Prefab-house catalogues with price details: compare transparently

Why do many catalogues contain no prices?

A catalogue describes models but not a finished project. The final price of a prefab house depends on factors the manufacturer doesn't know at printing: plot layout, soil conditions, regional tradesperson prices, chosen specification line and the required energy standard. Many providers therefore do without printed final prices.

On top of that, prices become outdated faster than catalogues. Material and interest-rate developments constantly change the calculation. A printed fixed price would already be obsolete when the catalogue appears — providers therefore quote, if anything, only non-binding from-prices with a date.

Another reason is the individual character of every building project. Two families who choose the same model rarely pay the same: one builds with a cellar on a sloped plot, the other with a base slab on level ground. Such differences quickly add up to five-figure sums. A flat catalogue price would obscure this spread and would therefore be of little help for the calculation.

Finally, competition plays a role. Many manufacturers calculate their offers on a project basis and don't want to commit to printed figures that could later be misunderstood as a promise. For you as a prospective builder this means: a missing catalogue price is not a warning sign but the rule — what matters is that in the next step you receive a comprehensible, written quote based on the construction and services specification.

Which provider types show prices transparently?

Price transparency depends less on the individual name than on the business model. Instead of rating individual providers, it's worth looking at typical orientations. The following overview lists provider types alphabetically and describes how transparently they usually deal with prices.

Shell-completion house specialists can quote prices relatively easily, because they clearly define which trades they deliver and which you take on as DIY work. The delineation between manufacturer's services and DIY work is the decisive metric — the more precisely it's stated in the catalogue, the more robust the from-price. Check especially which work you really trust yourself to do, both in skill and in time.

Series-catalogue providers with standardised models also print from-prices more often, because their series leave little leeway. Regional manufactories and strongly bespoke-planning providers, by contrast, usually do without printed prices, because every project is recalculated. That is not a disadvantage but an expression of a different planning depth — it merely shifts the price information into the personal quote.

Regardless of type, the following applies: a printed price never replaces checking the services behind it. Two catalogues with an identical square-metre price can differ significantly in windows, heating technology or insulation. So always read the service content alongside the quoted figure and treat the price as one of several comparison metrics, not as the sole decision criterion.

How do I interpret catalogue prices realistically?

A catalogue price is a starting point, not a final price. Place it within a range and add the items missing from the catalogue. As a rough guide, in 2026 turnkey lies at about EUR 2,000 to 3,500 per square metre; shell-completion houses start well below that, premium fittings lie above.

It's important to apply the same service level whenever comparing. A cheap from-price for a shell-completion house is not automatically the better deal if you later have to order the omitted trades at a high cost. So, alongside the pure catalogue price, factor the realistic effort for DIY work or outsourcing into your calculation.

Use several sources for orientation. Market overviews, our price guides and the individual quotes from several manufacturers together give a far more reliable picture than a single catalogue figure. Only once three to five comparable quotes are on the table can you recognise the local price level and confidently classify both conspicuously expensive and suspiciously cheap offers.

How do I get from the catalogue to a robust price?

The most reliable route to a real price runs via the individual quote. First gather your key data: desired living area, number of rooms, completion stage, energy standard and your plot situation. With this information, enquire with several suitable manufacturers and ask each for a quote including a construction and services specification.

Make sure all quotes reflect the same scope of services. Only then are the quoted prices comparable. If the base slab is missing from one quote while another includes it, correct the figure before you compare. Also ask whether it's a guaranteed fixed price and how long it remains valid.

A look at independent price overviews helps in addition. They provide ranges for typical house types and completion stages and show whether a quote lies within the usual market range. This way you turn the non-binding catalogue price step by step into a robust calculation tailored to your project.