Which cement is best for house construction in Pakistan: OPC, SRC and slag, and brand prices

The best cement in Pakistan for most of a house is ordinary Portland cement (OPC) made to Pakistan Standard PS 232. Use it for the slabs, columns, brickwork and plaster. Sulphate resisting cement (SRC, made to PS 612) is for foundations and underground work in salty soil, high groundwater or near the sea. As of September 2026, local cement cost Rs 1,586 a 50 kg bag in Lahore, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

Brand matters less than the type, the grade and how fresh the bag is. Below: the types, what the standard on the bag means, how to check a bag, and what makers and PBS say about prices.

What types of cement are sold in Pakistan?

Sources: Attock Cement, Power Cement and Lucky Cement product pages, read 20 October 2026.

Attock describes its OPC as cement for “all general construction”, and for concrete, mortar and grout “where chemical attack is not a predictable risk”. Its SRC is “generally used in coastal and saline areas”. Lucky lists OPC, SRC and “composite cement” in its range.

When do you need SRC instead of OPC?

When sulphates in the soil, groundwater or sea water would attack normal concrete. Power Cement lists where it recommends its SRC: foundations and underground structures, mass concrete, sewage works, swimming pools and water tanks. Attock recommends its SRC for coastal and saline areas.

Both makers tie SRC to contact with sulphates or salty soil and water. Attock recommends its OPC wherever chemical attack is not a likely risk. Ask your structural engineer, or get a soil test, to find out whether your plot needs SRC.

SRC costs more. ARY News said on 8 August 2026 that SRC costs on average 8 to 10% more than ordinary Portland cement. PBS does not track an SRC price. On a Rs 1,586 bag that is about Rs 127 to Rs 159 extra (our calculation).

What about slag cement?

We found no Pakistani maker’s product page for slag cement offering it to house builders, with a standard and uses we could check, so we can’t recommend it. Lucky lists blended grades (CEM II and Portland limestone cement) on its infrastructure product page. If a contractor suggests a blended or slag cement for the structure, ask your engineer to approve it in writing.

What do 43 grade and 53 grade mean on a cement bag?

The grade is the cement’s minimum strength after 28 days, in newtons per square millimetre. Attock’s OPC is Grade 43 under PS 232: at least 43 N/mm² at 28 days. Power Cement sells a 53 grade OPC (class 52.5 N) and says it reaches almost the 28-day strength of 43 grade in just 7 days.

Your structural drawings or engineer should say which grade the concrete mix assumes. Attock lists mortar among the uses of its Grade 43 OPC, so plaster and brickwork don’t need 53 grade.

How do you check a cement bag before you buy?

1. Look for the standard. The bag should name PS 232 for OPC or PS 612 for SRC. Makers cite these on their product pages.
2. Check the weight. PBS prices cement in 50 kg bags. Weigh a bag or two from each delivery.
3. Ask how old the stock is. The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) says cement “begins to significantly lose its strength after 4 to 6 weeks of storage in bags in normal conditions”.
4. Keep bags dry. The CCP calls cement “inherently hygroscopic” (it takes up moisture) and says it loses strength sooner in high humidity. Use the oldest bags first.

Exporters print dates on their bags, the CCP said, but that is not required for bags sold at home. In April 2024 the CCP asked the government and the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) to make manufacturing and expiry dates compulsory on cement bags. We found no notice that the rule has been adopted as of October 2026.

What is the cement price by brand?

No maker publishes a retail price list. The online “brand rate” lists we found either had no source or showed contradictory dates, so we don’t reproduce them. PBS records one “local” cement price per city:

Across 35 cities, PBS’s September price ran from Rs 1,463 in Attock to Rs 1,613 in Sukkur and Bahawalnagar. Wholesale cement prices were 3.51% higher than a year earlier and 2.05% lower than in August. For the price of the other materials, see construction material prices.

How many bags of cement does a house need?

It depends on the covered area and the structure. On our construction material calculator, a house with load-bearing brick walls takes about 0.24 to 0.31 bags per sq ft of covered area, and a full RCC frame 0.38 to 0.44 bags. For plot-by-plot figures, see 10 marla house construction cost and 1 kanal house construction cost.

More guides: Grade 40 vs Grade 60 steel, grey structure cost, house construction cost in Pakistan, contractor with material vs labour rate.