Some people prefer buying ready-to-move-in homes over constructing houses from scratch. There are advantages and disadvantages in both cases. One of the major pros of building your own house is that you can construct it according to your needs and preferences. Moreover, you tend to select good quality construction material for your future home. However, building a house on your own, that too in Karachi, is no piece of cake. In this blog, we will give you a rough estimate of constructing a 120 sq yd house in Karachi. Let’s get started.
Calculating Construction Costs of a 120 Sq Yd House In Karachi
When constructing a 120 sq yd house in Karachi, you need to follow Sindh Building Control Authority’s bylaws. The covered area for a 120 sq yd unit will be 1080 sq ft. Out of which approximately 1000 sq ft of area would be called as covered area. We are building a ground plus 1 unit in Karachi. Let us calculate the rough estimate of construction cost of a 120 sq yd double unit in Karachi.
Labour Cost
You can either hire a contractor or build your own house with the help of labourers. It is advised to consult a professional civil engineer, architect or contractor so that you can avoid common house construction mistakes. A labourer in Karachi charges around PKR 800-1000 per day, but if you are hiring a contractor, they are usually the one to determine the wages of all the labourers working on the unit. The contractor would set a deadline and the labourers would work accordingly.
Labour Cost: PKR 500,000
Grey Structure
House construction in Pakistan is broadly divided into two steps: building the grey structure and finishing. If you’re constructing, let’s say, a 120 sq yd house in Karachi, you have to follow the same process. While there may be some parts of this mammoth task that you can manage on your own, understanding its basics is crucial if you want to be successful at it.
Following is a list of construction materials, along with their rates, which are required to build the grey structure of the unit in question.
Cement blocks
In Karachi, cement blocks, instead of baked bricks, are used to build a house. While constructing the grey structure of a house, these blocks are glued together using cement.
You can say these blocks put the ‘grey’ in the term ‘grey structure.’
Approximately 40,000 cement blocks are required for building a 120 sq double unit house in Karachi.The rate of blocks is dependent on their quality and prices ranging from PKR 24 to PKR 33 per block.
Cost for cement blocks: PKR 960,000
Gravel
Gravel (bajri) is quantified in square feet when it comes to house construction. Around 700 square feet of gravel would be required for a 120 sq yd house in Karachi. The cost of gravel per sq ft is approximately PKR 75.
Gravel cost: PKR 52,500
Cement
The price of cement is PKR 560 per sack. It is estimated that around 600-700 sacks of cement are required when constructing a 120 sq yd house in Karachi. Government of Pakistan sets the price of cement and no brand can sell cement at any higher rate than this. Whichever brand you pick, the price will be the same.
Cement cost: PKR 392,000
Sand
Similar to gravel, sand is also measured in square feet, but people who build houses measure it by the number of trucks. For a 120 sq yd house in Karachi, five trucks of sand are used.
Sand cost: PKR 30,000
Rebar
The rate of rebar G-500 steel bars (sarya) is around PKR 117, 500 per ton and about 2 ton would be required for a 120 sq yd house.
Rebar cost: PKR 235,000
Wiring
As soon as the grey structure of your house is complete, the next step would be home wiring. Generally, two kinds of wires are used in houses. In low-consumption appliances, 3/29 gauge wire is used. For higher consumption purposes, a 7/29 gauge wire is used.
The average rate of Pakistan Cables 90m coil is PKR 67, 465. Pioneer Cables are also available for 600/1000V, costing around PKR 41, 327. The cost of electrician and other service charges are also included.
Wiring cost: Around PKR 125,000 would be required
Flooring
These days wooden tiles are quite popular in Karachi. It would cost you PKR 120 per sq ft for a good finish wooden flooring in Karachi. You can also get vinyl flooring done in PKR 55 per sq ft. A rough estimation for flooring when constructing a 120 sq yd house in Karachi would be PKR 600,000
Cost of flooring: PKR 600,000
Woodwork
As soon as you are done with the flooring then comes woodwork. Wood is used in different areas in the house. Whether it is your kitchen, bedroom or drawing room woodwork forms an essential part of house construction. You can also buy readymade furniture, but it is advised to have a carpenter who can carve out customized cabinets and doors for you.
Cost of woodwork: PKR 400,000
Windows and Glass
Aluminium is mostly used in making windows and window frames. Once the doors and cabinets in your house are done then you need to make windows. Every bit of detail like grill work, metal frames, bidding and glass panes are taken into account. Your contractor or builder will tell you the exact rate for the windows and grills. A rough estimation would be around PKR 175,000.
Cost of windows and glass: PKR 175,000
Sanitary Fittings
For bathrooms, there are local and imported sanitary fittings. People in Karachi who are building a house prefer having imported fixtures, mainly because of superior quality and less plumbing repairs. Small bathroom set including basin mixer, hand shower, muslim shower and tee-arm set of an imported brand would cost you around PKR 20, 000 – 30,000. Wash basins, commode and other accessories along with their fittings would roughly cost you PKR 200,000.
Cost for sanitary fittings: PKR 200,000
Finishing
It is important to choose the right type of paint finish for your home. A professional would recommend you the right colour and also what paint would best suit your house. Once you have made your decision, the painter would first apply a base coat and then multiple coats of the colour you choose. This would cost you around PKR 300,000. You can also go for fiberglass walls, they are not only durable but also give a stylish look to the house.
Cost of finishing: PKR 300,000
If you are looking for a 5 marla house construction cost in Karachi, then keep a budget of, at least, PKR 3, 469, 500. You can even save some bucks if you don’t want to hire a contractor.
If you want to build your next A category home from scratch, then don’t forget to check out the average cost of an A-category 5 marla house. For similar updates and information about construction trends, stay tuned to Zameen Blog, one of the best property blogs in Pakistan. If you have any questions please reach us at blog@zameen.com and we will get back to you.
