Material quantities (cement bags, sand) required per square metre of plaster work, including standard wastage. Use for material indenting and rate analysis. Quantities depend on plaster thickness, mix ratio, and surface finish — figures below include 15% wastage typical of Indian site practice.
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Internal Plaster (12 mm thickness)
Includes 15% wastage. Dry volume = 1.30 × wet volume
Mix Thickness Cement / m² Sand / m² Use Note 1:3 (rich) 12 mm 0.156 bag (7.8 kg) 0.0156 m³ Bath, kitchen wet zones Higher cement, denser finish 1:4 12 mm 0.124 bag (6.2 kg) 0.0156 m³ Internal walls (general) — 1:5 12 mm 0.104 bag (5.2 kg) 0.0156 m³ Internal walls (less load) — 1:6 (most common) 12 mm 0.087 bag (4.36 kg) 0.0156 m³ General internal — most common Standard CPWD specification
External Plaster (15 mm thickness — single coat)
Mix Thickness Cement / m² Sand / m² Use Note 1:4 15 mm 0.155 bag (7.74 kg) 0.0195 m³ Exposed external walls Sand-faced finish typical 1:5 15 mm 0.130 bag (6.5 kg) 0.0195 m³ External, moderate exposure — 1:6 15 mm 0.108 bag (5.42 kg) 0.0195 m³ External, sheltered —
Two-Coat Plaster (20 mm = 12+8 mm)
Rough coat 12 mm + finish coat 8 mm — for severe exposure
Mix Thickness Cement / m² Sand / m² Use Note 1:4 (rough) + 1:3 (finish) 20 mm 0.21 bag (10.5 kg) 0.026 m³ Sea coast, heavy rain Best durability 1:5 + 1:4 20 mm 0.18 bag (9.0 kg) 0.026 m³ External standard — 1:6 + 1:4 20 mm 0.16 bag (8.0 kg) 0.026 m³ External economy —
Ceiling Plaster (6 mm thickness)
Soffit of RCC slab — thinner coat, higher consumption per m³ due to overhead waste
Mix Thickness Cement / m² Sand / m² Use Note 1:3 (rich) 6 mm 0.094 bag (4.7 kg) 0.0094 m³ Bath, kitchen ceilings 20% wastage assumed 1:4 6 mm 0.075 bag (3.75 kg) 0.0094 m³ Internal ceilings — 1:5 6 mm 0.063 bag (3.15 kg) 0.0094 m³ Less load ceilings — 1:6 6 mm 0.052 bag (2.6 kg) 0.0094 m³ Standard internal ceiling Most common specification
Quick Estimation Formulas
Mix Thickness Cement / m² Sand / m² Use Note Wet volume of plaster — Area × thickness — Step 1 m² × mm/1000 = m³ Dry volume — Wet volume × 1.30 — Step 2 30% extra for shrinkage + Wastage — Dry volume × 1.15 — Step 3 15% wastage on site Cement (kg) — (1/(1+R)) × Total dry vol × 1440 — Step 4 R = sand:cement ratio Cement (bags) — Cement kg / 50 — Step 5 — Sand — — (R/(1+R)) × Total dry volume Step 6 m³ of sand
Typical Wall Plaster Areas (per room)
Mix Thickness Cement / m² Sand / m² Use Note 10×10 ft room (4 walls) — — — Internal plaster ≈ 36 m² Less openings ≈ 30 m² 12×15 ft hall — — — ≈ 50 m² internal — Ceiling (per 10 m²) — — — ≈ 10 m² ceiling plaster Same as floor area Whole 1000 sq ft house — — — ≈ 350–400 m² total plaster Internal + external + ceiling
Notes
• These figures include 30% bulking factor for dry → wet and 15% site wastage
• If sand has high silt content, increase cement by 5–10% to compensate
• Always order 5% extra material at procurement to avoid mid-job stoppages
• For sand-faced finish, add 1 mm extra finish coat — consume 10% more material
• Add 5–8 kg cement per m² extra for waterproofing additives where needed
• Use 2.36 mm sieve for plaster sand — fine, well-graded sand gives smoother finish
• Always cure plaster for ≥ 7 days — water spray 3 times daily
• For machine-applied (spray) plaster, output is 3–4× manual but material wastage is also higher
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