In 1972, DANE began researching housing construction  costs.

Throughout its history, the ICCV (Housing Construction Cost Index) has had four structures: the first one from 1971 to December  1979; the second, from December 1979 to March 1989; the third, from March 1989 to December 1999, and the current one since December 1999. These revisions have involved the updating of the baskets corresponding to each type of housing and the expansion of their geographic coverage.

Because technological changes in the construction industry and the appearance of new materials and equipment generate changes in the basket structure. New articles are included or excluded and this is reflected in the structure of the weightings.  

 What are the most important changes in the basket since  1971?·

The 1971 basket included only single-family housing units categorized by low, middle, and middle-high income social strata, and covered direct and indirect costs. It was made up of 76 materials, 3 categories of labor, and 4 element related to indirect public costs. · The second phase ran from December 1979 to March 1989. Through an agreement with CAMACOL and CENAC, the index was extended to the cities of Armenia, Barrancabermeja, Ibagué, Montería, Popayán, Pereira, Santa Marta, Sincelejo, Tunja, Valledupar and Villavicencio. It included multiple-family housing units for two types of structures (up to 5 floors and over 5 floors) and covered only direct costs.· The third phase ran from March 1989 to December 1999, and covered thirteen cities:   Armenia, Barranquilla, Bogotá, Bucaramanga, Cali, Cartagena, Cúcuta, Ibagué, Manizales, Medellín, Neiva, Pasto and Pereira. The index included single-family housing units for low, middle, and middle-high income social strata, and multiple-family housing units for structures up to 5 floors and over 5 floors. The basket, which only covered direct costs, contained 117 materials, 4 categories of labor, 7 equipment categories, and 5 of smaller tools.  

· Starting in January 1997, the methodology was redesigned, seeking to modernize the baskets in those cities covered by the survey by updating data on types of housing, extended geographic coverage, update the base year for the index, and estimate a general basket.

In total, the prices of 216 flexible level articles are followed up.

The term refers to the varieties of a basic input. For example, with respect to the input wood, the types of wood used in housing construction.

The coverage of the index is by cities nationwide.

It is carried out in 15 cities: Armenia, Barranquilla, Bogotá, Bucaramanga, Cali, Cartagena, Cúcuta, Ibagué, Manizales, Medellín, Neiva, Pasto, Pereira, Santa Marta and Popayán.

At establishments specializing in the sale of housing construction inputs. The prices of the articles and of various small tools are collected. The cost of labor and of administrative staff is obtained at the construction companies. The lease prices per hour for equipment are collected at establishments specializing in leasing equipment.

Indexes and variations for the national total, groups, subgroups, and input, per type of housing  (single-family, multiple-family,). Results are provided for the national total and for 15 cities that make up the geographic coverage of the index.