DHA map approval in 20 days: the paperwork list, in order

Twenty-day map approval isn't magic — it's a checklist run in the right order. Here it is, with the failure points most owners trip on.

What DHA needs (in submission order)

1. Plot ownership document. Allotment letter or transfer letter, with original ownership chain.
2. CNIC scan of all registered owners.
3. NDC (No Demand Certificate). DHA confirms all dues are clear. This is the most common 5–10 day delay.
4. Soil bearing capacity report from a DHA-approved soil testing lab.
5. Architectural drawings — site plan, floor plans for each floor, elevations, sections.
6. Structural drawings — foundation, column layout, beam and slab reinforcement, bar bending schedule.
7. MEP drawings — electrical layout, plumbing layout, sewer connection point.
8. Specialist drawings if applicable — basement structural, retaining walls, pool engineering.
9. Map fee challan deposited at the DHA-designated bank.
10. Architect's stamp and license number on each drawing sheet.

The 20-day timeline, day by day

• Day 1: Submission. File goes to the front desk, intake clerk logs it in.
• Day 2–5: Initial scrutiny. Setback compliance, coverage compliance, FAR check.
• Day 6–10: Structural and MEP scrutiny by engineering desk.
• Day 11–14: Site visit by DHA inspector to verify plot pegs and existing boundary.
• Day 15–18: Final review, any minor objections returned for clarification.
• Day 19–20: Approval stamp and file collection.

The three failure points

1. Setback violation on the drawing. 60% of returned files have a small setback error — a 0.5ft cantilever or a porch encroaching by 1ft. The map gets bounced back, you fix the drawing, you re-submit, and the cycle restarts. Always have the setbacks drawn dimensioned explicitly.
2. NDC not actually clear. Owners assume their NDC is fine, but a small unpaid development fee from years back triggers a hold. Pull a fresh NDC before submission — it's worth the PKR 5,000 to confirm.
3. Soil report from a non-approved lab. DHA maintains a list of approved soil testing labs. A report from any other lab is rejected immediately. We use Lahore Engineering Services, MEC, or NESPAK.

What we do

Our compliance desk runs a pre-submission audit on every drawing before it leaves our office. Setbacks, coverage, FAR, MEP coordination — all verified by an internal team that doesn't draw the building, only checks it. Catches 95% of objections before they happen, which is why our average approval timeline is 18–22 working days.