In This Post:
– Comparison of Grey Structure Cost
– Comparison of Finishing Cost
Although buying a house is comparatively easier than constructing your dream home from scratch, the perks of building your own unit supersede the difficulties you might encounter in the process. After all, constructing a house is a once in a lifetime affair for most people and you wouldn’t want to compromise on anything. Readymade houses don’t take your liking or preference into account. Moreover, they tend to be somewhat more expensive than a custom-made house. This is why, constructing your own house becomes such a rewarding experience that you will gleefully ignore the impediments the process would bring. If you are planning to build a 5 marla house and are dubious about the kind of construction you would want, then it is best to take a good look at the cost involved. There are clear differences in construction cost of an A category vs. A+ category 5 marla house. How about finding out where the variations in construction cost lie so that you can choose between the two most popular types of construction in Pakistan. Let us take a look at the construction cost comparison of an A category and A+ category 5 marla house.
CONSTRUCTION COST COMPARISON OF AN A CATEGORY AND A+ CATEGORY 5 MARLA HOUSE IN PAKISTAN
When building a 5 marla house in Pakistan, you need to ensure the quality of construction supplies used and also calculate the quantity of each material. Let us now take a look at the thorough cost-based analysis of the budget for a 5 marla house for both A and A+ category.
COVERED AREA
For both A and A+ category houses in Pakistan, the covered area for a double-story 5 marla house is 1,925 sq ft. The first floor and the second floor each have a covered area of 875 per sq ft. There are two kitchens, three bedrooms with attached bathrooms and a mumtee. a terrace on the first floor and a storeroom on the second floor. Tiles are used as the flooring of the house and marble is used on the stairs and on kitchen shelves only. Let us divide the construction cost of a 5 marla house into two parts:
- Building the grey structure
- Finishing of the house
To lay the foundation of the house, you need to first construct the grey structure.
GREY STRUCTURE COST OF AN A CATEGORY VS. A+ CATEGORY 5 MARLA HOUSE IN PAKISTAN
In order to compare the construction cost of an A category and A+ category 5 marla house, we must take a look at the quality of construction materials for both categories in order to understand the cost difference. As shown in the infographic above, the overall grey structure cost of an A category 5 marla house is PKR 2,488,250, while the cost of laying the foundation of an A+ category 5 marla house requires a budget of PKR 2,682,250. Read further as we will show you the breakdown of construction cost to build a 5 marla house and where the difference between the two category houses lie.
You can’t build a house without labourers. They play an integral part in the construction process and, therefore, also take up a major chunk of the budget.
LABOUR
The labour cost remains the same when we compare A category with A+ category. The labour rate is PKR 375 per sq ft, taking the total cost to build a 5 marla house in 2020 to PKR 721,875.
BRICKS, SAND, CRUSH AND RORI
There are different types of bricks available in the market. While in the A category 5 marla unit, you can cut down on cost and get a decent quality of bricks at PKR 11.5 per brick, the A+ category 5 marla house requires you to invest in the superior most quality of bricks, which is available at PKR 14.5 per unit. The difference in the cost is a significant one – PKR 150,000 more for A+ category 5 marla house.
The cost incurred on sand, crush and rori all remain the same for both A and A+ category 5 marla houses.
CEMENT, KASSU AND REBAR
Similarly, you won’t find any differences in the rates for cement, kassu and rebar for A and A+ category 5 marla houses. PKR 624, 875 is what you’ll need on average for all the above-mentioned items for both categories.
PLUMBING AND WIRING
PKR 145,000 is required to install plumbing and electrical systems in the house. The cost more or less remains the same for A and A+ categories.
GRILLS, GATE AND CHOUGAT STEEL
The grill and gate used in an A+ category 5 marla house is of a superior quality and therefore has a higher rate. PKR 66,000 is spent on installing safety grills in an A+ category house, while you would need only PKR 57,000 for an A category unit. There are plenty of stylish main gate designs available in the market. For an A+ category house, a budget of PKR 95,000 is reserved for installing the main gate. On the contrary, only PKR 60,000 are required for an A category unit.
OTHER COSTS
Termite spray and the construction of an overhead tank, i.e. PKR 31,500 are the same for both categories.
In a nutshell: A comparison of the construction cost of the grey structure of an A category and A+ category 5 marla house shows that you need PKR 194,000 more to construct an A+ category house.
FINISHING COST OF AN A CATEGORY VS. A+ CATEGORY 5 MARLA HOUSE
The infographic above clearly shows that the finishing cost to build an A+ category 5 marla house is much higher than its counterpart. While you can get done with the finishing of a 5 marla unit in PKR 2,465,550, you would need a huge budget for an A+ category house – approximately PKR 3,874,950. Let us take a look at the breakdown of the construction cost.
TILES AND MARBLE
People constructing a double-unit 5 marla house usually go for tiles. The quality of tiles for both categories vary and so does the cost.
Around PKR 316,000 is required to construct the flooring of the house at the rate of PKR 2,000 for an A category 5 marla unit. This excludes garage, terrace and bathroom tiles. You would need a higher budget of PKR 395,000 for an A+ category house
To construct the floor of the bathrooms, reserve a budget of PKR 65,000 for an A category 5 marla house, but if you are planning to construct an A+ category house, then be prepared to spend a higher sum of PKR 162,500. The cost for tiles in terrace, garage and marble used in stairs remain the same for both categories – PKR 27,000, PKR 33,000 and PKR 75,000 respectively.
ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
For an A+ category house, you would need an expensive chandelier, show lights and lamps to illuminate the space, which would cost you roughly PKR 165,000. However, you can get a decent set of lights and chandelier in a PKR 110,000 package. Fans are a bit costly for an A+ category house – PKR 68,000, while PKR 60,500 are required for an A category unit.
In an A category house, mostly Opal switch boards are used for PKR 850 per board, while in an A+ category house, 15 Metalite switchboards are used that cost around PKR 1,500 per unit. That is almost double the price. Similarly, superior quality of power plugs are used at the cost of PKR 900 per unit, while PKR 475 per unit is charged for the plugs of an A category 5 marla house.
KITCHEN AND BATH ACCESSORIES
In an A category 5 marla house, the kitchen and bath accessories include the kitchen hood, sink, vanity set, commode, bath hangings and bath set at PKR 294,000. On the contrary, in an A+ category 5 marla house, a modern and fancy kitchen is installed at the cost of PKR 350,000 per kitchen. Since two kitchens are required in a double story house, therefore a budget of PKR 700,000 is required.
Top quality bathroom fixtures are used such as a wall-mounted Grohe commode at the cost of PKR 35,000. A vanity cabin can cost you PKR 60,000. A bath cabin made of tempered glass is also installed in an A+ category 5 marla house at PKR 100,000 giving the bathroom a luxurious finish. Approximately, 368,500 is spent in the bathroom fixtures and accessories of an A+ category unit.
PAINT AND CEILING
There are two parts to the finishing of the house. One is the paint done on the walls inside the house and the other is the exterior part of the house. The paint job should be done ideally after installation of switchboards and light fixtures. Painting a newly built house is tougher since it requires careful application of the base coat. You would therefore need PKR 350,000 for an A+ category house, while PKR 300,000 is required in an A category unit.
You’d have to shell out around PKR 30,000 and 107,250 on rockwall and the false ceiling for both categories respectively.
WINDOWS AND MIRRORS
Aluminium and glass work in houses includes windows and window frames, wire mesh and glass panes. The cost of Aluminium windows and glass is PKR 175,000 for an A category house, while the mirrors would cost PKR 20,000. For the staircase, railings are needed which cost you PKR 65,000.
In an A+ category 5 marla house, PKR 325,000 is spent on windows alone, while the mirrors cost you PKR 50,000. Installation of railings cost PKR 80,000.
WOODWORK
Wood is used in various parts of the house in the form of wardrobes, kitchen cabinets, doors, bathroom cabinets and decorative racks in the living room and drawing-room. The rates may vary from vendor to vendor, but it is generally advisable to buy wood and let your carpenter carve it into cabinets and doors, rather than to purchase ready-to-use cabinets from the market since you can’t be sure of the material.
There would be one semi-solid wooden door and the rest of the doors would have Malaysian plywood. It would cost you PKR 135,000. Reserve a budget of PKR 150,000 for wardrobes and 50,000 for the LCD rack.
Miscellaneous Items
A budget of PKR 135,000 is required to install CCTV cameras, fancy remote-controlled gate and wallpaper in an A+ category 5 marla house. Whereas, in an A category unit, none of the above-mentioned items are required.
In a nutshell: If we look at the overall cost of building an A category 5 marla house, it is PKR 4,953,800, whereas an A+ category 5 marla house requires a budget of PKR 6,557,200 – which would cost around PKR 1,603,400 more than the A category unit.
So, this concludes our piece on the construction cost for A category vs. A+ category 5 marla house in 2020. We will be sharing similar analysis on 10 marla and 1 kanal houses so keep checking Zameen Blog, the best real estate blog in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, you should also take a look at our detailed blogs on: construction cost of an A category 10 marla and 1 kanal house in Pakistan. Also, there are separate posts on construction cost of an A+ category 10 marla and 1 kanal house. Subscribe to the Zameen Newsletter appearing on the right hand side of the page.
For those who are looking to buy land before building a house, then choose your area from these major cities in Pakistan: Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Multan. Did you find our cost analysis useful? Do share your feedback with us on blog@zameen.com and we will surely get back to you!
Note: The rates quoted in this article are from July 2020. The rates in the article have been sourced from Mr. Kashif Mehmood, CEO of Alpha Construction Company. He is available at 0310-4811578
