marla-and-kanal
Marla and Kanal to Square Feet — With Covered Area Rules Under CDA and RDA (2026 Guide)
Exact marla and kanal to square feet conversions, plus the covered area, setbacks and height CDA and RDA allow on 5, 7, 10 marla and 1 to 2 kanal plots in 2026.
One Marla equals 272.25 square feet in most modern societies across Islamabad and Rawalpindi. One Kanal is always 20 Marlas, which works out to 5,445 square feet. These are the standard figures used by CDA, RDA, DHA and Bahria Town for every allotment.
Covered area rules then decide how much of that plot you can actually build on. CDA allows around 60 to 80 percent ground coverage depending on plot size. RDA sits in a similar band but with different setbacks. Full conversion tables and coverage rules are below.
The Marla is a British-era unit that never got standardised across Pakistan. Two conventions survived when Punjab formalised its urban land measurements.
The standard Marla is 272.25 square feet, which is one-160th of an acre. CDA sectors, DHA phases, Bahria Town, Top City and Gulberg Greens all use this figure. It is the default in every modern housing scheme.
The old Marla is 225 square feet, which is one-200th of an acre. It survives in older municipal records, mostly in inner Rawalpindi and a few Lahore localities. The gap between the two matters more than most people realise.
A 5 Marla plot listed at 1,361 square feet is 21 percent bigger than one listed at 1,125 square feet. Always check the area printed on the allotment or transfer letter first. The Marla label is only a shorthand.
| Plot size | Standard Marla (272.25 sq ft) | Old Marla (225 sq ft) | Square yards | Typical plot dimensions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Marla | 544.5 sq ft | 450 sq ft | 60.5 sq yd | 20′ × 27′ |
| 3 Marla | 816.75 sq ft | 675 sq ft | 90.75 sq yd | 20′ × 40′ |
| 4 Marla | 1,089 sq ft | 900 sq ft | 121 sq yd | 22′ × 50′ |
| 5 Marla | 1,361.25 sq ft | 1,125 sq ft | 151.25 sq yd | 25′ × 45′ |
| 6 Marla | 1,633.5 sq ft | 1,350 sq ft | 181.5 sq yd | 27′ × 60′ |
| 7 Marla | 1,905.75 sq ft | 1,575 sq ft | 211.75 sq yd | 30′ × 52’6″ |
| 8 Marla | 2,178 sq ft | 1,800 sq ft | 242 sq yd | 30′ × 60′ |
| 10 Marla | 2,722.5 sq ft | 2,250 sq ft | 302.5 sq yd | 35′ × 65′ |
| 12 Marla | 3,267 sq ft | 2,700 sq ft | 363 sq yd | 40′ × 80′ |
| 15 Marla | 4,083.75 sq ft | 3,375 sq ft | 453.75 sq yd | 45′ × 90′ |
A Kanal is always 20 Marlas. That ratio never changes across any development authority in Pakistan.
| Plot size | Marlas | Standard sq ft | Old sq ft | Square yards | Typical dimensions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Kanal | 20 | 5,445 sq ft | 4,500 sq ft | 605 sq yd | 50′ × 90′ |
| 2 Kanal | 40 | 10,890 sq ft | 9,000 sq ft | 1,210 sq yd | 75′ × 120′ |
| 4 Kanal | 80 | 21,780 sq ft | 18,000 sq ft | 2,420 sq yd | 100′ × 200′ |
| 8 Kanal | 160 | 43,560 sq ft | 36,000 sq ft | 4,840 sq yd | Farmhouse scale |
Three different numbers get called by the same name on most construction sites. Getting them mixed up is the fastest way to blow a budget.
Plot area is the raw size of the plot on your allotment letter. This is the number your Marla or Kanal label describes. It never changes once the plot is registered.
Ground coverage is the portion of the plot your ground floor sits on. It is written as a percentage of plot area. This is the figure CDA and RDA actually cap in their bylaws.
Total covered area is the sum of every floor you build. It includes ground, first, mumty and often basement. This is what your contractor bills you for and what decides your grey structure cost.
A 1 Kanal plot at 65 percent ground coverage across a G+1+Mumty gives roughly 7,500 to 8,500 square feet of built-up area. That is a lot more than the 5,445 square feet of the plot itself.
CDA works from the ICT Building Control Regulations 2023, which are still in force through 2026. Permissible coverage is set by plot area in square yards, not by the Marla label.
Your allotment area drops you into a category, and the category then decides your setbacks and height. This is why two “5 Marla” plots can sometimes fall into different brackets.
| Plot category (sq yd) | Roughly equals | Front setback | Rear setback | Side setback | Ground floor coverage | Floors permitted | Max height |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 150 sq yd | ~5 Marla | 5 ft | 5 ft | Nil | ~80% | G + 1 + Mumty | 38 ft |
| 151 to 200 sq yd | 5 to 7 Marla | 5 ft | 5 ft | Nil | ~75 to 80% | G + 1 + Mumty | 38 ft |
| 201 to 300 sq yd | 7 to 10 Marla | 5 ft | 5 ft | 3 ft (one side) | ~70 to 75% | G + 1 + Mumty | 38 ft |
| 301 to 500 sq yd | 10 Marla to 1 Kanal | 10 ft | 7 ft | 5 ft (one side) | ~65 to 70% | G + 1 + Mumty | 38 ft |
| 501 to 1000 sq yd | 1 Kanal | 10 ft | 7 ft | 5 ft (both sides) | ~60 to 65% | G + 1 + Mumty | 38 ft |
| 1001 to 2000 sq yd | 2 Kanal | 20 ft | 10 ft | 10 ft (both sides) | ~50 to 55% | G + 1 + Mumty | 38 ft |
The car porch is capped separately from the main house. For plots up to 150 square yards, the covered porch cannot exceed 100 square feet. The 151 to 200 square yard bracket allows up to 180 square feet.
Basements sit outside the ground coverage math. A basement is allowed at 100 percent of the permissible ground-floor footprint. It is the single biggest area lever on any Islamabad plot.
Only a mumty is allowed above the first floor. A full third habitable floor is not permitted on standard residential plots. The mumty is capped at roughly one-third of the ground-floor block.
Boundary walls are fixed at seven feet. Anything taller needs specific approval and is rarely granted for residential use. The 38 foot total height is measured from the road crown outside your plot.
Society bylaws can override the general CDA table. Gulberg Greens, Naval Anchorage and Park View publish their own approved rules. Gulberg Greens caps footprint at just 20 to 25 percent to protect its low-density feel.
RDA works from its Building and Zoning Regulations 2020, which remain the operative framework through 2026. The logic is similar to CDA but the numbers do not match one-for-one.
One useful quirk sits inside the RDA rules. A variation of up to 10 percent above or below a plot-size category is treated as within the same category. This gives designers a little more room on borderline plots than CDA allows.
| Plot size | Front setback | Rear setback | Side setback | Ground floor coverage | 1st floor coverage | Max floors | Max height | FAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Marla | 5 ft | 5 ft | Nil | 75% | 75% | 3 | 38 ft | 1 to 2.3 |
| 7 Marla | 7 ft | 3 ft | 3 ft | 75% | 75% | 3 | 38 ft | 1 to 2.3 |
| 8 Marla | 8 ft | 4 ft | 4 ft | 75% | 75% | 3 | 38 ft | — |
| 10 Marla | 10 ft | 7 ft | 5 ft (one side) | 70% | 75% | 3 | 38 ft | — |
| 1 Kanal | 10 ft | 7 ft | 5 ft (both sides) | 65 to 70% | 75% | 3 | 38 ft | — |
| 2 Kanal | 20 ft | 10 ft | 10 ft (both sides) | 60% | 60% | 3 | 38 ft | — |
Car porches on larger plots have strict positioning rules. On plots of 10 Marla and above, the porch cannot exceed 20 feet in length. It can only sit in the mandatory side space.
Basements are allowed but depth is capped at 12 feet. The depth is measured from the road level in front of your plot. Setbacks still apply to the basement footprint.
Minimum room size is 100 square feet. Clear room height must be between nine feet six inches and 12 feet. Basement ceilings sit between nine and ten feet.
The 10 percent flex is genuinely useful in borderline cases. A plot at 1,050 square yards can still be processed in the 1,000 square yard bracket. This can save a full category shift.
Bahria Town and DHA rules override RDA on their own land. They enforce elevation, material and finish standards on top of the RDA framework. Always ask for the approved layout of your specific scheme.
Numbers on a table are one thing. Numbers on your actual plot are what matter for your budget.
Plot area comes to 7 times 272.25, which is 1,905.75 square feet. RDA allows 75 percent ground coverage on this size bracket. Ground floor works out to around 1,429 square feet covered.
First floor at the same 75 percent coverage adds another 1,429 square feet. Mumty on the roof adds roughly 470 square feet. Total built-up for a G+1+Mumty is around 3,300 square feet.
At a modest grey-structure rate of 5,500 rupees per square foot in 2026, that is roughly 18.1 million rupees before finishes. The 7 Marla label tells you almost nothing about the real project cost. The coverage math tells you everything.
Plot area is 5,445 square feet, which is 605 square yards. This falls into the 501 to 1000 square yard CDA category. Ground coverage after setbacks comes to around 65 percent, or 3,540 square feet.
First floor at similar coverage adds another 3,540 square feet. Mumty adds roughly 1,180 square feet on top. Total built-up for a G+1+Mumty sits at around 8,260 square feet.
Adding an optional basement at 100 percent of ground footprint adds another 3,540 square feet. Total built-up with basement then reaches around 11,800 square feet. The basement can swing your project cost by 25 to 30 percent.
Coverage caps set the ceiling. Four other decisions inside that ceiling drive how liveable and how expensive your finished house ends up being.
Basement or no basement. A basement is the cheapest additional square foot you will ever build. No roof, no elevation, no external finish. If your budget and water table allow it, build it.
Mumty rather than a full third floor. Standard residential plots do not get a third habitable floor. Trying to sneak one in is the top cause of stop-work notices. Design around the mumty from day one.
Porch positioning and size. Porches have their own dimensional caps and specific setback zones. A porch that eats into your side setback triggers a full redesign at the map stage.
Boundary wall height. Seven feet is the ceiling under both CDA and RDA. Higher walls need approval that is rarely granted for residential use.
7 Marla equals 1,905.75 square feet using the standard 272.25 square feet per Marla. Under the older 225 square feet Marla, it comes to 1,575 square feet. Always verify against the area on your allotment letter.
Under RDA, a 7 Marla plot allows 75 percent ground and first floor coverage. That gives roughly 1,400 square feet per floor after setbacks. Total covered area for a G+1+Mumty design is around 2,800 to 3,300 square feet.
CDA and RDA both cap 1 Kanal ground coverage at around 65 to 70 percent. That is about 3,500 to 3,800 square feet on the ground floor after setbacks. A full G+1+Mumty 1 Kanal house delivers around 7,500 to 8,500 square feet built-up.
Only when the standard 272.25 square feet Marla applies. Under the older 225 square feet Marla, 1 Kanal is 4,500 square feet. The ratio of 20 Marlas to 1 Kanal never changes.
CDA sets rules by square-yard category rather than by Marla label. Plots up to 150 square yards allow around 80 percent coverage with no side setback. Plots from 201 to 300 square yards drop to 70 to 75 percent with a 3 foot side setback.
RDA plots up to 8 Marla allow 75 percent ground coverage with modest setbacks. 10 Marla drops to 70 percent with a 5 foot side setback. 1 Kanal drops to 65 to 70 percent with setbacks on both sides.
Under standard CDA and RDA residential categories, only Ground plus 1 plus Mumty is permitted. The mumty is a stair and tank block. It is capped at roughly one-third of the ground-floor block.
Yes, and the changes are significant. Each society publishes its own approved bylaws that override the general CDA or RDA table. Gulberg Greens caps total footprint at around 20 to 25 percent of the plot.
FAR is the ratio of total built-up area to plot area. A FAR of 1 to 2.3 on a 5 Marla plot allows around 3,130 square feet of built-up area total. Ground coverage caps each floor. FAR caps the total across all floors.
Coverage limits, setbacks and height caps decide the honest ceiling on your project. They matter long before an architect draws a single wall.
Getting them wrong causes map rejections, demolition notices and expensive redesigns. We have been called in to fix those exact problems on other people’s projects more times than we would like.
If you are planning a house anywhere under CDA, RDA, DHA or Bahria Town, we can help. We prepare fully compliant, approval-ready designs and handle the map submission from concept through sanction.
