The short answer: there is no single reliable price per square metre for a hemp-lime house in Italy. Hemp-lime mainly concerns the envelope; the total also depends on land, foundations, structure, windows, services, finishes, external works, design, approvals and contract terms. A figure without those items is not a comparable quotation.
Why two prices per square metre may mean different things
Floor area can support an early order of magnitude only when the scope is identical. One offer may include structure and services but exclude land, tax, professional fees, utility connections or landscaping; another may include some of them. Even the measured area can differ: net internal, gross floor, saleable or built area. Always establish which area and which works the number represents.
The official ISTAT FAQ on the residential construction cost index makes the boundary clear: the indicator follows direct costs but excludes land, design, works supervision and utility connections. A national public index is therefore not the complete budget of a private home.
Ten headings that must share the same scope
- land, purchase taxes and notarial due diligence;
- surveys, geological and geotechnical investigations;
- design, consultants, applications, supervision and testing;
- site preparation, excavation, retaining works and foundations;
- load-bearing structure, hemp-lime envelope and roof;
- windows, shading and junction airtightness;
- building services and required energy performance;
- internal finishes, fitted elements and degree of customisation;
- connections, access, drainage, landscaping, pool and external works;
- safety, overheads, stated contingencies, taxes and payment terms.
What share is actually hemp-lime?
The material price alone does not answer the whole-house question. Envelope thickness and area, geometry, openings, formwork, details, installation, renders and logistics all affect the work. Foundations, timber structure, roof, windows and services remain separate headings. H.0.ME. therefore applies no universal percentage premium and does not claim that the solution is always dearer or cheaper than conventional construction: compare equivalent designs, performance and inclusions.
From orientation to a measured cost plan: four levels
Reliability comes from fewer unknowns, not more decimal places. An early estimate should state its date, design stage, area definition, inclusions, exclusions, assumptions and allowance for open risks. The 2026 Campania public-works price list can support the pricing of resources and individual work items within its scope; it does not replace project quantities, analysis of missing items, market quotations or a complete development budget.
What to send for a useful first review
- municipality or target area and the status of the land;
- target floor area, storeys and uses;
- plans, land-use certificate, surveys or reports already available;
- finish level, services, pool and external works;
- project stage and intended programme;
- target budget, stating whether land, tax and professional fees are included.
With this information, the first conversation does not produce a binding price. It identifies missing checks and creates a readable cost scope. See our bespoke villa service and feasibility consultancy for the next stages.
Frequently asked questions
Can you provide a price per square metre?
Only after defining the area convention, location, project stage and included works. Without that scope, the number is not comparable.
Does hemp-lime cost more than conventional construction?
No percentage applies to every building. A valid comparison uses the same geometry, performance and scope, then assesses envelope, structure, services, programme and details.
Is the land included?
Only when the cost framework says so. Purchase price, taxes, due diligence, infrastructure and connections are normally separate headings that must be explicit.
When does the estimate become reliable?
Reliability increases with surveys, investigations, design, specification and quantities. Before construction design, ranges, exclusions and open risks still need to be stated.
Updated 31 July 2026. Informational content: not a quotation or technical, tax or legal advice.