# House construction stages in Pakistan: steps, timeline and stage-wise payments

URL: https://which.pk/property/guides/house-construction-stages/
Author: Ahtisham
Updated: 21 Oct 2026

## Summary

The house construction stages in Pakistan are map approval, setting out and excavation, foundation to DPC, the frame and roof slabs, brickwork, plaster and services, finishing, and the completion certificate. Builders quote 6 to 7 months for a 10 marla house from site start (Avenir, Zameen) up to 14 to 18 months complete (ACCO). The grey structure is roughly 45% to 65% of the cost. Pay after each stage is finished and checked; CDA's nine official inspection points make good milestones.

## Key facts

- 10 marla, start to handover: 6 to 18 months (builders' estimates)
- Grey structure share of cost: About 45% to 65%
- CDA inspection points: 9, from demarcation to completion
- Contingency to keep: 5 to 10%

**The house construction stages in Pakistan are: map approval, setting out and digging, foundation to DPC, the frame and roof slabs, brickwork, plaster and services, finishing, and the completion certificate.** A 10 marla house takes 6 to 7 months from site start by one builder's estimate, and 14 to 18 months complete by another's. The grey structure is roughly 45% to 65% of the cost. Pay after each stage is finished and checked.

The order below follows the inspection points in CDA's building regulations (2023) and DHA Lahore's checks, with costs from Zameen's calculator and our [construction material estimator](/property/tools/construction-material-estimator/).

## How long does it take to build a house in Pakistan?

Builders' own estimates differ a lot. These are their figures, not ours.

| House | Avenir (site start to handover) | ACCO (grey structure) | ACCO (complete) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 marla | 5 to 6 months | 5 to 6 months | 10 to 15 months |
| 10 marla | 6 to 7 months | 6 to 8 months | 14 to 18 months |
| 1 kanal | 11 to 12 months | 8 to 10 months | 18 to 24 months |

ACCO adds 1 to 2 months for design and approval (2 to 3 months for 1 kanal). A 2019 Zameen guide says a 10 marla house can be done in 6 to 7 months, depending on how fast the money comes.

No source we found gives weeks for each stage, so we don't. Finishing is where time and money usually run over: ACCO says changes during construction are the biggest cause of overruns.

## What is the stage wise cost of house construction?

Zameen's calculators for a 10 marla house in Lahore (16 October 2026) split the cost like this:

| Part | Cost | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Grey structure | About Rs 97 lakh | Foundation and structure Rs 85.68 lakh, plumbing Rs 9.08 lakh, electrical Rs 2.24 lakh |
| Complete house | Rs 1.54 crore | Grey material Rs 80.77 lakh, finishing material Rs 56.09 lakh, labour Rs 16.71 lakh |

So the grey stage is about 63% of the total in that example (our sum). Avenir's 1 kanal example in DHA Lahore puts the grey structure at 44% and finishing at 56%, because finishes cost more on a bigger house. Expect the grey share to fall as the finish gets better.

Inside the grey structure, steel and cement cost the most. At our estimator's middle quantities for a full RCC frame and PBS September 2026 prices in Lahore, bulk materials come to about Rs 2,229 per sq ft: steel 33%, cement 29%, bricks 23%, crush 9% and sand 6%. Steel, cement and crush go mostly into the foundation, columns, beams and slabs, so the money goes out fastest during those stages.

For full per-sq-ft rates, see [house construction cost in Pakistan](/property/guides/house-construction-cost-pakistan/) and [grey structure cost](/property/guides/grey-structure-cost/).

## Stage 1: map approval

Nothing should be dug before the plan is approved. In Lahore, LDA charges Rs 5,000 for any construction, including excavation, before approval, and Rs 1.2 lakh per floor if you carry on after a notice. In Islamabad, CDA charges Rs 20,000 plus Rs 100 per sq ft.

LDA should approve a house plan within 21 days in an approved scheme and 30 days in its controlled area. CDA should reply within 10 working days. The steps and fees are in [LDA map approval](/property/guides/lda-map-approval/) and [CDA building bylaws](/property/guides/cda-building-bylaws-islamabad/).

An LDA approval lapses after three years or the plot's building period, whichever is first. A CDA approval lasts five years. Plan the build to finish inside that.

## Stage 2: setting out and excavation

The contractor marks the house on the ground from the approved drawing. In Islamabad, CDA makes your architect inspect this "ground demarcation" before any digging, and DHA Lahore's first check is the setting out.

**Check before you pay:** the setbacks on the ground match the approved drawing. Covered area built into the setbacks has to be demolished or pays a penalty.

## Stage 3: foundation to DPC

The footings go in, then the plinth walls up to floor level, capped with a damp-proof course (DPC). Avenir's grey structure scope includes termite proofing here, and in Islamabad the boundary wall is checked at the same time.

This is the main official check. In Islamabad, you file **Form-D** at plinth level through your architect, and CDA's Land Survey Division checks the plot lines, plinth level and building lines within 15 days. Skipping it costs Rs 4 per sq ft of plinth area even if you built to plan. DHA Lahore's second check is "foundations to damp-proof course".

**Check before you pay:** the plinth height is within the limit (in CDA sectors, 3 ft 6 in for terraced houses and 5 ft for detached), and the official verification is done.

## Stage 4: frame and roof slabs

Columns and beams go up and each roof slab is poured, floor by floor. In an RCC frame, this is where most of the steel and cement goes.

CDA's regulations require an architect's inspection when each floor reaches roof height, before the slab is poured, and Form-D again before every slab. ACCO says its engineer checks the steel and makes concrete cube tests before every pour. DHA Lahore checks when the first floor starts, 1 ft above the ground-floor slab.

**Check before you pay:** the steel matches the structural drawing (bar sizes and spacing), and curing is in the contract. Avenir warns that curing is often dropped from low quotes, and ACCO says very low quotes usually mean thinner steel or weaker concrete. See [grade 40 vs grade 60 steel](/property/guides/grade-40-vs-grade-60-steel/).

**When to pour concrete:** ACCO recommends October to March for concrete work in Lahore. Ask your engineer how long the props must stay under each slab: we found no Pakistani source to quote.

## Stage 5: brickwork, plaster and services

The walls are filled in with brick, and the water, drain and gas pipes and electrical conduits are laid into the walls and slabs before plaster. Avenir's grey structure scope includes all of these. The stair room (mumty) and water tank go on the roof; CDA has the architect inspect those too.

**Check before you pay:** the conduit and pipe routes match the drawings, because changing them after plaster means breaking walls. ACCO says planning solar, AC and plumbing routes at design stage costs far less than adding them later. A "grey structure" quote may not include plaster: Elegant Properties, a DHA Lahore builder, leaves internal and external plaster out of its grey scope. Confirm in writing.

At the end of this stage, DHA Lahore makes its fourth check (grey structure complete).

## Stage 6: finishing

Wiring, flooring, woodwork, windows, bathroom fittings and other fittings, then paint last, roughly in that order according to Zameen's guide. In Zameen's 10 marla example, tiles alone are Rs 20.58 lakh and paint and ceiling Rs 9.32 lakh.

This is the stage you control most, and where budgets most often overrun. Decide finishes before work starts, and keep a 5 to 10% contingency, as ACCO advises. For material choices, see [best paint for a house](/property/guides/best-paint-for-house-pakistan/), [which marble is best for floors](/property/guides/which-marble-is-best-for-floor/) and [best electric wire brands](/property/guides/best-electric-wire-brand-pakistan/).

## Stage 7: completion certificate

When the house is finished, apply for the completion certificate. In Lahore, give LDA written notice within one month of finishing. In Islamabad, you need it within three months after the construction period ends, and living in the house without one costs Rs 5,000 a month in the first year. CDA also checks for at least one solar geyser at this stage.

In DHA Lahore, the completion check comes when the sewer connection is opened, and DHA won't process a house transfer without a completion certificate.

## When should I pay the contractor?

Pay for work that is done and inspected, never far in advance, as ACCO puts it. No published schedule gives a standard percentage for each stage in Pakistan, so agree one in the contract and tie it to the official checks above:

- **Setting out** done and matched to the drawing.
- **DPC level** done and verified (Form-D in Islamabad, DHA's second check).
- **Each roof slab** poured after the steel was checked.
- **Grey structure complete**, with plaster and services if they are in the quote.
- **Finishing**, in parts, as each trade finishes.

Hold some money back until the completion certificate is issued. Whether to give the contractor the materials too changes how these payments work; see [contractor with material vs labour rate](/property/guides/contractor-with-material-vs-labour-rate/).

More guides: [10 marla construction cost](/property/guides/10-marla-house-construction-cost/), [covered area and setbacks in Lahore](/property/guides/covered-area-setbacks-lahore/), [Property](/property/).

## Questions people ask

### How long does it take to build a 10 marla house in Pakistan?

Builders quote 6 to 7 months from site start to handover (Avenir, and an older Zameen guide) up to 14 to 18 months for a complete house (ACCO). ACCO puts the grey structure alone at 6 to 8 months, plus 1 to 2 months for design and approval.

### What is the stage wise cost of house construction?

The grey structure takes roughly 45% to 65% of the total and finishing the rest. In Zameen's Lahore 10 marla calculator, grey work is about Rs 97 lakh of a Rs 1.54 crore house.

### When should I pay the contractor?

After each stage is finished and checked, not far in advance. The official inspection points, such as DPC level and each roof before the slab is poured, make natural payment milestones.

### What comes first, wiring or plaster?

Electrical conduits and water and drain pipes go into the walls and slabs during the grey structure, before plaster. Wires, fittings and paint come during finishing.

## Sources

- [S.R.O. 1074(I)/2023: Amendments in ICT Building Control Regulations, 2020 (Gazette, 16 Aug 2023)](https://www.cda.gov.pk/Assets/pdf/1700736985_7eabd8af_eb07_4aac_be0a_b6c25bb31421_.pdf), Capital Development Authority (accessed 21 Oct 2026)
- [LDA Building and Zoning Regulations 2019 with amendments (file dated 9 Feb 2026)](https://lda.gop.pk/downloads/file/09-02-2026-amended-building-regulations-2019-with-amendment.pdf), Lahore Development Authority (accessed 21 Oct 2026)
- [House Construction in Lahore: A 2026 Guide (19 Jul 2026)](https://avenirdevelopments.com/house-construction-in-lahore/), Avenir Developments (accessed 21 Oct 2026)
- [House Construction Cost Lahore 2026-27](https://acco.com.pk/house-construction-cost-lahore/), Ahmed Construction Company (ACCO) (accessed 21 Oct 2026)
- [Construction cost calculator: 10 marla Lahore, grey and complete (16 Oct 2026)](https://www.zameen.com/tools/construction-cost-calculator/10-marla-house-construction-cost-lahore-1/), Zameen.com (accessed 21 Oct 2026)
- [Grey Structure Cost Calculator (2026)](https://avenirdevelopments.com/house-construction-cost/grey-structure-cost/), Avenir Developments (accessed 21 Oct 2026)
- [Grey Structure: Complete Guide & Rates 2026](https://elegantdha.com/construction-services/grey-structure/), Elegant Properties (accessed 21 Oct 2026)
- [Budgeting to build a B-category 10-marla home (2016, updated 2019)](https://www.zameen.com/blog/budgeting-to-build-a-b-category-10-marla-home.html), Zameen.com Blog (accessed 21 Oct 2026)