Most 10 Marla buyers don't realise how small 60% coverage actually feels until the foundation is poured. The 'covered area' number is what's allowed on each floor; the way you use it is what makes a 10 Marla house feel spacious or cramped.
What 60% coverage means on a 10 Marla plot
A 10 Marla plot in DHA is 35×65 ft, or 2,275 sqft. With F10/S3/R3 setbacks, your maximum buildable footprint per floor is 29×52 ft = 1,508 sqft. The 60% coverage cap means each floor can be up to 60% of 2,275 = 1,365 sqft. The setback usually binds first, so practical floor plates land around 1,350–1,400 sqft.
Across G+2, that's roughly 4,000–4,200 sqft of total built area. That sounds spacious — and it is, on paper. In practice, once you subtract staircases, walls, lift shaft, and balconies, the usable internal floor area is closer to 3,400 sqft.
How to plan the floor plate
The trap on a 10 Marla is trying to fit four bedrooms on a single floor. The setbacks are too tight for that without long, narrow rooms. We recommend:
- Ground floor: living, dining, kitchen, powder room, one bedroom-with-attached-bath (often the elder family bedroom). Around 1,350 sqft.
- First floor: three bedrooms with attached baths, family lounge, balcony. Around 1,350 sqft.
- Second floor / mumty: one bedroom suite, terrace, laundry, water tank. Around 700–900 sqft built.
What the numbers don't tell you
The FAR number assumes you actually need every square foot. Most 10 Marla owners we work with build to 3,800–4,000 sqft, not the legal max. The extra coverage you don't use shows up as wider corridors, larger balconies, and double-height entry spaces — which feel more luxurious than a compressed 4,200 sqft.
One question to ask before drawing the plan
Are you building for resale or for end-use? End-use favours fewer, bigger rooms. Resale favours bedroom count. On a 10 Marla, you usually can't optimise for both — the setbacks force a choice.