What is the cost of bringing an apartment from a black frame to a green frame condition?

Black or Green Frame: Which is More Profitable When Buying an Apartment?

Purchasing real estate is one of the most important investments. On the under-construction apartment market in Georgia, three main conditions are primarily encountered: black, white, and green frame. However, the biggest question mark still arises when choosing between black and green frames.

Black Frame: Freedom in Renovation Pros:

• Low Initial Price: The apartment costs significantly less than a green frame.
• Individual Layout: You decide yourself where the walls will be, and how the electrical wiring and plumbing will look.
• Quality Control: You are confident that the best materials have been used in the partitions.

Cons:

• Stress: You will have to manage craftsmen and select materials.
• Time: In standard apartments, renovation takes 1-2 months longer (this refers to apartments ranging from 50 to 150 square meters).

A black frame consists of “bare” walls. This choice is popular among those who want full control.

Green Frame: Comfort and Time Saved

A green frame means that the major part of the rough works in the apartment is completed, implying that the main utilities are connected, the walls are plastered, and the floor screed is poured.

Pros:

• Speed: Very soon after purchasing, you can move on to cosmetic renovation (painting works, flooring).
• Less Waste: The building’s entrance and elevator are cleaner, because the bulk of the construction waste has already been removed.
• Calculated Budget: The developer tells you the price in advance, which protects you from unexpected price increases on materials.

Cons:

• Standard Layout/Wiring: The electrical, plumbing, and heating points might not be exactly where you wanted them.
• Price: The cost per square meter is noticeably higher.

Exactly how much do the works required to bring an apartment from a black frame to a green frame cost? Since we already know the pros and cons of both, let’s calculate the price of each task per 1 square meter. Warning: Prices are given as market averages as of 2026, for standard apartments (50-150 square meters). There are two types of black frames: a black frame without partition walls and a black frame with partition walls.

How much does it cost to erect partition walls in an apartment? By standard rough calculations, the square footage of the apartment’s partitions is identical to the interior floor area. One square meter of an internal partition wall requires 12.5 blocks, the cost of which is 1.1 GEL, as well as auxiliary materials like adhesive cement, foam, and so on, which total 40 tetri per block, plus labor with an average price of 2 GEL. And, of course, transportation and delivery/carrying up to the apartment, which will cost you from 400 GEL to 1,000 GEL on average per apartment (truck, worker). This ranges on average between 10–12 GEL per square meter. The timeframe, depending on the square footage of the apartment, is 10–20 days.

Electrical Wiring

After partition walls, electrical wiring is definitely the next step. The correct sequence is: electrical wiring, plastering, then laying plumbing and heating pipes, and finally the floor screed (stiahka). You should not pour the floor screed before plastering because, during the plastering process, excess mortar falls to the ground and damages the finished floor screed. Furthermore, completing the heating and plumbing pipes at the very beginning is not recommended, since other craftsmen will be working in the apartment, increasing the chance of something getting damaged.

How much does electrical wiring cost per square meter?

According to December 2025 data, the standard price for electrical work in the Georgian market is 30–40 GEL per point. However, that service reflects full electrical works, including the final installation of sockets and switches. The cost for the initial rough wiring required to reach a green frame condition is approximately 10–15 GEL per point. The timeframe is about 2–7 days.

How is the number of points calculated in Georgia? Electricians calculate the number of points as follows:

1. A switch with two buttons counts as 2 points.
2. A two-way (reversive) switch setup also counts as 2 points.
3. Each individual circuit breaker on the electrical panel counts as an additional point. Taking all of this into account, an apartment averages as many points as it has square meters of floor space. Consequently, the labor cost per square meter of floor space is approximately 10–15 GEL, while the material price depends on cable quality and averages 15 GEL per square meter. This means electrical wiring costs 25–30 GEL per square meter of floor space, and the timeframe is about 2–7 days.

Plastering with Gypsum (Giper)

In recent years, machine plastering with gypsum (giper) has become highly relevant in Georgia because it uses spray plastering machines, which reduces both the timeframe and the probability of poor workmanship. According to December data, the average price for machine plastering in Georgia, including materials, is 30 GEL per square meter of wall surface. The total area of wall surface to be plastered is, on average, 2.5 to 3 times greater than the apartment’s interior floor area, because in this case, both the perimeter walls and the internal partitions are plastered on both sides. The final plastering cost comes out to 100–120 GEL per square meter of floor space. The required timeframe is 5–15 days. Keep in mind that after plastering, it is best to halt works for about 5–10 days so that the walls can dry thoroughly.

Initial Plumbing and Heating Wiring

Heating wiring is done with metal-plastic pipes, and the number of heating points depends on the number of bathrooms and rooms. The quantity is calculated as follows:

• One heating point in the hallway/entrance,
• One point in each bedroom and bathroom,
• An additional point in the case of a separate kitchen,
• In the living room, 2 points are often required if it is 20–25 square meters or more. Approximately one heating point for every 10 sq.m. The price per point is 80 GEL. To set up the plumbing, it is necessary for the water pipe to run from the entrance to the boiler zone and reach the kitchen; it is also a good idea to install an additional filter. In this case, there is approximately 1 point for every 20 square meters, and the price is also 80 GEL. In total, materials (heating pipes, water pipes, and a manifold) average 15 GEL per square meter, while the labor cost for installing both the heating and plumbing networks ranges between 12–15 GEL per square meter, totaling an average of 30 GEL. The timeframe is 1–3 days.

Floor Screed

The floor screed (stiahka) is mainly poured using a high-pressure machine, the so-called pump. In this case, the combined price for materials and labor averages 30 GEL. The timeframe is 1 day.

Cost and Timeframe to Go from Black Frame to Green Frame: Here is what we should expect in total when moving from a black frame to a green frame:

Type of Work	Price (per 1 sq.m.)	Execution Time
Electrical Wiring	30 GEL	2–7 days
Plastering	100–120 GEL	5–15 days
Heating/Plumbing	30 GEL	1–3 days
Floor Screed	30 GEL	1 day
Total	190 – 220 GEL	15 – 35 days

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Conclusion: If the developer offers a price difference between a black and green frame that is less than this total, purchasing the green frame is profitable. If quality is your priority and you want to manage the process yourself, buying a black frame is the best route. If you want to calculate the cost of a full apartment renovation in detail based on current prices in Georgia from any initial condition, follow the link: Renovation Company’s Renovation Calculator