Every property advertisement in Pakistan uses marla as the primary size unit. Every international property document uses square feet. Every overseas Pakistani trying to make sense of a Lahore listing ends up reaching for a calculator. This guide walks through the marla to square feet conversion, the kanal arithmetic that follows, and the five sizing details Pakistani listings consistently get wrong.
The basic conversions
1 marla = 225 square feet (rounded). The exact figure is 272.25 sq ft using the old Lahore marla — but the modern standardized marla in DHA and Bahria Town is 225 sq ft. This is the figure you should use for any 2026-era Lahore property calculation.
1 kanal = 20 marlas = 4,500 square feet.
| Plot size | Square feet | Square meters |
|---|---|---|
| 3 marla | 675 sq ft | 63 sq m |
| 5 marla | 1,125 sq ft | 104 sq m |
| 7 marla | 1,575 sq ft | 146 sq m |
| 10 marla | 2,250 sq ft | 209 sq m |
| 1 kanal | 4,500 sq ft | 418 sq m |
| 2 kanal | 9,000 sq ft | 836 sq m |
| 4 kanal | 18,000 sq ft | 1,672 sq m |
Why two different marlas exist
Historically, the marla was a regional land unit that varied across the Punjab. Pre-Partition Lahore standardized on a 272.25 sq ft marla (called the "old" marla). When DHA Lahore was developed in the 1980s-90s, plots were dimensioned in a 225 sq ft marla for cleaner mathematics — a 1-kanal plot became exactly 4,500 sq ft instead of an awkward 5,445 sq ft.
The 225 sq ft marla is now the default in all modern Lahore housing societies (DHA all phases, Bahria Town, Park View City, Lake City, Etihad Town). The 272.25 sq ft "old marla" is still used in older parts of Lahore's interior (Walled City, Mughalpura, Shadbagh) and across rural Punjab.
If a property advertisement does not specify which marla, assume 225 sq ft for any society listing and 272.25 sq ft for inner-city plots.
Plot size vs construction size
A common source of confusion: plot size is the land area; construction size is the total built-up floor area across all floors. A 10-marla plot (2,250 sq ft of land) typically has 4,000-4,800 sq ft of built-up area across ground floor + first floor + (sometimes) a basement.
When reading a listing, distinguish:
- "10 marla house" — refers to the plot
- "3,500 sq ft house" — refers to built-up area
- "5+5 marla" — a 10-marla plot with construction on both floors
A 10-marla house with 4,500 sq ft built-up is denser construction (likely a basement + 2 floors) than one with 3,200 sq ft built-up (likely just ground + first floor).
What sellers misrepresent
The five most common sizing inaccuracies in Pakistani listings:
- "10 marla" plots that are actually 9.7 marla. Common in older DHA. Verify against the Allotment Letter, not the listing.
- Built-up area inflated by counting parking, store rooms, and servant quarter. A "5,000 sq ft house" with 1,200 sq ft of those uses is actually 3,800 sq ft of livable area.
- Lawn included in plot size. Plot is plot. Lawn is part of plot. But built-up area should NEVER include lawn — some sellers blur this.
- "Approximate" measurements that lean generous. Always confirm against the registered Allotment Letter dimensions.
- Old-marla vs new-marla ambiguity. Particularly in older Cantonment-area properties. A "5 marla" Cantonment plot might be 1,360 sq ft, not 1,125.
How to verify before buying
Three documents always agree (or you don't transact):
- DHA / society Allotment Letter — official plot dimensions
- Punjab land record (Fard / Intiqal) — government register
- Site survey — physical measurement by your own surveyor
A 5% discrepancy is normal (measurement tolerance). Anything beyond 5% is either an error to fix before closing or a misrepresentation to walk away from.
Quick reference math
To convert any marla figure to square feet: multiply by 225. To convert to square meters: multiply by 20.9. To convert square feet to marla: divide by 225.
For real-world plot sizes in current listings, browse our verified inventory on OpenHouse.pk — every house lists both marla and built-up sq ft. For the broader market view, see our Lahore property prices 2026 market report.
