School building cost benchmarks (£/m²)
LGA, EBDOG and BCIS Q2 2026 benchmark figures for UK new-build and refurbishment schools. Median and IQR shown per phase, with a regional-factor reminder for each cell.
Headline £/m² (all-in, England average)
| Phase | Q1 | Median | Q3 | Outlier | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary new-build | £2,600 | £3,200 | £3,650 | £4,150 | [LGA Bench.] |
| Secondary new-build | £2,820 | £3,450 | £3,950 | £4,500 | [LGA Bench.] |
| SEN special | £3,450 | £4,150 | £4,700 | £5,300 | [LGA Bench.] |
| Sixth-form | £2,880 | £3,550 | £4,050 | £4,550 | [LGA Bench.] |
| Nursery (standalone) | £2,450 | £3,050 | £3,450 | £3,950 | [LGA Bench.] |
| Whole-school refurbishment | £1,600 | £2,000 | £2,450 | £3,100 | [LGA Bench.] |
Why three benchmark sources, not one
BCIS Q2 2026[BCIS Q2 2026] is the in-period tender index used by quantity surveyors and contractors; it picks up movement quarter-to-quarter but is a subscription dataset. LGA Bench. 2024[LGA Bench.] is the cross-LA dataset of completed projects, free to view, but lagged. EBDOG 2025[EBDOG] is the officer-led benchmarking forum that aligns those two. Stating which source a figure came from is what an ESFA case officer will look for.
Caveats a governor will ask about
- England-average figures hide a ±10-15% regional swing. See regional factors.
- The LGA cohort spans several years; the BCIS quarterly index is the inflation-current overlay.
- SEN £/m² varies more than mainstream because hydrotherapy, hygiene and sensory provision differ scheme-to-scheme.
- RAAC and contaminated-land sites push abnormals above the 5% default; see abnormals.
For per-pupil-place figures, see £/pupil-place benchmarks. For FF&E and professional-fee ratios, see FF&E and professional fees.