Free tools / Construction cost calculator
House construction cost calculator for India.
Enter built-up area, floors and quality to get a budget — split stage by stage from foundation to painting, with approximate cement, steel, sand and brick quantities.
- Free · no signup
- Editable ₹/sq ft rates
- Stage-wise cost
- Material quantities
1Your house
2Stage-wise breakdown
Typical share of cost by stage. Change any % to match your contractor’s quote.
Estimated construction cost
- Total built-up area0 sq ft
- Rate × area₹0
- Contingency₹0
- Total estimate₹0
Approx. materials (thumb rule)
A rough budget, not a quote. Real cost depends on soil, design, city, contractor and material prices on the day you buy.
DukaanKit Construction · early access
Every site’s kharcha, on your phone.
Estimates are step one. DukaanKit Construction tracks what each site actually spends — material, labour and vendor payments — by speaking in Hindi, Kannada or English. Vendor dues and site-wise totals, for owner and team.
- Site-wise hisaab
- Voice entry
- Labour & material
- Vendor dues
How this house construction estimate works
Total cost = built-up area × floors × rate per sq ft, plus a contingency for price rises and small extras. Built-up area is the covered area including walls (not the plot area, and not carpet area). A 30×40 site with ~1,200 sq ft built-up on each of two floors is 2,400 sq ft in total.
About the rates
The default rates — ₹1,800 basic, ₹2,200 standard, ₹2,800 premium per sq ft — are only examples of what contractors commonly quote in Indian cities for a complete building (material + labour) in 2025–26. Rates differ a lot by city, soil, design, floor height and finishes: smaller towns are often cheaper, metro areas and premium finishes much higher. Always replace them with quotes from 2–3 local contractors.
Stage-wise percentages
The breakdown uses typical shares of a contractor's per-sq-ft rate: foundation 10%, RCC structure 20%, masonry 8%, plastering 5%, flooring 8%, electrical 5%, plumbing 5%, painting 5%, doors & windows 7%, labour 22% and finishing 5% — about 100%. It helps you plan cash for each stage and compare a contractor's stage-wise payment schedule.
Material thumb rules (stated openly)
| Material | Per sq ft of built-up area | For 2,400 sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| Cement | 0.4 bag (50 kg) | 960 bags |
| Steel (TMT) | 4 kg | 9,600 kg |
| Sand | 1.8 cft | 4,320 cft |
| Aggregate | 1.35 cft | 3,240 cft |
| Bricks | 8 nos | 19,200 |
These are widely used rule-of-thumb figures for a framed RCC house with brick walls. Steel can be 3.5–5 kg/sq ft depending on design and seismic zone; block walls need far fewer “bricks”. Use them for early budgeting only — your structural engineer's bar-bending schedule and bill of quantities (BOQ) are the real numbers. For a single wall, use our brick & cement calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What is the construction cost per sq ft in India?
Contractors commonly quote roughly ₹1,600–2,000 per sq ft for basic, ₹2,000–2,500 for standard and ₹2,600+ for premium construction in 2025–26, but it varies a lot by city and specification. The rates in this tool are editable examples — use local quotes.
How do I calculate the cost of building a house?
Multiply total built-up area (area per floor × number of floors) by the rate per sq ft, then add 5–10% contingency. Land, approvals, compound wall, sump, borewell and interiors are extra.
How many cement bags are needed per sq ft?
A common thumb rule is about 0.4 bags of 50 kg cement per sq ft of built-up area, so a 1,000 sq ft house needs roughly 400 bags. Your engineer’s BOQ gives the exact figure.
How much steel is needed for a house per sq ft?
Around 3.5–4.5 kg of TMT steel per sq ft of built-up area for typical residential RCC buildings; this tool uses 4 kg by default and you can change it.
What percentage of construction cost is labour?
Labour is typically 20–30% of the total cost of a house in India. This calculator uses 22% as the default and you can change it.
Does this estimate include land and interiors?
No. It covers the building structure and standard finishes only. Add land, plan approval, compound wall, sump/borewell, modular kitchen, wardrobes and furniture separately.