IS 7272:2000 (Part 1) is the Indian Standard (BIS) for recommendation for labour output constants for building work, part i: north zone. This standard provides recommended labour output constants for various building construction activities, specifically for the North Zone of India. It serves as a crucial guide for project managers, quantity surveyors, and estimators for preparing realistic schedules, manpower planning, and cost estimates.
Recommendation for Labour Output Constants for Building Work, Part I: North Zone
Indicative labour-output constants (North Zone).
| Reference | Value | Clause |
|---|---|---|
| Zone | North Zone (Part 1); South = Part 2 | Scope |
| Brickwork — mason | ≈ 0.9 labour-day / m³ | Brickwork |
| Brickwork — mazdoor | ≈ 1.4 labour-day / m³ | Brickwork |
| Use | Labour-only; add materials + T&P + OH&P | Rate analysis |
| Measurement basis | Per the IS 1200 unit of the item | IS 1200 |
| Best use | First-principles check on SoR rates / claims | — |
BIM-relevant code. See the BIM Hub for ISO 19650, IFC, and LOD/LOIN frameworks used alongside it.
IS 7272 Part 1:2000 gives recommended labour-output constants for building work for the North Zone of India (Part 2 covers the South Zone). It is the first-principles basis for the *labour* component of rate analysis — how much brickwork a mason lays, how much earth a mazdoor excavates, how much shuttering a carpenter fixes in a standard day.
It underpins, and is sense-checked against, the practical rate instruments:
An output constant is the quantity of a defined item of work that one unit of a labour trade produces in one standard day — or, equivalently, the labour-days required per unit of work. IS 7272 tabulates these by trade (mason, mazdoor/beldar, bhisti, carpenter, bar-bender, painter) for each building activity (earthwork, brickwork, plastering, concreting, RCC, formwork, painting).
The rate of any item is then built up as:
> Unit rate = materials + labour (Σ output-constant × wage) + T&P + water/electricity + overheads + contractor's profit
The labour block is exactly the Σ of each trade's output constant multiplied by its daily wage. IS 7272 fixes the *technical* productivity assumption; the wages and overheads are commercial inputs. This separation is what lets an estimator defend a rate line-by-line in audit or arbitration.
Item: 1 m³ first-class brickwork in CM 1:6, superstructure.
Step 1 — output constants (illustrative, per IS 7272 Part 1 North Zone): - Mason ≈ 0.9 day - Mazdoor/beldar ≈ 1.4 day - Bhisti (water) ≈ 0.2 day
Step 2 — labour cost (assume mason ₹800/day, mazdoor ₹600/day, bhisti ₹550/day): = 0.9×800 + 1.4×600 + 0.2×550 = 720 + 840 + 110 = ₹1,670 / m³
Step 3 — full rate: add brick + mortar materials, T&P (~3%), water/power, overheads + profit (~15%) to get the quoted unit rate.
The value of IS 7272 here is not the absolute number — it is having a *traceable, standard* productivity figure so the labour component is defensible rather than guessed.
1. Applying North-Zone constants in the South (or vice-versa). Use Part 1 for North, Part 2 for South — productivity and practice differ enough that the constants are zoned for a reason.
2. Treating the constants as immutable. They assume traditional methods; mechanised excavation, RMC, system formwork and pumped concrete change the labour content drastically — adjust, don't blindly apply.
3. Mismatching the measurement basis. The constant is per the IS 1200 unit of that item; applying it to a quantity measured by a different rule double-counts or under-counts.
4. Ignoring site/condition factors. Height, congestion, lead/lift, monsoon and repetitive vs one-off work all move real output away from the standard constant.
5. **Forgetting it is *labour only*.** The constant gives labour-days; materials, T&P, overheads and profit are separate build-up lines.
IS 7272's constants are old and assume largely manual methods, so on modern, mechanised projects the *absolute* productivity has risen and the constants over-state labour for many items. In day-to-day estimating, the CPWD/state Schedule of Rates and CPWD Analysis of Rates are the working instruments because they are periodically revised and contractually accepted.
Where IS 7272 still earns its keep is as the independent, first-principles check: when a SoR rate looks wrong, when an extra/non-schedule item must be priced, or when a labour-escalation or productivity claim is argued, building the labour content up from IS 7272 constants gives a defensible, code-referenced number rather than a negotiated guess. Reaffirmed and stable — use it as the audit backstop, not the daily tool.
| Parameter | IS Value | International | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthwork excavation, ordinary soil, by hand | Approx. 2.46 labor-hours per cubic meter (based on 3.25 m³/day per worker) | Approx. 2.29 labor-hours per cubic meter (for hand trenching in common earth) | RSMeans Data |
| Plain Cement Concrete (1:4:8) in foundations | Approx. 28.4 labor-hours per cubic meter (assumes manual mixing, transport and laying) | Approx. 1.67 labor-hours per cubic meter (assumes placing ready-mix concrete from a chute) | RSMeans Data |
| Brickwork in superstructure (1:6 cement mortar) | Approx. 26.0 labor-hours per cubic meter | Approx. 20.5 labor-hours per cubic meter (Note: brick sizes and wall thickness conventions differ) | RSMeans Data |
| Cement Plaster, 12mm thick (1:6 ratio) | Approx. 2.0 labor-hours per square meter (for single coat) | Approx. 2.26 labor-hours per square meter (for two-coat system on masonry) | RSMeans Data |
| Reinforcement Steel: Bending and Binding | Approx. 16.0 labor-hours per tonne (0.10 Fitter-days + 1.90 Beldar-days) | Approx. 15.1 labor-hours per tonne (placing and tying rebar for slabs) | RSMeans Data |