"Turnkey" is not just a marketing slogan. It is a specific scope of work: from design to handover of a finished building with connected engineering services. Let's look at what this format really includes, how to avoid hidden extras, and how to choose a reliable contractor in Kazakhstan.
45–90 days
standard 1,000 m² warehouse
from start to handover
6 stages
full cycle
from design to commissioning
15–20%
savings
when ordering from a single contractor
from 60 M ₸
heated warehouse 1,000 m²
turnkey with engineering
What "Turnkey" Really Means
In the Kazakhstani construction market the term "turnkey" is interpreted broadly: some contractors include the full cycle, others — only the structural part. Before signing a contract, make sure you understand exactly what is included.
The maximum "turnkey" format includes:
- Geotechnical investigation
- Design (architectural/structural section + engineering services)
- Building permit
- Earthworks and foundation
- Steel frame fabrication and erection
- Envelope structures (roof, walls, doors, windows)
- Engineering services (electrical, heating, ventilation, water supply)
- Concrete floors
- Landscaping and access roads
- Building handover with commissioning certificate
What often is NOT included but sounds like "turnkey":
- Geotechnical investigation (separate contract with a specialist organisation)
- Permit documentation
- Drainage and stormwater
- Fire alarm and automatic fire suppression system
- Security systems and CCTV
- Exterior lighting and site fencing
- Entrances and parking areas
Rule: Ask the contractor to itemise the estimate by section, indicating "included/not included" for each item. This immediately shows the real scope of works.
Complete Description of the 6 Construction Stages
Stage 1. Geotechnics and Design
Geotechnical investigation — mandatory for any permanent structure. Borehole drilling (5–7 boreholes for a 1,000 m² project), laboratory soil analysis, geotechnical report. Cost: 300,000–700,000 ₸. Duration: 10–15 business days.
Without geotechnical investigation it is impossible to:
- correctly select the foundation type;
- calculate the bearing capacity of the subgrade;
- prevent future building settlement.
Design includes:
- Architectural and structural section (KM — metal structures, AR — architectural solutions)
- Engineering services section (electrical, HVAC, plumbing)
- Fire safety
- Bill of quantities (local cost estimates)
For buildings under 500 m² in most Kazakhstan regions — simplified documentation package. For buildings from 500 m² — full design with expert review.
Design time: 10–15 days for standard solutions, 20–30 days for individual projects.
Stage 2. Permit Documentation
In Kazakhstan, the procedure is governed by the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On Architectural, Urban Planning and Construction Activities".
| Building area | Document type | Processing time |
|---|---|---|
| up to 500 m² | Construction notification | 5–15 business days |
| 500–5,000 m² | Building permit | 30–60 business days |
| from 5,000 m² | Permit + state expert review | 60–120 business days |
Permits are processed through the eGov.kz portal or directly at the local akimat (municipal authority). The design must comply with urban planning standards — the designated use of the land plot.
Stage 3. Foundation
Foundation type is determined from geotechnical investigation results. For most warehouse projects — monolithic strip foundation.
Strip foundation:
- Width 400–600 mm, depth = frost penetration depth + 150 mm (in Almaty — 1.0–1.2 m, in Astana — 1.5–1.7 m)
- Reinforcement: rebar A400 ∅12–16 mm
- Concrete: class B25 (M350) with frost resistance F75–F100
- Cost: 2,500–4,500 ₸/linear metre
Pile foundation is used for weak or collapsible soils and high groundwater. Pile cost: 25,000–50,000 ₸/pile.
Concrete curing — physical minimum of 14 days at +15°C. This cannot be accelerated without risk to load-bearing capacity. At −5°C and below — heated enclosure is mandatory; curing time increases to 21–28 days.
Stage 4. Steel Frame
Steel structures are fabricated at the plant in parallel with foundation work. This critical parallelism reduces the overall construction schedule by 3–4 weeks.
Factory fabrication: 2–4 weeks depending on volume (more detail — steel structure prices 2026).
Frame erection on the completed foundation:
- Column installation on anchor bolts
- Truss or portal frame erection (16–25 t crane)
- Purlins, bracing, girt framing
- Geometry and verticality control
Frame erection time for a 1,000 m² warehouse — 7–14 days. More on frame construction — building steel frame.
Stage 5. Envelope Structures
Roof — one of the critical elements. Minimum pitch 8° (5%) for organised drainage. Types:
- Profiled sheet H60/H75 — for cold warehouses
- Sandwich roof 100–150 mm — for heated ones
Ridge and junction sealing — mandatory operation. Poor sealing = leaks within 2–3 years.
Wall panels. Installed after the roof (to protect from precipitation during work). Window and door openings — per design.
Doors. For Class B warehouse — sectional overhead doors 4×4 m or 4×4.5 m. For Class A — dock doors with dock shelters. Cost of one set of 4×4 m sectional doors with installation — 350,000–600,000 ₸.
Stage 6. Engineering Services and Floors
Power supply. Electrical connection from transformer substation. For a cold 1,000 m² warehouse: 50–100 kW. For a heated one with lighting and heating system: 150–300 kW. Electrical installation cost — 3–7 M ₸ for a 1,000 m² facility.
Heating a heated warehouse. Options: gas unit heaters (most economical to operate), electric infrared heaters (less installation work), hot water heating (high uniformity). System cost — 2–6 M ₸.
Ventilation. For a warehouse — forced supply-and-exhaust. Minimum 3–5 air changes per hour. For chemical or food cargo — specific standards.
Floors. Concrete screed — 10–15% of the facility budget. Standard for Class B warehouse: M300, thickness 120–150 mm, fibre reinforcement, topping finish. Load capacity — up to 5 t/m². Cost — 6,000–9,000 ₸/m².
What Is Often NOT in "Turnkey": Complete List
Before signing the contract, verify each item:
| Item | Often NOT included | Indicative cost |
|---|---|---|
| Geotechnical investigation | Yes | 300,000–700,000 ₸ |
| Permit documentation | Yes | 100,000–500,000 ₸ |
| Grid connection (technical specifications) | Yes | 500,000–5,000,000 ₸ |
| Drainage and stormwater | Yes | 500,000–2,000,000 ₸ |
| Fire alarm and automatic suppression | Yes | 1,000,000–5,000,000 ₸ |
| Site fencing | Yes | 500,000–3,000,000 ₸ |
| Access road asphalting | Yes | 1,500–3,000 ₸/m² |
| CCTV and security | Yes | per project |
| Exterior lighting | Sometimes | 200,000–800,000 ₸ |
How to Choose a Contractor: Criteria and Red Flags
Signs of a Reliable Contractor
Portfolio of real projects. Not renders and 3D visualisations, but photographs of built facilities with addresses and the ability to visit. Ask for the contacts of 2–3 clients and call them yourself.
Own production or established factory partnerships. A contractor without their own production or long-term factory agreements does not control fabrication schedules. This is a direct risk of delays.
Contract with fixed price and penalties. A reliable contractor is ready to stipulate: a fixed price (or maximum price with a clear scope of inclusions), penalties for delays, warranty obligations.
Warranty on structures. Minimum — 5 years on the steel frame, 10–15 years on envelope structures. European standard — 25 years on panels.
Transparent estimate. Itemised estimate by section (earthworks, foundation, frame, roof, walls, engineering services). If the contractor only gives one total figure — this is a warning sign.
Warning Signs
- Price 25–40% below market without explanation. Either items are excluded from the estimate, or quality of materials is being cut.
- Requirement for 100% advance payment. Market standard — 30–50% advance, remainder in milestone payments.
- No registered legal address, only a mobile number. Makes it impossible to file a claim in court.
- Won't let you review the design before signing. The design is the specification and the guarantee that you get what was agreed.
- "We'll price it more precisely during construction." Any extras "as incurred" without contractually defined grounds are a risk of budget overruns.
Regional Construction Specifics in Kazakhstan
Almaty. Seismic zone 9 points. Mandatory seismic reinforcement of the frame (+10–18% to cost). Proximity to structure manufacturers reduces transport costs.
Astana. Design temperature −38°C. 150 mm insulation is mandatory, reinforced foundation (frost penetration 1.7 m). Snow load — 0.8–1.0 kPa.
Almaty and Zhambyl regions. Industrial zones are developing actively. Construction cost is close to Almaty.
Western Kazakhstan (Aktau, Atyrau). Delivery of structures from major plants adds 5–10% to cost. Specific soil conditions (often saline) require enhanced corrosion protection.
Turnkey Warehouse$2 Cost in 2026
| Warehouse type | 500 m² | 1,000 m² | 2,000 m² | 5,000 m² |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cold (no engineering) | from 11 M ₸ | from 20 M ₸ | from 38 M ₸ | from 88 M ₸ |
| Heated with basic engineering | from 35 M ₸ | from 65 M ₸ | from 122 M ₸ | from 290 M ₸ |
| Heated full turnkey | from 45 M ₸ | from 85 M ₸ | from 160 M ₸ | from 380 M ₸ |
Full turnkey includes: geotechnics, design, permits, foundation, frame, envelope structures, engineering services, floors, doors, partial landscaping.
Not included: process equipment (racking, forklifts), connection to external networks (separate contract with utility companies), site fencing.
More on cost breakdown — in the article steel structure warehouse.
We build turnkey warehouses with a fixed price
Contract with fixed price and timeline. 25-year structural warranty. More than 120 completed projects.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a turnkey 1,000 m² warehouse in Kazakhstan cost? Cold warehouse 1,000 m² — from 20–25 M ₸ (no engineering). Fully heated turnkey with engineering services — from 80–90 M ₸. Range depends on region, soil type, finish class, and scope of works.
What matters more when choosing a contractor — price or experience? Experience. The lowest market price almost always means either excluded items in the estimate or cut-quality materials. A 10–15% difference between a reliable and a cheap contractor will result in many times higher defect rectification costs.
Can a warehouse be built without geotechnical investigation? Formally — for small projects under 300 m² in some regions, yes. But this is a risk: incorrect foundation on weak soil leads to cracks and settlement. Investigation cost — 300,000–700,000 ₸; foundation remediation cost — 5–15 M ₸.
How long does commissioning take? After construction completion: state acceptance (GASN act) — 10–20 business days. For hazard class IV facilities (most warehouses) — simplified procedure. Commissioning is a mandatory condition for registering the building as real estate.
Can bank financing be obtained for construction? Yes. Kazakhstani banks (Halyk, Kaspi, Eurasian) finance commercial real estate construction secured by the land plot and future building. Requirements: building permit, cost documentation, borrower income confirmation.
What does the contractor guarantee and for how long? The minimum statutory warranty period in Kazakhstan is 5 years on construction and installation works. Responsible contractors give a 10–25 year warranty on structures. Always specify warranty obligations in the contract.
What warehouse class is needed for leasing? For leasing at market rates in Almaty and Astana, Class B is the minimum: ceiling height 8–10 m, FM2 flat floors, sectional dock doors, temperature no lower than +10°C, secured site. Class A additionally requires: rail siding or 4+ docks, sprinkler fire suppression, office area.
