Warehouse Construction Cost in Greece (2026)Complete Investor Guide

When a business or an investor plans a new warehouse or logistics centre, one of the first questions is: how much does it cost to build?

For 2026, published market data places the indicative cost of building a warehouse in Greece, depending on the type of building, at approximately:

Actual costs can vary considerably depending on the use, the structural system, the clear height, the industrial floor, the loading docks, fire protection, MEP installations, external works and the characteristics of the site.

That is why two warehouses of exactly the same floor area can end up with quite different budgets.

How much does a warehouse cost per m² in 2026?

The cost per m² depends first on what the building will house. A simple warehouse and an industrial building, which can also work as a factory, have different requirements for flooring, building services and fire protection:

An industrial building costs more because it usually needs a heavier floor, more capable building services, stricter fire protection, and office and staff areas. For a factory, the final cost also depends on the production line it will house. One example is the coffee production plant we built in Kavallari, with a 10,000 m² industrial building and a 1,500 m² office building.

What makes up the cost

For offices, the figure applies to those areas specifically, not to the building as a whole. Together with the demands of production on flooring, services and fire protection, that is how the €700–€900/m² range for an industrial building comes about.

What is included

• Earthworks for the building: initial excavation, foundation excavation, backfilling and compaction under the floor.
• Reinforced concrete foundations.
• Structural frame, roof and wall cladding.
• Industrial floor.
• Basic MEP installations.
• External works: site grading, asphalt paving, stormwater networks and fencing.

The only exclusions are special ground works that some sites need, such as extensive ground improvement or retaining walls. These are priced after the geotechnical investigation.

What is not included

The figures above are for initial investment planning. They normally exclude:

• land acquisition
• racking systems
• automation
• materials-handling equipment
• specialised production equipment
• financing costs
• non-standard utility connections
• VAT and project-specific charges

So a clear distinction has to be made between construction cost and total investment cost.

Indicative budget examples

Based on the two ranges, for a simple warehouse (€630–€750/m²) and for an industrial building (€700–€900/m²):

On smaller buildings the cost per m² tends towards the top of the range, because fixed costs such as design, site set-up and utility connections are spread over fewer square metres.

These examples are not quotations. They do show why getting the design right from the start matters financially: on a 5,000 m² industrial building, a 5% optimisation is worth about €175,000–€225,000.

If you are weighing construction against leasing ready-built space, read our guide “Build or lease a warehouse?”.

What affects the cost most?

1. Structural system

An industrial or logistics building can be built with a steel structural frame, with precast reinforced concrete, with conventional reinforced concrete, or with a combination of systems.

No single system is always the cheapest. The choice depends on:

• the spans
• the column grid
• the height
• the seismic requirements
• the fire resistance
• the construction programme
• any future extensions

The right comparison is therefore made at the level of the complete building system.

Compare the options in our guide to steel frames and precast concrete buildings.

2. Clear height

Clear height affects both the construction and the storage capacity. Greater height can affect:

• the structural frame
• wind loads
• the wall cladding
• fire protection
• the sprinkler system
• the racking
• the MEP installations

At the same time it can raise storage capacity substantially without enlarging the building footprint.

3. Industrial floor

The industrial floor is one of the most important functional elements of a warehouse. Its design depends on:

• racking loads
• forklift traffic
• point loads
• flatness
• joint layout
• abrasion resistance
• automated systems

Under-specifying the floor to cut the initial cost can create far bigger problems in operation.

4. Loading docks

A simple storage building and a large distribution centre have different requirements. These may include:

• dock levellers
• dock shelters
• industrial doors
• truck restraints
• truck waiting areas
• separate inbound and outbound circulation

These requirements have to be built into the concept design from the outset.

5. External works and site infrastructure

This is one of the categories most often underestimated in the initial budget. It can include:

• earthworks
• backfilling
• ground improvement
• heavy-duty asphalt paving
• industrial yards
• truck circulation roads
• parking
• stormwater networks
• kerbs and pavements
• retaining walls
• fencing
• lighting
• utility networks

On large logistics projects, external works can account for a significant share of the total investment — from heavy-duty asphalt paving through to the traffic connection to the road network.

6. Ground conditions and foundations

The very same building on two different sites can have a different foundation cost. What has to be examined:

• bearing capacity
• groundwater
• existing fill
• settlement risk
• the excavation required
• possible ground improvement

A geotechnical investigation at the start of the project reduces investment risk considerably.

The usual earthworks for the building, such as the initial excavation and the foundation excavation, are already included in the cost range. What varies from site to site is the special ground works.

7. Fire protection

The use of the building and the materials stored in it have a major influence on fire protection requirements. These may include:

• structural fire protection
• sprinklers
• firefighting water tanks
• a pump house
• fire compartments
• smoke extraction systems
• fire detection
• escape routes

The fire strategy therefore has to be addressed in the earliest stages.

8. MEP and energy requirements

A simple warehouse and a modern logistics centre can have completely different MEP budgets. Depending on the project, these may include:

• LED lighting
• HVAC
• a building management system
• CCTV
• access control
• fire detection
• data networks
• EV charging
• rooftop solar
• backup power
• automation infrastructure

The design has to account not only for the initial capex but for the building’s operating cost.

The site can change the entire investment

The cheapest site is not always the cheapest option. Before purchase, the following have to be checked:

• permitted uses
• plot ratio
• site coverage
• permitted height
• environmental constraints
• truck access
• traffic connection requirements
• electrical capacity
• water supply
• foul and stormwater drainage
• topography
• geotechnical conditions
• connection to the main road network

A technical assessment before buying the site can therefore turn out to be one of the most valuable moves in the whole investment.

What changes in Greece in 2026?

August 2026 saw the introduction of the new Special Spatial Planning Framework for Industry and the Supply Chain.

The new framework puts particular weight on the organised development of production and logistics activity and on its connection to the main infrastructure networks.

For a new investment this makes it even more important to work through the chain of location → permitted uses → access → infrastructure → permitting before the project is locked in.

It matters most in Attica and Thessaloniki, where siting is now more tightly constrained — see also our page on industrial and logistics buildings in Thessaloniki.

At the same time the market for modern logistics facilities in Greece remains strong: according to the 2026 GEOAXIS report, the supply of new warehouse space is rising appreciably.

New facilities are now designed not only for how they operate today but for:

• automation
• energy performance
• rooftop solar
• ESG requirements
• electric vehicle fleets
• flexible storage
• future extension

How is cost reduced without reducing quality?

The biggest savings are usually not made during construction. They are made in the design.

Optimising the structural frame

The right column grid, spans and member sizes.

Simple geometry

Unnecessary complexity costs money.

Designing around the operation

Racking, trucks, docks and internal flows should drive the layout.

Correct specifications

Not every element of the building needs the highest possible specification.

Single point of coordination

Architecture, structure, MEP, roads, drainage and external works have to be handled as one project.

Turnkey warehouse construction

One option is to award different parts of the project to different designers and contractors. The other is integrated turnkey delivery.

Depending on the project this can cover:

• feasibility and advisory
• design
• permits and approvals
• construction
• roads and infrastructure
• handover

For businesses and investors without an in-house construction management team, the turnkey model can cut the coordination burden substantially.

What is needed for a first estimate?

For a meaningful initial assessment it helps to have:

1. the site location
2. the site area
3. a topographic survey, if one exists
4. the target building area
5. the clear height
6. the use of the facility
7. the products to be stored
8. the main floor and racking loads
9. the number of docks
10. the office area
11. the main MEP requirements
12. the target handover date
13. any allowance for future extension

None of this has to be finalised. That is precisely what the initial assessment is for.