation (mineral wool or blown cellulose).
• Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) — heat recovery unit with ≥85% efficiency.
• High-performance windows and doors: PVC or aluminium frames, low-e double or triple glazing.
• Standard-range fitted kitchen: units, worktop, extractor hood, hob, oven, fridge and dishwasher.
• Complete bathrooms: washbasins, toilets, shower trays or baths, taps and bathroom furniture.
• Flooring (floating wood floor or ceramic tiles) and wall finishes in the kitchen and bathrooms.
• Interior and exterior painting, suspended ceilings with LED lighting in hallways.
• Solar thermal panels + provision for a heat pump (heating and domestic hot water).
• Licença de utilização (occupancy licence) issued by the municipal council.
• Class A energy certificate guaranteed by contract (not merely “expected”).
• 10-year structural warranty, 2 years on finishes and 1 year of free technical support.

Fixed price — what comes with NO surprises

The Ecoimport Wood turnkey contract has three clauses that shield the client from overruns:

• No automatic price-revision clauses. If a material goes up in the supply chain, the risk is the builder's — not the client's. Unlike many traditional contracts indexed to INE (national statistics institute) indices, the price does not change between signing and key handover.
• No “provision for X”. We will never write “provision for a heat pump” to hide the fact that the equipment isn't included. Either it is in the contract or it isn't — and if it is, it is installed, tested and working.
• Detailed contract annex. Every item (windows, kitchen, bathrooms, flooring, ventilation, panels) is listed with brand, model and reference in the annex. If you want to upgrade any item during the build, the price difference is quoted in writing beforehand.

In addition, the statutory warranty under article 1225 of the Portuguese Civil Code applies: 5 years for latent structural defects, with notification and claim periods set by law. On top of this statutory warranty we add a 10-year contractual warranty on the building envelope — double the legal minimum.

Land + house: realistic total budget by tier

The price of the house is only one part of the total investment. Land accounts for between 25% and 45%, depending on the location in the Algarve. The table below combines typology with typical land costs to give a realistic idea of the total budget:

These figures are indicative and every project is assessed case by case. If you already own a plot, the budget falls automatically because you only pay for the house. If you are still looking for land, we can put you in touch with local estate agents we have worked with for several years in Loulé, Silves and Albufeira.

Why Ecoimport Wood is a good choice — not just an alternative

Seven concrete reasons, backed by numbers, to choose Ecoimport Wood as your first choice for a turnkey house in the Algarve:

1. Fixed price with VAT included — no small print. We advertise from €1,750/m² incl. VAT and that is what you pay. No trick of quoting “price + VAT” to look cheaper and then adding 23%. No automatic revisions. No hidden items that only appear on the final invoice.
2. Binding timeline with penalties for delays. The contract sets the key handover date and a penalty for each working day of delay attributable to the builder, with an explicit overall cap. The builder has a real incentive to deliver on time — it is a clause that buys peace of mind.
3. Passive House Class A guaranteed by contract. It is not a sales promise: it is an auditable contractual clause. A Passive House uses 60% to 80% less energy than an average traditional Class B house — real savings of €1,200 to €2,000 a year on electricity bills, with the “Passive House premium” paying for itself in 4 to 6 years.
4. European factory production (not DIY on the building site). The panels are produced in a partner European factory with millimetre dimensional control, audited humidity and temperature, and building services (electrical, water, MVHR, ITED) built in from the outset. They arrive on site numbered and are assembled in 2 weeks.
5. Easier financing from Portuguese banks. Millennium bcp, Novo Banco, Santander, CGD and ActivoBank readily accept fixed-price turnkey contracts because the risk of overruns lies with the builder. Approvals are faster and typical LTVs are better than for self-managed builds.
6. Service in PT, EN, ES and DE — for the international market. Around 40% of our clients are foreign buyers — British, German, Dutch, French and Spanish — purchasing land in the Algarve. Bilingual contracts, service in four languages and the ability to manage the whole process remotely under a power of attorney.
7. 10-year structural warranty — double the legal minimum. On top of the 5-year statutory warranty under article 1225 of the Portuguese Civil Code, we add a 10-year contractual warranty on the building envelope, 2 years on finishes and equipment, and 1 year of free technical support for the normal adjustments any new house needs.

Who Ecoimport Wood is the right choice for

We are the right fit if you recognise yourself in at least three of these profiles:

• You want a fixed price and a predictable household budget throughout the build, without €30-50k surprises at the end.
• You have a set date to move (a new baby, a job move, a tenancy ending, retirement) and cannot wait 18-24 months for a traditional build.
• You value real energy efficiency and stable indoor comfort — no temperature spikes in the Algarve summer and no damp in winter.
• You don't want to manage subcontractors or coordinate tradespeople — you want a single point of contact responsible from day one to the last.
• You are building as an investment for holiday letting (AL) — guaranteed Class A and low running costs increase net returns.
• You are a foreign buyer purchasing in the Algarve and need service in your language, bilingual contracts and the ability to manage the project remotely.
• You have already asked traditional builders for quotes and were concerned by price-revision clauses, indicative or vague timelines, or itemised quotes that are hard to compare.

Real examples: Villa Algarve and Villa Algoz

Two reference models help anchor realistic expectations of price and layout:

• Villa Algarve — T2 + office, 145 m². A mid-size layout with an open-plan living room and kitchen, ideal for a couple working from home or a family with one child. An example of realistic pricing with external works and a discreet pool.
• Villa Algoz — T3, 180 m². A complete family home with landscaped grounds, an 8×4 m pool and premium integration into the Algarve landscape. An example of the upper tier, with full external works.

Both models are for reference — your home is always designed around your plot, its solar orientation and the typology you want. The models help you visualise finish levels and prices, but they are never imposed.

How to request a tailored quote within 48h

Three practical ways to contact us and receive a base proposal within 48 hours:

1. Online form — fill in the form on our quote page, stating the typology you want, your plot (even approximately) and an indicative budget. We reply by email with a base proposal within 48h.
2. WhatsApp — send a message to 964 533 140. We reply in Portuguese, English, Spanish and German on working days from 9am to 7pm.
3. Meeting in the Algarve — if you prefer, we can arrange an in-person meeting on your plot or at our office for an initial technical assessment, with no commitment.

Useful documents to prepare (optional at the initial stage, required for a binding quote): the caderneta predial urbana (urban property tax record) for the plot, a site location plan at 1:2000 scale, an idea of the typology (T2, T3, T4) and the desired usable floor area. If you don't have a plot yet, no problem — we start by assessing the typology and total budget you have in mind and help you define the area.

Figures based on current projects. Every house is quoted individually according to the plot, typology and chosen finishes. Contact us for a tailored quote.

→ Request your turnkey quote within 48h or see our step-by-step process to learn about every phase of the build.

Still deciding between building from scratch and buying a ready-made villa? See the complete guide — build or buy a turnkey house in the Algarve, with a direct comparison between building a modular Passive House and buying through agencies such as Engel & Völkers, Savills or Batista Property.