House Construction Cost Calculator (India, per sq ft)
Estimate the cost of building a house from seven lines you can see and edit: cement, steel, sand, aggregate, bricks, labour and finishing. Starting rates are indicative for November 2026.
| Item | Quantity per sq ft | Rate (Rs) | Cost per sq ft (Rs) |
|---|
How the house construction cost is worked out
This calculator does not hide a single “rate per sq ft”. It builds the rate from seven lines you can see and change: five main materials, labour and finishing. Every rate is editable, so you can replace the starting values with the quotes you get from your suppliers and contractor.
- Built-up area. Area per floor x number of floors. Built-up area includes the walls, not just the carpet area inside.
- Material per sq ft. Common site thumb rules for an RCC framed house: 0.4 bag of cement, 4 kg of steel, 1.8 cft of sand, 1.35 cft of aggregate and 8 bricks per sq ft of built-up area. Each quantity x its rate gives a cost per sq ft.
- Labour. A labour rate per sq ft for structure and finishing together, as most labour contracts in India are quoted.
- Finishing. One rate per sq ft that covers tiles, paint, doors, windows, electrical, plumbing and sanitary fittings. The finish level sets a starting value: basic Rs 500, standard Rs 800, premium Rs 1,400 per sq ft.
- Total. The sum of all lines x the built-up area, plus a contingency (default 5%) for price changes and things nobody planned.
The result shows the total material quantities too, so you can see how many bags, tonnes and trucks the budget assumes.
Worked example (default inputs)
A house of 1,000 sq ft per floor on 2 floors (2,000 sq ft built-up), standard finish, 5% contingency, with the starting rates.
| Line | Per sq ft | For 2,000 sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| Cement: 0.4 bag x Rs 380 | Rs 152 | 800 bags, Rs 3,04,000 |
| Steel: 4 kg x Rs 62 | Rs 248 | 8,000 kg, Rs 4,96,000 |
| Sand: 1.8 cft x Rs 60 | Rs 108 | 3,600 cft, Rs 2,16,000 |
| Aggregate: 1.35 cft x Rs 55 | Rs 74.25 | 2,700 cft, Rs 1,48,500 |
| Bricks: 8 x Rs 9 | Rs 72 | 16,000 bricks, Rs 1,44,000 |
| Labour | Rs 350 | Rs 7,00,000 |
| Finishing (standard) | Rs 800 | Rs 16,00,000 |
| Before contingency | Rs 1,804.25 | Rs 36,08,500 |
| Contingency 5% | Rs 1,80,425 | |
| Total | about Rs 1,894 | Rs 37,88,925 |
With a basic finish (Rs 500 per sq ft) the same house comes to about Rs 31.6 lakh, or Rs 1,579 per sq ft. With a premium finish (Rs 1,400) it is about Rs 50.5 lakh, or Rs 2,524 per sq ft. Finishing is the line that moves most between a simple house and an expensive one.
About the starting rates
The rates in the calculator are indicative values for Delhi NCR in November 2026. They are there so the page shows a sensible result, not as a price list. Cement, steel and sand prices change month to month and differ by city, brand and quantity. Before you rely on the total, call two suppliers and your contractor and type their rates in. If a supplier quotes a rate without GST, add the GST before you enter it.
What this estimate does not include
- Land, stamp duty and registration
- Map approval, architect and structural engineer fees, and the soil test
- Basement, lift, swimming pool or unusual foundations on weak soil
- Boundary wall, gate, borewell, septic tank or water tank, if separate
- Modular kitchen, wardrobes, furniture, air conditioners and other appliances
- Electricity and water connection charges
Add these separately. On a small plot, the approval and design fees and the boundary wall can add several lakh to the total.
Common mistakes in house cost estimates
- Comparing carpet area and built-up area. A contractor’s rate per sq ft is usually on built-up area. If you divide the cost by carpet area, the rate looks 15 to 25% higher.
- One rate for every floor. The ground floor carries the foundation cost, so it costs more per sq ft than the floors above it. Stilt parking and a staircase cover add their own cost.
- Treating thumb rules as design. Steel per sq ft can move from 3.5 to 4.5 kg with the column layout, soil and seismic zone. The structural drawing and the BBS decide.
- Leaving out finishing choices. Rs 800 per sq ft for finishing assumes standard tiles, fittings and paint. Imported fittings, wooden flooring or large-format tiles can double it.
- No contingency. Rates rise during a 12 to 18 month build. 5% is the least to keep aside.
- No record during the build. Most overruns are found at the end, when nobody can say which line went over. Track spending against the budget site by site as you go.
From budget to site records
Break the budget into stages before work starts. The concrete calculator, steel calculator and brick calculator work out the structure, the plaster, tile and paint calculators the finishing, and the labour cost calculator the gang cost. A BOQ in Excel puts it all in one sheet, and the site expense register records the spending.
In the Trackovo app, material requests, approvals, orders and deliveries with photos, labour attendance and wages, and site-wise payments and expenses are kept for each site, so the money spent can be compared with this budget while the house is being built. See material management, finance management and BOQ software.
Common questions
What is the construction cost per sq ft in India in 2026?
With the starting rates on this page (Delhi NCR, November 2026), a two-floor RCC house comes to about Rs 1,580 per sq ft with a basic finish, Rs 1,894 with a standard finish and Rs 2,524 with a premium finish, before land, approvals and design fees. Your city and your quotes will change this, so type your own rates.
How much does it cost to build a 1,000 sq ft house?
At the standard starting rates, 1,000 sq ft of built-up area costs about Rs 18.9 lakh including 5% contingency, or about Rs 15.8 lakh with a basic finish. A single-storey house can cost more per sq ft than this, because the foundation and roof are spread over less area.
How much cement, steel and sand is needed for a house?
Common thumb rules are 0.4 bag of cement, 4 kg of steel, 1.8 cft of sand, 1.35 cft of aggregate and 8 bricks per sq ft of built-up area. For 2,000 sq ft that is about 800 bags, 8 tonnes of steel, 3,600 cft of sand, 2,700 cft of aggregate and 16,000 bricks.
Is the labour rate included?
Yes, as a separate line at Rs 350 per sq ft to start with. Labour contracts for structure and finishing are usually quoted per sq ft. If you pay daily wages instead, work out the gang cost with the labour cost calculator.
Why does my contractor’s rate differ from this?
A contractor’s rate includes his overheads and margin, and may include or leave out items such as electrical fittings, sanitaryware or GST. Ask for a written list of what his rate covers, then enter the same scope here to compare like with like.
Keep the budget, the material on site and the payments in one place while the house is built: track material and labour in Trackovo. Trackovo is a construction site management app with material, labour attendance, DPR and payments, with a 14-day free trial.
