Almost always more than what is left of the original budget. Start with the unbuilt work at today’s prices, then add repairs to anything that has deteriorated, the contractor’s restart costs, price rises since the original contract, outstanding fees and permits, and a 10–20% buffer for surprises. In the illustrative example below, those items add around 44% to the remaining budget — and the figure that really matters is an independent quantity surveyor’s report. Illustrative — not financial advice.
What goes into a cost-to-complete?
Seven items. Most owners only budget for the first:
- Remaining works. Everything not yet built, re-priced at current rates rather than the original contract.
- Remediation (repairs). Exposed rebar, water-damaged render, weathered timber and roofing. It grows sharply if a site has sat open through a wet season.
- Re-mobilisation and escalation. A new or returning contractor charges to restart the site, and materials and labour have usually risen in price since the original contract.
- Fees and permits. Architect and engineer fees, any revision to the PBG (building permit), and the SLF (certificate that the building is fit to use) at completion.
- Furniture, fixtures and equipment, if they were not in the original budget.
- Contingency. 10 to 20 percent is a sensible range for a stalled site. Unknowns are the norm.
- Carrying costs. Site security, insurance and the cost of capital while the works are finished.
What would that look like on a real villa?
Take a hypothetical 400 m² villa with an original build budget of USD 400,000, about 55 percent complete when works stopped:
| Item | Basis | USD |
|---|---|---|
| Remaining works at original prices | 45% of 400,000 | 180,000 |
| Remediation of deteriorated work | 10% of remaining works | 18,000 |
| Re-mobilisation and price escalation | 10% of remaining works | 18,000 |
| Fees and permits | 5% of remaining works | 9,000 |
| Contingency | 15% of the above | 33,750 |
| Estimated cost to complete | 258,750 |
So the owner who thought they needed USD 180,000 actually needs about USD 258,750 — roughly 44 percent more. Every figure here is hypothetical; a real project needs its own quantity surveyor’s report. Illustrative — not financial advice.
How much completion capital can a project like this get?
It is sized against two numbers.
First, the capital has to cover the full cost to complete, including contingency, so the project actually finishes. Second, the total capital provided has to sit well below the value of the finished asset, so the security holds even if costs overrun or the sale takes longer.
Where those two numbers do not both work, the gap needs owner equity. Terms are only set after full underwriting. For how the money is then paid out, see how staged release works.
Who should prepare the cost-to-complete?
An independent quantity surveyor — a cost professional who inspects the site, measures the work already in place and prices what remains.
The original contractor’s estimate is useful input, but it is not independent. A capital provider will usually commission or review its own report before committing.
Last reviewed October 2026. General information about the Indonesian market, not legal, tax or financial advice. Take advice from an Indonesian notary and legal counsel on any specific structure.
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