If you're building a 1 Kanal grey structure in DHA Lahore in 2026, the honest number is somewhere between PKR 1.4 crore and PKR 1.8 crore. That's a wide band — and the spread is where most of the disputes between builders and owners happen. This post walks through the line-by-line BOQ behind that number, so you can argue with us (or anyone else) on the actual quantities instead of the headline rate.
What a 1 Kanal grey structure actually is
A 1 Kanal plot in DHA Lahore measures 50×90 ft, or 4,500 sqft. The building bylaw allows Ground + 2 floors at 55% coverage, with F15, S5, R5 setbacks. So the maximum legal footprint is around 2,475 sqft per floor. A typical 1 Kanal grey structure today covers between 6,000 and 7,200 sqft of total built area across Ground, First, and a partial Second floor — plus, increasingly, a single-storey basement.
The grey structure stops at the casting of the final roof slab. It includes the foundation, columns, beams, slabs, exterior and interior brickwork, plaster, electrical conduit, and sanitary rough-in. It does not include tiles, paint, doors, windows, fittings, fixtures, or any finishing. That's where the dispute usually starts — we put it in writing on page one of every contract.
Line-by-line BOQ for a 6,500 sqft 1 Kanal grey structure
These quantities are real numbers from a Phase 6 project we completed in 2025. We're using 2026 prices.
Foundation and substructure
- Excavation: ~280 cubic metres at PKR 350/cubic metre = PKR 98,000
- PCC (lean concrete) base: 45 cubic metres at PKR 14,500/cubic metre = PKR 6.5 lakh
- Anti-termite chemical treatment: PKR 75,000
- Foundation rebar (Grade 60, Amreli/Mughal): 6.5 tons at PKR 285,000/ton = PKR 18.5 lakh
- Foundation concrete (Class A, DG/Maple Leaf cement): 65 cubic metres at PKR 22,000/cubic metre = PKR 14.3 lakh
Superstructure (columns, beams, slabs)
- Columns, beams, slabs rebar: 12 tons at PKR 285,000/ton = PKR 34.2 lakh
- Concrete (columns + beams + slabs): 95 cubic metres at PKR 23,500/cubic metre = PKR 22.3 lakh
- Formwork (steel shuttering, rented): PKR 9 lakh
Brickwork and plaster
- Class-A clay bricks (9-inch external, 4.5-inch internal): ~95,000 bricks at PKR 18/brick = PKR 17.1 lakh
- Sand, cement, masonry labour: PKR 14 lakh
- Plaster (1:4 internal, 1:3 external): PKR 11.5 lakh
Roof, MEP rough-in, miscellaneous
- Roof waterproofing membrane: PKR 4.5 lakh
- Electrical conduit, junction boxes (no wiring): PKR 3.5 lakh
- Sanitary rough-in piping (no fixtures): PKR 4.2 lakh
- Boundary wall and gate columns: PKR 5.5 lakh
- Site supervision, project management, overhead: PKR 12 lakh
So what's the total?
Adding all of the above gets you to around PKR 1.57 crore for a 6,500 sqft grey structure — call it PKR 2,415/sqft. That's at the centre of the DHA Lahore 2026 grey-structure band. If you specify higher (imported additives, premium steel grade, deeper foundations for a basement), you push toward PKR 2,800/sqft. If you cut corners on steel and bricks, you can drop to PKR 2,000/sqft — but you'll regret it within five years.
Where the disputes happen
The four line items that cause 80% of the arguments:
- Steel quantity. Some builders quote 14–15 tons for a 1 Kanal grey because they're using lighter sections. We design to 18–19 tons for the same footprint. Ask for the structural drawings and the bar bending schedule before you sign.
- Concrete class. "Class A" doesn't always mean the same thing. We mean 1:1.5:3 with DG or Maple Leaf cement, sieved Ravi sand, and Margalla crush. Always confirm cube test results in writing.
- Brick grade. Class-A clay bricks cost ~PKR 18; Class-B costs ~PKR 12. The difference compounds over 95,000 bricks. We use Class-A only.
- Curing time. Slabs need 14–21 days of water curing. Cheap contractors skip this to compress the timeline. The cracks show up two years later.
What to ask your builder
If you're getting a quote in DHA Lahore right now, the three questions that filter serious builders from the rest are:
- "Show me the bar bending schedule and the cube test results from your last project."
- "What's the steel weight per sqft on a 1 Kanal grey, and which mill are you using?"
- "What's the curing protocol on slabs and how do you document it?"
We can answer all three on a WhatsApp call. If your prospective builder can't, the headline rate is meaningless.