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| Item | Unit | USD | FCFA | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial verification, per circuit (IEC 60364-6)Continuity of the protective conductor, insulation resistance, earth loop impedance and RCD trip time, measured circuit by circuit and written up. IEC 60364-6 requires this before an installation is energised, and no schedule in these markets prices it, because it is usually not done. Estimated from an electrician’s day rate against the number of circuits one person tests in a day. The bill bought the board and the earth electrode and verified neither, which is the same shape as a missing line anywhere else in this product: it looks exactly like a test that costs nothing. | per circuit | $4 – $12 | 2,248 FCFA – 6,745 FCFA | Estimated |
| Isolation valve, per fixtureA quarter-turn brass ball valve and its connection, one at each fixture and one on the incoming main. Estimated from merchant prices for 15 and 20 mm valves; no published schedule separates them from the fixture. Without them an installation has no way to isolate a branch, so changing a tap means shutting the whole house off: and in practice means the tap is not changed. | per valve | $6 – $18 | 3,373 FCFA – 10,118 FCFA | Estimated |
| Wall copingA weathered cap over the top of a wall, cast in place or precast, throwing water clear of both faces. Estimated from the concrete, the formwork and the mason’s time for a 300 mm cap rather than from a published rate, because coping is normally swallowed inside a per-metre wall price. An uncapped wall takes rain straight into its top course, and the first failure of a boundary wall here is almost always the top three courses rather than the foundation. | per metre | $6 – $16 | 3,373 FCFA – 8,994 FCFA | Estimated |
| Damp-proof courseBitumen felt or polythene laid in the bed joint above ground level, breaking the path water takes up through the masonry. Estimated from roll prices at the width a 150 to 200 mm wall needs. Rising damp is what makes the bottom of a rendered wall blister and shed within two or three wet seasons, and the cure after the fact is to take the render off and start again. | per metre | $1 – $4 | 675 FCFA – 1,967 FCFA | Estimated |
| Gate lock and drop boltA lock and a drop bolt into the threshold, which is what secures a gate rather than what hangs it. **Deliberately not hinges or paint** : the gate leaf here is priced through the boundary’s own material with a fabrication factor whose written basis already names the frame, the hinges and the paint, so buying them again would charge the same money twice. That is the mistake `knownCosts` exists to avoid, and it is easier to make when adding a line than when removing one. Estimated from merchant prices for a padlockable gate lock and a galvanised drop bolt. | per set | $60 – $200 | 33,726 FCFA – 112,419 FCFA | Estimated |
| Formwork, per m² of contact areaSheet, bearers, nails, props and release oil, measured the way a bordereau measures it, per square metre of concrete face formed, with the sheet amortised over about four uses. **Nothing in this product priced formwork at all**, and no concrete rate here claims to include it, so every reinforced element was quietly assumed to cast itself. It is not a small line: on a boundary wall with posts and two tie beams the formed area is roughly twice the wall’s own footprint. Estimated from plywood and melamine sheet prices in this market against a four-use life; a merchant quotation would replace the sheet share directly. | per m² formed | $4 – $11 | 2,248 FCFA – 6,183 FCFA | Estimated |
| Binding wire (for tying reinforcement)Annealed wire for tying bars and links into a cage. Ordered at 12 kg per tonne of reinforcement, which is the middle of the 10 to 15 kg range trades work to. Estimated from merchant prices for annealed wire by the coil. It is a trivial cost and a total stopper: a cage cannot be tied without it, and it was missing from every bill this product has ever produced. | per kg | $2 – $4 | 843 FCFA – 1,967 FCFA | Estimated |
| Weep hole (75 mm PVC sleeve through the wall)A short PVC sleeve cast or built through the wall just above ground on the exposed face, with the mason’s time to place it. Estimated from offcut pipe prices and a few minutes’ work each; no schedule prices a weep hole, because it is the first thing left out. Leaving them out is not a saving of this size : an undrained wall carries roughly **1.75 times** the push of a drained one, because saturated backfill adds full hydrostatic pressure that no friction angle reduces. | per weep hole | $2 – $7 | 1,124 FCFA – 3,935 FCFA | Estimated |
| Filter fabric (behind the wall)A non-woven geotextile wrapping the granular drainage blanket so the fines in the retained soil do not migrate into it. Estimated from roll prices for a light non-woven grade. Without it the drain silts up and becomes more soil within a season or two, which is worse than never building it: the wall is then loaded as an undrained wall by a detail everybody believes is working. | per m² | $1 – $4 | 675 FCFA – 1,967 FCFA | Estimated |
| Concrete curing (sheeting and water, 7 days)Polythene sheeting at 200 microns used twice over, the water to keep the surface wet for seven days, and the labour of wetting it. An outright estimate: no schedule in these markets prices curing separately, because it is almost always buried in a concrete rate and therefore almost always skipped on site. It is priced here for the opposite reason, in this climate a slab above about 32 °C loses water faster than bleed replaces it, and concrete that dries before it hydrates never reaches its grade whatever the mix design said. A well-batched concrete badly cured is weaker than a badly batched one cured properly, so this is the cheapest line in the bill measured against what it protects. | per m² of surface | $1 – $2 | 337 FCFA – 899 FCFA | Estimated |
| Movement joint (backer rod and sealant)Compressible filler and a gun-applied sealant, per metre of joint height. Nothing in these packs is comparable enough to scale from, a joint is a backer rod and a cartridge, not a coating sold by the square metre, so this is an outright estimate from what a hardware merchant charges for polyurethane sealant and closed-cell filler at the coverage a 15 mm joint uses. It is a small line against the wall it protects: a 140 m run needs about 55 m of joint, and leaving it out is why a new boundary wall cracks in its first dry season. | per metre | $3 – $8 | 1,686 FCFA – 4,497 FCFA | Estimated |
| Consumer unit, per way (three phase)A three-phase way: the same protective device on a busbar fed from three lines rather than one, so the board, the main switch and the incoming device all cost more for the same number of circuits. Priced from this market’s own single-phase way at the premium wholesalers quote for the three-phase range. No regional survey separates them. | per way | $18 – $58 | 10,118 FCFA – 32,489 FCFA | Estimated |
| Supply cable (3 × 10 mm²)Single-phase supply, three cores: line, neutral and earth against the four of a three-phase run. Priced from this market’s own four-core cable at the ratio of the copper in it, which is what a merchant charges for cable, the drum is sold by weight of conductor. No regional survey separates the two sizes. This is what an ordinary house here is connected with; three-phase is for a workshop, a borehole pump of any size, or a house large enough to need the load balanced. | per metre | $4 – $10 | 1,967 FCFA – 5,509 FCFA | Estimated |
| Copper supply pipe (ø 22)Copper, soldered. Rare here and dear: it is imported, it needs a plumber with a torch, and the offcuts walk off a site. It is specified where hot water runs through a roof void or where a client wants a system that outlives the building. Priced at the multiple of PPR that importers quote for tube of the same bore; no regional survey covers it, and in most of these markets a merchant will order it in rather than stock it. | per metre | $7 – $25 | 3,935 FCFA – 13,940 FCFA | Estimated |
| Pressure PVC supply pipe (ø 25)Pressure PVC, the cheaper supply pipe and the one most self-builds here use for cold runs. It is solvent-welded rather than fusion-welded, so it needs no heating iron and any mason can lay it : which is why it is common : and it must not carry hot water or run in sunlight, where it goes brittle. Priced from this market’s own PPR at the discount merchants quote; no regional survey separates supply pipe by material. | per metre | $1 – $4 | 731 FCFA – 2,305 FCFA | Estimated |
| Stair nosing (aluminium or PVC)A pre-formed aluminium or PVC stair nosing, sold by the metre and fixed to the front edge of each tread. It takes the wear and stops the arris of a cast step breaking away, which is what makes an unnosed concrete stair look derelict in two years. No regional survey prices it; the band is scaled from this market’s own skirting, which is the same kind of extruded trim bought the same way. | per metre | $5 – $16 | 2,529 FCFA – 8,994 FCFA | Estimated |
| Exterior paint (20 L drum)Exterior acrylic, sold in the same 20 L drum as the interior grade. It carries more binder and a UV package because this face takes full sun and driven rain through a wet season, and an interior paint put outside chalks within a year. Priced from this market’s own interior paint at the premium merchants quote for the exterior grade, since no regional survey separates the two : the Kinshasa paint survey does not even state its container size, which is why the interior figure is itself an estimate. | per drum | $39 – $94 | 21,922 FCFA – 52,837 FCFA | Estimated |
| Primer or sealer (20 L drum)New render is alkaline and thirsty: without a sealer the first top coat is drunk into the wall, the colour goes patchy and the covering rate collapses, so the paint saved is spent twice over. Priced from this market’s own paint at the discount a primer usually carries, since no regional survey separates the two. A repaint over sound existing paint needs none, and the element lets it be unticked. | per drum | $21 – $56 | 11,804 FCFA – 31,477 FCFA | Estimated |
| Door ironmongery (lock, handle, 3 hinges)A lock case, a handle set and three hinges. Doors here are sold as a leaf and a frame and nothing else, `door_timber` is a timber door with frame, so a house with twelve doors needs twelve sets and the bill had none of them. No regional survey prices ironmongery; the band is scaled from this market’s own timber door, at the fifth of the door price merchants quote for a plain mortice set. A cylinder lock on an external door costs more and a padlock hasp costs less: this is the ordinary internal set, and somebody fitting security ironmongery overrides the line. | per set | $8 – $31 | 4,497 FCFA – 17,425 FCFA | Estimated |
| Electrical point, surface mountedSurface-mounted point: PVC trunking and clips on the face of the wall, no chase cut and no making good. Priced from this market’s own chased point rate less 20 per cent, the chasing and the render patch are what the two installations differ by, and on blockwork that is about a fifth of the point. No published survey separates the two: CYPE and the regional schedules price a chased point, because that is what a specification asks for. It is the cheaper build and the common one in a rented shop, a workshop, or any wall somebody expects to open again. | per point | $6 – $10 | 3,373 FCFA – 5,621 FCFA | Estimated |
| Ridge capping (pre-folded)A pre-folded ridge cap, sold in 2 m lengths at roughly the price of one sheet, which is the ratio merchants across the region quote. No published survey covers it, regional price surveys track cement, steel and sheeting, never the accessories, so the band is scaled from this market’s own sheet price and moves with it. It is a real line rather than flat sheet: a cap is folded to the ridge angle and costs more per square metre than the sheet it closes. | per metre | $6 – $11 | 3,373 FCFA – 6,183 FCFA | Estimated |
| Roofing fixings (box of 100)Self-drilling screws with EPDM washers, sold by the box of 100 at any hardware merchant. No published survey covers this item: regional price surveys track cement, steel and sheeting, never fasteners. The band starts from a retail price of 0.12 to 0.25 USD a screw observed across the region, and scales with this market’s own sheet price. At 7 screws/m² it is 1 to 2 per cent of the sheet cost, an error here does not move a roof budget, while omitting it drops a real item: a 300 m² roof needs about 2,100 of them. | per box of 100 | $10 – $22 | 5,621 FCFA – 12,366 FCFA | Estimated |
| Grey cement (50 kg bag)Douala | per bag | $7 – $8 | 4,030 FCFA – 4,592 FCFA | Sourced |
| Scaffolding, erect and hireDerived from this pack’s labourer wage (4.6 to 7.0 a day) at an output of 2.5 to 6 m² of face erected, moved and struck per worker-day; hiring the equipment weighs less than the labour. Measured on the face worked above 2 m: below that you work off the ground or off trestles and nothing is hired. **Nothing in this product bought any**, when a 2.40 m wall rendered on both faces is not built from the ground. | per m² of elevation | $1 – $3 | 433 FCFA – 1,574 FCFA | Derived |
| Slab proppingDerived from this pack’s labourer wage (4.6 to 7.0 a day), plus the hire of the props. A suspended slab is held by its props for three weeks before it carries its own weight: the formwork gives it its shape, the propping stops it coming down. Formwork has been priced since 2026-08-21 and what holds it up still was not. | per m² of soffit | $1 – $4 | 646 FCFA – 2,187 FCFA | Derived |
| Setting outDerived from this pack’s labourer wage (4.6 to 7.0 a day) at an output of 5 to 12 m of perimeter set out per worker-day: profiles, lines, level and the day of the gang that marks it. It is the first spend on any site and no element carried it. Setting out wrongly is not corrected, it is demolished. | per metre of perimeter | $0 – $1 | 214 FCFA – 787 FCFA | Derived |
| Mixing water, deliveredA cubic metre of concrete takes about 180 litres of mixing water, and on most sites here it arrives by tanker or in drums rather than through a connection. Estimated at the price of a tanker load spread over the volume of concrete, not at the metered price of water. Distinct from curing, already priced separately: this one goes into the mix, that one protects it after the pour. | per m³ of concrete or mortar | $1 – $2 | 320 FCFA – 1,310 FCFA | Estimated |
| Hand excavation, ordinary groundDerived from this pack’s labourer wage (4.6 to 7.0 a day) at the usual output for hand digging in ordinary ground, 1.5 to 2.5 m³ per worker-day: 7.0 ÷ 1.5 at the top of the band, 4.6 ÷ 2.5 at the bottom. A fixed price in dollars would mean nothing here, earthworks are almost entirely labour, and the labourer’s wage varies sixfold across the markets in the catalogue. Hard, rocky or waterlogged ground is outside this band and is handled case by case. | per m³ | $2 – $5 | 1,034 FCFA – 2,625 FCFA | Derived |
| Washed crushed sand (0/5)This market has no separate survey for crushed sand. Derived from this pack’s natural sand (14.0 to 26.0) at the ratio of 1.5 surveyed in Kolwezi on 2026-08-21, where Dilala natural sand is delivered at 20 USD/m³ and Katonto crushed sand at 30 USD/m³. It is the ratio that is carried over and not the price: crushing and washing cost much the same anywhere, whereas the price of natural sand depends mostly on the distance to the river. | per m³ | $21 – $39 | 11,804 FCFA – 21,922 FCFA | Derived |
| River sandNo published survey. Sand does not travel: it is the least transferable line in the pack and the first to have surveyed. The band is set below the DRC, Cameroon having coastal quarries close to Douala and river extraction on the Sanaga and the Wouri. | per m³ | $14 – $26 | 7,869 FCFA – 14,614 FCFA | Estimated |
| Crushed gravelNo published survey. Quarry crush, with transport dominating the delivered price. To be surveyed town by town. | per m³ | $22 – $40 | 12,366 FCFA – 22,484 FCFA | Estimated |
| Rubble stoneNo published survey. Uncalibrated quarry stone, much used in foundations. The band is set below crushed gravel, as it is everywhere. | per m³ | $16 – $28 | 8,994 FCFA – 15,739 FCFA | Estimated |
| Reinforcement barNo Cameroonian importer’s rate obtained. Bar follows the world price and the freight: Douala being a deep-water port with Kribi beside it, the band is set slightly below the DRC, which pays for 2,000 km more of road. A line to re-check more often than the others, the steel price moving fast. | per tonne | $620 – $1,000 | 348,499 FCFA – 562,095 FCFA | Estimated |
| Steel section (IPE, HEA)Sections imported through Douala. Local structural steel capacity is limited, so fabrication weighs more than the material: see steelFabricationFactor. | per tonne | $800 – $1,300 | 449,676 FCFA – 730,723 FCFA | Estimated |
| Cement block 15 × 20 × 40Derived from the sourced cement price: a 15 cm block takes about 0.022 of a bag plus sand, moulding and the maker’s margin. Blocks are moulded in the district where the building goes up and do not travel, so this price follows that town’s cement and nothing else. | each | $1 – $1 | 309 FCFA – 478 FCFA | Derived |
| Cement block 10 × 20 × 40The same derivation as the 15 cm block, in proportion to the volume of material. | each | $0 – $1 | 214 FCFA – 326 FCFA | Derived |
| Cement block 15 × 20 × 40Derived from the sourced cement price, as above. | each | $1 – $1 | 309 FCFA – 478 FCFA | Derived |
| Cement block 20 × 20 × 40Same derivation, in proportion to the volume of material. | each | $1 – $1 | 478 FCFA – 703 FCFA | Derived |
| Half block 15 × 20 × 20A half block, moulded in the same shortened mould and sold from the same yard. The price is derived from the full block of the same thickness at 60%: the material halves, but moulding, handling and curing cost the same per piece, so a half block never sells at half price. No direct survey confirms it yet; this is a reasoned order of magnitude, not an observed price. | each | $0 – $1 | 185 FCFA – 287 FCFA | Derived |
| Half block 20 × 20 × 20A half block, moulded in the same shortened mould and sold from the same yard. The price is derived from the full block of the same thickness at 60%: the material halves, but moulding, handling and curing cost the same per piece, so a half block never sells at half price. No direct survey confirms it yet; this is a reasoned order of magnitude, not an observed price. | each | $1 – $1 | 287 FCFA – 422 FCFA | Derived |
| Hollow block 25 × 20 × 40Same derivation, in proportion to the volume of material. | each | $1 – $1 | 534 FCFA – 787 FCFA | Derived |
| Solid block 15 × 20 × 40The same derivation as the 15 cm hollow block, with solid material. | each | $1 – $1 | 506 FCFA – 759 FCFA | Derived |
| Stabilised compressed earth blockManual press, site soil, 5 to 8% cement. The price is mostly labour and cement; it follows the minimum wage and the bag. | each | $0 – $1 | 124 FCFA – 309 FCFA | Estimated |
| Fired brickOne name for two products: artisanal bush-kiln brick and factory perforated brick. The band covers both, which makes it unusable as it stands: override the line if the project uses one or the other. | each | $0 – $1 | 39 FCFA – 281 FCFA | Estimated |
| Mud brickMoulded on site, sun dried. It does not travel and is hardly sold: the price is labourer’s time at the minimum wage. | each | $0 – $0 | 22 FCFA – 56 FCFA | Estimated |
| Structural timberMarkedly below the DRC, and for a structural reason: Cameroon is a forest country and a timber exporter, with an established sawmilling trade. The band is to be confirmed with a sawyer in Douala or Bertoua. Treatment against termites remains essential and is not in this price. | per m³ | $160 – $330 | 89,935 FCFA – 185,491 FCFA | Estimated |
| Galvanised sheet (2.40 × 0.90 m)Sheet imported or rolled locally from imported coil. State the thickness: between 0.20 and 0.35 mm the price doubles and so does the life. | per sheet | $12 – $22 | 6,745 FCFA – 12,366 FCFA | Estimated |
| Fibre-cement corrugated sheetFibre-cement sheet, dimensions to be confirmed with the seller: the price means nothing without them. | per sheet | $9 – $16 | 5,059 FCFA – 8,994 FCFA | Estimated |
| Roof tileConcrete or clay tile. Uncommon outside the top of the market. | each | $1 – $2 | 393 FCFA – 899 FCFA | Estimated |
| Floor tilingTile imported, mostly from China and Spain, through the port of Douala. The band is wide because it covers everything from the cheapest to porcelain. | per m² | $7 – $26 | 3,935 FCFA – 14,614 FCFA | Estimated |
| Tile adhesive (25 kg bag)Imported or locally formulated adhesive. Confirm the bag weight: 25 kg assumed. | per bag | $5 – $12 | 2,810 FCFA – 6,745 FCFA | Estimated |
| Tile groutImported product, sold in bags of 1 to 5 kg. Confirm the packaging. | per kg | $2 – $4 | 843 FCFA – 1,967 FCFA | Estimated |
| Acrylic paint (20 L tin)Paint formulated locally (several makers in Douala) or imported. Confirm the drum volume, which is the usual sticking point on this line. | per tin | $30 – $70 | 16,863 FCFA – 39,347 FCFA | Estimated |
| Polythene damp-proof membrane (300 µm)Imported sheet by the roll. EN 13967 is a product standard, met by the supplier and not by the site. | per m² | $1 – $1 | 281 FCFA – 675 FCFA | Estimated |
| Damp-proof course roll (23 cm)Imported bituminous roll, EN 14967. | per linear metre | $1 – $2 | 506 FCFA – 1,293 FCFA | Estimated |
| SBS bitumen membrane 4 mmImported membrane, EN 13707. Torch-applied, labour not included. | per m² | $8 – $16 | 4,497 FCFA – 8,994 FCFA | Estimated |
| Liquid waterproofing (per coat)Imported or locally formulated resin. Two coats at least. | per m² per coat | $2 – $5 | 1,124 FCFA – 2,810 FCFA | Estimated |
| Cementitious tanking slurry, per kgImported water-resistant mortar, EN 14891, for wet rooms. | per kg | $2 – $4 | 1,124 FCFA – 2,473 FCFA | Estimated |
| PVC ceiling panellingSold by the board or the pack, never by the m²: confirm the board dimensions. It is the most-fitted ceiling in the country. | per m² | $5 – $12 | 2,810 FCFA – 6,745 FCFA | Estimated |
| Plasterboard 12.5 mmImported board, plus the grid. Poorly suited to wet rooms without a moisture-resistant board. | per m² | $7 – $17 | 3,935 FCFA – 9,556 FCFA | Estimated |
| SkirtingSkirting in tile or PVC. Always laid, almost never measured. | per metre | $3 – $8 | 1,405 FCFA – 4,497 FCFA | Estimated |
| Metal door with frameDoor from a local workshop, folded sheet on a welded frame. State whether the price covers the frame, the lock and the fitting: three answers circulate and the spread between them is wider than the spread between workshops. | per door | $70 – $190 | 39,347 FCFA – 106,798 FCFA | Estimated |
| Timber door with frameFlush panel or solid timber: two products, two prices. Cameroon being a forest country, solid timber is more within reach here than elsewhere in this product. | per door | $38 – $140 | 21,360 FCFA – 78,693 FCFA | Estimated |
| Glazed aluminium windowLocal workshop joinery from imported sections, glazing and fitting included. | per m² | $80 – $180 | 44,968 FCFA – 101,177 FCFA | Estimated |
| Louvre (naco) windowThe country’s ordinary window: it ventilates continuously, which counts on the humid coast. | per m² | $30 – $70 | 16,863 FCFA – 39,347 FCFA | Estimated |
| Burglar barIronwork from a local workshop, per m² of opening protected. | per m² | $24 – $65 | 13,490 FCFA – 36,536 FCFA | Estimated |
| Stair balustradeIronwork or timber. EN 1991-1-1 §6.4 gives it a horizontal load: it is a structural element, not a finish. | per metre | $38 – $140 | 21,360 FCFA – 78,693 FCFA | Estimated |
| GutterFolded sheet or PVC. Sized to EN 12056-3 at the local rainfall intensity, which is high: Douala takes over 4,000 mm a year, among the wettest places in Africa. | per metre | $6 – $16 | 3,373 FCFA – 8,994 FCFA | Estimated |
| Rainwater downpipeImported ø 100 PVC, clips and bends included. The diameter follows the EN 12056-3 calculation, not the catalogue: at Douala, with over 4,000 mm of rain a year, a 100 mm downpipe fills quickly. | per metre | $4 – $12 | 2,248 FCFA – 6,745 FCFA | Estimated |
| Supply pipework (PPR ø 25)Imported PPR, fittings included, fitting excluded. | per metre | $2 – $6 | 1,124 FCFA – 3,092 FCFA | Estimated |
| Waste pipework (PVC ø 110)Imported ø 110 PVC, fittings included. | per metre | $4 – $10 | 1,967 FCFA – 5,621 FCFA | Estimated |
| Plumbing point (WC + basin)Fitted point, fixtures included. State whether the labour is inside it: the data layer counts it separately and an all-in price would pay the plumber twice. | per point | $150 – $230 | 84,314 FCFA – 129,282 FCFA | Estimated |
| Sanitary ware (WC, basin, taps)Imported suite, from the cheapest Chinese to European sanitaryware. | per set | $100 – $340 | 56,209 FCFA – 191,112 FCFA | Estimated |
| Electrical point (socket or light)Fitted point, wiring included. The same caution as the plumbing about labour. | per point | $8 – $13 | 4,497 FCFA – 7,307 FCFA | Estimated |
| Distribution board, per wayIEC 60364-4-41 requires automatic disconnection, so it requires the protective devices. State whether the 30 mA residual current device is included. | per way | $12 – $34 | 6,745 FCFA – 19,111 FCFA | Estimated |
| Earth electrodeIEC 60364-5-54. It is the line most often absent from a house, and without it the residual current device has nothing to measure against. | per installation | $45 – $140 | 25,294 FCFA – 78,693 FCFA | Estimated |
| Supply cable (4 × 10 mm²)Follows the copper price, so it is to be re-checked more often than the rest of the pack. State whether it is armoured. | per metre | $5 – $13 | 2,810 FCFA – 7,307 FCFA | Estimated |
| Storage tank, per litreImported polyethylene tank, 1,000 to 10,000 L. | per litre | $0 – $0 | 45 FCFA – 146 FCFA | Estimated |
| Submersible pumpImported pump. The rating follows the designWater calculation, not the catalogue. | each | $150 – $600 | 84,314 FCFA – 337,257 FCFA | Estimated |
| Tank tower, per metre of heightSteel tower from a local workshop. The height is what makes the pressure at the tap. | per metre | $100 – $340 | 56,209 FCFA – 191,112 FCFA | Estimated |
| Electric water heater, per litreImported storage heater, 50 to 200 L, sold by the cylinder and not by the litre: the price per litre is our own conversion, to be confirmed capacity by capacity with a seller. | per litre of capacity | $1 – $4 | 731 FCFA – 1,967 FCFA | Estimated |
| Solar water heater, per litreImported thermosiphon. The Cameroonian coast is very cloudy: the yield there is lower than on the highlands. | per litre of capacity | $3 – $9 | 1,686 FCFA – 5,059 FCFA | Estimated |
| Instantaneous gas water heaterImported appliance, sold by flow rate in L/min. Butane is distributed in both major cities. | each | $100 – $300 | 56,209 FCFA – 168,628 FCFA | Estimated |
| Generator, per kVAFrom a Chinese set to a European one. The band is slightly below the DRC: imported through a deep-water port rather than up the river or through Kasumbalesa. | per kVA | $200 – $1,300 | 112,419 FCFA – 730,723 FCFA | Estimated |
| Solar PV, per WpPanel, inverter and fitting. The module has fallen a long way; the rest of the installation has not. | per Wp | $1 – $2 | 450 FCFA – 843 FCFA | Estimated |
| Battery, per nominal kWhFlooded lead to lithium. The depth of discharge changes the sizing more than the price does. | per kWh | $160 – $400 | 89,935 FCFA – 224,838 FCFA | Estimated |
| Hand-drilled borehole, per metre (to 40 m)No Cameroonian driller’s rate obtained. The water table is high on the coast, so an auger is more often enough than in the DRC. A deliberately wide band: it is an estimate, not a survey. | per metre | $60 – $130 | 33,726 FCFA – 73,072 FCFA | Estimated |
| Rig-drilled borehole, per metre (beyond 40 m)The same caution. The hand-to-machine ratio is taken from the UNICEF/pS-Eau guide for want of a Cameroonian equivalent. | per metre | $140 – $320 | 78,693 FCFA – 179,870 FCFA | Estimated |
| Labourer | per day | $5 – $7 | 2,586 FCFA – 3,935 FCFA | Sourced |
| MasonAbout two to three daily minimum wages, the ratio observed on central African sites. To be replaced by the construction industry agreement. | per day | $9 – $16 | 5,059 FCFA – 8,994 FCFA | Estimated |
| Carpenter / formworkerThe same grade as the mason in local practice. | per day | $9 – $16 | 5,059 FCFA – 8,994 FCFA | Estimated |
| SteelfixerThe same grade as the mason in local practice: steelfixing is paid at the same day rate on central African sites. | per day | $9 – $16 | 5,059 FCFA – 8,994 FCFA | Estimated |
| ElectricianAbove the mason: a regulated trade and personal equipment. | per day | $11 – $19 | 6,183 FCFA – 10,680 FCFA | Estimated |
| PlumberThe same grade as the electrician: a regulated trade, personal tools, and work that is expensive to put right when it is done badly. | per day | $11 – $19 | 6,183 FCFA – 10,680 FCFA | Estimated |
| PainterBetween the labourer and the mason: the movement is learned quickly but the finish shows, so the rate sits above the labourer without reaching the structural trades. | per day | $7 – $12 | 3,654 FCFA – 6,745 FCFA | Estimated |
| TilerThe same grade as the mason: tiling is paid at the skilled trade rate, the difficulty being in the setting out and not in the strength. | per day | $9 – $16 | 5,059 FCFA – 8,994 FCFA | Estimated |
| Site foremanSupervision, about twice a mason. | per day | $16 – $28 | 8,994 FCFA – 15,739 FCFA | Estimated |
A foreign invoice gets compared against a delivered local price while carrying none of the charges that get it to the same place. Enter your supplier’s CIF quotation: duty, the agency levies and VAT are added in the order the administration applies them.
With no quotation entered, the local price stands in as a worked example.
| CIF value (before the border) | $810 |
| Customs duty (10%) | + $81 |
| Maritime freight levy | + $47 |
| Import quality inspection | + $16 |
| Industrial Promotion Fund | + $16 |
| Clearing agent and file charges | + $24 |
| VAT (16%) | + $140 |
| Landed cost, charges included | $1,150 |
Once cleared, importing costs more than the local market.
Landed cost, charges included: $1,150 · Local market: $810
Total charges on the CIF value: 40% · Industrial inputs
Assigning a material to a duty band is an interpretation: the rate follows the HS code your agent declares, and agents differ. The rates and the VAT are sourced; the split between agencies is our apportionment of a sourced total.
Some prices above are estimates because no published survey exists. Pick up to eight and Claude will search the web for recent figures and show you its sources. Nothing is changed automatically, and a result with no source is shown as not found rather than as a number.