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Commercial data center construction is shaped as much by access to power, equipment and skilled trades as by the building itself. JLL Research’s 2026 outlook puts the average global shell-and-core cost of a specified 50 MW facility at $10.7 million per MW for 2025, while its reported global average build time for that size is 18 months. Those figures have different scopes: neither is a complete project budget or a guaranteed delivery schedule.

How much does it cost to build a data center?

There is no single cost per megawatt that captures every data center project. JLL Research’s cost series covers shell and core for a single-tenant, 50 MW, air-cooled facility. It excludes land acquisition and active IT equipment, so it should not be read as the total cost to acquire a site, connect it to power, equip it and put it into service.

Figure Scope and qualification
$7.7 million per MW in 2020; $10.7 million per MW in 2025 JLL Research, 2026 outlook; global shell-and-core cost series for a single-tenant, 50 MW, air-cooled data center, excluding land and active IT equipment. JLL reports 7% compound annual growth over this period.
$11.3 million per MW in 2026 JLL Research, 2026; forecast global average for the same shell-and-core model, not a reported final cost for every project.
10% premium JLL’s reported cost premium for liquid-cooled facilities in this model; it is not a separate estimate of tenant technology fit-out.
20% addition JLL’s reported addition for multistory facilities in the Americas. This is a building-form adjustment, not a universal premium across regions.
Up to $25 million per MW JLL’s reported upper figure for tenant technology fit-out for AI infrastructure. This is a different cost scope from shell and core, not an amount to add automatically to every project.

For a meaningful project comparison, separate shell and core, land, power infrastructure and the tenant’s IT and technology fit-out. Also compare geography, cooling approach and building form. JLL identifies speed to power as the leading location criterion, followed by community support, latency and customer proximity; a low building-cost estimate alone does not establish that a site is economically or operationally suitable.

How long does data center construction take?

JLL Research’s 2026 outlook reports an average global build time of 18 months for a 50 MW data center. That is an average, not a promise for an individual development, and it does not mean the entire development process—from site control through utility connection and commissioning—will fit inside 18 months.

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JLL reports a global average equipment lead time of 33 weeks, 50% above pre-2020 levels. Its reported U.S. average is 42 weeks, 83% above 2019. JLL also says 57% of data center projects experienced a delay of at least three months in 2025. These figures describe different measures: equipment lead time is not total project duration, and the delay statistic does not predict whether a particular project will be delayed.

How the delivery sequence fits together

Projects typically have to coordinate several distinct workstreams. Their schedules overlap and vary by site; the available market figures do not establish one universal critical path.

  1. Secure site control and assess feasibility. Test land availability, utility prospects, permitting and community response, network access, labor availability and the proposed cooling approach.
  2. Coordinate power and approvals. Work with the utility on the connection and required capacity while progressing local approvals. Power availability can determine whether the intended delivery date is feasible.
  3. Design and procure. Finalize the facility and systems, then secure long-lead equipment. JLL identifies transformers, generators, switchgear, batteries and UPS, and cooling equipment among the constrained categories. It reports that developers preordered select materials as much as 24 months in advance.
  4. Build and install. Complete site and building work while coordinating equipment delivery, system installation, contractors and utility infrastructure.
  5. Integrate and commission. Verify that installed systems work together before the facility is handed over for operation. The reports cited here do not give a single commissioning duration.

What is slowing data center construction?

Grid connection and available power

JLL reports North American grid-connection timelines averaging four years or longer. That is a reported regional average, not a universal timeline for every utility or project. CBRE’s H2 2025 account said grid capacity for existing projects was largely booked through 2030 in most markets it covered and described more projects incorporating on-site power strategies. Both observations are tied to their report periods and market coverage.

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JLL says developers coordinating with utilities on flexible load profiles, phased power requirements or backup generation can often expedite grid connections. Those approaches are potential tools, not a guarantee of a faster connection. They must be evaluated with the utility and against a project’s operating requirements.

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Long-lead equipment and workforce

Equipment procurement can constrain the schedule even when building work is under way. JLL’s lead-time figures reflect the market averages stated above; they do not mean each item arrives on the same schedule. CBRE identifies electricians, mechanics, plumbers, laborers and construction workers among the trades in demand for greenfield development. Staffing, equipment availability and power infrastructure can therefore create interacting constraints rather than one isolated delay.

Permitting and local conditions

Approval processes, community response, site readiness and logistics differ by jurisdiction and location. A project with a viable power path still has to assess fiber and latency, access to customers, labor and cooling needs, and the cost and timing of construction. The cited reports do not provide a universal approval duration or a single schedule applicable across countries.

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Why are data centers being built beyond established markets?

Developers are looking beyond traditional hubs in part to find land and energy resources and to improve the prospects of securing power. JLL’s year-end 2025 North American report says 64% of its 35 GW construction pipeline was outside traditional mature markets, and reports 6.5 GW under construction in Texas. These are pipeline and under-construction figures, not completed operational capacity.

CBRE’s H1 2026 update found nearly 2,900 MW under construction in Atlanta, making it the most active construction market in CBRE’s eight-primary-market North American set at that time. Its series and JLL’s broader North American pipeline use different market definitions and reporting periods, so their figures should not be added together or treated as directly comparable.

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Power is a major siting factor, but not the only one. Site evaluation also needs to weigh land, permitting and community support, fiber connectivity and latency, customer proximity, labor access, cooling requirements and construction costs. A location that improves one constraint may make another harder to solve.

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What do North American supply figures show?

Recent North American figures describe a tight, fast-moving market, but each measure has a specific geography and status. Under-construction capacity is not the same as operating capacity, and preleased space is not vacant inventory available to any prospective customer.

Measure Publisher and period What it means
7,481 MW under construction across eight primary North American markets; more than 80% preleased CBRE Research, H1 2026 CBRE reported this under-construction total was 24.8% above its prior-half-year comparison. It said less than 1,500 MW remained available for preleasing, equivalent to roughly six months of supply at the then-current demand pace.
1.4% vacancy CBRE Research, year-end 2025, in its H1 2026 update context A period-specific vacancy measure, not a global vacancy rate.
39 GW active capacity and a 35 GW construction pipeline JLL, year-end 2025 North American coverage JLL’s reported regional capacity and pipeline; the pipeline is not completed operational capacity. JLL also reported tenants contracting for deliveries in 2027 and 2028.

These figures are useful as market indicators, not a direct forecast of what any individual project can lease or deliver. CBRE’s data is limited to its eight primary markets; JLL reports a different North American coverage and distinguishes active capacity from its pipeline.

How do modular data centers work, and when might they help?

Modular systems shift some work from the construction site to factory-built units. JLL describes options ranging from a prefabricated component such as a power skid to a micro data center that packages all data-center systems. The goal is to use repeatable factory work and simplify or speed installation at the site.

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JLL forecasts global annual sales of modular systems and micro data centers could grow from $11 billion in 2025 to $48 billion by 2030. Those are market forecasts, not evidence that a specific modular project will be cheaper, faster or technically suitable.

What to compare before choosing modular delivery

  • Potential advantages: factory work and repeatability may improve installation speed and construction efficiency.
  • Project fit: assess how much customization the design needs and whether the project’s scale suits the selected system.
  • Site and logistics: account for transport, delivery access and site readiness.
  • Local integration: check code and permitting requirements, interfaces with site infrastructure, and commissioning needs.

Modularization is a delivery option, not a substitute for solving power access, approvals, workforce or integration constraints. The value depends on how those factors interact on the specific project.

How much power does a new data center need?

There is no single power requirement that applies to every new data center. The cited market reports discuss grid access, connection timing and project power strategies, but do not establish a universal MW requirement for a new facility. A project’s required capacity needs to be specified and evaluated with its intended design, systems and utility connection; construction-cost-per-MW figures alone do not answer how much power a particular site needs.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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