AGSK — what it is and how it is used in Kazakhstan
AGSK is the architectural, urban planning and construction catalogue of the Republic of Kazakhstan — the official lists of normative documents, construction materials, work technologies and pricing documents. Below: what the abbreviation stands for, what each catalogue contains, who maintains them and how estimators and designers use them.
What AGSK is
AGSK stands for “architectural, urban planning and construction catalogue”. It is not a single document but a system of state lists that organise everything the Kazakh construction industry works with: the normative documents in force, the nomenclature of structures, products and materials, work production technologies and pricing documents.
Every catalogue entry has an official name and a code. That pair — code plus name — is the whole value of AGSK: it gives the designer, the estimator, the contractor and the reviewer one shared language. When a specification carries an AGSK-3 code, everyone knows exactly which material is meant, with no ambiguity and no supplier price lists.
Formally AGSK is part of the estimate and normative base of Kazakhstan. In practice it is the reference against which design and estimate documentation is checked at the state expert review.
Structure: AGSK-1, AGSK-3, AGSK-4, AGSK-5
Four catalogues are published publicly. There is no catalogue number 2 in force in this list — the numbering runs 1, 3, 4, 5.
List of normative legal acts and normative technical documents in architecture, urban planning and construction
A register of the standards in force in Kazakhstan: SN RK, SP RK, GOST, ST RK and other documents referenced by projects.
When you need it: When you need to confirm that a standard cited in the project is still in force.
List of building structures, products and construction materials
The estimator’s main catalogue: the nomenclature of materials, structures and products with codes such as 211-101-0100 and units of measurement.
When you need it: When you need the name and code of a material for a specification or a local estimate.
List of work production technologies
Process charts and descriptions of the ways construction work is carried out.
When you need it: When you need to justify the chosen work technology in the design documentation.
List of normative documents on pricing in construction
The documents used to determine the estimated cost of construction.
When you need it: When you need to check against a current pricing document while preparing or reviewing an estimate.
Item counts reflect the AGSK-Search database as of July 2026. The catalogues are reissued, so the numbers change.
Who maintains the catalogues and where they apply
The catalogues are developed and maintained by KazNIISA JSC — the Kazakh Research and Design Institute of Construction and Architecture, the state institute responsible for standardisation in construction. Official editions are published on the sana2015.kz portal.
The catalogues apply across the whole territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan and form part of the national estimate and normative base, so their use is checked during the state expert review of projects.
The requirement is set out in regulation: SN RK 1.02.03-2022 “Procedure for developing, approving and composing design and estimate documentation for construction” (clause 5.13) and order No. 223-NQ (clauses 8.2.7, 8.2.46.2) require the names and codes of material resources to be taken from AGSK-3 without alteration.
How AGSK is used in estimates and design documentation
A typical estimator’s workflow looks like this:
- Identify the material from the project — grade, type, characteristics.
- Find the entry in AGSK-3 and take its code, name and unit of measurement.
- Carry the name and code into the specification and the local estimate unchanged — rewording them is not allowed.
- Check in AGSK-1 that the standards the project refers to are still in force.
- Reconcile the result against the original catalogue before submitting the documents for review.
One common reason for review comments is a material name that differs from the catalogue, or an item that is not in AGSK-3 at all. That is why the name and the code are copied verbatim.
Frequently asked questions about AGSK
What does the abbreviation AGSK stand for?
AGSK stands for the architectural, urban planning and construction catalogue. It is a system of state lists of the Republic of Kazakhstan: normative documents (AGSK-1), building structures, products and materials (AGSK-3), work production technologies (AGSK-4) and pricing documents in construction (AGSK-5).
How does AGSK-3 differ from AGSK-4?
AGSK-3 answers “what”: it is the nomenclature of building structures, products and materials with codes and units of measurement. AGSK-4 answers “how”: it is the list of work production technologies. Material entries for an estimate come from AGSK-3, while AGSK-4 is used to justify the chosen work technology.
Is the use of AGSK mandatory when preparing estimates?
When developing design and estimate documentation the catalogue is mandatory: SN RK 1.02.03-2022 (clause 5.13) and order No. 223-NQ (clauses 8.2.7, 8.2.46.2) require the names and codes of material resources to be carried over from AGSK-3 without alteration. For facilities financed by state investment, quasi-public sector funds or PPP projects, using price lists instead of catalogue entries is ruled out.
Where can I find a material code?
The code is part of the AGSK-3 entry itself and looks like 211-101-0100. There are two ways to find it: type the material name into AGSK-Search and the service will show the code, the name and the unit of measurement, or open the original catalogue PDF and locate the entry manually.
Can a material name from AGSK-3 be changed in an estimate?
No. The names and codes of material resources are carried over from AGSK-3 unchanged — this is a direct requirement of SN RK 1.02.03-2022 and order No. 223-NQ. Wording that differs from the catalogue is a common cause of comments during the expert review.
Why is there no AGSK-2 in the numbering?
Four catalogues are published publicly — AGSK-1, AGSK-3, AGSK-4 and AGSK-5. There is no catalogue number 2 in force in this list; the numbering simply skips it.
How often are the AGSK catalogues updated?
The catalogues are revised and reissued: new entries are added and obsolete ones are removed. Current editions are published on sana2015.kz. AGSK-Search checks the data for currency daily, but entries should still be reconciled with the original before documents are submitted for review.
How does AGSK-Search differ from the official source?
AGSK-Search is an independent service, not affiliated with KazNIISA. It gives instant search across all catalogues at once instead of leafing through thousands of PDF pages, but it does not replace the primary source. Official catalogue editions are published on sana2015.kz and entries must be reconciled with them before documents are submitted for review.
What next
Sources
- Official catalogue editions — sana2015.kz
- Catalogue developer, KazNIISA JSC — kazniisa.kz
- SN RK 1.02.03-2022 (clause 5.13); order No. 223-NQ (clauses 8.2.7, 8.2.46.2)
AGSK data © KazNIISA. AGSK-Search is an unofficial service not affiliated with KazNIISA. This page is for reference only: reconcile entries with the primary source before submitting documents for expert review.