Your builder quoted you per marla. That is why your budget is wrong. Construction is priced on covered area in square feet, not plot size in marlas. A 5 marla plot equals 1,125 square feet of land. The double-story house on it covers closer to 1,900 square feet. Multiply the wrong number and you are short by lakhs before the foundation is poured.
This guide gives you the 2026 rate bands, the per marla figures they translate into, and the costs that never appear in a per-square-foot quote. Every rate was checked in late July 2026, and the source is named.
Why “Per Marla” Is The Wrong Unit
Marla measures land. Concrete, steel and labor respond to floor space. Take a 5 marla plot and a grey structure rate of Rs 3,250 per square foot.
Wrong sum: 1,125 sq ft of plot × Rs 3,250 = Rs 36.5 lac. Right sum: 1,900 sq ft of covered area × Rs 3,250 = Rs 61.7 lac.
A gap of Rs 25 lac on one small house. The plot never changes size. The building does, once you add a first floor, a stair block and a mumty.
| Plot Size | Land Area | Covered Area, Double Story |
| 5 marla | 1,125 sq ft | 1,700 to 2,100 sq ft |
| 10 marla | 2,250 sq ft | 3,000 to 3,500 sq ft |
Ask your architect for the exact covered area on your approved drawing. Every number below depends on it.
Construction Cost Per Marla In Lahore: 2026 Rate Bands
Published rates disagree, and you should know by how much.
Grey Structure Cost Per Square Foot Lahore
Grey structure is the skeleton. Foundation, columns, beams, brickwork, slabs, staircase, plaster, underground plumbing and conduit. No tiles, no paint, no woodwork. Standard A-grade rates in 2026 run between roughly Rs 2,800 and Rs 3,600 per square foot. Add a basement and quoted rates rise to Rs 4,000 to Rs 4,600, once excavation, dewatering and waterproofing enter scope.
Finishing Cost Per Square Foot
Finishing is where two identical structures end up crores apart.
- Economy: Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 per sq ft. Local tiles, basic woodwork.
- Mid range: Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,500 per sq ft. Modular kitchen, decent fittings.
- Premium: Rs 5,000 per sq ft and above. Imported marble, false ceilings, branded sanitary.
Any finishing rate is meaningless until the specification is written down item by item.
A to Z Construction Cost Lahore
A to Z means the contractor hands over a house you can move into. Three things are commonly excluded even so: boundary wall and main gate, authority approvals and taxes, and utility connections with their deposits. Confirm all three in writing.
| Item | 5 marla | 10 marla |
| Covered area, double storey | 1,800 to 2,100 sq ft | 3,000 to 3,500 sq ft |
| Grey structure | Rs 55 to 75 lac | Rs 90 lac to 1.25 crore |
| A to Z, complete house | Rs 1 to 1.7 crore | Rs 1.8 to 3 crore |
| Working out per marla | Rs 20 to 34 lac | Rs 18 to 30 lac |
Read the last row again. Per marla cost falls as the plot grows, even though the house gets more expensive. That is proof the unit is shorthand, not a costing method.
5 Marla House Construction Cost In Lahore 2026
A working budget at mid-range specification, on roughly 1,900 sq ft of covered area.
| Head | Amount |
| Grey structure at Rs 3,250 per sq ft | Rs 61.7 lac |
| Finishing at Rs 2,800 per sq ft | Rs 53.2 lac |
| Construction subtotal | Rs 1.14 crore |
Cross-check it independently. Zameen’s calculator, updated 17 July 2026, returns Rs 94.92 lac for a 5 marla double storey house at Rs 4,688 per square foot. That covers material and labor only, with no margin, supervision or approvals. Use it as a floor, not a budget.
10 Marla House Construction Cost Lahore 2026
Rates ease slightly at scale through repeated formwork and bulk buying.
| Head | Amount |
| Grey structure at Rs 3,150 per sq ft | Rs 1.01 crore |
| Finishing at Rs 2,800 per sq ft | Rs 89.6 lac |
| Construction subtotal | Rs 1.9 crore |
Based on roughly 3,200 sq ft of covered area. Zameen’s 10 marla figure, updated 30 April 2026, is Rs 1.42 crore at Rs 4,213 per square foot for material and labor.
What The Materials Cost Right Now
| Material | July 2026 rate |
| Cement, 50 kg bag | Rs 1,405 to Rs 1,550 |
| Steel (saria) | Rs 235 to Rs 252 per kg |
| Bricks, A and C class | Rs 21 to Rs 23 each |
| Stone crush | Rs 172 to Rs 180 per cubic foot |
A quote older than six weeks is a historical document. If your contract has no escalation clause, someone absorbs the movement, and it will not be the contractor.
DHA Lahore House Construction Cost And The Compliance Premium
Building in DHA costs more than a comparable LDA society. The construction is the same. The compliance is not. DHA Lahore’s Building Control Branch charges scrutiny per square foot of covered area.
| Head | Rate per sq ft |
| Drawing scrutiny | Rs 20 |
| Fire safety | Rs 8 |
| MEP | Rs 5 |
| Structural design | Rs 5 |
| Total | Rs 38 |
On 1,900 sq ft, that is roughly Rs 72,000. On 3,200 sq ft, roughly Rs 1.22 lac. Add a mandatory soil investigation report, drawings signed by a DHA-registered architect and structural engineer, a refundable debris deposit, demarcation and TIP tax.
The reported practice also establishes your runway. Approval typically takes about 20 working days, construction must commence within a month of demarcation, and the building should be completed within two years of plan approval. That deadline removes your option to pause when material prices spike. Confirm the current timeline with Building Control before planning around it.
The Costs A Per Square Foot Quote Leaves Out
Run this against any quote you are holding.
- Scrutiny, fire safety, MEP and structural fees
- Architect and structural engineer charges
- Soil investigation report and demarcation
- TIP tax and authority levies
- Boundary wall, main gate and gate motor
- Electricity, gas and water connections plus meter deposits
- Site supervision and debris deposit
- Material wastage, usually 3 to 5 percent
- Escalation between quotation and pour
On a 5 marla build, these add several lakh rupees. On 10 marla, more.
Where Your Money Actually Goes
| Component | 5 marla | 10 marla |
| Foundation and structure | 52% | 52% |
| Wood, metal and tile work | 26% | 28% |
| Electrical works | 10% | 9% |
| Plumbing works | 7% | 6% |
| Fittings and fixtures | 5% | 4% |
Half your money is committed in the first phase, and grey structure typically takes three to four months. Focus on planning the cash flow rather than only the total amount.
Conclusion
A construction budget survives on three lines written on one page. Covered area in square feet, a specification named item by item, and a full exclusions list. With those, a per-square-foot rate becomes a real price. Without them, every quote is a guess dressed as a figure, and the shortfall lands on you six months into the build.
Rates here were checked in late July 2026. Cement and steel move monthly, so re-verify before you sign anything. At Aslaaf Builders, we work with plot owners across DHA Lahore, and the question we field most is whether a quote in hand is realistic. Bring your plot details and covered area, and we will walk the numbers with you before you commit.
FAQs
How much does it cost to build a 5 marla house in Lahore in 2026?
Published 2026 ranges put grey structure at Rs 55 to 75 lac and a complete turnkey house at Rs 1 to 1.7 crore. That assumes a double-story build with 1,800 to 2,100 sq ft of covered area. Finishing grade moves the final figure more than anything else.
Is construction cost calculated on plot size or covered area?
Covered area, always. A 5 marla plot of 1,125 sq ft commonly carries 1,700 to 2,100 sq ft of covered area once you add a first floor.
What is the grey structure rate per square foot in Lahore right now?
Roughly Rs 2,800 to Rs 3,600 for standard AA-gradeconstruction in 2026. A basement pushes quoted rates to Rs 4,000 to Rs 4,600 per square foot.
Does building in DHA Lahore cost more than in an LDA society?
Yes, mostly on compliance. DHA charges Rs 38 per square foot across scrutiny, fire safety, MEP and structural heads, and accepts drawings only from its own registered professionals.
What is not included in an A to Z construction quote?
Commonly, the boundary wall and main gate, all approvals and taxes, and utility connections with their security deposits. Some contractors also exclude supervision and price escalation.
