Five Marla is the most common plot size in every active DHA — and also the one where budgets get squeezed the hardest. Here's what a 5 Marla house actually costs to build in DHA Lahore in 2026, from grey structure through to a finished turnkey, with the line-by-line numbers.
The plot and what DHA allows you to build on it
A 5 Marla plot in DHA Lahore measures 25×45 ft — 1,125 sqft total. The setbacks DHA enforces are F5, S3, R3: five feet front clearance, three feet each side, three feet rear. Once the setbacks are subtracted, your buildable rectangle per floor is 19×37 ft — roughly 703 sqft of footprint. The 65% coverage cap rarely binds here because the setbacks already trim the footprint tighter than 65% of 1,125 sqft.
The standard build is Ground plus First floor (G+1). Total built area on a typical 5 Marla comes in at 1,350–1,460 sqft across two floors. Some phases allow G+2; others cap you at G+1. Always confirm the elevation limit on your approval letter before the design is drawn — DHA phases have evolved their bylaws over time and the rules are not uniform across all 12 phases.
5 Marla grey structure cost in DHA Lahore 2026
The 2026 grey-structure rate for a 5 Marla in DHA Lahore runs PKR 2,200–2,800 per sqft. On a 1,400 sqft built area that works out to a total of PKR 31–39 lakh. The centre of the band — which is where we quote unless a client specifies up or down — is PKR 2,500/sqft, or roughly PKR 35 lakh.
Smaller projects carry proportionally higher per-sqft overhead. Fixed costs — site supervision, design and drawing fees, scaffolding setup, tool mobilisation — are divided over fewer square feet on a 5 Marla than on a 1 Kanal. That gap is arithmetic, not margin.
BOQ summary: 1,400 sqft G+1 grey structure
| Item | PKR (approx.) |
|---|---|
| Foundation (excavation, PCC, rebar 2.5 tons, concrete) | 7–9 lakh |
| Superstructure rebar (Grade 60, 3.5–4 tons) | 10–11 lakh |
| Superstructure concrete (columns, beams, slabs, 2 floors) | 5.5–7 lakh |
| Brickwork — external 9-inch, internal 4.5-inch | 4–5 lakh |
| Plastering (1:4 internal, 1:3 external) | 3–4 lakh |
| Roof waterproofing membrane | 1.5–2 lakh |
| Electrical conduit and sanitary rough-in | 2–3 lakh |
| Boundary wall and gate columns | 2–3 lakh |
| Supervision, overhead, project management | 4–5 lakh |
| Total | PKR 39–49 lakh |
The spread reflects real spec variation: Class-A clay bricks versus Class-B, DG or Maple Leaf cement versus cheaper brands, and the actual steel weight per sqft. On a standard 5 Marla G+1 we design for roughly 6–7 tons of Grade 60 rebar across foundation and superstructure combined. A builder quoting significantly below PKR 2,200/sqft is almost always cutting on steel weight, concrete class, or curing time — see the rebar grade post for what to ask.
5 Marla turnkey cost in DHA Lahore 2026
A turnkey takes the grey shell and adds all the finishing — tiles, paint, doors, windows, kitchen, bathrooms, electrical wiring and boards, plumbing fixtures, and joiners. On a 5 Marla in 2026:
- Standard turnkey (local tiles, local fittings, engineered-wood joinery): PKR 5,500–6,500/sqft → total PKR 77–91 lakh
- Premium turnkey (imported tiles, German fittings, solid-wood doors): PKR 6,500–8,000/sqft → total PKR 91 lakh–1.12 crore
For a line-by-line breakdown of where the difference between standard and premium goes, see the turnkey tiers post and the imported vs local fittings guide.
Phase differences on a 5 Marla
The rate band above applies across DHA Lahore. Phase-level variation mainly comes from three things:
- Site access and material delivery. Phase 6 and Phase 8 have wide internal roads — material reaches the plot quickly and labour crews rotate efficiently. Phase 5 and some pockets of Phase 9 Town have narrower approaches that add delivery time and cost.
- Soil conditions. Phase 11 Rahbar and the lower-lying pockets of Phase 9 Prism occasionally need deeper foundations due to softer bearing capacity. That adds PKR 1.5–3 lakh to the foundation line.
- Elevation allowance. Some phases allow G+2 on a 5 Marla; others cap at G+1. Confirm before commissioning drawings.
The basement question on a 5 Marla
A basement on a 5 Marla adds 600–700 sqft of usable floor at roughly PKR 2,800–3,500/sqft — about PKR 17–25 lakh extra. For a rental build, that extra floor is often the highest-ROI decision on a tight plot. Include it in the map submission from the start; retrofitting after approval requires a drawing revision and restarts the DHA scrutiny cycle.
What commonly goes wrong on 5 Marla projects
- Over-programming the floor plate. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, drawing room, and kitchen on a 703 sqft footprint is possible on paper. In practice it produces rooms too small to furnish properly. Two bedrooms per floor with larger room dimensions works far better.
- Choosing the cheapest quote. On a 5 Marla, a PKR 3–5 lakh saving on grey structure almost always means lighter rebar or a weaker concrete mix. The structural risk that creates far exceeds the saving. Use the seven filter questions before signing anything.
- Skipping curing. Slabs need 14–21 days of wet curing. Cheap contractors compress this to hit milestones. The cracks appear 18–24 months later, by which point your warranty is harder to enforce.
Next steps
Use the 5 Marla cost page for DHA Lahore for the 2026 rate, or the construction rate calculator to model different spec levels and add-ons like a basement. For a fixed-price BOQ against your specific plot and phase, the free quote form comes back within 48 hours.