What drives the cost of building a villa in Corfu?

There is no honest price per square metre for a villa in Corfu, because the plot, the ground, the design and the finishes change the number far more than the floor area. What you can do is understand what drives the cost, ask for a quote that shows it, and compare quotes on the same basis. This article explains how we look at it in October 2026.

Why is there no single price per square metre?

Because two villas of 200 square metres can differ by half in cost. One sits on a flat plot by the road with soft ground and a simple roof; the other hangs on a slope with rock, needs 60 metres of retaining wall, a crane for every delivery and a pool on a terrace cut into the hill. The second one is the typical Corfu villa. A square metre price only tells you something after the plot and the design are known.

Which parts of a villa cost the most?

On most villa projects the structural shell and the finishes are the two largest items, followed by the outdoor works. In the order they appear on site:

• Earthworks and retaining walls. Small on a flat plot, large on a slope with rock. This is the item that varies most between plots.
• Concrete frame, walls, roof and insulation. Fairly predictable once the structural study is done; the earthquake code and the slope decide the amount of concrete and steel.
• Installations. Electrics, plumbing, heating and cooling, solar water heating, the septic or biological tank, the pool machinery.
• Finishes. Floors, bathrooms, kitchen, doors and windows, plaster and paint. This is where owners have the most influence: the same house can be finished simply or at hotel level.
• Pool and outdoor works. Pool shell and equipment, terraces, garden walls, the drive, outdoor lighting and planting. Easy to underestimate when you only look at the house.
• Design, studies and permits. Architectural design, structural, mechanical and energy studies, topographic survey, soil report, the permit fees and the approvals.

How does the plot change the cost?

In four ways. The slope decides the retaining walls and the amount of excavation. The ground decides whether the foundations are simple strips or something heavier, and whether the excavator or the breaker does the digging. The access decides whether a concrete truck and a crane can reach the site or whether everything is shuttled with small machines. And the distance to utilities decides how long the trenches and the connections for water and electricity are. These four are the reason we visit the plot before we quote, and the reason we check them for owners before they buy.

What should an itemised quote contain?

Enough detail to see where the money goes and to compare. We write our quotes with:

• each trade as a separate section, with quantities and unit prices
• materials as separate lines, so you can see what a different tile or stone changes
• a clear list of what is excluded (for example furniture, kitchen appliances, the garden planting)
• the payment stages tied to the progress on site
• the timeline and how changes are priced and approved

How do you compare two quotes fairly?

Put them side by side section by section, not total against total. A cheaper total often leaves out the retaining walls, the pool equipment, the external works or the permit costs, which then arrive as extras. Ask both companies the same three questions: what exactly is excluded, what happens if we hit rock, and how are changes priced. The answers tell you more than the totals.

Frequently asked questions

The process and the cost drivers above are described as of October 2026. The real numbers for your plot come from a site visit and an itemised quote.