What sits inside a yard contract price, and what sits outside it.
Volume, not just length
Cost tracks internal volume and complexity far more closely than it tracks length. A high-volume displacement yacht carries more steel, more systems, more interior area and more crew accommodation than a lighter yacht of the same length, and prices accordingly.
The main drivers
The yard and its build standard, the material — composite, aluminium or steel — the naval architecture and design studio, the degree of customisation, the interior specification, the machinery and systems package, and class and flag requirements.
- Yard, country and build standard
- Material and structure
- Volume, layout and number of decks
- Degree of customisation versus an existing platform
- Interior specification, materials and joinery standard
- Machinery, systems, stabilisation and tenders
- Class, flag and commercial compliance
What sits outside the contract price
The yard price is not the project cost. Add exterior and interior design fees, owner's representative and supervision, classification and flag costs, owner-supplied items — art, tableware, linen, audiovisual, tenders and toys — commissioning, crew recruitment and training, delivery voyage, insurance during build, finance costs and a contingency.
Contingency and variation orders
Owner changes during construction are the largest single source of cost growth, and they get more expensive the later they come. Specification changes after steel is cut, and especially after joinery is in production, carry disproportionate cost and schedule impact.
How we handle it
We build a full project budget with the owner's representative and the yard — not a yard price — before a contract is signed, and we do not quote yard prices we have not been given in writing.
Questions
- Is a new build cheaper than buying used?
- Generally not. A new build buys exactly what you want, not a saving.
- Can a yard hold its price?
- Contracts fix the contract scope. Owner changes, escalation provisions and owner-supplied items sit outside it.
This guide is general information about how the yacht market conventionally works. It is not legal, tax or financial advice, and it does not describe the terms of any specific yacht. Rates, prices, availability and access are confirmed in writing before anything is committed.