How Much Will Your House Cost? Find Out in 30 Seconds.
No more guessing. Pick your floor area and package and you see the full total and every item behind it — at the real rates we publish, not a generic market estimate. No registration, no charge, and nobody will contact you unless you ask.
Cost calculator
Estimated construction cost
RM383,500 – RM482,500
Council plan approval is not yet confirmed, so the low end leaves it out and the high end includes it.
RM210–240 per square foot × 1,800 square feet
- Finish package Gold RM210–240 psf × 1,800 sq ft
- RM378,000 – RM432,000
- Council approval through to CCC Fixed cost
- RM0 – RM45,000
- Permanent electricity & water meters Fixed cost
- RM5,500
The rate varies with the design and specification of the house. This is an estimate only: our QS team prepares the formal quotation after going through the construction drawings.
Instalment from RM1,831/month LPPSA 4.00% fixed, 30 years, 100% margin. An estimate only.
Understand this figure
Rates effective 2026-09-23 (version 2026.09d). An estimate, not a formal quotation. Land not included.
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- Construction cost is the rate per square foot times the built-up area, plus two fixed costs if selected: council approval to CCC RM45,000 and meters RM5,500.
- Gold package rate RM210–250 psf; the exact rate depends on design and specification, and our QS team prepares the formal quotation from the drawings.
- The figure excludes land, unusual groundwork, fencing, landscaping and quit rent.
- The financing route does not change the price: the financing question only decides which documents you need.
- Before comparing two psf prices, ask first which area they are multiplied by, and whether the porch is counted.
How this figure is built
There is no hidden formula. Construction cost is the rate per square foot times the built-up area, plus two fixed costs if you select them. That is all.
Rate per square foot
| Storeys | Package | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 storey | gold | RM210–240 psf |
| 1 storey | silver | RM200–220 psf |
| 2 storey | gold | RM220–250 psf |
| 2 storey | silver | RM210–230 psf |
The rate varies with the design and specification of the house. This is an estimate only; our QS team prepares the formal quotation after going through the construction drawings.
Fixed costs
- Council approval through to CCC Architectural and engineering plans, council fees, permit management and CCC.
- RM45,000
- Permanent electricity & water meters Application, deposit and connection with TNB and the water authority.
- RM5,500
A worked example
A 2,000 sq ft single-storey house, Gold package, including council approval and meters:
RM210–240 × 2,000 + 45,000 + 5,500 = RM470,500 – RM530,500
The calculator accepts areas from 600 to 12,000 square feet. Outside that range we give no figure, because the cost per square foot for very small or very large projects no longer follows a flat rate.
What a price per square foot actually measures
A psf price only means something once you know which area it is multiplied by. This calculator uses built-up area, not land area. But “built-up area” is not measured the same way by everyone: some count enclosed space only, others include the porch, the anjung and balconies.
Serious cost references state their measurement basis. Arcadis's construction cost handbook, for example, measures cost per square metre on Construction Floor Area: to the outside face of the external walls, including stairwells, balconies, water tanks and the like. Its costs include foundations and substructure, and assume flat ground, normal soil conditions and no basement. They do not include site formation, external works, land, professional fees, or finance and legal costs.
An example: the same money, two psf figures
Say a plan totals 1,500 sq ft, of which 300 sq ft is porch and anjung. At the single-storey Gold rate its construction cost is RM315,000 – RM360,000 (RM210–240 psf × 1,500).
Divide the same sum by the 1,200 sq ft of enclosed space only, and it becomes RM263–300 psf. The same money, a different psf figure. So before comparing two psf prices, ask first: which area, and is the porch counted?
Our article on choosing a single-storey bungalow plan shows the split between enclosed and open space for a real design in the catalogue.
After this estimate
The cost is half the picture. The other half is how much you can borrow — and the most expensive mistake in this process is choosing a design first, then finding your financing approval comes in below the build cost.
The order we recommend:
- Check your financing eligibility — LPPSA for the public sector, or a bank for the private sector.
- Check your land: title, express conditions, access and land category.
- Choose from our 62 plans, or ask for a free custom design.
- We visit the site and issue a formal quotation.
Financing through our panel
Golden Sharp Innovation (IP0580950-X) is a registered panel contractor with the institutions above. Panel status means our credentials as a contractor have been assessed, and our progress-claim documents follow the format these institutions expect — it is not a guarantee that your financing will be approved, and not an endorsement of our services by them. Approval and terms are determined entirely by LPPSA or the bank concerned. Logos and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
For the detail-minded
Further reference
The rules and details behind the guide above. Open only what applies to you.
Published market references, and how to read them
Arcadis cost per square metre for Kuala Lumpur houses, and the steel, cement and sand prices DOSM recorded this year.
Reference figures are useful for testing whether a price is reasonable, as long as you know their year, their location and what they include. These are the most recent published figures we found for houses in Kuala Lumpur:
| Source | House type | RM per square metre | ≈ RM psf |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arcadis Malaysia 2022 (4th quarter 2021 levels), Kuala Lumpur | Detached houses (mass housing) | 2,545–3,565 | 236–331 |
| Arcadis Malaysia 2022 (4th quarter 2021 levels), Kuala Lumpur | Terraced houses | 960–1,570 | 89–146 |
| Arcadis China & Hong Kong 2026 (4th quarter 2025 levels, JUBM data), Kuala Lumpur | Detached houses, high end | 3,593–4,873 US$870–1,180 | 334–453 |
| Arcadis China & Hong Kong 2026 (4th quarter 2025 levels, JUBM data), Kuala Lumpur | Terraced houses, average standard | 1,053–1,735 US$255–420 | 98–161 |
- All figures include preliminaries (the cost of running the site) but exclude contingency. The 2021 table states preliminaries at 10%.
- Detached houses, high end (2025) include air-conditioning, kitchen cabinets and appliances, but exclude decorative light fittings, loose furniture, garden and parking. Terraced houses (2025) exclude air-conditioning, kitchen cabinets and appliances.
- The 2025 figures are published in US dollars, at US$1 = RM4.13. Arcadis's latest Malaysia edition is 2022, so the 2025 figures come from the Asian cities table in the China & Hong Kong 2026 edition. Ringgit per square foot = ringgit per square metre ÷ 10.764.
- Arcadis itself states that these are averages of fixed-price competitive tenders, and that the actual cost of a building depends on its design and many other factors.
These are not our prices, and they are not on the same basis as this calculator: scope, specification and measurement all differ. Use them to test any price, ours included, not to match one number against another.
Building material prices: what DOSM recorded this year
- Reinforcing steel (mild steel round bars and Mycon 60 high tensile bars), national average: RM3,426.80 a tonne (March 2026), RM3,504.20 (April), RM3,507.10 (June), RM3,499.50 (July).
- Ordinary Portland cement: RM25.55 per 50 kg bag (March 2026), RM25.90 (April), RM25.70 (July).
- Over a year: from July 2025 to July 2026 the steel unit price index rose 0.5% to 8.4% in most areas, and cement rose 0.9% to 7.5% in all areas. Sand rose 2.8% to 18.6% in most areas from April 2025 to April 2026.
- Work rates in Kuala Lumpur, 4th quarter 2025 (JUBM, in the Arcadis 2026 handbook, excluding preliminaries): grade 30 reinforced concrete RM380–440 per cubic metre, reinforcement RM3.70–4.70 per kilogram, 112.5 mm brick walls RM54–68 per square metre. Preliminaries are expected at 6% to 15%.
Material prices move every month. That is why every rate in this calculator carries the date it took effect (2026-09-23): an estimate without a date cannot be checked.
Estimate, quotation and Bill of Quantities: three different documents
Estimate, quotation and BQ compared, what PC Sums, Provisional Sums and contingency mean, and SST and the CIDB levy.
Estimate
The figure from this calculator: a range, from a psf rate times an area. Enough to size a budget and to talk to a lender. It is not a contract price.
Quotation
A price for a defined scope. CIDB's guide for homeowners lists what it should contain: the contractor's name, SSM number and CIDB number; the date and validity period; the scope and area of work by stage; the type, brand and quantity of materials; the project duration; the total price with its breakdown; payment terms; warranty; and the contractor's responsibilities, including site safety, insurance and permits.
Bill of Quantities (BQ)
A list of the quantity of every item of work, measured from the drawings, with a unit rate. Under the CIDB Standard Form 2022, the priced BQ forms part of the contract and is the basis of the Contract Sum. Errors in quantity or omitted items are corrected as a Variation, and quantities marked “Provisional” are remeasured when the work is complete. A BQ is prepared to the Malaysian Standard Method of Measurement of Building Works published by RISM.
Three lines that can change the final total
- Prime Cost (PC) Sum: a sum in the contract for work or goods from a nominated sub-contractor or supplier. Once the real cost is known, the PC Sum is deducted from the Contract Sum and replaced with the actual amount, plus the contractor's profit and attendance at the rates in the contract (CIDB Standard Form 2022, clause 41).
- Provisional Sum: a sum for work or goods that cannot be foreseen, defined or detailed at tender. It is spent only on written instruction: in part, in full, or not at all, and valued like a Variation.
- Contingency: an allowance for what is not yet known. The Arcadis reference figures above deliberately leave it out, so take contingency out first when comparing a price with them.
A quotation with a low total but many Provisional Sums is not necessarily cheap. Its final total depends on how much is eventually spent.
Taxes and levies you may hear about
SST. Since 1 July 2025, construction work services are subject to 6% service tax. But the Customs guide (updated 17 March 2026) states that service tax is not levied on the construction work of a residential building approved by the local authority for residential buildings only. If a quotation for your own home shows service tax on its construction work, ask what it is based on.
CIDB levy. Every construction project must be declared to CIDB through the CIMS system. Projects worth more than RM500,000 carry a levy of 0.125% of the contract value, paid by the contractor within 30 days of Form L2/96 (CIDB; CIDB's own example: RM500,000 × 0.125% = RM625).
How to compare two quotations, line by line
Six steps for comparing quotations, the costs that often get left out, and warning signs.
CIDB recommends getting quotations from at least three contractors. That only helps if you compare them properly:
- Use the same area basis. Make sure both psf prices are multiplied by the same area (see the porch example above).
- Match the scope stage by stage: foundations, structure, walls, roof, wiring and plumbing, finishes. An item missing from one quotation is a cost you pay somewhere else.
- Compare specifications, not package names: type, brand and quantity. Our packages show the specification of each package.
- Add up the PC Sums and Provisional Sums in each quotation, and read what they cover.
- Mark every item in the checklist below as included, excluded, or not mentioned. “Not mentioned” needs a written answer.
- Read the terms: validity, project duration, payment schedule, warranty, and who handles permits and insurance.
Checklist of costs that often get left out
- Extra earthworks and foundations where the land is not flat or ground conditions are unusual. Published market references assume flat ground and normal soil, and exclude site formation.
- External works: fencing, gates, drains, driveway and landscaping.
- Council approval, fees and contributions: council approval.
- Electricity, water and sewerage connections: workflow.
- Legal fees, stamp duty and valuation for financing: Zero Deposit Scheme.
- Professional fees (architect, engineer, QS), if not included in the price.
- Construction works insurance.
- Site cleaning after completion.
- Decorative light fittings and loose furniture.
- Quit rent throughout the construction period.
Warning signs
- A single lump sum with no breakdown, or a quotation too brief to understand.
- A price far below the others, with no clear breakdown of scope.
- Materials not specified. CIDB warns that this leaves room for low-quality materials.
- Extra work agreed verbally only. Ask for a written document with scope, cost and time, signed before the work starts.
- A request for full payment before the work is complete.
- No CIDB registration number, or no date and validity period on the quotation.