Guide · Cost
School building construction cost in India: a real BOQ for a G+1 school
The structure of a two-storey, twelve-room government school block in Haryana comes to about ₹2.13 crore including GST, or ₹1,760 per sq ft of built-up area. That figure is from the item-by-item bill of quantities we prepared for the Government School at Palra, and it covers the frame, walls and plaster, not finishes or services.
By the TerraSetu engineering team · Last checked
The building
An L-shaped G+1 block: a 34 m wing and a 36 m wing joined by a 45° corridor with a porch. Classrooms are 7.3 × 5.4 m, opening onto 2.4 m open verandahs. Six rooms a floor are classrooms, staff room and common room, with girls', boys' and accessible toilets on both floors. The main stair runs to the roof and two fire stairs serve the first floor.
Footprint is 563 m² a floor, so the built-up area is 1,127 m² (12,130 sq ft). The frame is RCC with 72 columns on isolated footings, 125 mm slabs and 230 mm brick walls, for seismic zone IV.
Cost by trade
| Trade | Amount | Share of works |
|---|---|---|
| RCC concrete (footings, columns, beams, slabs, stairs) | ₹42.6 lakh | 24% |
| Reinforcement steel (29.8 t of Fe 500D) | ₹35.4 lakh | 20% |
| Plaster (inside, outside, ceilings) | ₹31.4 lakh | 18% |
| Formwork (centering and shuttering) | ₹30.6 lakh | 17% |
| Brick masonry | ₹27.2 lakh | 16% |
| Earthwork, plinth filling and anti-termite | ₹3.9 lakh | 2% |
| Septic tank and soak pit for 400 users | ₹3.5 lakh | 2% |
| Roof drainage and ladders | ₹1.0 lakh | 1% |
| Total works | ₹175.6 lakh | 100% |
| Contingency 3% and GST 18% | ₹37.9 lakh | |
| Grand total | ₹2.13 crore |
Indicative 2026 composite rates for Haryana and NCR at CPWD DSR item level. Excluded at the client's instruction: flooring, tiling, painting, doors, windows, sanitary fittings, plumbing, electrical, fire fittings and waterproofing.
Cost per sq ft and per classroom
- Structure only: ₹18,950 per m², about ₹1,760 per sq ft, with contingency and GST.
- Per classroom: each room carries about 94 m² of built-up area once verandah, stairs and toilets are shared out, so about ₹17.8 lakh of structure per room.
- Finished building: finishes, doors and windows, plumbing, electrical and fire fittings typically add 35% to 50%, which puts a complete G+1 school at roughly ₹2,400 to ₹2,650 per sq ft in NCR.
Quantities you can use to check any quote
| Check, per m² of built-up area | Palra BOQ | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| RCC concrete | 0.33 m³ | 0.30 to 0.40 m³ |
| Reinforcement steel | 26 kg | 32 to 45 kg (final design will add about 10%) |
| Formwork | 2.8 m² | 2.4 to 3.2 m² |
| 230 mm brickwork | 0.23 m³ | 0.18 to 0.28 m³ |
| Internal plaster | 2.3 m² | 2.0 to 2.6 m² |
A quote far outside these ranges for a similar G+1 framed school deserves a question.
What moves the cost
- Framed RCC against load-bearing walls: a frame costs more but is needed for two floors in seismic zones III to V and gives open verandahs.
- Open verandahs instead of closed corridors save walls and windows.
- Toilets, ramps, drinking water and a rainwater harvesting system are small in cost but are what inspections and the UDISE+ report card check.
- Distance from the nearest town adds 5% to 15% for cartage and labour camps.
Check the numbers for your area
Frequently asked questions
What is the cost of school construction per sq ft in India in 2026?
For a G+1 RCC framed government school in NCR, about ₹1,760 per sq ft for the structure and roughly ₹2,400 to ₹2,650 per sq ft finished, including GST. Single-storey load-bearing schools in rural areas cost less.
How much does it cost to build one classroom?
About ₹17 lakh to ₹19 lakh for the structure of a 7.3 × 5.4 m classroom with its share of verandah and stairs, and ₹23 lakh to ₹28 lakh finished.
Can I get the BOQ for my own school project?
Yes. We prepare drawings and a BOQ in CPWD or state schedule format for CSR teams, NGOs and education departments, usually within a week of the survey.
More guides
- Guide · CSR
How CSR teams choose schools to fund
How a CSR team can shortlist government schools to fund in days: pick districts, filter by need from UDISE+ data, verify, visit. With a 100-point scorecard and compliance checklist.
- Guide · How to
How to build a recharge pit: size, depth and design
Recharge pit design for a house or building: pit size (2 × 2 × 2.5 m), filter media, recharge bore depth, how many pits a roof needs, and the cost with GST.
- Guides
Guides from our engineers
Practical guides from TerraSetu's engineers: recharge pit design, rainwater harvesting rules in Gurugram, school building costs from a real BOQ, and choosing schools for CSR.