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House Construction Budget Planner

Your house budget split into the 13 lines CPWD uses to track building costs, with material, labour and a printable plan.

Construction● Free Formula shown Rates dated
Quick Answer

On CPWD's cost-index weights, about 80% of a building's cost is materials and 20% is labour. Steel (19.5%) and cement (14.5%) are the two biggest lines. The five structure materials take 51.5% together, finishing materials (doors and windows, flooring, paint) take 15% and services materials (wires, lights and fans, pipes, pump) take 13.5%. For a ₹20 lakh house that is about ₹3.9 lakh of steel, ₹2.9 lakh of cement and ₹4 lakh of labour. Enter your area, or your contractor's quote, for the full plan.

Rates checked Jul 2026. Source: CPWD Plinth Area Rates 2012: Annexure 4, Proforma for calculation of cost index (2012 weights, labour 25).

51.5%structure materials: steel, cement, bricks, aggregate, sand
20%labour
15%finishing materials
13.5%services materials

Part of the system: Plan a house construction budget. Steps, checks and a free printable page.

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The Formula

Budget line = line amount = construction budget × CPWD weight ÷ 100; total = budget × (1 + contingency %)

The weights come from Annexure IV of CPWD's Plinth Area Rates 2019, which lists the 13 inputs CPWD uses to track how building costs move and the weight of each. They add to 100. The budget comes from the same dated ₹/sq ft bands as our construction cost calculator, or from your quote.

CPWD's split of a building's costStructure materials 51.5%, labour 20%, finishing materials 15%, services materials 13.5%.51.5%20%15%13.5%Structure materials 51.5%Labour 20%Finishing materials 15%Services materials 13.5%
CPWD's split of a building's cost. CPWD Plinth Area Rates 2019, Annexure IV. About four-fifths of the money goes on materials.

Assumptions

  • The budget is built-up area × the quality-tier rate (Jul 2026 bands, the same ones the construction cost calculator uses), or the quote you enter
  • The split uses CPWD's 2019 cost-index weights. PAR 2019 is the latest edition whose annexure we could read in full; the 2021 and 2023 editions moved the index to new base dates
  • Each weight stands for a family of costs, not one purchase. CPWD prices the paint weight, for example, from enamel, distemper and premium acrylic in equal parts
  • Labour is half skilled and half unskilled, as in CPWD's proforma
  • Contingency is your own buffer. CPWD's weights do not include one
  • Land, approvals, architect fees, interiors and the boundary wall are outside the budget, as on the cost calculator

CPWD cost-index weights

The 13 inputs CPWD uses to track building costs, what it prices each one on, and the weight it gives each in the 2019 and 2012 editions. The planner uses the 2019 column.

InputWhat CPWD prices it on (2019)2019 weight2012 weight
TMT steel8 and 10 mm bars 50%, 12 and 16 mm bars 50%19.519.5
CementOPC14.514.5
BricksFly ash bricks88
Aggregate 20 mmNatural 75%, recycled concrete aggregate 25%6.56.5
Coarse sandNatural 75%, recycled 25%33
FlooringVitrified tiles 50%, ceramic 20%, granite 20%, Kota stone 10%53
PaintSynthetic enamel, acrylic distemper, premium acrylic, a third each33
Doors and windowsAluminium windows 35%, flush doors 30%, uPVC windows 20%, steel windows 15%75 (ply, wood and windows)
Pipes100 mm CI 40%, 20 mm CPVC 30%, 20 mm conduit 20%, 15 mm GI 10%2.52.5
Lights and fansCeiling fans 50%, LED tube lights 40%, LED bulbs 10%4.53.5
Pump set7.5 HP motor pump set2.52.5
Wires and cablesCopper wire 1.5 sq mm 70%, 4 sq mm 30%44
LabourSkilled 50%, unskilled 50%2025

Source: CPWD Plinth Area Rates 2019, Annexure IV, and Plinth Area Rates 2012, Annexure 4. Read Oct 2026. Labour fell from 25 to 20 between editions, while flooring, lights and fans, and the doors and windows line rose.

Lines that moved between 2012 and 2019Labour 25% in 2012, 20% in 2019; doors and windows 5% and 7%; flooring 3% and 5%; lights and fans 3.5% and 4.5%.Labour, 201225%Labour, 201920%Doors and windows, 20125%Doors and windows, 20197%Flooring, 20123%Flooring, 20195%Lights and fans, 20123.5%Lights and fans, 20194.5%
Lines that moved between 2012 and 2019. Weights in %. Labour's share fell five points, and doors and windows, flooring, and lights and fans took it up.

Worked Examples

1,000 sq ft house, standard quality, 5% contingency

  1. Standard build rate: ₹1,500–2,500/sq ft (as of Jul 2026)
  2. Construction budget: 1,000 sq ft × rate = ₹15 L to ₹25 L
  3. Materials: 80% of the budget = ₹12 L to ₹20 L · labour 20% = ₹3 L to ₹5 L
  4. Biggest single lines: steel 19.5% = ₹2.93 L to ₹4.88 L · cement 14.5% = ₹2.18 L to ₹3.63 L · bricks 8% = ₹1.2 L to ₹2 L
  5. Contingency: 5% × ₹15 L to ₹25 L = ₹75,000 to ₹1.25 L → total ₹15.75 L to ₹26.25 L

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A ₹30 lakh contractor quote for 1,200 sq ft, 10% contingency

  1. Your quote: ₹30 lakh, so the quality tier is ignored
  2. Materials: 80% of the budget = ₹24 L · labour 20% = ₹6 L
  3. Biggest single lines: steel 19.5% = ₹5.85 L · cement 14.5% = ₹4.35 L · bricks 8% = ₹2.4 L
  4. Contingency: 10% × ₹30 L = ₹3 L → total ₹33 L
  5. Effective rate with contingency: ₹2,750/sq ft

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Rates & Model Data Used

Every number below is a range with a date — material prices in India move quickly, so always check the "as of" month before relying on a figure.

ItemRate / valueAs ofNote
Basic build₹1,200–1,500 / sq ftJul 2026Economy finishes — basic ceramic tiles, standard fittings, putty + emulsion, regional-brand materials
Standard build₹1,500–2,500 / sq ftJul 2026Branded cement/steel, vitrified tiles, branded CP and sanitary ware, modular switches
Premium build₹2,500–4,500 / sq ftJul 2026Designer finishes — large-format tiles, premium sanitary ware, false ceilings, elevation work; ultra-luxury runs ₹5,000+

How to Use This Calculator

  1. Enter your built-up area. Add up every floor. The planner uses it for the tier budget and the rate per sq ft.
  2. Choose a tier or enter a quote. With no quote, the budget comes from the tier band. With a quote in lakh, the planner splits your figure instead.
  3. Set a contingency. 5% is filled in. Change it to the buffer you want, or 0 to leave it out.
  4. Print the plan. The print button saves the result and the line-by-line table as a PDF you can take to your contractor.

Frequently Asked Questions

What percentage of house construction cost is labour?
CPWD's cost index gives labour a 20% weight (Plinth Area Rates 2019), down from 25% in the 2012 edition. Item by item it varies. In CPWD's own analysis of M20 concrete (DAR 2023, item 4.1.2), labour is ₹1,857 of a ₹5,863 direct cost per cubic metre, about 32%.
How much of the budget goes on steel and cement?
34% between them on CPWD's weights: steel 19.5% and cement 14.5%. On a ₹25 lakh budget that is about ₹4.9 lakh of steel and ₹3.6 lakh of cement.
How much do plumbing and electrical work cost?
CPWD prices services as a percentage of the building cost. For residential quarters, PAR 2019 adds 9% for internal water supply and sanitary work, 12.5% for internal electrical work and 4% more for power wiring and plugs, plus 3.75% for the electrical service connection and 1.25% for the civil one. The services lines in this planner (13.5%) are materials only; the labour for them sits inside the 20% labour line.
Can I split my contractor's quote instead of an estimate?
Yes. Enter the quote in lakh and the planner ignores the quality tier and splits your figure. If the contractor's own breakdown puts much less than 34% on steel and cement, ask what grade and quantity they have priced.
Why use CPWD's weights for a private house?
They are the only published, dated split of a building's cost by input that we found for India. CPWD sets them for its own RCC-framed offices and staff quarters. A house with a lot of glass, granite or wood will put more into the finishing lines than CPWD's mix does.
How do I save the plan as a PDF?
Press "Print or save this plan as PDF" under the result. Your browser's print window opens with only the plan on the page; choose "Save as PDF" as the printer.
Core

Construction Cost Calculator

How much will your house cost to build? Dated rates, formula shown, honest ranges.

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Core

Steel Calculator

How much TMT steel does your house need? Thumb-rule quantity and dated cost.

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Cement Calculator

How many bags of cement a job needs, for any concrete mix or mortar, with the working shown.

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Core

Brick Calculator

Bricks, mortar cement and sand for any wall, worked from real brick sizes.

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Core

Concrete Calculator

Cement bags, sand, aggregate and water for any slab, by grade, with the formula shown.

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Plot Area Converter

Bigha, katha, marla, gunta or cent to sq ft, acre and hectare, using each state's own definition.

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Sources & Limitations

What this calculator does not model

  • CPWD's weights describe its own buildings. They are a planning split, not your contractor's bill of quantities
  • The "when you spend it" column is the order of work on site, not a payment schedule. We found no official stage-wise payment split to publish
  • Land, registration, approvals, architect fees, interiors and the boundary wall are not included
  • Tier rates are national bands; no city factor is applied yet