Setbacks are the rules that decide how much of your plot you can actually build on. DHA enforces four different setback patterns based on plot size. Get them wrong on the map submission and the whole approval cycle restarts.
What setbacks are, in one sentence
A setback is the minimum required gap between your boundary wall and the closest part of your building. DHA writes it as F[front], S[sides], R[rear] in feet.
The four DHA setback patterns
5 Marla and 7 Marla — F5, S3, R3
On a 5 Marla plot (25×45 ft), you keep 5ft clear at the front, 3ft on each side, and 3ft at the rear. That leaves a buildable rectangle of 19×37 ft per floor (about 703 sqft). With G+1 at 65% coverage, your total legal built area is around 1,460 sqft. The 65% rule applies to the maximum coverage, not the inside-the-setback area — so on a tight 5 Marla, the setbacks are often what's actually limiting your footprint, not the 65% number.
8 Marla and 10 Marla — F10, S3, R3
On a 10 Marla plot (35×65 ft), F10/S3/R3 leaves you 29×52 ft per floor (about 1,508 sqft). G+2 at 60% coverage gives you a total legal built area around 4,386 sqft — but again the setbacks usually limit you to less than that. Most 10 Marla designs we do come in at 3,800–4,100 sqft of built area.
1 Kanal — F15, S5, R5
On a 1 Kanal plot (50×90 ft), F15/S5/R5 leaves 40×70 ft per floor (about 2,800 sqft). G+2 at 55% coverage caps your total at 7,425 sqft. Practical 1 Kanal designs land between 5,800 and 6,800 sqft of built area because the front setback can be visually softened by a porch and the rear is usually a service yard.
2 Kanal — F20, S7, R7
On a 2 Kanal plot (100×90 ft), F20/S7/R7 leaves 86×63 ft per floor (about 5,418 sqft). G+2 at 50% coverage caps you at 13,500 sqft total. Most 2 Kanal designs we do use the side and rear setbacks for landscaping, which is what they're really there for.
The thing setbacks are actually doing
The setbacks exist for fire safety, air and light, and emergency access. The 15ft front on a 1 Kanal isn't aesthetic — it lets a fire truck get to the building without obstruction. The 7ft side on a 2 Kanal allows ventilation between neighbouring estates that, at their size, would otherwise cook in summer.
Where owners mess this up
Three failure modes we see constantly:
- Pushing the boundary wall inward. A 3ft side setback measures from the legal plot boundary, not from where you decide to build your boundary wall. We measure from the plot pegs every time.
- Cantilevering over the setback. A balcony or sunshade hanging into the setback air space is a violation. DHA inspections catch this on completion.
- Servant quarters at the rear. A separate servant block tight against the rear boundary is allowed in some phases, prohibited in others. Always check the phase-specific bylaws before designing one.
What we do
Every architectural drawing we submit shows the setbacks dimensioned explicitly. We've never had a setback rejection on a DHA map approval, and that's because we draw them first, before we draw the building.