Starting from an 8*8k⋅pband structure, phonon scattering rates between hole subbands can be calculated with realistic electronic wave functions. Pronounced differences to published light hole and heavy hole scattering rates are found for GaAs, partially due to the density of states of the nonparabolic light hole band and to different overlap between the wave functions. Results are presented for some quantities of interest for transport calculations, like the average velocity after polar LO–phonon scattering. The scattering rates of the split–off holes are calculated within the same formalism. It is shown that their lifetime is mainly limited by optical phonon deformation potential scattering towards the heavy and light hole bands. All band parameters and phonon occupations correspond to room temperature. ©1995 American Institute of Physics.