Plaster rate per sq ft and per sq m in India (2026)

Cement plaster in India in 2026 costs about ₹12 to ₹18 per sq ft for internal walls and ₹15 to ₹22 for external walls, labour only, going by reported contract rates. With material, 12 mm internal plaster in cement mortar 1:6 works out to ₹30 to ₹32 per sq ft on CPWD DSR 2023 and our own October 2026 rate analysis. 20 mm external plaster in 1:4 comes to ₹43 to ₹45. Per sq m, that is ₹321 to ₹344 and ₹460 to ₹487. Every number below shows its source. To price your project, get these rates applied to your drawings.

REPORTED rates are typical figures from one published source. They vary by city. Schedule rates are references for checking a quote, not your contract price.

What a plaster rate includes#

A plaster rate normally covers cement mortar, the mason, coolie and bhisti (the worker who carries water and cures), scaffolding and curing. CPWD adds 1% water charges and 15% contractor's profit and overheads. DSR rates also carry GST and 1% cess. The Maharashtra SSR and the Chhattisgarh SOR exclude GST.

Under IS 1200 (Part 12):1976, raking out joints and cleaning the surface are part of the item (clause 2.6). So are arrises and rounded angles up to 80 mm girth (3.1.1).

It normally excludes putty and paint, and these extras:

• Chicken mesh at beam and column junctions: Maharashtra SSR 32.26, ₹57 per running metre for a strip about 30 cm wide.
• Grooves in external plaster: Maharashtra SSR 32.22, ₹49 per running metre.
• Waterproofing compound: DSR 13.21, ₹22.10 for each 50 kg bag of cement in the plaster.
• Height: DSR 13.22, ₹87.10 per sq m for exterior walls above 10 m, for each further 3 m or part.

The wall behind is priced separately. See our brickwork rate guide and RCC work rate guide.

Per sq m to per sq ft: the conversion#

Schedules price plaster per sq m. Contractors quote per sq ft.

Rate per sq ft = rate per sq m ÷ 10.764

CPWD analyses plaster per 10 sq m, which is 107.64 sq ft. 100 sq ft is 9.29 sq m. DSR 13.4.2 at ₹343.65 per sq m is ₹31.93 per sq ft.

"Per sq ft" in a plaster quote means sq ft of plastered surface, counted on each face. It is not sq ft of built-up area. A wall 12 ft long and 10 ft high, plastered on both sides, is 240 sq ft of plaster before deductions.

How the rate is built: 12 mm internal plaster, CM 1:6#

Our rate analysis guide explains the method and the inputs. They are October 2026 Delhi NCR prices: cement at ₹7,254 per tonne before GST (₹428 a bag, InfraLens, 12 Aug 2026, less 18% GST), coarse sand at ₹1,413 per cum, and central minimum wages from 1 October 2026 (coolie ₹840, bhisti ₹933, mason average ₹978.50 a day). The constants are CPWD DAR 2023 item 13.4.2, per 10 sq m:

One cum of 1:6 mortar (DAR 3.11) holds 0.25 tonne of cement (5 bags) and 1.07 cum of sand, plus mixing labour and mixer hire. At these prices it costs ₹4,112.50.

Labour lines are 78% of the base cost. The mortar is 21%. So wages, not cement, move this rate:

• A ₹50 rise in cement per bag (before GST) adds about 40 paise per sq ft.
• A 10% rise in wages adds about ₹2.40 per sq ft.

The bhisti line is 40% of the labour. That is water and curing. Ask whether a labour-only quote includes curing.

20 mm external plaster, CM 1:4#

DSR has no separate "external" cement plaster item. HouseYog's 2026 figures assume 15 or 20 mm in 1:4 for external walls. The matching DSR item is 13.6.1, 20 mm in 1:4. Its mortar, DAR 3.9, takes 0.38 tonne of cement (7.6 bags) and 1.07 cum of sand per cum. With the same mixing labour and mixer lines, it costs ₹5,055.52 per cum at our inputs. Per 10 sq m:

Labour is 71% of this base cost. The richer, thicker mortar is 29%.

Against DSR 2023. DSR rates already contain GST and 1% cess. Put through the same DSR arithmetic, our 2026 inputs give ₹393.33 for 13.4.2 and ₹563.93 for 13.6.1: 14.5% and 15.7% above the DSR rates of ₹343.65 and ₹487.40. Most of the gap is wages, which rose about 14% between the April 2023 and October 2026 central orders.

CPWD DSR 2023 plaster rates per sq m#

All DSR rates include GST and 1% cess. Items 13.1 to 13.3 are the same thicknesses with fine sand, at slightly lower rates; 13.1.2 (12 mm, 1:6) is ₹333.35. Item 13.16.1 is the thin 6 mm coat. The Maharashtra SSR has its 6 mm items (32.01, 32.02) for internal concrete surfaces.

State SOR plaster rates#

The latest SSR on the Maharashtra PWD site is still 2022-23. The Chhattisgarh SOR of 10 June 2026 keeps 2015 base rates for cement and steel (clause 0.13), which is why its rates look so low. Use the schedule your contract names.

Plastering labour rate per sq ft#

REPORTED 2026 figures, typical, varies by city. We have not verified them.

Cross-checks:

• Maharashtra SSR labour parts: ₹204 per sq m for 12 mm (₹18.95 per sq ft), ₹253 for 20 mm (₹23.50).
• Our Delhi analysis at notified minimum wages: ₹19.92 per sq ft for 12 mm and ₹26.04 for 20 mm, before overheads. Delhi NCR market wages (InfraLens, Aug 2026: mason ₹909, unskilled ₹636 a day) sit below the notified minimum.
• DAR allows 0.67 mason-days per 10 sq m of 12 mm plaster: about 160 sq ft per mason per day. For 20 mm, about 114 sq ft.

Cement and sand per 100 sq ft of plaster#

Basis: the mortar DAR allows per 10 sq m (0.144 cum for 12 mm, 0.172 for 15 mm, 0.224 for 20 mm), and the cement and sand per cum of mortar (DAR 3.11 for 1:6: 0.25 tonne and 1.07 cum; DAR 3.9 for 1:4: 0.38 tonne and 1.07 cum).

All figures are per 100 sq ft of plastered surface. Wastage is already inside: 10 sq m of 12 mm plaster is 0.12 cum of wet mortar, and DAR allows 0.144 cum. Do not add another 5%.

For 1,000 sq ft of 12 mm plaster in 1:6, that is about 6.7 bags of cement. At ₹428 a bag (InfraLens, Delhi, Aug 2026), cement is under ₹3 per sq ft of plaster.

Some 2026 guides give much higher cement figures. HouseYog lists about 1.5 bags per 100 sq ft for 12 mm in 1:6, more than twice the CPWD figure. Its sand figure (4.5 to 5 cft) is close to ours. Use the constants of the schedule you are billed against.

Gypsum plaster rate per sq ft#

DAR 13.78 takes 16.14 kg of gypsum per sq m plus 5% wastage: about 157 kg, or 6.3 bags of 25 kg, per 100 sq ft at 12 mm. Compare finished surfaces. On DSR, 12 mm gypsum (₹468.90) costs less than 12 mm cement plaster in 1:6 plus 1 mm white cement putty (₹343.65 + ₹156.05 = ₹499.70).

Putty rate per sq ft#

DAR 13.80 allows 1.458 kg per sq m for its 1 mm average coat, about 13.5 kg per 100 sq ft. HouseYog gives coverage of 18 to 22 sq ft per kg for two coats on smooth plaster, or 4.5 to 5.6 kg per 100 sq ft. Wall putty was ₹25 per kg in Delhi (InfraLens, range ₹19 to ₹30, 12 Aug 2026).

How IS 1200 Part 12 measures plaster#

IS 1200 (Part 12):1976 covers plastering and pointing:

• Units. Sq m, net as done; dimensions to 0.01 m, areas to 0.01 sq m (2.4, 3.6).
• Separate items. Walls, ceilings and roofs are measured separately (3.2), and so is each mix, thickness and number of coats (3.1).
• Walls. Length between walls or partitions; height from the top of the floor or skirting to the ceiling; dimensions taken before plastering (3.12). Sides of pilasters and projections are added (3.12.1).
• Ceilings. Between walls or partitions, before plastering (3.9). Stair soffits count as ceilings (3.10).
• Narrow work. Bands and cornices up to 30 cm wide in running metres (3.4).
• Height. External plaster more than 10 m above ground is measured separately in 5 m stages (3.5).

Openings and ends of beams (3.8):

• Up to 0.5 sq m: no deduction. Nothing is added for jambs, soffits or sills. The same applies to ends of joists, beams and posts.
• Over 0.5 and up to 3 sq m: deduct the opening, and add nothing for jambs, soffits or sills.
  • Same plaster on both faces: deduct from one face only.
  • Different plaster on the two faces, such as 12 mm inside and 20 mm outside: deduct from the face with the narrower reveal. If the reveals are equal, deduct 50% from each face.
  • Only one face plastered: deduct only if the reveal on the plastered side is the narrower one.
  • Door frame as wide as the wall, or projecting beyond it: deduct in full from each plastered face.
• Over 3 sq m: deduct the opening on each face, and measure the jambs, soffits and sills.

When both faces have the same plaster, the face that is not deducted in effect pays for the jambs and sills. The Chhattisgarh SOR 2026 specification repeats the same 0.5 and 3 sq m rules. More in our IS 1200 guide.

Example. An internal wall is 3.66 m long between walls and 3.05 m from floor to ceiling (12 × 10 ft). Both faces get 12 mm plaster in 1:6. It has one door opening of 0.91 × 2.13 m (3 × 7 ft) with a frame narrower than the wall.

• Gross: 2 × 3.66 × 3.05 = 22.32 sq m (240 sq ft).
• The door is 1.94 sq m, between 0.5 and 3 sq m, with the same plaster both sides. Deduct it from one face only: 22.32 − 1.94 = 20.38 sq m (219 sq ft). No jambs are added.
• At DSR 13.4.2, that is ₹7,004. Billed gross, it would be ₹7,670.

With a 2.4 × 2.1 m frameless opening instead (5.04 sq m, over 3 sq m), deduct it from both faces and add the jambs and soffit, 230 mm wide: 22.32 − 10.08 + 1.52 = 13.76 sq m.

Common mistakes in plaster rates and bills#

• Comparing a DSR rate with a before-GST quote. DSR includes GST and 1% cess.
• Getting openings wrong. Deducting a mid-size opening from both faces, paying jambs on it, or not deducting openings over 0.5 sq m at all.
• One rate for walls and ceilings. IS 1200 measures them separately. Ask for both.
• Wrong height. Wall plaster runs from the floor or skirting to the ceiling, not to the top of the slab.
• Cement thumb rules. CPWD constants give about 0.67 bags per 100 sq ft for 12 mm in 1:6. A figure of 1.5 bags needs a reason.
• Thinner than paid for. The Chhattisgarh SOR 2026 specification says the average thickness shall not be less than the specified thickness, measured without the mortar in raked joints.

How to check a contractor's per sq ft plaster quote#

1. Get the scope in writing: labour only or with material, mix, thickness, coats, base (brick, RCC or AAC), scaffolding, curing, mesh and grooves.
2. Get the measurement rule: IS 1200 Part 12, openings as above, walls and ceilings separate.
3. Convert and compare: multiply by 10.764 for per sq m, then compare with DSR 2023, your state SOR and a current analysis, on the same GST basis.

Example. A Delhi NCR contractor quotes ₹35 per sq ft for 12 mm internal plaster in CM 1:6, with material, before GST. That is ₹376.74 per sq m, about ₹5 per sq ft above our ₹29.83 analysis. Ask what is inside: putty, mesh, curing? Then check the area. On the example wall above, measuring gross instead of net adds 1.94 sq m, or ₹731 at that rate.

Rates help only when quantities are right. Send your drawings and we measure plaster, brickwork and RCC to IS 1200, wall by wall with the opening deductions, priced on DSR, your state SOR or local market rates. A simple house starts from ₹2,500, and your first project is 50% off, up to ₹5,000. See BOQ pricing or send your drawings.

Frequently asked questions#

What is the plaster rate per sq ft in 2026?#

With material: ₹29.83 (before GST, our October 2026 analysis) to ₹31.93 (CPWD DSR 2023) for 12 mm internal plaster in 1:6, and ₹42.77 to ₹45.28 for 20 mm external in 1:4. Reported market rates are ₹25–35 internal and ₹30–45 external.

What is the plastering labour rate per sq ft?#

Reported 2026 rates are ₹12–18 per sq ft internal and ₹15–22 external (HouseYog), typical, varies by city. The Maharashtra SSR labour part for 12 mm plaster is about ₹19 per sq ft.

What is the CPWD plaster rate per sq m?#

CPWD DSR 2023, including GST: 12 mm in CM 1:6 (13.4.2) is ₹343.65 per sq m, 12 mm in 1:4 (13.4.1) is ₹357.35, and 20 mm in 1:4 (13.6.1) is ₹487.40. Above 10 m, external plaster gets ₹87.10 per sq m extra for each further 3 m (13.22).

How much cement is needed for 100 sq ft of plaster?#

On CPWD DAR 2023 constants: 0.67 bags for 12 mm in 1:6, 1.02 bags for 12 mm in 1:4, and 1.58 bags for 20 mm in 1:4. Sand is about 5.1 cft for 12 mm and 7.9 cft for 20 mm.

What is the gypsum plaster rate per sq ft?#

CPWD DSR 2023 item 13.78 (12 mm average) is ₹468.90 per sq m, about ₹43.56 per sq ft, with GST. A 2026 market guide reports ₹32–55 per sq ft with material.

Are door and window openings deducted from plaster?#

Under IS 1200 Part 12, openings up to 0.5 sq m are not deducted. Openings of 0.5 to 3 sq m are deducted from one face when both faces have the same plaster, with no jambs added. Larger openings are deducted from both faces, and their jambs, soffits and sills are measured.

Sources#

• CPWD DSR and DAR 2023, sub-head 13 (finishing) and mortar 3.9 (verify against CPWD correction slips): https://arched.ai/resources/dar/finishing and https://arched.ai/resources/dar/mortars/3-9
• Maharashtra PWD State Schedule of Rates 2022-23, chapter Plastering and Pointing (items 32.01 to 32.37): https://pwd.maharashtra.gov.in/en/publication-type/state-schedule-of-rates/
• Chhattisgarh PWD Building SOR, 10 June 2026, chapter 11: https://pwd.cg.nic.in/CurrentEvents/BUILDING_SOR_10_06_2026.pdf
• IS 1200 (Part 12):1976, plastering and pointing: https://law.resource.org/pub/in/bis/S03/is.1200.12.1976.pdf
• HouseYog, plastering cost per sq ft (updated 26 Mar 2026): https://www.houseyog.com/blog/plastering-cost-per-sq-ft/
• HouseYog, wall putty cost (updated 7 Mar 2026): https://www.houseyog.com/blog/wall-putty-cost-india/
• Construction Estimator India, gypsum plastering costs (2026 guide, undated): https://constructionestimatorindia.com/what-are-the-costs-of-gypsum-plastering-in-india/
• InfraLens, Delhi cement, labour and wall putty prices, 12 Aug 2026: https://infralens.in/prices/delhi
• October 2026 input rates (cement, sand, central minimum wages) and the 12 mm plaster analysis: our rate analysis guide