TL;DR SINAPI (National System of Construction Cost Research) is maintained by Caixa and IBGE, and provides unit cost compositions for construction services. Updated monthly, broken down by state. In public works it is a mandatory reference; in private projects, a solid base to defend your estimate.

What SINAPI is

National System of Construction Cost and Index Research. A public database with detailed compositions for each service, covering material, labor and equipment, with unit costs updated monthly.

How it works

Each service (masonry, subfloor, plaster, painting) has a SINAPI code and a composition that details:

  • Quantity of each material per unit (m², m³, kg).
  • Hours for each labor category.
  • Total cost per unit.

Compositions and codes

Example: code 87905 = "Sealing masonry of hollow ceramic blocks, 14×19×29 cm, 14 cm thick, 12 mm joints, with mixed mortar". Unit cost: ~R$ 92/m² in SP in nov/2026.

You can adjust compositions if your reality is different (more expensive cement, more expensive labor); record the change.

Monthly update

Caixa publishes the reports every 25th to 28th of each month with the previous month's prices. There is a 30 to 60 day lag between market price and SINAPI price; in periods of rising inputs (2021, 2022), this lag is costly.

Public vs. private works

Public: mandatory reference. Every public project must have an estimate aligned with SINAPI; deviations must be justified.

Private: strong reference. A client who asks for an "estimate based on SINAPI" is asking for transparency. Use SINAPI as a base and adjust through a reality check with local suppliers.

SINAPI in Limify

Compositions updated every month

Limify imports SINAPI monthly and applies it to the compositions in your estimate. No need to download a spreadsheet from Caixa.

Try it free