A note from the original article: this cost breakdown is not outdated — for the latest figures, see our updated house grey structure cost article.
Construction cost for grey structure construction of your dream house in October 2017
Building a house from scratch is one of the biggest financial decisions a family will make, and the single most common question we hear from clients — especially overseas Pakistanis planning a home back in Lahore or Islamabad — is simple: what will the grey structure actually cost? In this article we break down, item by item, the real per-square-foot cost of taking a plot from foundation to a fully grey-structured house as of October 2017, based on current site rates for bricks, cement, steel, sand and labor.
House construction can be carried out through two broad methods, and it helps to understand both before looking at the cost breakdown below:
Labor contract
A contract in which the owner procures material directly and supervises labor on a self-help basis. A labor contractor is responsible only for arranging the required labor to carry out construction procedures. Final cost of construction is entirely in the hands of the owner himself, and will depend upon how well he has managed the construction process — both in terms of material procurement and labor management. The cost breakdown below is based on this method.
Turnkey contract
This is a method in which the owner hires a professional company on a lump sum or per-square-foot construction rate for a turnkey solution. The owner does not have to worry about the day-to-day construction cost, as the builder has agreed to provide all services within a predefined budget and cost. The owner only has to supervise whether the builder is carrying out the work as per the agreement or not. Further down in this article we tell you roughly how much more a professional company charges for its services over the labor-contract cost shown here.
Construction contract type: Labor rate contractConstruction grade: A grade compliance to all technical & engineering specifications
Sample project
10 Marla house construction cost (250 sq.yd, plot area approx. 2,500 sq.ft)Covered area 3400 sq.ft including Ground floor, first floor and rooftop mumty.Item wise per square foot cost calculations
Bricks 220 Rs/sq.ft
Calculation:220 Rs x 3400 sq.ft = 748,000 RsBrick price = 8.5 Rs per pieceQuantity = 748000/8.5 = 88,000 bricks
Bajri (Gravel) 60 Rs/sq.ft
Calculation:60 Rs x 3400 sq.ft = 204,000 RsBajri price = 65-75 Rs per c.ft (70 Rs used for this estimate)Quantity = 204000/70 = approx. 2,914 c.ft
Cement 175 Rs/sq.ft
Calculation:175 Rs x 3400 sq.ft = 595,000 RsCement price = 550 Rs/50kg bagQuantity = 595000/550 = approx. 1,082 bags
Sariya (Steel) 175 Rs/sq.ft
Calculation:175 Rs x 3400 sq.ft = 595,000 RsSteel price = 80,000 Rs/ton (80 Rs/kg)Quantity = 595000/80 = 7,437.5 kg or approx. 7.44 tons
Sand 35 Rs/sq.ft
Calculation:35 Rs x 3400 sq.ft = 119,000 RsChenab sand quoted around 25 Rs/sq.ft on a raw material basis; applied site rate after handling and transport works out to 35 Rs/sq.ft
Labor contractor 260 Rs/sq.ft
Calculation:260 Rs x 3400 sq.ft = 884,000 RsRate applies to non-basement, brick-structure construction (observed range 250-260 Rs/sq.ft)
Steel fixer 10 Rs/sq.ft
Calculation:10 Rs x 3400 sq.ft = 34,000 Rs
Plumbing contractor 15 Rs/sq.ft
Calculation:15 Rs x 3400 sq.ft = 51,000 Rs
Electric contractor 15 Rs/sq.ft
Calculation:15 Rs x 3400 sq.ft = 51,000 Rs
Other items
Beyond the five main materials and four labor contracts above, every grey structure build carries a set of smaller supporting costs. These do not break down into clean per-piece or per-bag rates the way bricks or cement do, so we quote them here as one combined figure:
Other items (combined) 185 Rs/sq.ft
Calculation:185 Rs x 3400 sq.ft = 629,000 Rs
This combined figure covers the following items incurred during grey structure construction:
- Roof tiles
- Chowkidar (guard) salary
- Roori / brick ballast
- AC copper pipes
- Locks & hardware
- Polythene sheet
- Mitti (earth fill)
- Chips aggregate
- Taxes
- Electricity bills
Let us see what will be the total cost of Grey structure:
| # | Item | Rate (Rs/sq.ft) | Amount (Rs) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bricks | 220 | 748,000 |
| 2 | Bajri (Gravel) | 60 | 204,000 |
| 3 | Cement | 175 | 595,000 |
| 4 | Sariya (Steel) | 175 | 595,000 |
| 5 | Sand | 35 | 119,000 |
| 6 | Labor contractor | 260 | 884,000 |
| 7 | Steel fixer | 10 | 34,000 |
| 8 | Plumbing contractor | 15 | 51,000 |
| 9 | Electric contractor | 15 | 51,000 |
| 10 | Other items (combined) | 185 | 629,000 |
| Total | 1,150 | 3,910,000 |
Disclaimer:
- Possible ±5% variation is possible in the cost shown above
- Rates applicable on brick structures only
- Frame structure construction costs more than brick structure — get a fresh quote for that specific structure type
- Skills required to achieve this cost: past construction experience, quality & honest labor, labor management skills, quality, timely & cost effective material procurement
- Factors such as construction inexperience, unusual covered areas, frequent wear & tear, fraudulent labor etc can affect this cost figure
- Hire a professional company which will add a figure of 100-150 Rs/sq.ft minimum as margin over this cost
- A basement grey structure will cost meaningfully more than a non-basement structure — ask us for a separate basement estimate
If you would rather not manage material procurement and labor yourself, hiring a professional turnkey company typically adds Rs 100-150 per square foot over the labor-contract cost shown above — a fair trade-off for owners who want a supervised, guaranteed-budget build without spending months on-site themselves.