In short
White frame, black frame and green frame are market terms for the condition in which a Georgian developer hands over a new-build flat. Black frame is essentially the shell, white frame a prepared interior with plaster, screed, windows and wiring, and green frame one step further. None of them is defined in law. What you actually get is set by the specification annex to your purchase contract.
The stages comparedThe advertised 'from' price often refers to the most basic stage a developer offers. Ask for the price of the stage you actually want.
Comparing offers properlyComparison
These two stages sit close together and are easily confused. The overview reflects common market usage. Individual developers deviate from it, in both directions.
Typical market usage, not a legal standard. Your contract's specification annex is what counts.
Structure and external walls; internal walls missing or bare masonry
Internal walls built and plastered, but not skimmed or painted
Ask whether the partition walls between rooms are already in place. With black frame that cannot be taken for granted.
Concrete slab without screed
Screed laid, ready for floor covering
Screed reduces ceiling height. Ask for the clear height once the screed is in.
Window openings, sometimes glazed, rarely a front door
Windows, balcony doors and a front door
Have the frame profile, glazing and door type put in writing. Offers differ widely here.
Supply ends at the floor distribution board or the flat's entrance
Cabling inside the flat, back boxes for switches and sockets, consumer unit
Sockets, switches and light fittings are usually not included even in white frame.
Connection at the riser, no pipework inside the flat
Pipes to bathroom and kitchen, drainage prepared
Toilet, basin and shower are not part of either stage.
Electricity, water and gas meters not yet installed
Sometimes fitted, sometimes applied for after handover
Clarify who applies for the meters and who pays the connection fees.
No conduits, no condensate drain
Conduits and drain in place, units not included
Prepared pipework saves you cutting into finished walls later.
Fit-out follows handover. A separate guide explains how to plan and supervise it from abroad.
Fit-out from white frameThree stages
Each stage splits work and cost differently between developer and buyer. The less the developer finishes, the more you organise yourself.
Black frame
White frame
Green frame
Some developers use other names, such as turnkey. What counts is the list in the contract, not the name of the stage.
Put it in writing
Whether the flat is in order at handover is measured against the contract. Anything not written there is hard to claim later.
Whether all internal walls are built, whether they are plastered, skimmed or painted, and whether the ceiling is plastered.
Screed or not, its thickness and the clear ceiling height afterwards.
Frame profile, glazing, balcony doors, front door and internal doors, ideally with manufacturer or model.
Position of the consumer unit, number of circuits, connections for bathroom and kitchen, heating or gas supply.
Which meters are fitted at handover and who bears the connection fees.
Conduits, condensate drains and the positions for outdoor units on the facade.
Dated photos or a description of the show flat in the agreed condition, signed as an annex to the contract.
Projects in Batumi
For every project, ask for the specification list of the stage the displayed price refers to.
Discover more locations and projects in search.
Go to project searchFrequently asked questions
Meaning, differences, price and what happens when the handover does not match the contract.
White frame is a common handover condition for new-build flats in Georgia: walls plastered, screed laid, windows and front door fitted, electrical and water lines installed. Flooring, paint, bathroom and kitchen are missing. There is no legal definition.
Black frame is essentially the shell, with structure, floor slabs and external walls, usually without plaster, screed or services inside the flat. In white frame that work has been done. Exactly how far a developer goes is set out in the specification annex.
Green frame sits between white frame and move-in ready. Skimmed and primed walls are typical, and depending on the developer also flooring, internal doors or sanitaryware. The term is even less uniform than white frame, so agree every item individually.
Because the terms are not defined, the handover can differ from what you expected. On 16 November 2025 Forbes Polska quoted a buyer in Tbilisi who said he had unknowingly bought a black-frame flat and found out only when his builders arrived. In his words, developers often advertise flats as white frame and sell them as black frame. Your protection is a precise specification list in the contract. If the handover departs from it, have the differences recorded in writing before you sign off the handover.
Not necessarily. The 'from' price in adverts often refers to the most basic stage the developer offers. Compare offers only at the same stage, and ask what the next stage costs on top.
Last reviewed on 2 November 2026. Sources: Civil Code of Georgia (matsne.gov.ge): law of sale; Art. 183 (written form and registration when acquiring immovable property), Forbes Polska, 16 November 2025: a buyer's account of purchasing in Tbilisi (press report, not an official source). This guide is not legal or tax advice.
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