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General contractor prices in Belgium in 2026

Full renovation at €700 to €1,500 per m², coordination, margin, ten-year insurance and 6% VAT: what a general contractor charges and how to compare quotes.

By the Batizzy teamPublished 7 min read

A general contractor takes on the whole project. Their own teams carry out part of the work, subcontractors do the rest, and they coordinate everything. You sign one contract and deal with one person. That coordination has a price, which quotes do not always show clearly. Here is what Belgian guides published in 2026, and how to compare two offers that look nothing alike.

What a general contractor charges for

  • Work by their own teams, at unit prices or a fixed price.
  • Subcontracted work (electrics, heating, joinery, plastering...), with their margin.
  • Coordination: planning, orders, receiving materials, supervising subcontractors, checks.
  • Site costs: skips, scaffolding, protection, cleaning, insurance.
  • Unforeseen work and changes, through a written variation.

Prices published in 2026

Renovation, all trades Price per m²
Full renovation €700 to €1,500
Very heavy or high-end renovation €1,300 to €2,500

Bobex (Dutch-language page, undated) gives €700 to €1,500 per m² for a full renovation, and its French-language page €1,000 to €2,500. Heylen Vastgoed, a network of estate agencies, publishes for 2026: €800 to €1,000 per m² for a light full renovation, €1,000 to €1,300 for a thorough one, and €1,300 to €1,500 and more to bring a home up to new-build standard. None of these sources says whether VAT is included. Our guide to renovation prices per m² goes into the levels of work.

On coordination, there is no consensus. Bobex puts the main contractor's coordination tasks (communication, planning, checks, follow-up, advice) at 3% to 10% of the renovation budget. Heylen Vastgoed writes that a general contractor charges a margin of 15% to 25% for coordinating the work. The two figures do not measure the same thing, and we found no second source for either. Treat them as orders of magnitude, and ask the contractor how their price is built up.

General contractor or separate trades?

With a general contractor, one party answers for the whole job, the schedule is run by someone whose trade it is, and it is up to them to absorb a subcontractor's delay. In return, you pay for the coordination and the margin on subcontracted work.

With separate trades, you sign one contract per tradesperson. The total can be lower, but you line up the jobs, handle the delays and settle things when two trades blame each other for a defect. An architect can take on part of that follow-up when they manage the site.

Our view: for a heavy renovation where several trades follow one another, or if you cannot be on site every week, a general contractor is usually worth what they cost. For a bathroom or a kitchen, two or three well-chosen tradespeople are enough.

Three worked examples

These examples are illustrative and use only the published ranges above.

A 120 m² house to renovate fully. At €700 to €1,500 per m², the budget runs from €84,000 to €180,000.

The weight of coordination on €100,000 of work. At 3% to 10%, Bobex's estimate, it comes to €3,000 to €10,000. With a 15% to 25% margin, Heylen Vastgoed's figure, it becomes €15,000 to €25,000.

VAT on €150,000 excluding VAT. At 6% it is €9,000; at 21%, €31,500. The €22,500 gap shows why every condition of the reduced rate matters.

VAT, insurance and grants

In a private home more than 10 years old that stays one after the works, renovation work supplied and invoiced by the contractor is charged 6%, with the legal statement on the invoice. The FPS Finance keeps 21% for fossil-fuel heating installations, for demolition that does not prepare a renovation, and for intellectual services such as architectural or engineering studies. A project that is too heavy can become a new build, at 21%: the criteria are in our guide to 6% VAT.

On insurance, the FPS Economy points out that ten-year liability insurance is compulsory for renovating a home in Belgium when an architect is required and the permit was issued after 1 July 2018. The contractor must give you the certificate before work starts, and the contract documents must name the insurer and the policy number.

For grants, Wallonia's Prime Habitation ended on 30 September 2026. Since 1 October, Wallonia supports renovation through the Rénopack, a 0% loan of which part does not have to be repaid depending on income, and the Rénoprêt, with a home audit less than a year old. See our article on the end of the Prime Habitation, and our guides for Brussels and Flanders.

How to compare two general contractor quotes

  • The same specification for everyone. Without a shared description of the works, or the architect's bill of quantities, each contractor prices their own project.
  • A price per package. Structural work, roof, joinery, building services, finishes: a total without detail cannot be compared.
  • Provisional sums. An item marked "PM" (pro memoria) or a sum "to be confirmed" is not a firm price. A quote full of them looks cheaper than it will be.
  • Visible coordination. Fixed fee, percentage or built into the prices: ask where it sits.
  • The subcontractors. Who will do the electrics, the heating, the roof? Their CBE number can be checked too.
  • Schedule and payments. Start and end dates, payments based on progress, a retention until handover.
  • Insurance. Ten-year liability certificate when an architect is involved, public liability insurance.

The basic statements any quote must carry are in our guide to what a Belgian quote must state.

Mistakes to avoid

Picking the lowest total without reading the items. The gap can come from provisional sums and exclusions.

Paying ahead of progress. Every payment should match work actually done.

Changing your mind without a written variation. A change asked for verbally gets discussed when the invoice arrives, and rarely in your favour.

Not checking the company. CBE number, registered activities and insurance certificate: our pre-signing checklist shows you how.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a general contractor charge for coordination?

We found no reliable benchmark. Bobex puts coordination at 3% to 10% of the budget, Heylen Vastgoed speaks of a 15% to 25% margin. Ask how the price is built up.

How much does a full renovation cost per m² in Belgium?

Expect €700 to €1,500 per m² according to Bobex and Heylen Vastgoed, and up to €2,500 for a very heavy or high-end renovation according to Bobex's French-language page.

General contractor or separate trades: which costs less?

On paper, separate trades avoid the general contractor's coordination and margin. But you then manage the schedule, the delays and the responsibilities between trades yourself.

What insurance must a general contractor have?

When an architect is required for a home and the permit was issued after 1 July 2018, ten-year liability insurance is compulsory. You must receive the certificate before work starts.

Compare your general contractor quotes

On Batizzy, you describe your project once, and it is free for homeowners. Several pros can reply with a quote in the same format, which you compare side by side. Pros who had their CBE number checked carry a badge on their profile. Find a general contractor or see how the quote comparison works.

Sources

Pages consulted on 11 October 2026.

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