For a five or six storey house in Dhaka, our November 2026 estimate is about BDT 2,200 to 3,000 per sft for standard to premium finishes, and more for an exclusive finish. It is worked out on the 4 katha G+6 example described below, with the parking floor counted in the area. This guide gives the bands, what they include and leave out, and the method that turns them into a budget you can check for your own plot.
House construction cost per sft in Dhaka (2026): the short answer
In Dhaka in 2026, a house of five to six storeys on piles costs about BDT 2,200 to 2,600 per sft with Bangladeshi tiles and fittings, BDT 2,600 to 3,000 with imported Chinese or top Bangladeshi brands, and from BDT 3,000, often 3,500 to 4,500, for an exclusive finish. The rate is per sft of total floor area, parking floor included, for an owner who buys the materials and hires a labour contractor.
A turnkey contractor’s all-in price, with its overhead and profit, is about 10 to 15 percent higher. Lift, generator and substation add about BDT 300 to 500 per sft. Design, RAJUK and utility fees are separate. These are approximate figures, last checked in November 2026. For your own plot, confirm the floor area, fix the specification, get the soil test and price an itemised BOQ.
Construction cost per sft in Dhaka, 2026
These are approximate figures from our own estimate, made in November 2026 for a 4 katha plot with a parking floor and six residential floors, about 12,100 sft in total, the same building as the worked example in our DAP and FAR guide. The finish level decides which band you are in.
| Finish level | What it means | You buy materials and hire labour (BDT per sft) | All-in through a turnkey contractor (BDT per sft) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | Bangladeshi tiles, sanitary ware and electrical fittings, flush doors, aluminium windows | 2,200 to 2,600 | 2,500 to 2,900 |
| Premium | Imported Chinese or top Bangladeshi brands, larger porcelain tiles, better doors and fittings | 2,600 to 3,000 | 2,900 to 3,400 |
| Exclusive | Imported porcelain or stone, imported sanitary ware, solid wood doors, false ceilings and feature work | 3,000+, often 3,500 to 4,500 | 3,400+, often 4,000 to 5,000 |
Both columns are per sft of total floor area, parking floor included. The first covers materials, labour, transport to site and site costs, with you buying the materials and paying a labour contractor. The second adds the turnkey contractor’s overhead and profit, about 10 to 15 percent, so it is the full amount you pay a contractor for the building work.
| Part | Typical cost | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Grey structure of an upper floor: columns, beams, roof slab, brick walls, plaster | BDT 1,000 to 1,250 per sft | Rod and cement are most of it |
| Foundation: bored piles, pile caps, grade beams, ground slab, septic tank, water reservoir | BDT 35 to 70 lakh in total | The soil test decides pile length and count |
| Ground floor structure with the whole foundation charged to it | BDT 3,000 to 5,500 per sft of ground floor area | Why the first floor looks so expensive |
| Finishing of a residential floor | Standard 850 to 1,050, premium 1,250 to 1,550, exclusive 2,000+ per sft | Tiles, doors, windows, sanitary, electrical, paint |
| Lift, generator, substation, pump, fire and intercom | BDT 40 to 60 lakh for a G+6, about 300 to 500 per sft | Not in the bands above |
Included in the bands: foundation and structure, brick walls and plaster, tiles, doors and windows, sanitary and electrical fittings, paint, stair and lobby finishes, the parking floor finish, labour and site costs.
Not included: lift, generator and substation; design and engineering fees; RAJUK, utility connection and other government fees; soil test and survey; boundary wall and landscaping; interior fit-out of the flats, such as kitchen cabinets and wardrobes; land.
What moves the number. Steel is the biggest swing. Our November 2026 estimate allows about 5 kg of rod per sft, foundation included, so on that assumption every BDT 10,000 per tonne change in the rod price moves the total by about BDT 50 per sft. Your building’s own structural design sets its actual steel quantity. Duplexes and houses of one to three storeys spread the foundation and roof over fewer floors, so at the same finish they sit in the upper half of each band or above. Buildings above G+6 need larger piles and more steel.
Not sure which band your building falls in? Send the plot size, road width and the floors you plan on WhatsApp. Our architect will tell you what the plot allows and which band fits your specification.
Sources and basis. The bands and the cost split are an approximate Studio Archifiction estimate, November 2026. Material prices are from Prothom Alo’s market report of 28 June 2026: 60-grade rod BDT 88,000 to 92,000 per tonne, cement BDT 480 to 560 per bag, plus sand, stone and brick. Sanitary and electrical allowances were checked against the PWD Schedule of Rates 2022, whose plinth area rates include materials, labour, the contractor’s overhead and profit, and VAT. Lift prices are from bdstall.com listings, July 2026. We review these figures every six months.
What a house construction budget actually contains
A construction budget for a family building in Dhaka has eight parts. Each is priced from a different document, which is why a single rate cannot describe them all.
| Part | What it covers | Priced from |
|---|---|---|
| Substructure | Foundation, piles or footings, pile caps, ground beams | Soil test report and structural drawings |
| Frame | Columns, beams, slabs, stair and roof slab | Structural drawings |
| Envelope and masonry | Walls, plaster, windows, external doors, waterproofing | Architectural drawings and the door and window schedule |
| Finishes | Floor and wall tiles, paint, internal doors, kitchen and bathroom fittings, railings | The finish schedule |
| Services | Electrical wiring and boards, plumbing and sanitary, drainage, pump and tanks, fire safety, lift, generator and substation where the building needs them | Electrical, plumbing and fire drawings |
| Site works | Boundary wall, gate, parking surface, septic tank or sewage treatment plant, external drainage | Site plan |
| Soft costs | Design and engineering fees, RAJUK fees, digital survey, soil test, utility connection charges, supervision | Written proposals and the official fee schedule |
| Contingency | An allowance for what the drawings cannot show yet | Held by the owner, not added into the contractor’s rate |
Interior fit-out of the flats is a separate budget, priced on its own basis. Our interior design cost guide covers that part.
How to use a per sft figure without being misled
The bands above are a starting point for a budget, not a price for your plot. A per sft figure holds only when everyone means the same area, the same specification and the same scope. Check these five things before you compare two quotes.
- Which area? The floor area counted for FAR, the built area including the ground floor and roof rooms, and the saleable area of the flats are three different numbers for the same building. Our RAJUK DAP and FAR guide shows the gap between counted and built area on a worked 4 katha example.
- Which specification? Wall material, window system, tile grade, sanitary fittings and the lift all change the cost. A rate with no specification behind it hides those choices.
- Which foundation? The soil decides between shallow footings and piles. A rate quoted before the soil test cannot know which one your plot needs.
- What is left out? Lift, generator, substation, boundary wall, utility connections, taxes and professional fees often sit outside a per sft quote.
- When? Steel, cement and brick prices move during a long build. Ask how the quotation treats price changes before you sign.
How to estimate the cost of your house, step by step
- Confirm what the plot allows. FAR, ground coverage, setbacks and parking set the floor area before any rate applies. Read the rules in our DAP and FAR guide, then ask for a review of your actual plot.
- Fix the brief. Number of floors, units per floor, family floors and rental floors, lift or no lift, number of cars, and how the roof will be used.
- Write the specification. One page that states the structural system, wall material, window type, floor and bathroom finish level and the services standard. This page is what makes two quotations comparable.
- Test the soil and design the structure. The foundation stays the most uncertain line until the soil report and the structural design exist.
- Price from drawings. Ask for an itemised BOQ built from the architectural, structural, electrical and plumbing drawings: every item with quantity, unit, rate and amount.
- Add what sits outside the BOQ. Design and engineering fees (our band is on the building design page), government fees (listed with RAJUK sources in our RAJUK approval guide), survey, soil test, utility connections and supervision.
- Add a contingency and phase the money. Plan payments by construction stage so that money follows verified work: foundation, frame, masonry, services, finishes, external works and handover.
- Compare quotations line by line. Put two quotes side by side by BOQ item, not by their totals.
Have a plot and a room list? Send both on WhatsApp and we will tell you what to fix before anyone prices the building.
How to read a construction BOQ
A BOQ, or bill of quantities, lists every item of work with its quantity, unit, rate and amount. It is the only document that lets you check a construction price. Five checks catch most problems.
- Units are right. Concrete by volume, reinforcement by weight, plaster and tiles by area, doors and fittings by number, railings and skirting by running length.
- Quantities trace to drawings. Ask which drawing each quantity came from. A quantity with no drawing behind it is an assumption.
- Rates say what they include. Material, labour or both; wastage; scaffolding; curing and testing.
- Provisional sums are marked. Items priced as allowances, such as a lift or fittings still to be chosen, are estimates, not prices.
- Exclusions are listed. Read that list before you read the total.
When two quotations differ, the gap is almost always in the quantities, the specification or the exclusions. Line them up item by item and the reason usually shows within an hour.
Decisions that move the construction total most
- Floors and basement. A basement adds excavation, shoring, waterproofing and pumping.
- Soil and foundation type. Decided by the soil test, not by preference.
- Structural grid and spans. Longer spans need deeper beams and more steel.
- Lift, generator and substation. Needed as the building gets taller; plan their space and power early. Together they add about BDT 40 to 60 lakh to a G+6.
- Facade and windows. The window system and shading carry more of the budget than most owners expect.
- Finish level. Decide it in the specification, not on site.
- Changes during construction. A change after the BOQ costs more than the same decision made on paper.
Time and cash flow
Count three stages. Design and drawings come first, then the RAJUK review, then construction. After the construction permit, a G+6 residential building usually takes 18 to 24 months to build to handover, with the structure, finishing and utility connections in sequence. Our house design guide covers the design stage and what to decide by plot size.
Ask every contractor for a payment schedule tied to stages you can inspect, and keep the contingency outside it.
বাড়ি বানানোর খরচ কীভাবে হিসাব করবেন: সংক্ষেপে
ঢাকায় ২০২৬ সালে পাইলের উপর ৫ থেকে ৬ তলা বাড়ি বানাতে প্রতি বর্গফুটে দেশি টাইলস ও ফিটিংসে প্রায় ২,২০০ থেকে ২,৬০০ টাকা, চায়না ইমপোর্টেড বা দেশের সেরা ব্র্যান্ডে ২,৬০০ থেকে ৩,০০০ টাকা, আর এক্সক্লুসিভ ফিনিশিংয়ে ৩,০০০ টাকার উপরে, সাধারণত ৩,৫০০ থেকে ৪,৫০০ টাকা লাগে। এই হিসাব পার্কিং ফ্লোরসহ মোট floor area-র উপর, যেখানে মালিক নিজে মালামাল কেনেন আর labour contractor রাখেন। Turnkey contractor দিয়ে করালে contractor-এর overhead ও profit সহ মোট খরচ ১০ থেকে ১৫ শতাংশ বেশি পড়ে, অর্থাৎ প্রায় ২,৫০০ থেকে ২,৯০০, ২,৯০০ থেকে ৩,৪০০ আর ৩,৪০০ টাকার উপরে। লিফট, জেনারেটর ও সাবস্টেশনের জন্য আলাদা করে প্রতি বর্গফুটে প্রায় ৩০০ থেকে ৫০০ টাকা ধরুন। ৪ কাঠার G+6-এ শুধু foundation-এ প্রায় ৩৫ থেকে ৭০ লাখ টাকা লাগে, তাই নিচতলার খরচ বেশি মনে হয়। সব অঙ্ক আনুমানিক, নভেম্বর ২০২৬-এর হিসাব।
নিজের জমির সঠিক হিসাবের জন্য আগে দেখুন নিয়ম অনুযায়ী কতটা floor area করা যাবে, room list আর finish level লিখিতভাবে ঠিক করুন, soil test আর structural design করান, তারপর drawing থেকে item-wise BOQ নিন। Design fee, RAJUK fee, survey আর utility connection আলাদা।
Questions clients ask
How much does it cost to build a house in Bangladesh?
In Dhaka in 2026, a five to six storey house on piles costs about BDT 2,200 to 2,600 per sft with Bangladeshi fittings, BDT 2,600 to 3,000 with imported Chinese or top Bangladeshi brands, and from BDT 3,000, often 3,500 to 4,500, for an exclusive finish. That is per sft of total floor area including the parking floor, for an owner-managed build. A turnkey contractor’s all-in price, with its overhead and profit, is about 10 to 15 percent higher, and the lift, generator and substation add about BDT 300 to 500 per sft. Your own figure comes from an itemised BOQ priced from the drawings and the soil test.
What is included in a house construction estimate?
Substructure, frame, envelope and masonry, finishes, services, site works, soft costs such as design fees and government fees, and a contingency. Interior fit-out of the flats is usually a separate budget.
Why do two contractors quote such different rates for the same house?
They are usually pricing different areas, different specifications or different exclusions, and one of them may not have allowed for the foundation your soil needs. Ask both for an itemised BOQ against the same drawings and specification, then compare line by line.
Does the construction cost include design fees and RAJUK fees?
Usually not. Design and engineering fees, RAJUK fees, survey, soil test and utility connections are separate. Our design fee band is on the building design page, and the government fees, with their RAJUK sources, are in our RAJUK approval guide.
How long does it take to build a G+6 house in Dhaka?
After the construction permit, a G+6 residential building usually takes 18 to 24 months to build to handover. Design, drawings and the RAJUK review come before that.
Is a per sft construction rate useful at all?
Yes, as a first budget. Use the bands to check whether a plan is affordable, then compare contractors on an itemised BOQ. A per sft quote is only comparable if it states which area it uses, what specification it assumes and what it excludes.
Why does the ground floor cost so much more per sft?
Because the whole foundation sits under it. For a 4 katha G+6, piles, pile caps, grade beams, the ground slab, septic tank and water reservoir usually cost BDT 35 to 70 lakh. Charged to the ground floor alone, that makes its structure about BDT 3,000 to 5,500 per sft of ground floor area, against about 1,000 to 1,250 for the grey structure of an upper floor.
Does the per sft cost include the lift and generator?
No. A lift, generator, substation, water pump, fire and intercom systems add about BDT 40 to 60 lakh to a G+6 building, or roughly BDT 300 to 500 per sft of total floor area.
বাড়ি বানানোর খরচ হিসাব কীভাবে করব?
ঢাকায় ২০২৬ সালে ৫ থেকে ৬ তলা বাড়িতে প্রতি বর্গফুটে দেশি ফিটিংসে প্রায় ২,২০০ থেকে ২,৬০০ টাকা, ইমপোর্টেড বা সেরা দেশি ব্র্যান্ডে ২,৬০০ থেকে ৩,০০০ টাকা, আর এক্সক্লুসিভে ৩,০০০ টাকার উপরে লাগে। মোট floor area দিয়ে গুণ করে প্রাথমিক বাজেট ধরুন, তারপর soil test ও drawing থেকে item-wise BOQ নিন। লিফট, জেনারেটর, design fee আর RAJUK fee আলাদা যোগ করুন।
Want a construction budget you can check?
We prepare the drawings, the specification and the itemised BOQ that make a building budget checkable, and we review contractor quotations against them. Send your plot details and room list to start.
- Plot location and measured dimensions
- Road width and the land records you have
- Room list, number of floors and parking
- Any quotation you want checked
Institute of Architects Bangladesh (IAB), member K-172. Architect-led practice in Dhaka since 2012: working drawings, BOQ and site supervision in house. This guide describes the method we use on our own projects. Last reviewed 6 November 2026.