Construction System Comparison (RCC, Steel, Panel, Eco)
Compare cost, duration, and embodied carbon for RCC, Steel, Korean Panel, and Eco-friendly construction systems for the same built-up area and quality tier.
Rate overrides (per ft²) — leave at 0 to use the default rate for the selected tier.
Effective rates being used — RCC: 2800, Steel: 2400, Panel: 2300, Eco: 1600
Side-by-side comparison
| system | totalCost | durationDays | embodiedCarbonKg |
|---|---|---|---|
| RCC | NPR 42,00,000 | 270 | 80000 |
| Light-gauge Steel | NPR 36,00,000 | 180 | 60000 |
| Korean / Sandwich Panel | NPR 34,50,000 | 90 | 35000 |
| Eco (Cob / Adobe / Rammed Earth / Bamboo) | NPR 24,00,000 | 360 | 12000 |
Total cost (NPR)
Duration (days) and Embodied Carbon (kgCO2e)
How this works
Each system's total cost is a simple area-times-rate product:
total = area_ft² × ratePerFt²[system, tier]
default rates (NPR / ft²):
RCC: basic=2200, standard=2800, premium=3500
Steel: basic=1800, standard=2400, premium=3000
Panel: basic=1900, standard=2300, premium=2800
Eco: basic=1200, standard=1600, premium=2000Build duration and embodied carbon are scaled linearly from a reference 1,500 ft² house:
duration_days = baseDays × (area / 1500)
embodied_carbon = baseCarbon × (area / 1500)
baseDays: rcc=270, steel=180, panel=90, eco=360
baseCarbon: rcc=80k, steel=60k, panel=35k, eco=12k (kgCO2e)Worked example
A 1,500 ft² home built to standard tier with default rates:
- RCC =
1,500 × 2,800= NPR 42,00,000, 270 days, 80,000 kgCO2e - Steel =
1,500 × 2,400= NPR 36,00,000, 180 days, 60,000 kgCO2e - Panel =
1,500 × 2,300= NPR 34,50,000, 90 days, 35,000 kgCO2e - Eco =
1,500 × 1,600= NPR 24,00,000, 360 days, 12,000 kgCO2e
Eco is cheapest in materials and lowest in embodied carbon but the slowest to build. Panel is the fastest but ships with a labour-light, factory-finished envelope that limits design flexibility. RCC is the most flexible but the heaviest on cost and carbon.
Sources
- Conservative national-level rates calibrated for the Nepal residential construction market
- ICE Database v3 (Hammond & Jones) for the embodied-carbon baselines
FAQ
How does this comparison work?
We multiply your built-up area by a per-ft² all-in rate for each of the four systems (RCC, light-gauge steel, Korean / sandwich panel, and eco / earth-and-bamboo) to produce a total cost. Build duration and embodied carbon are scaled linearly from a reference 1,500 ft² baseline (RCC = 270 days / 80,000 kgCO2e, steel = 180 days / 60,000 kgCO2e, panel = 90 days / 35,000 kgCO2e, eco = 360 days / 12,000 kgCO2e). Rates can be overridden per system to match local quotes.
Why is the eco system the slowest to build?
Earth-based systems (cob, adobe, rammed earth) and bamboo construction are heavily labour-driven and depend on weather windows. Cob and adobe walls need staged drying between lifts, rammed-earth formwork is moved by hand, and bamboo poles must be cured and treated before assembly. The reference 360-day duration assumes a small crew building seasonally — it can shrink considerably with more labour, but the natural drying and curing time is hard to compress.
Why is the Korean / sandwich panel system the fastest?
Sandwich panels are factory-finished modular envelopes that bolt onto a light steel frame. Once the foundation is poured a small crew can close in a 1,500 ft² shell in roughly three months, since there is no on-site curing, no plastering, and almost no wet trades. Most of the construction effort happens in a controlled factory rather than on site, which is also why the panel system has the lowest weather sensitivity.
How accurate are these numbers?
Treat the figures as early-stage budgeting estimates, not detailed quotes. The cost rates are conservative national-level averages calibrated for the Nepal market in NPR per ft²; duration and embodied carbon are linear approximations that ignore site-specific factors like soil conditions, multi-storey work, and supply-chain volatility. Expect ±15 to 25 percent variation against a contractor's BOQ. Use the per-system calculators (linked in the result panel) for line-item breakdowns, and override the rates with locally quoted figures whenever you have them.
Does changing the currency convert costs between markets?
No. The currency selector is a labelling change only — the numeric figures stay exactly the same when you switch between NPR, INR, and PKR. The default rates are calibrated for the Nepal market. To estimate a project in India or Pakistan, override the per-system rates with locally quoted figures and select the matching currency code so the labels match your inputs.
What does embodied carbon include?
The embodied-carbon figures cover the cradle-to-site emissions of the principal structural and envelope materials (concrete, steel, panels, earth, bamboo) at typical residential intensities for a 1,500 ft² house. They exclude operational carbon (electricity, gas, cooking) and carbon from finishes, fixtures, and on-site fuel use. The numbers are useful for comparing systems against each other, not for full life-cycle assessment — see the Embodied Carbon Estimator for a material-by-material breakdown.