QUICK ANSWER
At the calculator’s indicative Tier-2 city rates, building cost per sq ft is ₹1,197 for Basic, ₹1,490 for Standard, ₹1,983 for Premium and ₹2,935 for Luxury, kitchen excluded. A 1,000 sq ft Standard house therefore comes to ₹14,90,000. Rates differ by city and year, so treat these as a benchmark, not a quote.
A single per-sq-ft rate hides what you are paying for. See how structure, flooring, doors, electrical, plumbing, painting and ceilings add up across four quality tiers, and how to test a contractor’s rate against them.
Why a single rate is not enough
A quote of "₹ per sq ft" is a total divided by an area. It tells you nothing about what is inside it. To judge it you need the pieces: structure and masonry, flooring, doors and windows, electrical, plumbing, painting, and ceilings. The free Finish-Tier Cost Calculator breaks the number into exactly those pieces for four quality tiers.
Reference rates per sq ft by quality tier
These are the per-sq-ft rates built into the calculator. Their source sheet labels them indicative Tier-2 city rates. Their value is in showing the shape of the difference between tiers, not an exact price for your city or year.
| Element | Basic | Standard | Premium | Luxury |
|---|
| Structure & masonry | ₹900 | ₹950 | ₹1,020 | ₹1,120 |
| Flooring | ₹90 | ₹160 | ₹280 | ₹520 |
| Doors & windows | ₹70 | ₹120 | ₹210 | ₹400 |
| Electrical | ₹55 | ₹85 | ₹140 | ₹240 |
| Plumbing | ₹60 | ₹95 | ₹165 | ₹320 |
| Painting | ₹22 | ₹35 | ₹58 | ₹95 |
| False ceiling & joinery | ₹0 | ₹45 | ₹110 | ₹240 |
| Total per sq ft | ₹1,197 | ₹1,490 | ₹1,983 | ₹2,935 |
The kitchen is priced separately, per running foot of counter and base run: ₹1,200 (Basic), ₹2,200 (Standard), ₹3,800 (Premium) and ₹7,500 (Luxury).
Worked example: a 1,000 sq ft house
Multiply the total per sq ft by the built-up area:
| Tier | Rate per sq ft | Cost for 1,000 sq ft |
|---|
| Basic | ₹1,197 | ₹11,97,000 |
| Standard | ₹1,490 | ₹14,90,000 |
| Premium | ₹1,983 | ₹19,83,000 |
| Luxury | ₹2,935 | ₹29,35,000 |
Moving from Standard to Premium adds ₹4,93,000. Here is where it goes:
- Flooring: ₹1,20,000
- Doors and windows: ₹90,000
- Structure and masonry: ₹70,000
- Plumbing: ₹70,000
- False ceiling and joinery: ₹65,000
- Electrical: ₹55,000
- Painting: ₹23,000
Flooring and doors and windows alone account for ₹2,10,000 of the ₹4,93,000. That is the useful insight: the finish you choose moves the total far more than the structure does.
What the figure does not cover
The build-up has seven per-sq-ft elements plus the kitchen. Land, approvals, a boundary wall, furniture and appliances are not among them, so a contractor quote that includes those is not comparable to these rates.
Why you should not budget from these rates alone
They are indicative Tier-2 city rates. Steel, cement and labour prices move by city and by month. Use the table to compare tiers and to see which elements drive the difference, then re-price each line against current local quotes.
How to test a contractor's per-sq-ft rate
- Ask which tier the rate assumes and for a line-item BOQ.
- Put the BOQ lines against the seven elements above and find the one that looks out of line.
- Check the structure quantities against IS-code norms with the concrete mix calculator and the steel thumb rules.
- Read why a per-sq-ft price hides fraud before you sign.
See the glossary for BOQ, built-up area and other terms used here.
Frequently asked questions
What does a 1,000 sq ft house cost at Standard finish?
At the calculator’s rate of ₹1,490 per sq ft, a 1,000 sq ft Standard build comes to ₹14,90,000. The kitchen is priced separately per running foot, so it is not in that figure.
How much more is Premium than Standard?
₹493 per sq ft, which is ₹4,93,000 on 1,000 sq ft (₹1,490 to ₹1,983 per sq ft). On 2,400 sq ft the calculator gives ₹35,76,000 for Standard against ₹47,59,200 for Premium, a difference of ₹11,83,200.
Which element changes the most between tiers?
Flooring: ₹90 per sq ft at Basic, ₹160 at Standard, ₹280 at Premium and ₹520 at Luxury. Between Standard and Premium it adds ₹120 per sq ft, ahead of doors and windows at ₹90.
How is the kitchen priced?
Per running foot of counter and base run, separately from the per-sq-ft elements: ₹1,200 Basic, ₹2,200 Standard, ₹3,800 Premium and ₹7,500 Luxury per running foot.
Are these rates right for my city today?
No. The source sheet labels them indicative Tier-2 city rates. They show the shape of the difference between tiers; re-price against current local rates before relying on any total.
What is not in the per-sq-ft figure?
Anything outside the seven elements: land, approvals, a boundary wall, furniture and appliances are not part of the build-up.
