Natural Stone for Houses: Kota, Sandstone, Granite and Marble Compared

For most Indian houses, Kota stone is the sensible default floor: its Indian Standard allows it to absorb only 0.15% of its weight in water, it splits naturally with a grippy face, and CPWD prices it well below granite or marble. Use granite where wear and stains are heaviest (kitchen counters, steps, parking), marble indoors where you want polish and colour, sandstone for paving, facades and jaalis, Shahabad or Tandur stone as the Deccan's own Kota, and slate for sloped roofs and rustic cladding.

This guide compares the stones themselves. For how climate and region shape the rest of the house, see our guide to building materials in India by climate and region.

Which stone goes where

Use	Good choices
Living and bedroom floors	Kota, Shahabad, Tandur, marble, granite
Bathrooms and wet areas	Kota or granite, not polished
Kitchen counters	Granite
Terraces, paving, steps outside	Kota (natural split), flamed granite, sandstone
Facades and boundary walls	Sandstone, granite, Kota, slate
Sloped roofs in the hills	Slate

Our guidance, based on the properties below.

For how stone fits the rest of a house in two of the regions that quarry it most, see building materials in Jaipur, Jodhpur and Rajasthan and building materials in Bangalore.

What the standards say

Water absorption matters most in a house: the less water a stone takes up, the less it stains or grows algae.

Stone and code	Max water absorption	Strength or hardness	Sizes in the code
Limestone slabs (Kota, Shahabad, Tandur), IS 1128:1974	0.15%	Transverse strength 70 kg/cm²	15 to 150 cm long, 15 to 95 mm thick
Sandstone slabs, IS 3622:1977	2.5%	Transverse 7 N/mm²; wear 2 mm average	Up to 360 x 90 cm, 15 to 100 mm thick
Polished granite, IS 14223 (Part 1):2023	0.5%	Mohs 6 to 7; compressive 100 to 220 N/mm²	To order, within 2 mm (1 mm on thickness)
Marble, IS 1130:1969	0.4%	Mohs 3 minimum	Slabs 20 to 150 mm; tiles up to 60 x 60 cm, 18 to 24 mm
Roofing slate, IS 6250:1981	2% average	Modulus of rupture 60 N/mm² dry, 40 wet	600 x 300 or 500 x 250 mm, 15 mm minimum

The limestone code is the strictest on water, and granite must reach 6 to 7 on the Mohs scale where marble needs only 3. The codes are old, but the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) reports IS 1130 and IS 6250 reaffirmed in 2022 and IS 1128 in 2008.

The stones, one by one

Kota stone

Kota stone is a greenish-grey limestone from Kota, Jhalawar and Chittorgarh districts of Rajasthan, shipped mostly from Ramganjmandi and Jhalawar Road, according to IBM's Minerals Yearbook 2022 review of dimension stones. Splittable limestone like it is quarried as ready-to-use slabs 12 to 50 mm thick, and the trade sells shades such as Kota Blue and Kota Brown. IBM describes a natural split, non-slip surface and a compressive strength of over 2,189 kg/cm², and lists uses from interior floors to exterior paving and facades.

Sandstone: Dholpur, Jodhpur, Bansi Pink and others

Sandstone comes in dark red, brown, buff, white and yellow, and is marketed under names such as Vindhyan Red, Bundi, Bansi Pink, Mandana and Dholpur Cream (IBM). Rajasthan has the largest deposits, but it is also quarried in Panna and Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh, in Agra, Lalitpur and Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh, and in Kachchh in Gujarat. At up to 2.5% absorption under IS 3622 it is the thirstiest stone here, so it suits open paving and facades better than kitchens.

Granite

India has granite in over 200 shades; Karnataka and Rajasthan each hold about a fifth of the resource, followed by Jharkhand and Gujarat (IBM, Granite, 2022). IS 14223 also covers basalt, gabbro, dolerite and similar stones sold as granite. IBM notes 20 mm slabs for floors and 10 or 12 mm tiles for cladding.

Marble

IS 1130 defines marble as a recrystallised limestone that takes a polish and names Makrana, Abu, Ambaji, Kishangarh, Bundi, Baroda and Narnaul among its sources. The trade is looser: IBM's Marble, 2022 chapter says any calcareous rock that polishes is sold as marble, including serpentine, onyx and some limestones. Jaisalmer's yellow stone shows the overlap: IBM's dimension stone review calls it a Jurassic limestone that "is also termed as yellow marble", and its marble chapter lists yellow marble from Jaisalmer among types classified by BIS.

Shahabad and Tandur stone

These are the Deccan's flaggy limestones. IBM places Shahabad stone in Kalaburagi district, Karnataka, and lists Tandur stone among the south's dimension limestones. Telangana's Common Schedule of Rates 2026-27 files them under "locally available flooring stones". Being limestone slabs, they fall under IS 1128 like Kota, and the BIS code for stone facing, IS 4101 (Part 1), names "Sahabad", Tandur and Kotah stone as limestone veneers available from 20 mm thick.

Slate

Slate splits along its cleavage into thin slabs. IBM lists deposits in the Aravallis of Rajasthan and Haryana, in Andhra Pradesh and in the Himalaya, with production reported from Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh. It is used mainly for roofing, and increasingly for cladding and floor tiles; its BIS code, IS 6250, covers roofing slate.

On Urban Cave, a 4,500 sq ft house in Panchkula, Varun Garg Architects describe a "monolithic stone façade" and stone cladding; the large grey slabs carry on along the boundary wall and into the paving.

Slip, heat and finish

Slip. None of the stone codes we opened sets a slip-resistance figure, so the finish decides grip. IS 1130 defines three marble finishes: sand or abrasive (flat and non-reflective), honed (velvety, little or no gloss) and polished (glossy). IS 14223 asks polished granite for a mirror finish with a gloss of at least 95%. CPWD's schedule also prices flamed granite, and IBM calls Kota's natural split face non-slip. Our guidance: mirror polish for dry indoor rooms; honed, flamed, natural split or rough-dressed faces in bathrooms, on steps and wherever rain reaches.

Heat. The BIS handbook SP 41 (1987) gives limestone a thermal conductivity of 1.80 W/m·K and slate 1.72, against 0.811 for burnt brick, which is why stone floors feel cool underfoot. Colour matters more outdoors: SP 41 puts the solar absorptivity of white marble at 0.45 and of dark slate at 0.90. Our guidance: pale stone for sunny terraces and pool decks, dark stone in shade.

Laying, cladding and sealing

Floors. CPWD's Delhi Schedule of Rates 2023 describes the standard method: 18 mm marble, 25 mm Kota or 18 mm granite laid on a 20 mm (average) bed of cement mortar 1:4 and jointed with cement slurry (tinted to match for Kota and granite), then rubbed and polished; sandstone 40 mm thick on a 1:5 bed. Skirting and dado go on a 12 mm bed of 1:3 mortar.

Walls. IS 4101 (Part 1) sets a minimum of 30 mm for granite and slate veneers, allows 20 mm limestone and sandstone veneers, and wants cramps of copper alloy or stainless steel, not galvanised mild steel. It also asks for support at storey levels and staggered joints, so one failed cramp cannot bring down the panels above. CPWD's dry cladding item fixes 30 mm sandstone to a steel frame and seals the joints with weather sealant.

Sealing and care. The codes do not cover sealers, so this is our guidance. Seal sandstone wherever oil can spill, and polished marble and Kota in kitchens, testing on a spare piece first. Marble and Kota are calcium carbonate stones, so lemon, vinegar and acidic cleaners dull them. In bathrooms, falls and a membrane under the stone matter more than any sealer; see our guide to waterproofing a house by climate.

Buying. Name the code, thickness and finish on the order, ask for a test certificate, and keep each room to one lot (IS 3622 and IS 14223 define a lot as slabs from one quarry). IS 1128 allows a limestone slab no more than 5 mm of curvature.

Indicative prices

To see what flooring means for a whole-house budget, try MOA's home cost calculator.

Mistakes to avoid

• Polished stone on wet steps and ramps. Order a textured finish wherever water reaches.
• Sandstone on a kitchen floor or counter. It is allowed 2.5% absorption, many times the others.
• Galvanised mild steel cramps on cladding. IS 4101 rules them out; use stainless steel or copper alloy.
• Mixing lots. IS 1130 warns that no sample guarantees uniform colour or veining.

Laterite is the other stone many Indian houses are built from; it is a walling block rather than a finish, and has its own guide: laterite stone construction.

FAQ

Is Kota stone good for flooring?

Yes, for most rooms and outdoor areas. IS 1128 limits its water absorption to 0.15%, and IBM describes its natural split face as non-slip.

Which is better, Kota stone or granite?

Granite is harder and better for counters, steps and heavy wear. Kota is cheaper, has a stricter absorption limit and suits most floors. Many houses use both.

Is marble good for bathroom floors?

It can be, with a honed or sand finish rather than a polished one. Marble is soft (Mohs 3 minimum) and acid-sensitive, so it scratches and dulls faster than granite.

What is the price of Kota stone per sq ft?

The CPWD DSR 2023 laid rate works out to about ₹181 per sq ft for 25 mm Kota, based on April 2023 Delhi prices. Local prices vary; check your state PWD schedule and get quotes.

The right stone depends on your rooms, climate and budget, and an architect can specify the code, finish and fixing for each. Find an architect on MOA.

Sources

• Bureau of Indian Standards: IS 1128:1974, Specification for limestone (slab and tiles) (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
• Bureau of Indian Standards: IS 3622:1977, Specification for sandstone (slabs and tiles) (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
• Bureau of Indian Standards: IS 14223 (Part 1):2023, Polished building stones, granite and similar stones (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
• Bureau of Indian Standards: IS 1130:1969, Specification for marble (blocks, slabs and tiles) (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
• Bureau of Indian Standards: IS 6250:1981, Specification for roofing slate tiles (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
• Bureau of Indian Standards: IS 4101 (Part 1):1967, Code of practice for external facings and veneers, stone facing (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
• Bureau of Indian Standards: SP 41 (S&T):1987, Handbook on functional requirements of buildings, Part 2, Tables 2 and 5 (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
• Indian Bureau of Mines: Indian Minerals Yearbook 2022, Slate, Sandstone and Other Dimension Stones (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
• Indian Bureau of Mines: Indian Minerals Yearbook 2022, Granite (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
• Indian Bureau of Mines: Indian Minerals Yearbook 2022, Marble (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
• Central Public Works Department: Delhi Schedule of Rates 2023, Vol. 1 (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
• Karnataka Public Works Department: Common Schedule of Rates 2023-24, Vol. 2 (Buildings) (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
• Government of Telangana: Common Schedule of Rates 2026-27 (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
• MOA: Urban Cave by Varun Garg Architects, project page (accessed 16 Oct 2026)