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QV CostBuilder is New Zealand’s most comprehensive construction cost database.
November 2025
In this update, approx. 15,600 current material prices have been applied to the QV CostBuilder rates. This has produced about 14,500 (23.8%) changes to the data across Auckland, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.
Here are some of the notable rate changes across the libraries since our last construction cost update in October:
Cost planning rates
On average, the Elements have increased 0.3% since the last update, which is the first increase since the 2025 Q3.2 update. The range of change is 0.0% to +1.4% with the top changes, as below:
- Substructure: up 0.6%, mainly due to increases in formwork rates
- Exterior Works: up 0.7%, due to increases in roading and lawn seed rates
- Ceiling Finishes: up 0.8%, due to a rate rise in timber joists
- Exterior Walls, Exterior Finish: up 0.9%, due to timber framing and proprietary cladding rate rises
- Partitions: up 1.4%, due to rate rises in timber framing and toilet partitions
Detailed rates
On average, the Trades have increased 0.5% since the last update. The range of change is -1.5% to +5.1% with the top changes, as below:
- Plumbing: down 1.5%, mainly due to decreases in some PVC water tank rates
- Waterproofing: up 1.5% due to increases in waterproofing membrane rates
- Painting & Specialist Finishes: up 2.3%, mainly due to a rise in specialist floor finish rates
- Concrete: up 4.5%, due to waterstop rates rising
- Proprietary Cladding Systems: up 5% due to increases in various cladding rates
October 2025
In this update, approx. 11,100 current material prices have been applied to the QV CostBuilder rates. This has produced about 1,300 (2.2%) changes to the data across Auckland, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.
Here are some of the notable rate changes across the libraries since our last construction cost update in September:
Cost planning rates
On average, the Elements have remained unchanged since the last update, the fourth time in the last five updates it hasn’t changed. The range of change is -0.6% to 0.3% with the top changes, as below:
- Exterior Walls, Exterior Finish: down 0.6%
- Wall Finishes: down 0.3%
- Roof: up 0.3%
Detailed rates
On average, the Trades remained unchanged since the last update, which breaks the trend of the last four updates that had 0.1% increases. There are only two changes that were significant:
- Laminated Timber: down 0.8%
- Carpentry: down 0.2%
September 2025
In this update, approx. 8,100 current material prices have been applied to the QV CostBuilder rates. This has produced about 1,900 (3.1%) changes to the data across Auckland, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.
Here are some of the notable rate changes across the libraries since our last construction cost update in August:
Cost planning rates
On average, the Elements have remained unchanged since the last update, the third time in the last four updates it hasn’t changed. The range of change is -0.1% to 0.5% with the top changes, as below:
- Ceiling Finishes: down 0.1%
- Roof: also down 0.1%
- Partitions: up 0.1%
- Sanitary Plumbing: up 0.5%
Detailed rates
On average, the Trades remained as the last update, at 0.1% increase. The range of change is -0.4% to 3.3% with the top changes, as below:
- Plumbing: down 0.4%
- Steel Framing; up 0.7%
- Concrete Blockwork: up 0.8%
- Gasfitting: up 3.3%
August 2025
In this quarterly update, approx. 11,700 current material prices have been applied to the QV CostBuilder rates. This has produced about 14,900 (24.3%) changes to the data across Auckland, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. The main reason for so many changes is labour rates have been slightly adjusted to take into account the Stats NZ increases for construction workers.
Here are some of the notable rate changes across the libraries since our last construction cost update in July:
Cost planning rates
On average, the Elements have increased 0.2% since the last update, which is the first increase since the 2025 Q2.2 update. The range of change is 0% to 1.3% with the top changes, as below:
- Drainage: up 0.2%
- Substructure: up 0.3%
- Exterior Works: up 0.4%
- Stairs & Balustrades: up 1.3%
Detailed rates
On average, the Trades increased 0.1% since the last update. The range of change is 0.0% to 0.6% with the top changes, as below:
- Drainage: up 0.2%
- Metalwork; up 0.3%
- Carpentry: also up 0.3%
- Excavation: up 0.6%
Want to know more?
To see the full list of changes – and to take the guesswork out of pricing your next project – subscribe to QV CostBuilder today.
Your subscription grants instant access to a wealth of regularly updated data, covering everything from the building costs per square metre for a range of different buildings, to the indicative costs of more than 10,500 other items, plus labour rates and hours, plant constants, and more than we can list here.