Construction cost estimate

A line-by-line budget for your covered area at the rates you are quoted this week — no made-up prices.

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Construction cost estimate (ghar banane ka kharcha)

Enter the covered area and the rates you were quoted this week, and get a grey-structure and finishing budget line by line. Nothing is pre-filled with a price, because cement, steel and labour rates in Islamabad change monthly — phone two suppliers the same morning and type in what they said. The quantities per square foot are averages for ordinary brick houses and can be edited.

The house

Covered area, all floors (sq ft) Floors Bathrooms Doors Windows (sq ft of glass) Wardrobes False ceiling (sq ft, 0 = none)

1 marla = 272.25 sq ft; a 5 marla double-storey house is about 2,200–2,600 sq ft covered.

Grey structure rates

Bricks, Rs per 1000 Cement, Rs per bag Sand, Rs per cu ft Crush, Rs per cu ft Steel, Rs per kg Grey labour, Rs per sq ft Electrical rough-in, Rs per sq ft Plumbing rough-in, Rs per bathroom Waterproofing, Rs per sq ft Other grey items, lump sum

Quantities per sq ft (edit if your builder uses other figures)

Bricks per sq ft Cement bags per sq ft Sand cu ft per sq ft Crush cu ft per sq ft Steel kg per sq ft

Finishing rates

Floor tiles with laying, Rs per sq ft Wall tiles with laying, Rs per sq ft Plaster, putty and paint, Rs per sq ft Doors with frame and fitting, Rs each Windows, Rs per sq ft Sanitary per bathroom, Rs Kitchen cabinets and counter, lump sum Wardrobe, Rs each Electrical finishing, Rs per sq ft False ceiling, Rs per sq ft Front elevation, lump sum Stairs, railing, misc., lump sum

Common questions

How much does it cost to build a 5 marla house?

It depends on the month you ask and the finish you want, which is why this page has no built-in rate. As a shape: the grey structure is usually 55–60% of the total, finishing 40–45%; bricks, cement, sand, crush and steel together are about half the grey-structure cost and labour the other half. Fill in today's quotes and you will have a number you can defend.

What is included in a per-square-foot grey-structure rate?

Ask. Contractors' per-sq-ft rates usually cover labour for excavation, brickwork, RCC, plaster and the basic plumbing/electrical rough-in, and exclude material, boundary walls, water and sewer connections, termite treatment and the overhead tank. Get the exclusions in writing.

Why does my plan area differ from the covered area?

Covered area counts every floor plus the porch, stairs and mumty; the plan's room area counts rooms only. Add about 12–15% to the room total for walls, lobby and stairs, or use the button above and adjust.

More free tools

House builderDraw your rooms on your plot, drag things into place, then tap anything to see the tiles, paint, cement and wire it needs.
Society legal statusSearch any housing society in Islamabad or Rawalpindi and see whether it is approved, NOC in process, or illegal, with the approved area.
Plot priceBuying or selling? Pick the society and plot size for an estimated price range and the FBR reference value.
Cost by plot sizePick the area, plot size and dimensions; get cement bags, steel kg, bricks, labour, grey-structure and finishing cost.
TilesRooms in, tiles and boxes out, with wastage, bedding mortar and cost.
PaintLitres, gallons and drums for walls and ceilings, with primer and putty.
Daily cement mixBags and rehri of sand for today's plaster, brickwork or tile bedding, batch by batch.
Bricks & blocksBricks, concrete blocks or AAC blocks for a wall, with mortar or adhesive.
Concrete & steelCement, sand and crush for a slab, beam or lintel, and steel counted from the drawing.
WiringMetres and 90 m bundles by wire size for the whole house.
ChecklistFourteen stages: what to buy, what to check with the mistri, and what to photograph before it is covered.

Want a builder to check the numbers?

Blackfire Real Estate & Builders builds on labour or contract rate in Islamabad and Rawalpindi and does one-off site checks for people building themselves.

0371-7581455

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All quantities on this site are estimates for planning and buying. Site conditions, workmanship and brands change the real figures. Structural sizes and reinforcement must come from your approved drawings and engineer.