Those who bought property off-plan may pay more: construction costs are rising with increases of up to 5% in materials like PVC and concrete, putting pressure on installments during the work.

Written by Valdemar Medeiros

Published on 29/04/2026 at 11:14

Updated on 29/04/2026 at 11:15

Be the first to react!

Up to 5% increase in construction materials pressures cost of off-plan properties and may raise installments during construction.

In April 2026, FGV IBRE reported, in a bulletin released on April 27, that the INCC-M rose 1.04%, above the 0.36% increase recorded in March, raising the accumulated 12-month total to 6.28%. The pressure came mainly from the Materials, Equipment, and Services group, which advanced 1.35%, with acceleration in all seven capitals surveyed by the index. The impact is evident in basic construction inputs: concrete mix rose 4.39%, PVC pipes and fittings advanced 5.11%, common Portland cement increased 3.02%, and concrete blocks rose 1.48%.

For those who bought an off-plan property with a contract linked to construction costs, these adjustments help explain why installments and outstanding balances may become heavier during the execution of the work.

For those paying installments during construction, the impact may appear month by month, increasing the final value of the property.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

Essential Materials Register Above-Average Increases

Among the most affected inputs, some stand out for the magnitude of the increase recorded in April. Concrete mix showed an increase of over 4%, while PVC pipes exceeded a 5% rise. Cement also registered an advance of over 3%, and steel rebar saw an increase of nearly 1%.

These materials form the basis of practically any construction project, from structures to finishing.

When fundamental items rise simultaneously, the effect is not isolated, but cumulative throughout the entire construction chain.

Off-Plan Property Installments Follow Construction Costs

Unlike ready-made properties, contracts for off-plan units have an update mechanism linked to construction costs.

This means that, during the construction period, the value of installments can be readjusted as prices of materials and services vary.

In practice, the buyer may notice:

gradual increase in installments
increase in the outstanding balance throughout the construction

This model is common in the Brazilian real estate market and serves to protect construction companies against cost fluctuations. The side effect is that the risk of construction inflation ends up being shared with the buyer.

Pressure Comes from Multiple Factors, Including Energy and Logistics

The recent increase in materials does not occur in isolation. Various factors contribute to rising costs, including:

rising cost of industrial inputs
increase in transportation costs
variations in energy prices

Products like PVC, for example, have petrochemical origins, making them sensitive to oil price fluctuations. The transportation of materials, in turn, is directly impacted by the cost of diesel. These elements create a ripple effect that is reflected in the final construction value.

Real Estate Market Feels Impact Even Without Construction Stoppage

Unlike more acute crises, the current scenario does not necessarily interrupt projects but alters their cost structure. Construction companies continue to operate, but with more pressured margins. In some cases, this can result in:

price readjustment for new launches
reduction in supply in certain price ranges
greater caution in new projects

The impact is not only felt by those who have already bought, but also by those planning to enter the market.

Buyer may pay more without immediately realizing it

One of the most relevant aspects of this type of increase is how it manifests. Unlike a direct price hike for a product, construction costs are diluted over time. This means many buyers only realize the impact after a few months.

Those who bought off-plan properties may pay more: construction costs rise with increases of up to 5% in materials like PVC and concrete, putting pressure on installments during construction — off-plan property

Installments may rise gradually, without an abrupt jump, but accumulating a significant value by the end of the contract. The result is a silent increase in the total cost of the property.

Accumulated increase over 12 months reinforces pressure trend

In addition to the monthly increase, the behavior over a longer period reinforces the trend of rising costs. Over the last 12 months, construction costs have accumulated an increase of over 6%, indicating that the movement is not isolated.

This type of trajectory shows that the sector has been facing continuous pressure, and not just an isolated episode. The persistence of the increase amplifies the impact on longer contracts, such as those for off-plan properties.

Sector depends on industrial inputs sensitive to global variations

Civil construction is strongly connected to global production chains. Materials such as steel, petroleum derivatives, and chemical inputs depend on international markets, making them vulnerable to external fluctuations. Even when domestic demand is stable, changes in the global scenario can influence local prices.

This dependence increases the sector’s exposure to factors beyond the domestic economy. The current scenario highlights an important difference between types of real estate acquisition.

For a ready-made property, the price is defined at the time of purchase. For an off-plan property, the final value can vary over time.

This means that the buyer assumes part of the uncertainty related to the cost of the work. During periods of increase, this difference becomes more noticeable and relevant for financial planning.

Financial planning becomes essential in high-cost scenarios

Given the possibility of increased installments, financial planning gains even more importance. Buyers need to consider not only the initial value of the property but also the possibility of adjustments throughout the construction.

This assessment can influence:

payment capacity
property choice
financing term

Ignoring this variable can lead to surprises throughout the contract.

Market continues to operate, but with greater cost sensitivity

Despite the pressures, the construction sector remains active, with ongoing projects and new launches. However, the current environment demands greater attention to costs and efficiency.

Construction companies tend to adjust strategies to deal with volatility, while buyers need to monitor variations more closely. The balance between supply, demand, and cost becomes more delicate in scenarios of input inflation.

With materials rising, installments being readjusted throughout the construction, and costs accumulating month by month, do you believe it’s still worth buying an off-plan property, or could the risk of paying more in the end change that decision?

Those who bought property off-plan may pay more: construction costs are rising with increases of up to 5% in materials like PVC and concrete, putting pressure on installments during the work.

Up to 5% increase in construction materials pressures cost of off-plan properties and may raise installments during construction.

Essential Materials Register Above-Average Increases

Off-Plan Property Installments Follow Construction Costs

Pressure Comes from Multiple Factors, Including Energy and Logistics

Real Estate Market Feels Impact Even Without Construction Stoppage

Buyer may pay more without immediately realizing it

Accumulated increase over 12 months reinforces pressure trend

Sector depends on industrial inputs sensitive to global variations

Financial planning becomes essential in high-cost scenarios

Market continues to operate, but with greater cost sensitivity

Gaddafi built the world’s largest artificial river under the Sahara — it’s 4,000 km of giant pipes that pump 40,000-year-old fossil water to entire cities in Libya.

The Soviet Union spent 22 years drilling into the Earth’s crust and reached a depth of 12,262 meters — they found water where it was thought impossible, hydrogen bubbling from the rock, granite that is 2.7 billion years old, and temperatures of 180 degrees that melted the drill bits.

Discovery in Africa scares even scientists: a study published on April 23 reveals that the crust in Turkana has become so thin that it could pave the way for the continent’s division and the emergence of an ocean in the future, in a gigantic geological transformation.

A German architect built a cylindrical house in 1994 that rotates to follow the sun throughout the day, generates 5 times more energy than it consumes, and was the world’s first energy-positive house.

During works to build an artificial island in Indonesia, workers dredged 5 million cubic meters of sand from the seabed and found over 6,000 fossils from a lost continent that submerged 10,000 years ago.

Brazil spent R$ 1.9 billion on a giant bridge to Paraguay, and it is already finished, but no one can use it properly because the access points are not ready, and traffic remains blocked months later.

After 9,000 years of cultivation, rice is reaching its thermal limit, and a study warns that global warming could make regions from India to Malaysia too hot for the crop by 2070, threatening the food security of billions.

Congress is evaluating at least 15 projects that could further increase electricity bills, expand subsidies already paid for by consumers via CDE, exceeding R$ 50 billion per year, and create new tariff pressures in the middle of an election year.

The Federal Revenue tightens the net against habitual debtors with debts over R$ 15 million and more than R$ 25 billion in accumulated liabilities, and begins to notify taxpayers with assets below the declared liabilities.

A study on the Amazonian Craton raises a geological alert in Brazil: the oldest rocky core of South America may hide signs of deep instability beneath the planet’s largest river basin, challenging models about the resistance of ancient continental platforms.

Foreign investment in telecom in Brazil rises to R$ 2.9 million in March, advances 8% over 2025, bringing the quarter to R$ 8.4 million and reinforcing international investment in 5G expansion, internet in remote areas, and the country’s digital modernization.

Those who bought property off-plan may pay more: construction costs are rising with increases of up to 5% in materials like PVC and concrete, putting pressure on installments during the work.

Up to 5% increase in construction materials pressures cost of off-plan properties and may raise installments during construction.

Essential Materials Register Above-Average Increases

Off-Plan Property Installments Follow Construction Costs

Pressure Comes from Multiple Factors, Including Energy and Logistics

Real Estate Market Feels Impact Even Without Construction Stoppage

Buyer may pay more without immediately realizing it

Accumulated increase over 12 months reinforces pressure trend

Sector depends on industrial inputs sensitive to global variations

Financial planning becomes essential in high-cost scenarios

Market continues to operate, but with greater cost sensitivity

Gaddafi built the world’s largest artificial river under the Sahara — it’s 4,000 km of giant pipes that pump 40,000-year-old fossil water to entire cities in Libya.

The Soviet Union spent 22 years drilling into the Earth’s crust and reached a depth of 12,262 meters — they found water where it was thought impossible, hydrogen bubbling from the rock, granite that is 2.7 billion years old, and temperatures of 180 degrees that melted the drill bits.

Discovery in Africa scares even scientists: a study published on April 23 reveals that the crust in Turkana has become so thin that it could pave the way for the continent’s division and the emergence of an ocean in the future, in a gigantic geological transformation.

A German architect built a cylindrical house in 1994 that rotates to follow the sun throughout the day, generates 5 times more energy than it consumes, and was the world’s first energy-positive house.

During works to build an artificial island in Indonesia, workers dredged 5 million cubic meters of sand from the seabed and found over 6,000 fossils from a lost continent that submerged 10,000 years ago.

Brazil spent R$ 1.9 billion on a giant bridge to Paraguay, and it is already finished, but no one can use it properly because the access points are not ready, and traffic remains blocked months later.

Congress is evaluating at least 15 projects that could further increase electricity bills, expand subsidies already paid for by consumers via CDE, exceeding R$ 50 billion per year, and create new tariff pressures in the middle of an election year.

The Federal Revenue tightens the net against habitual debtors with debts over R$ 15 million and more than R$ 25 billion in accumulated liabilities, and begins to notify taxpayers with assets below the declared liabilities.

Foreign investment in telecom in Brazil rises to R$ 2.9 million in March, advances 8% over 2025, bringing the quarter to R$ 8.4 million and reinforcing international investment in 5G expansion, internet in remote areas, and the country’s digital modernization.

How much does a data engineer earn in 2026? Salaries exceed R$ 9,000 per month in Brazil, but specialists can reach close to R$ 24,000 with experience in cloud, artificial intelligence, big data, and bonuses from technology companies.

Itaú closed a branch and informed clients with paper glued to the door, and the bank admits that 97% of transactions are already digital while physical units are disappearing across Brazil.

After 9,000 years of cultivation, rice is reaching its thermal limit, and a study warns that global warming could make regions from India to Malaysia too hot for the crop by 2070, threatening the food security of billions.

Congress is evaluating at least 15 projects that could further increase electricity bills, expand subsidies already paid for by consumers via CDE, exceeding R$ 50 billion per year, and create new tariff pressures in the middle of an election year.

The Federal Revenue tightens the net against habitual debtors with debts over R$ 15 million and more than R$ 25 billion in accumulated liabilities, and begins to notify taxpayers with assets below the declared liabilities.

A study on the Amazonian Craton raises a geological alert in Brazil: the oldest rocky core of South America may hide signs of deep instability beneath the planet’s largest river basin, challenging models about the resistance of ancient continental platforms.

Foreign investment in telecom in Brazil rises to R$ 2.9 million in March, advances 8% over 2025, bringing the quarter to R$ 8.4 million and reinforcing international investment in 5G expansion, internet in remote areas, and the country’s digital modernization.