Common Schedule of Plinth Area Rates for the Valuation of Buildings for Rental Calculation Purpose by PWD and for the Purpose of Collection of Stamp Duty by Registration Department During the Year 2025-2026

What the schedule governs

The Common Schedule of Plinth Area Rates issued by the Office of the Engineer-in-Chief and Chief Engineer (General), Government of Tamil Nadu Public Works Department, provides rates per square metre for valuing different types of buildings. The valuation is based on plinth area and construction type, without including land cost.

The schedule has two stated uses:

• Calculating rent for buildings through the Government of Tamil Nadu Public Works Department.
• Valuing buildings for collection of stamp duty by the Registration Department.

Public Works Department Chief Engineers, Superintending Engineers, Executive Engineers and Executive Engineers (Electrical) are instructed to adopt the rates for building rental calculations.

Who may be affected

The schedule may affect owners whose private buildings are occupied by government offices, because field officers use it when fixing or renewing rent. It may also affect property transactions where the Registration Department values the building component for stamp duty collection.

The schedule does not provide land values. It expressly states that the cost of land is excluded from the plinth area valuation.

Building categories covered

The approved schedule covers several construction classes and related works, including:

• Class A, A1, B, B1, C, D and D1 load bearing structures.
• Class E, E1, E2 and E3 reinforced cement concrete framed structures.
• Godowns, garages, thatched or tiled roofs and older mud mortar construction.
• Miscellaneous items, external and internal services, and electrical items.

A load bearing structure uses stone or brick masonry walls to carry slab loads without reinforced cement concrete or steel columns. A framed structure uses reinforced cement concrete or steel columns and beams to carry slab loads.

Location additions

The statewide rates are subject to location based additions for categories I to XV:

• 20 per cent within Chennai Corporation limits and the 32 kilometre belt around those limits.
• 15 per cent within Coimbatore, Erode and Tiruppur Corporation limits.
• 10 per cent within the listed Corporation limits of Trichy, Madurai, Salem, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Vellore, Thanjavur, Dindigul, Nagercoil, Hosur and Avadi.
• 5 per cent within all municipal limits.
• 10 per cent for buildings in the Nilgiris, Kodaikanal and Yercaud hills.

For items not covered, the schedule permits reference to the Common Schedule of Rates or approved plinth area rates for rough cost estimates for 2025-2026.