TL;DR — what a 10 marla house costs in Islamabad in 2026
A typical 10 marla G+1 house in Islamabad with around 3,200 sq ft of covered area costs between PKR 1.85 Crore (basic A-grade turnkey) and PKR 5 Crore+ (premium / luxury) in April 2026. The honest mid-market band — where most owner-built 10 marla houses land in DHA, Bahria, Park View City, and the F/G/I sectors — is PKR 2.30–2.85 Crore for a medium-premium turnkey build at roughly PKR 7,000–8,200 per sq ft.
Per-sq-ft rates (April 2026): Grey structure PKR 2,800–3,500/sq ft standard, PKR 3,400–4,000 premium · Turnkey PKR 7,000–8,800 standard, PKR 10,000–15,000+ premium. Material quantities for a 10 marla G+1: ~85,000 bricks · 1,250–1,500 cement bags · 5.5–7.4 tons of steel. On top of construction, budget another 5–10% for CDA/DHA/Bahria fees, IESCO and SNGPL connections, and architectural drawings.
Quick facts
| Plot size | 10 Marla = 250 sq yd = 2,250 sq ft |
|---|---|
| Typical covered area (G+1) | 3,000–3,500 sq ft |
| Working assumption in this guide | G+1, 3,200 sq ft covered |
| Standard turnkey total | PKR 1.85–2.30 Crore |
| Medium-premium turnkey total | PKR 2.30–2.85 Crore |
| Premium / luxury turnkey total | PKR 3.20–5.00+ Crore |
| Grey structure rate (standard) | PKR 2,800–3,500 / sq ft |
| Turnkey rate (standard) | PKR 7,000–8,800 / sq ft |
| Time to complete | 9–14 months by tier |
| Top-3 material costs | Cement, steel, brick — ~50–60% of grey cost |
All figures last reviewed April 2026. Material and labour prices change month to month — confirm against a current written quotation before commitment.
What “10 marla house” means here
A 10 marla plot is 250 square yards = 2,250 square feet of land. CDA building bylaws permit roughly 60–65% ground coverage on residential plots, with mandatory front, rear, and side setbacks. So the covered area on a typical 10 marla layout works out roughly as follows:
- Single storey (ground only): ~1,300–1,650 sq ft covered.
- Ground + 1 (most common): 3,000–3,500 sq ft total — ground ~1,600 + first ~1,500 + mumty ~150.
- G + 2 with mumty: ~4,500–5,000 sq ft total. Less common on 10 marla unless the design is vertical-luxury.
Across the cost tables below, we anchor on a 3,200 sq ft G+1 layout as the working assumption, since that is what most owner-built 10 marla houses in DHA, Bahria, Park View City, and the F/G/I sectors actually look like.
Per-sq-ft construction rates (April 2026)
April 2026 market ranges, verified against current Islamabad construction rate cards and live project quotations. Where the market shows a spread, the broader range is shown so you can negotiate informed.
| Scope | Standard tier | Premium tier |
|---|---|---|
| Grey structure (with material + labour) | PKR 2,800 – 3,500 / sq ft | PKR 3,400 – 4,000 / sq ft |
| Finishing only (over completed grey) | PKR 3,000 – 5,500 / sq ft | PKR 5,500 – 8,000+ / sq ft |
| Turnkey (grey + finishing combined) | PKR 7,000 – 8,800 / sq ft | PKR 10,000 – 15,000+ / sq ft |
Premium tier reflects high-end finishings (imported tile, Kohler/Toto sanitary, custom woodwork, smart-home wiring, thermal-break aluminium). Bahria Town and DHA bylaw requirements (basement provisions, specific roof loadings) push grey rates up by roughly 5–10%.
Total budget by tier — 10 marla G+1
For a 10 marla G+1 layout (covered area 3,000–4,000 sq ft depending on tier), here’s the realistic 2026 budget spread:
| Tier | Covered area | Grey cost | Turnkey total | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard A-grade | 3,000–3,200 sq ft | PKR 84L – 1.05 Cr | PKR 1.85 – 2.30 Cr | 9–10 months |
| Medium-Premium | 3,200–3,500 sq ft | PKR 1.0 – 1.20 Cr | PKR 2.30 – 2.85 Cr | 10–12 months |
| Premium / Luxury | 3,500–4,000 sq ft | PKR 1.25 – 1.50 Cr | PKR 3.20 – 5.00+ Cr | 12–14 months |
What each tier looks like in practice
- Standard: Master Tiles 24×24 floor (PKR 180–250/sq ft), Sonex or Master sanitary, Happilac/Master paint, Yellow Pine doors, local aluminium windows, GFC/Pioneer wiring, basic Formica kitchen.
- Medium-Premium: Imported tile with selective marble (Ziarat Supreme), Porta sanitary, Dulux Velvet Touch paint, Diyar (Cedar) doors and wardrobes, powder-coated aluminium with double-glazed front, Clipsal/Schneider switches, modular lacquer/MDF kitchen with full plumbing redundancy.
- Premium / Luxury: Imported Italian marble or Botticino, Kohler/Toto sanitary, walnut / imported veneer joinery, thermal-break aluminium with double-glazed units, smart-home wiring (KNX), home theatre and lift provisions.
Material quantities for a 10 marla G+1 grey structure
Useful for sanity-checking a contractor’s BOQ. Across published Pakistani builder sources, the consensus quantities for a 10 marla G+1 grey structure (~3,200 sq ft covered) are:
| Material | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Bricks (A-grade) | ~85,000 nos |
| Cement bags (50 kg) | 1,250 – 1,500 bags |
| Steel rebar (Grade 60) | 5.5 – 7.4 tons |
| Sand / crush | ~9 truck-loads (foundation to PCC) |
Steel quantity range reflects RCC-frame-only (5.5 tons) vs full project including columns/beams/lintels/stairs (7.4 tons). Cement quantity varies with plaster thickness and roof slab depth.
Brand-level material prices (April 2026)
Cement (50 kg bag, Islamabad / north zone)
- Maple Leaf — PKR 1,425–1,440
- DG Khan — PKR 1,415–1,430
- Pakcem — PKR 1,430–1,450
- Bestway — PKR 1,405–1,420
- Lucky — PKR 1,390–1,410
- Pioneer — PKR 1,395–1,405
- Northern retail spike: up to PKR 1,490–1,530 due to fuel and freight
Steel rebar (per kg, April 2026)
- Mughal Steel — PKR 229
- Amreli Steels — PKR 230
- Agha Steel — PKR 225
- Five Star, Pak Steel — ~PKR 232
- Mughal Supreme (premium) — PKR 264–269
Brick (per 1,000)
- A-grade (Awwal) — PKR 13,500–15,000 ex-kiln
- B-grade — PKR 11,000–12,500
- C-grade — PKR 9,000–10,500
- Islamabad / Rawalpindi delivered: typically +5–10% over kiln rate
Tiles, marble, sanitary, paint
- Master Tiles 24×24 floor: PKR 180–350/sq ft (full SKU range PKR 50–700).
- Sonex Tiles: PKR 35–350/sq ft.
- Marble: Ziarat Gray PKR 90/sq ft; Ziarat Supreme PKR 300/sq ft; Botticino Cream and imported Italian PKR 700–1,200/sq ft.
- Sonex / Master sanitary: commodes PKR 4,500–40,000; faucets PKR 3,500–12,000.
- Porta sanitary: PKR 5,500–50,000.
- Kohler / Toto (imported): PKR 60,000–300,000+ per fixture.
- Premium emulsion paint (ICI Dulux Velvet Touch, Happilac Easy Clean): PKR 4,500–8,500/gallon.
- Standard matt paint: PKR 1,800–3,200/gallon.
Labour costs and labour share
Labour wages have moved meaningfully in 2025–26 — older online cost guides quoting PKR 1,200–1,800/day for skilled labour are out of date. The current Islamabad picture in April 2026:
- Mason / mistri (skilled): PKR 2,500–3,500/day
- Skilled craftsman (carpenter, electrician, plumber): PKR 2,000–3,000/day
- Helper (unskilled): PKR 800–1,200/day
Across Islamabad construction projects, labour accounts for 40–50% of total construction cost; materials are 50–60%. Labour wages have inflated roughly 10–15% year-on-year through 2025, driven by a shortage of skilled trades and the broader cost-of-living pressure on craftsmen.
Government fees and utility connections
On top of construction, you will pay government and utility fees that headline per-sq-ft rates do not include. For a 10 marla house in Islamabad in April 2026:
CDA map approval (October 2025 revision)
CDA moved to a Floor Area Ratio (FAR) based scrutiny fee structure with extra fees per added storey. The fast-track facilitation-centre charge is on top of the standard scrutiny fee:
- Plots up to 356 sq yd (10 marla = 250 sq yd): +PKR 20,000 fast-track
- Plots above 356 sq yd (1 kanal+): +PKR 30,000 fast-track
- Commercial up to 5,000 sq ft: +PKR 50,000
DHA Islamabad-Rawalpindi
Operates under DHA Islamabad Act 2013 — independent of CDA. Building plan submission fees benchmarked at DHA Lahore are roughly PKR 4/sq ft of drawing area; verify the current DHA-IR schedule with the design wing. Bylaw compliance fees are additional.
Bahria Enclave / Bahria Town
Maps approved through Bahria’s in-house design wing. Using an outside architect saves only ~7% versus the in-house design fee, so most owners use the design wing. Specific marla-wise schedule available from Bahria customer relations.
Utility connections (Islamabad, 2026)
- Sui gas (SNGPL — RLNG only on new connections): standard 10 marla domestic PKR 21,500–22,725; refundable security PKR 6,000–10,000; fast-track adds PKR 25,000. Note the RLNG tariff runs roughly 70% above legacy system gas.
- Electricity (IESCO): service line up to 20 m PKR 8,500; 20–30 m PKR 10,500; 30–40 m PKR 11,500. Refundable security PKR 620/kW for domestic. Realistic processing 25–35 days.
- Water and sewerage: CDA-area connections are typically folded into society / sector charges — no large standalone fee for most owners.
Add architectural drawings (PKR 50,000–150,000 for a 10 marla design + structural BOQ + soil test PKR 30,000–60,000) and you are looking at a realistic PKR 1.5–2.5 Lakh of pre-construction overhead before you pour the first foundation.
Price trend 2024 → 2026
- Cement: 2023 average PKR ~822/bag → 2024 ~PKR 1,091 → April 2026 PKR 1,405–1,490 in Islamabad/north. Roughly +70–80% over three years.
- Steel: Grade 60 has held the PKR 228–232/kg band through Q1–Q2 2026 — the first stable run after roughly 18 months of monthly volatility. Helped by lower coal prices and a stable rupee.
- A-grade brick: Islamabad area kilns at PKR 13,500–15,000/1,000 in 2026 versus PKR 9,500–11,000 in 2023 — roughly +40%.
- Net per-sq-ft turnkey: up roughly PKR 800–1,200/sq ft (12–18%) versus early 2024. Drivers: energy prices for cement and brick kilns, labour wage inflation, partly offset by the easing of imported finishings as the rupee stabilised.
Where 10 marla budgets actually blow up
The headline rate card is rarely where projects go wrong. Across the 10 marla projects our team has delivered, these are the line items that consistently cost owners an extra 10–25% — and the ones we now lock in writing at quotation stage to keep our clients’ budgets honest:
- 1. Mid-project material upgrades. The #1 overrun source. Switching from Master 24×24 to imported porcelain mid-build cascades into adhesive, grout, and skilled-labour upgrades.
- 2. Design changes after the slab is poured. Moving a window means breaking wall, redoing the lintel, and re-plastering. Design freeze before grey starts.
- 3. Soil and basement surprises. Islamabad’s hilly sectors (E, F) have rocky strata — basement work can balloon 30–50% over budget if a soil test was skipped.
- 4. Material delivery and wastage. Quoted prices are often ex-kiln or ex-godown. Transport adds 5–10%; standard 8–12% wastage on tile/marble is often missed entirely from the BOQ.
- 5. Site security and labour shed. PKR 25,000–60,000/month for 6–12 months — often un- budgeted, then a surprise ask three months in.
- 6. Architectural and structural fees. Typically 3–5% of project cost when properly documented; often verbally underpriced upfront.
- 7. Boundary wall, gates, paving.Often quoted “extra” rather than included in the headline turnkey rate.
- 8. Finishing scope creep. Kitchen cabinetry, false ceilings, smart switches, garden, and outdoor lighting are notorious for inflating final numbers without changing the per-sq-ft headline.
Contract models — fixed-rate vs turnkey vs labour-only
How the contract is structured matters as much as the headline rate:
- Per-sq-ft fixed-rate (most common for 10 marla): contractor charges a fixed PKR/sq ft × covered area, often broken into a grey-rate contract plus a finishing-rate contract signed separately. Predictable headline; scope ambiguity in finishing items is the trap.
- Turnkey lump sum: single price for a fully-finished house against a detailed BOQ with material specs (brand, grade, quantity) frozen and a fixed timeline with liquidated-damages clauses. Premium of 8–12% over the per-sq-ft model, but zero financial surprises.
- “With material” contract: contractor procures everything — single accountable party. Best for owners abroad or busy professionals who can’t be on site daily.
- “Labour only” contract: owner buys all material; contractor supplies labour. Cheaper headline (10–20%) but only viable if the owner can be on site daily — risk of rework, theft, and wastage eats the saving fast.
Typical 10 marla turnkey payment milestones
- 1. Mobilisation advance — 10–15%
- 2. Foundation to DPC — 10–15%
- 3. Ground floor RCC slab — 15%
- 4. First floor RCC slab + mumty — 15%
- 5. Plaster and brickwork complete — 10%
- 6. Finishing tranche 1 (flooring + plumbing rough-in) — 10%
- 7. Finishing tranche 2 (paint + electrical fittings) — 10%
- 8. Handover and snagging — 10–15% (with 5% retained 3 months)
How Amanah quotes a 10 marla project
Our quotation process is designed to remove the ambiguity that creates overruns:
- Brand and grade of every key material (cement, steel, brick, tile, sanitary, electrical, paint) specified in writing at quotation stage.
- Grey structure and finishing quoted both separately and as a turnkey lump sum — you choose.
- Material wastage allowance and site overheads (security, labour shed, equipment rental) included in the headline rate, not as surprise add-ons.
- Weekly photo updates plus a monthly progress summary — especially valuable for overseas owners. See our overseas owner workflow.
- Full scope coverage on grey structure, finishing, turnkey, and architectural / map design.
Get a real number for your 10 marla
Run our calculator for an indicative range, then request a scope-clear written quotation against a real plan and material brand-list. No commitment, no obligation.