PWD Schedule of Rates explained: editions, zones and how to use them
Civil, E/M, retrofitting and lift schedules; the four rate zones; editions in force; basic rates; and how to apply SoR rates in metric and imperial projects.
Prime Base Engineering · 27 October 2026 · 2 min read
The Schedule of Rates (SoR) published by the Public Works Department is the reference price list for government building works in Bangladesh — and the benchmark many private estimates start from.
The schedules
| Schedule | Covers |
|---|---|
| Civil works | earthwork, concrete, RCC, brickwork, plaster, flooring, carpentry, steel, roofing, sanitary … |
| Electro-mechanical (E/M) | electrical installation, pumps, generators, HVAC items |
| Retrofitting | strengthening and repair: jacketing, micro-concrete, epoxy, FRP, anchors |
| Lift | lifts and escalators |
Each is revised from time to time; an edition stays in force until the next one takes effect. EstiMatrix carries every edition it has and picks the one in force on your project's date — or a date you choose when checking an older bill.
Rate zones
Rates differ across the country because material transport and labour costs differ:
- Zone A — Dhaka and Mymensingh divisions
- Zone B — Chattogram and Sylhet divisions
- Zone C — Khulna and Barishal divisions and Gopalganj
- Zone D — Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions
Choose the project district and EstiMatrix sets the zone.
What a SoR rate includes
A published rate is a complete rate: materials delivered to site, labour, tools and plant, the contractor's overhead and profit and VAT. That is why an official estimate simply totals SoR rates, and why a contractor's tender quote must strip those mark-ups before adding its own (see VAT, AIT, profit and overhead).
Basic rates
The SoR also publishes basic rates — cement per bag, sand per cum, stone chips, bricks, rod, labour per day — for each zone. Rate analyses are built from them.
Item numbers and headings
Items are numbered by chapter (for example chapter 07 for reinforced concrete). Many items inherit parts of their specification from headings above them — mix ratio, aggregate type, curing. EstiMatrix's search reads the headings too, so "40 MPa column" finds the right item.
Metric and imperial
SoR rates are published per metric unit. In a feet-based project, EstiMatrix converts each rate per sft, cft or rft from the published figure, so the cost is identical.
Check before contract
SoR data in any software is a transcription. Verify critical rates against the official printed schedule before contractual use; report a wrong rate through the EstiMatrix feedback tracker and it is corrected for everyone.
#pwd sor#rates#zones
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