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5 Marla House Material List & Cost in Pakistan (2026): The Complete Budget Breakdown
Building a 5 marla house is the most common starting point for a first home in Pakistan, and the fastest way to blow the budget is to start buying material without a list. Steel arrives, then cement, then bricks, and somewhere between the foundation and the roof slab the money runs short. This guide fixes that. You get the full material list, the quantities a standard 5 marla build actually needs, the 2026 rates for each item, and a phase-by-phase cost that you can hand to a contractor or a supplier and check line by line.
All figures below are planning estimates for 2026. Material rates in Pakistan move week to week with fuel prices, the dollar, and local demand, so treat every number as a starting point and confirm the day’s rate before you buy.
What “5 Marla” Actually Gives You
A marla in most city societies is 225 to 250 sq ft, so a 5 marla plot is roughly 1,125 to 1,250 sq ft of land. The plot size is fixed. What changes your material bill is the covered area, meaning the total floor space you build across all storeys.
| Build type | Typical covered area | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Single storey (ground only) | ~1,150 to 1,300 sq ft | Small family, tight budget |
| Double storey (G+1) | ~1,800 to 2,200 sq ft | Standard family home, most common |
| G+1 with mumty/extra | ~2,200 to 2,500 sq ft | Larger family, roof access room |
Most people build double storey, so the worked example in this guide assumes a G+1 home of around 2,000 sq ft covered area with standard A-grade material. Scale the quantities down by roughly a third if you are building single storey.
Current Material Rates in Pakistan (2026)
These are the five items that make up almost your entire grey-structure spend. Rates vary by city, brand, and quarry, so a range is more honest than a single figure.
| Material | 2026 rate range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cement (OPC 53-grade) | PKR 1,350 – 1,550 / 50kg bag | Lucky, DG Khan, Bestway and similar |
| Steel / Saria (Grade 60) | PKR 250,000 – 265,000 / ton | Amreli, Mughal, Ittehad; ~PKR 260–285/kg |
| Bricks (Awwal / A-class) | PKR 16,000 – 25,000 / 1,000 | Kiln-fired first quality; premium machine bricks cost more |
| Sand (Rait) | PKR 35 – 45 / cft (fine), PKR 60 – 75 / cft (Chenab, concrete grade) | Ravi/fine for plaster, Chenab/coarse for concrete |
| Crush / Bajri | Priced per cft, varies by quarry distance | Margalla crush common around Islamabad/Rawalpindi |
Steel usually eats the largest single share of the grey-structure budget, often a quarter to nearly a third of it, so a small jump in the per-ton rate hits your total harder than any other material. Watch the steel rate closely and buy it when the price dips rather than in one panic purchase.
Material Quantities for a 5 Marla Grey Structure
Here is what a standard 2,000 sq ft double-storey build consumes before finishing. Quantities shift with your structural design, the number of columns, and slab thickness, so ask your structural engineer for the exact figures from your drawings.
| Material | Quantity (approx.) | Where it goes |
|---|---|---|
| Cement | 500 – 600 bags | Foundation, columns, beams, slabs, masonry |
| Steel (Grade 60) | 6,000 – 7,500 kg (6 – 7.5 ton) | Foundation, columns, beams, slab reinforcement |
| Bricks (A-class) | 45,000 – 55,000 | Walls, partitions, masonry |
| Sand | Bulk (concrete + mortar) | Concrete mix and plaster mortar |
| Crush / Bajri | Bulk (concrete) | Foundation and roof slab concrete |
| Binding wire, DPC, shuttering consumables | Misc | Ties, damp-proof course, formwork |
A quick rule of thumb: steel and bricks together carry roughly half your material cost, cement and aggregates the rest. If a supplier’s quote puts sand or crush above steel, something is off.
Phase-by-Phase Cost Breakdown
Splitting the build into three phases keeps your cash flow sane and lets you release money against visible progress instead of paying for everything up front.
Phase 1: Foundation
Excavation, footing concrete, foundation steel, damp-proof course (DPC), and basic waterproofing. Excavation runs around PKR 25 to 35 per cubic foot, and foundation work commonly lands near PKR 350 to 550 per sq ft depending on soil and design. Waterproofing the foundation, worth doing properly, adds roughly PKR 25,000 to 45,000.
Phase 2: Superstructure (Walls, Columns, Beams)
The bulk of the build. Columns and beams cast, brick walls raised, embedded plumbing lines and electrical conduits laid inside the walls. This phase absorbs most of your bricks, a large share of your cement, and the column-and-beam steel. Embedded UPVC/PPR plumbing lines typically add PKR 35,000 to 55,000, and electrical conduit another PKR 45,000 to 65,000.
Phase 3: Roof Slab (Chhat)
Shuttering, slab reinforcement, and the concrete pour. Slab steel and curing discipline decide the long-term strength of the roof, so this is the wrong place to cut corners. A weak or under-cured slab is the most expensive mistake to fix later.
Total Cost Estimate (2026)
Putting the phases together for a standard 2,000 sq ft double-storey 5 marla grey structure:
| Line item | Estimated range (PKR) |
|---|---|
| Materials (cement, steel, bricks, sand, crush, misc) | 32 – 46 lakh |
| Labour (mason, steel fixer, helpers) | 14 – 20 lakh |
| Grey structure total | ~50 – 64 lakh |
| Per sq ft (grey, material + labour) | 2,800 – 3,500 / sq ft |
Where you build shifts the total. A build inside DHA, Bahria Town, or a top-tier Islamabad sector runs higher than one just outside it, thanks to stricter build quality, tighter approvals, and higher transport costs. Skilled mason wages sit around PKR 1,500 to 2,500 a day in 2026 and rise faster in the bigger cities.
Grey Structure Is Not the Finished House
The grey structure is the bare shell: foundation, columns, walls, and slabs, up to plaster. It usually accounts for 55 to 65 percent of the complete house cost. Finishing, meaning tiles, paint, electrical fixtures, plumbing fittings, doors, windows, kitchen, and woodwork, is the rest.
| Stage | Share of total | 5 marla estimate (PKR) |
|---|---|---|
| Grey structure | 55 – 65% | ~50 – 64 lakh |
| Finishing | 35 – 45% | ~35 – 55 lakh |
| Complete house (turnkey range) | 100% | ~1.1 – 1.5 crore |
Turnkey rates in 2026 commonly run PKR 6,700 to 8,800 per sq ft for a standard A-category home, and climb well past that for premium finishes, imported tiles, and high-end sanitary ware.
How to Save Money Without Weakening the House
You cut cost by planning and buying smart, never by thinning the structure. The savings that matter:
- Lock the design before you dig. Every change after construction starts costs you twice, in material waste and in labour idle time.
- Buy steel on the dips. It is your biggest material line and its rate swings the most. Track it and buy in stages when the price softens.
- Procure against a BOQ. A written bill of quantities stops over-ordering, quiet wastage, and the classic “material finished early” surprise.
- Use local sand and bricks. Nearby kilns and quarries cut your transport cost, which is a real chunk of the delivered price.
- Supervise the pour and the curing. Good concrete work and proper curing prevent cracks, which are the most expensive thing to repair after finishing.
- Keep 10 to 15 percent in reserve. Prices move mid-build. A contingency keeps a rate hike from stalling your site.
Common Mistakes That Blow the Budget
- Buying material without a quantity list. You over-order early, run short late, and pay a premium for the last-minute top-ups.
- Choosing steel and cement on price alone. Cheap unbranded steel varies in quality and can cost you in strength. Verify grade and manufacturer markings.
- Ignoring the foundation and DPC. Skimping here shows up as damp walls and cracks within a couple of years.
- Skipping written contractor scope. Confirm in writing what the per-sq-ft rate includes. Boundary wall, main gate, plumbing fixtures, and finishing are often quoted separately.
- No contingency. A 10 to 15 percent buffer is not optional in a market where rates move weekly.
Quick FAQ
How much material does a 5 marla double-storey house need? Roughly 500 to 600 cement bags, 6 to 7.5 tons of Grade-60 steel, and 45,000 to 55,000 A-class bricks, plus sand and crush, for a ~2,000 sq ft grey structure.
What is the grey structure cost of a 5 marla house in 2026? About PKR 50 to 64 lakh for a standard double-storey build at PKR 2,800 to 3,500 per sq ft, before finishing.
What is the total cost of a complete 5 marla house in 2026? Roughly PKR 1.1 to 1.5 crore turnkey, depending on city, finishing quality, and design.
Which material costs the most? Steel, usually a quarter to nearly a third of the grey-structure budget. Bricks are next.
Rates in this guide reflect 2026 planning ranges across major Pakistani cities and move with the market. Get a day-of quote from your supplier and a design-based BOQ from your contractor before you buy.
