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This list includes all buildings in Civilization IV except for wonders, which are a separate category.

Common buildings[]

Ancient[]

Building Requirements Effects
Barracks Barracks None,

50Hammer (Civ4)

(Double production speed with Aggressive)
Granary Granary Pottery,

60 Hammer (Civ4)

(Double production speed with Expansive)
  • Stores 50% of Bread (Civ4) after growth
  • +1 Health (Civ4) from Corn, Rice, Wheat
  • Available for free on Renaissance and later starts
Library Library Writing,

90 Hammer (Civ4)

(Double production speed with Creative)
Lighthouse Lighthouse Sailing,

60 Hammer (Civ4)

(Double production speed with Organized)
Monastery Monastery Meditation, Religion,

60 Hammer (Civ4)

Monument Monument Mysticism,

30 Hammer (Civ4)

Temple Temple Priesthood, Religion,

80 Hammer (Civ4)

(Double production speed with Spiritual)
Walls Walls Masonry,

50 Hammer (Civ4)

(Double production speed with Protective)

Classical[]

Building Requirements Effects
Aqueduct Aqueduct Mathematics, Masonry,

100 Hammer (Civ4)

  • +2 Health (Civ4)
  • Required to build the Hanging Gardens
  • Available for free on Renaissance and later starts
Colosseum Colosseum Construction,

80 Hammer (Civ4)

(Double production speed with Creative)
  • +1 Happiness (Civ4)
  • +1 Happiness (Civ4) per 20% Culture (Civ4) rate
Courthouse Courthouse Code of Laws,

120 Hammer (Civ4)

(Double production speed with Organized)
  • +2 Espionage (Civ4)
  • -50% maintenance CommerceRed4 for the city
  • Can turn 1 citizen into a Spy
  • Required to build Forbidden Palace
Forge Forge Metal Casting,

120 Hammer (Civ4)

(Double production speed with Industrious)
Harbor Harbor Compass,

80 Hammer (Civ4)

(Double production speed with Expansive)
Market Market Currency,

150 Hammer (Civ4)

Stable Stable Horseback Riding,

60 Hammer (Civ4)

Theatre Theatre Drama,

50 Hammer (Civ4)

(Double production speed with Creative)

Medieval[]

Building Requirements Effects
Bank Bank Banking,

200 Hammer (Civ4)

  • +50% Coins (Civ4)
  • Required to build Wall Street
  • Available for free on Modern and later starts
Castle Castle Engineering, Walls,

100 Hammer (Civ4)

(Double production speed with Protective)
Cathedral Cathedral Music, Religion,

300 Hammer (Civ4)

Grocer Grocer Guilds, Currency.

150 Hammer (Civ4)

Renaissance[]

Building Requirements Effects
Customs House Customs House Economics, Harbor,

180 Hammer (Civ4)

Jail Jail Constitution,

120 Hammer (Civ4)

  • +4 Espionage (Civ4)
  • +50% Espionage (Civ4)
  • -25% war weariness
  • Can turn 2 citizens into Spies
  • Available for free on Modern and later starts
Observatory Observatory Astronomy,

150 Hammer (Civ4)

Security Bureau Security Bureau Democracy,

220 Hammer (Civ4)

  • +8 Espionage (Civ4)
  • +50% defense against espionage
  • Helps thwart rival Spies
  • Can turn 2 citizens into spies
University University Education, Library,

200 Hammer (Civ4)

(Double production speed with Philosophical)

Industrial[]

Building Requirements Effects
Bomb Shelter Bomb Shelter Electricity,

100 Hammer (Civ4)

Bunker Bunker Electricity,

100 Hammer (Civ4)

Coal Plant Coal Plant Assembly Line, Factory,

150 Hammer (Civ4)

If Coal is available:
  • Provides Power (Civ4) (which causes +2 Unhealthiness (Civ4) on its own)
  • Additional +2 Unhealthiness (Civ4) from dirty Power (Civ4)
Drydock Drydock Steel,

120 Hammer (Civ4)

(Double production speed with Aggressive)
Factory Factory Assembly Line,

250 Hammer (Civ4)

(Double production speed with Organized)
Hospital Hospital Medicine,

200 Hammer (Civ4)

Industrial Park Industrial Park Industrialism, Factory,

200 Hammer (Civ4)

  • +2 Unhealthiness (Civ4)
  • +1 free Engineer
  • Can turn 2 citizens into Engineers
  • +1 Unhealthiness (Civ4) from Coal and Oil
Intelligence Agency Intelligence Agency Communism,

180 Hammer (Civ4)

  • +8 Espionage (Civ4)
  • +50% Espionage (Civ4)
  • Can turn 2 citizens into Spies
Levee Levee Steam Power,

180 Hammer (Civ4)

  • +1 Hammer (Civ4) on river tiles
  • Can only be built in riverside cities
Nuclear Plant Nuclear Plant Fission, Factory,

250 Hammer (Civ4)

  • Provides clean Power (Civ4) with Uranium (causes +2 Unhealthiness (Civ4))
  • Small chance of nuclear meltdown
Public Transportation Public Transportation Combustion,

150 Hammer (Civ4)

Modern[]

Building Requirements Effects
Airport Airport Flight,

250 Hammer (Civ4)

Broadcast Tower Broadcast Tower Mass Media,

175 Hammer (Civ4)

Hydro Plant Hydro Plant Plastics, Factory,

200 Hammer (Civ4)

  • Provides clean Power (Civ4) (causes +2 Unhealthiness (Civ4))
Laboratory Laboratory Superconductors, Observatory,

250 Hammer (Civ4)

Recycling Center Recycling Center Ecology,

300 Hammer (Civ4)

  • No Unhealthiness (Civ4) from buildings
Supermarket Supermarket Refrigeration, Grocer,

150 Hammer (Civ4)

Unique buildings[]

Since Warlords, every civilization in Civilization IV has had their own unique building. A unique building, or UB for short, is a building that can only be built by that civilization. It always replaces some other building, not allowing that one to be built at all.

Civilization Unique building Replaces Difference
American
American
Mall
Mall
Supermarket
Supermarket
Arabian
Arabian
Madrassa
Madrassa
Library
Library
  • +2 Culture Culture (Civ4)
  • Can turn 2 Citizens into Priests
Aztec
Aztec
Sacrificial Altar
Sacrificial Altar
Courthouse
Courthouse
  • -30 Production Hammer (Civ4) cost (on normal speed games)
  • Halves anger Anger (Civ4) duration from sacrificing population
Babylonian
Babylonian
Garden
Garden
Colosseum
Colosseum
Byzantine
Byzantine
Hippodrome
Hippodrome
Theatre
Theatre
  • Cannot turn citizens into artists, unlike in the regular Theatre
  • Happiness Happiness (Civ4) from Horse Horse (Civ4) instead of Dye Dye
  • +1 Happiness Happiness (Civ4)
  • +1 Happiness Happiness (Civ4) per 5% culture rate Culture (Civ4), instead of per 10%
Carthaginian
Carthaginian
Cothon
Cothon
Harbor
Harbor
  • +20 production Hammer (Civ4) cost (on normal speed games)
  • +1 trade route TradeRoute4
Celtic
Celtic
Dun
Dun
Walls
Walls
Chinese
Chinese
Pavilion
Pavilion
Theatre
Theatre
  • +25% culture Culture (Civ4)
Egyptian
Egyptian
Obelisk
Obelisk
Monument
Monument
  • Can turn 2 Citizens into Priests
English
English
Stock Exchange
Stock Exchange
Bank
Bank
Ethiopian
Ethiopian
Stele
Stele
Monument
Monument
French
French
Salon
Salon
Observatory
Observatory
German
German
Assembly Plant
Assembly Plant
Factory
Factory
  • Can turn 4 Citizens into Engineers, rather than 2
  • Double construction speed with Coal Coal (Civ4)
Greek
Greek
Odeon
Odeon
Colosseum
Colosseum
Holy Roman
Holy Roman
Rathaus
Rathaus
Courthouse
Courthouse
  • -75% Maintenance CommerceRed4 instead of -50%
Incan
Incan
Terrace
Terrace
Granary
Granary
Indian
Indian
Mausoleum
Mausoleum
Jail
Jail
  • +2 Happiness Happiness (Civ4)
Japanese
Japanese
Shale Plant
Shale Plant
Coal Plant
Coal Plant
  • Doesn't require Coal Coal (Civ4) to provide Power Power (Civ4)
  • Provides +10% production Hammer (Civ4)
Khmer
Khmer
Baray
Baray
Aqueduct
Aqueduct
Korean
Korean
Seowon
Seowon
University
University
  • +35% Science Beaker (Civ4) rather than +25%
Malinese
Malinese
Mint
Mint
Forge
Forge
Mayan
Mayan
Ball Court
Ball Court
Colosseum
Colosseum
  • +2 Happiness Happiness (Civ4)
Mongolian
Mongolian
Ger
Ger
Stable
Stable
  • +2 experience to new Mounted units
Native American
Native American
Totem Pole
Totem Pole
Monument
Monument
  • +3 experience to new Archery units
Dutch
Dutch
Dike
Dike
Levee
Levee
  • Can be built by coastal Coast (Civ4) cities as well as cities on rivers River (Civ4)
  • +1 Production Hammer (Civ4) to water tiles
Ottoman
Ottoman
Hammam
Hammam
Aqueduct
Aqueduct
  • +2 Happiness Happiness (Civ4)
Persian
Persian
Apothecary
Apothecary
Grocer
Grocer
  • +2 Health Health (Civ4)
Portuguese
Portuguese
Feitoria
Feitoria
Customs House
Customs House
  • +1 Commerce Coin (Civ4) on water tiles Ocean (Civ4)Coast (Civ4)
Roman
Roman
Forum
Forum
Market
Market
  • +25% Great Person points GreatPerson4
Russian
Russian
Research Institute
Research Institute
Laboratory
Laboratory
  • +2 Free Scientist specialists
Spanish
Spanish
Citadel
Citadel
Castle
Castle
  • +5 experience points to Siege Units
Sumerian
Sumerian
Ziggurat
Ziggurat
Courthouse
Courthouse
Viking
Viking
Trading Post
Trading Post
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Zulu
Zulu
Ikhanda
Ikhanda
Barracks
Barracks
  • +10 Production Hammer (Civ4) cost (on normal speed games)
  • -20% Maintenance CommerceRed4

Religious buildings[]

Temples[]

All temples require Priesthood and provide:

  • +1 Culture (Civ4)
  • +1 Happiness (Civ4)
  • The ability to turn 1 citizen into Priest
  • One of the requirements to build Cathedrals

Monasteries[]

All monasteries require Meditation, become Obsolete with Scientific Method and provide:

Cathedrals[]

"Cathedral" is a fan-given name to level-three religious buildings (they are behind only the Shrines). All cathedrals require Music and provide:

Other[]

Building Requirements Effects
Academy Academy
  • +4 Culture (Civ4)
  • +50% Beaker (Civ4)
Military Academy Military Academy
  • +25% Hammer (Civ4) bonus to military unit production
  • +3 Culture (Civ4)
Scotland Yard Scotland Yard
  • +100% Espionage (Civ4)
  • Only requires Great Spy in Beyond the Sword
Civilization IV [edit]
WarlordsBeyond the SwordColonization
† Total conversion remake of the game Sid Meier's Colonization using Civilization IV engine
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