Grey structure in Lahore costs about Rs 2,800 to Rs 3,600 per sq ft of covered area in September 2026, depending on quality. A 10 marla double storey with about 3,375 sq ft covered comes to roughly Rs 1.08 crore at the standard B category rate, and a 5 marla double storey to about Rs 61 lakh.
Enter the plot and storeys, or your covered area from the map. The calculator gives the grey structure cost for your city and quality, and breaks it into bricks, cement, steel, sand, crush and labour at current market rates.
What grey structure includes
Grey structure is the house before finishing: everything that makes it stand and close in, but not what makes it liveable. In most Pakistani contracts it covers:
- excavation, foundations and the damp proof course
- RCC columns, beams, lintels and roof slabs, with steel and shuttering
- brick walls, outside and inside
- plaster, and the pipes and conduits for water, sewerage, gas and wiring laid in the walls and floors
- termite proofing and curing water
Doors, windows, tiles, marble, paint, electric wiring and switches, sanitary fittings and kitchen work are finishing. Contracts differ on plaster, boundary walls and the water tank, so read the item list before comparing two quotes.
Grey structure cost of common houses
Double storey, B category rates, Lahore. The complete house column adds finishing at Rs 3,200 a sq ft, for comparison.
| Plot | Covered area | Grey structure | Complete house |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 marla | 1,148 sq ft | Rs 36.7 lakh | Rs 73.4 lakh |
| 5 marla | 1,913 sq ft | Rs 61.2 lakh | Rs 1.22 crore |
| 7 marla | 2,678 sq ft | Rs 85.7 lakh | Rs 1.71 crore |
| 10 marla | 3,375 sq ft | Rs 1.08 crore | Rs 2.16 crore |
| 1 kanal | 5,400 sq ft | Rs 1.73 crore | Rs 3.46 crore |
How the calculator works
- Covered area. From a plot, it takes the part of the plot usually built on each floor after the front, back and side spaces that by-laws require (85% up to 7 marla, 75% up to 15 marla, 60% above), times the number of storeys. You can type your own share, or switch to covered area.
- Grey rate. B category is Rs 3,200 a sq ft in Lahore, A category Rs 3,600 and C category Rs 2,800. Other cities are scaled: Islamabad and Rawalpindi 5% higher, Karachi 2% higher, Peshawar 4% lower, Faisalabad 6% lower and Multan 8% lower.
- Cost. Covered area × grey rate.
- Breakdown. Thumb rule quantities per sq ft of covered area, priced at the market rates below. What is left of the grey cost is shuttering, pipes, water, curing and the contractor's margin.
Worked example: 10 marla double storey, Lahore
- Covered area: 10 × 225 × 75% × 2 = 3,375 sq ft
- Grey structure at Rs 3,200: 3,375 × 3,200 = Rs 10,800,000
- Bricks 67,500 (Rs 13.5 lakh), cement 1,350 bags (Rs 19.6 lakh), steel 11,138 kg (Rs 29.2 lakh), sand 6,075 cft, crush 4,050 cft
- Labour at Rs 450 a sq ft: Rs 15.2 lakh
The same house in Islamabad comes to about Rs 1.13 crore, and at C category rates in Lahore to Rs 94.5 lakh.
Materials for a 10 marla grey structure
Per sq ft quantities for an RCC framed double storey with 9 inch outer walls, and their cost at current Lahore rates.
| Item | Per sq ft | For 3,375 sq ft | Cost at 26 September 2026 rates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bricks | 20.0 bricks | 67,500 bricks | Rs 1,350,000 |
| Cement | 0.40 bags | 1,350 bags | Rs 1,957,500 |
| Steel (sarya) | 3.3 kg | 11,138 kg | Rs 2,918,025 |
| Sand | 1.8 cft | 6,075 cft | Rs 486,000 |
| Crush (bajri) | 1.2 cft | 4,050 cft | Rs 526,500 |
| Grey structure labour | Rs 450 | Rs 1,518,750 |
Steel and cement together are more than 40% of the grey cost, so their price on the day you buy moves the total most. For walls alone, the brick calculator counts bricks and mortar wall by wall.
Material rates used
Dealer rates in Lahore. Change any of them under "Use your own rates" to price your own quotes.
| Material | Rate used (26 September 2026) |
|---|---|
| Cement (50 kg bag) | Rs 1,450 a bag |
| Steel, Grade 60 | Rs 262 a kg |
| Bricks, A class (awwal) | Rs 20,000 per 1,000 |
| Sand | Rs 80 a cft |
| Crush (bajri) | Rs 130 a cft |
| Grey structure labour | Rs 450 a sq ft |
Labour only or with material
Contractors quote grey structure two ways. With material, one per sq ft rate covers everything above, and the contractor buys cement, steel and bricks. Labour only, you buy the materials and pay the thekedar per sq ft of covered area for the work; the calculator uses Rs 450 a sq ft for this.
With material is simpler to manage. Labour only lets you choose brands and check deliveries yourself, and you can compare it with this breakdown line by line. Either way, agree in writing what the rate includes and how covered area will be measured.
Questions people ask
What is the grey structure rate per sq ft in 2026?
In Lahore about Rs 2,800 a sq ft for economy work, Rs 3,200 for standard and Rs 3,600 for premium, with material, in September 2026. Islamabad and Rawalpindi run about 5% higher and Multan about 8% lower. Labour alone is about Rs 450 a sq ft.
What is the grey structure cost of a 5 marla house?
A 5 marla double storey has about 1,913 sq ft covered, taking 85% of a 1,125 sq ft plot on each floor. At Rs 3,200 a sq ft the grey structure is about Rs 61.2 lakh in Lahore. A single storey is about half that.
How much steel and cement does a 10 marla grey structure need?
About 11 tonnes of steel and 1,350 bags of cement for a 10 marla double storey of 3,375 sq ft, using 3.3 kg of steel and 0.4 bags of cement per sq ft. Bricks come to about 67,500. Your engineer's drawings give the exact figures.
What share of a house's cost is the grey structure?
At standard rates grey structure and finishing cost about the same per sq ft, so grey is roughly half the total. Premium finishing costs much more than premium grey work, so in a luxury house the grey share falls to around 40%.
Is the grey structure rate on plot area or covered area?
Covered area: the built floor area of all storeys added together, not the plot. A 10 marla plot of 2,250 sq ft with a double storey house usually has 3,300 to 3,400 sq ft covered.
Last reviewed 30 September 2026. Results are estimates; official notices always take precedence.