When it comes to buying property in Karachi, Bahria Town appears to be one of the top choices among those living in the city. Situated at a short drive from the toll plaza, Bahria Town Karachi is a state-of-the-art gated-community offering a range of affordable and upscale housing options. The privately-owned residential society boasts modern infrastructure, secure environment and world-class facilities, guaranteeing a high standard of living among its residents. Moreover, the construction bylaws in Bahria Town Karachi also ensure the orderly development of the housing scheme.
The under-construction project, which is no less than a city within a city, is spread over an area of 44,000 acres. As per the Bahria Town Karachi map, the project and has been divided into several precincts. Plots for sale in Bahria Town Karachi are available in the sizes of 125 sq yd, 250 sq yd, 500 sq yd, 1000 sq yd and 2000 sq yd.
If you are planning to buy real estate in Bahria Town Karachi or have already bought a plot and are considering constructing your own house, here are a few things you should know.
Designing a House in Bahria Town Karachi
The first step to constructing a house in Bahria Town is getting the design approved.
Depending on the area size of your property, you need to deposit a certain fee either at the Boat Basin Branch or Bahria Town Highway Branch of United Bank Limited (UBL). This payment needs to be paid in advance and is valid for a period of one year.
Once you’ve made the payment, you need to get design options and get an appointment with an architect that’s listed with Bahria Town. Then, a structural engineer registered with Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) will conduct the soil test and prepare structure drawings.
It’s up to the property owner to either have an architectural design prepared by the Bahria Town Design Wing or an external architect.
The Bahria Town Design request form is quite simple. It requires your name, contact number, plot number, precinct number, plot size and specific requirements if any. You’re then asked to specify the number of rooms on the first and ground floors among other details.
Required Documents for Design Approval
Meanwhile, here’s a list of documents that need to be submitted alongside the structural drawings for approval by Bahria Town Design Wing.
- A copy of the property owner’s CNIC
- Bahria Town allotment letter
- Copy of the possession letter
- No Dues Certificate (NDC)
- Payment receipt
- Two sets of soil tests
Please note that if the plot owner is unable to collect the drawings and inspection cards, the person doing it on their behalf must have an authorization form signed by the allottee. An affidavit on a PKR 100 stamp paper is also mandatory, regardless of who is collecting the drawings. Meanwhile, for design approval cases, a structure stability certificate along with PEC registration letter for the structural engineer is also mandatory.
Moreover, it is compulsory to get the approval for exterior finishes from Bahria Town Design Studio. To maintain the beauty and aesthetics of the housing scheme, the Design Studio has prohibited homeowners from doing the following things:
- Using fibreglass shade in the front and side setbacks
- Having the outdoor units of the geyser and air conditioners visible from the front and sides
- Erecting any fences outside the house and the greenbelt
Those who are found violating these exterior design guidelines will be fined PKR 50,000.
Furthermore, the charges for getting a duplicate drawing set is PKR 5,000. The charges for the transfer of drawing and documents is also PKR 5,000.
The Most Important Construction Bylaws in Bahria Town Karachi
Here are some of the construction guidelines in Bahria Town Karachi:
- Property owners must strictly follow the approved elevations. The front elevation restriction includes boundary wall, gate design, finishing material and aluminium or UPVC frames for windows.
- A building must be 30 feet tall
- Floor finishes level must be 2 feet from the road level
- The porch level must be 8 inches
- The minimum porch length should be 12 feet and the area size must not exceed 380 sq ft.
- Homeowners are not allowed to construct a mumty, which is basically a small structure that provides a roof over the staircase.
- The size of underground water tank must be 6’x4’x4’ for 125 sq yd houses, 7’x5’x6’ for 250 sq yd houses, 8’x5’x6’ for 500 sq yd houses and 8’x5’x7’ for both 1000 and 2000 sq yd homes in Bahria Town Karachi.
- The size of overhead water tank must be 5’x4’x4’ for 125 sq yd houses, 6’x5’x4’ for 250 sq yd homes, 7’x5’x4’ for 500 sq yd houses and 7’x6’x4’ for 1000 and 2000 sq yd units.
- The covered area for 125 sq yd homes should be 70 percent. Meanwhile, it must be 65 percent for 250 sq yd houses in Bahria Town Karachi. The allowed covered area for 500, 1000 and 2000 sq yd properties is 50 percent.
- The boundary should be built up to the DPC (damp proof course) level. One needs to get it checked from Bahria Service before constructing their house.
- The storm-water drain must not be connected to the Bahria Town sewage system.
- For exterior finishes, it is mandatory to contact the Colour Consultant in the Bahria Town Design Wing once the plasterwork is completed. This is one of the most important building laws in Bahria Town Karachi.
- Bahria Town does not have any approved contractors. It is the responsibility of the builder and the property owner to ensure the quality of concrete and other building material is up to par.
- While constructing a basement in plots of area size 1 kanal and above, the homeowner should give an undertaking of being responsible for any damage to neighbouring houses.
- It is also extremely important to get your inspection card signed by the site inspectors to ensure a hassle-free issuance of a Completion Certificate. This card needs to be signed after the completion of each stage. However, if you miss one, you’ll be required to provide an affidavit on PKR 100 stamp paper along with a fee of PKR 10,000. In case you lose your original inspection card, you can get a duplicate for PKR 30,000.
Please note that the construction laws in Bahria Town Karachi along with the payment plans are subject to change. It is recommended that you contact the Bahria Town office in Karachi for more information on the subject.
For those interested in investing in the project, don’t forget to check out our detailed guide on the property transfer procedure in Bahria Town as well as the latest property prices in Bahria Town Karachi.
Meanwhile, if you are interested in buying property in Defence Housing Authority, make sure to take a look at the DHA Karachi construction bylaws for further details.
If you want to learn more about floor plans, price of construction materials, and cost of building a house as per the latest trends, head over to Zameen Blog – the leading property blog in Pakistan. You can also share your suggestions and queries with us at blog@zameen.com. To receive the latest updates about the real estate sector of Pakistan, don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter on the right.
