The 240 square yard plot (2,160 sq ft, roughly 10 marla) is the most flexible mainstream size in Karachi, large enough to do everything a 200 does, with the extra width that finally unlocks a genuine double-car porch and a side passage for services and access. "10 marla" is one of the most-searched sizes in Pakistan, and in Karachi the 240 is the upper-middle-class standard: DHA's smaller plots, larger Gulshan and Bahria precincts, and established KDA schemes are full of them.
This guide is part of our house construction by plot size in Karachi cluster. It covers what a 240 builds, the width advantage it brings, and the real 2026 cost.
The 240 square yard plot is Karachi's most flexible mainstream size, the width unlocks double parking and a side passage that a 200 cannot fit.
240 Square Yards Is "10 Marla", Clearing Up the Units
In finance products and Punjab listings, a 240 is "10 marla" (the strict conversion is 225 sq yards to 10 marla, so a Karachi 240 is slightly larger than a standard 10 marla). Treat them as the same class of home for planning and comparison. This is the size at the top of the Apna Ghar finance cap (10 marla), so a 240 is roughly the largest plot the scheme is designed to fund, worth knowing if you are financing.
What Fits on a 240 Square Yard Plot, and Why the Width Matters
After setbacks, your usable ground footprint is roughly 1,750–1,800 sq ft. But the headline isn't the area, it's the frontage. A 240 is typically wider than a 200, and that width is what unlocks the upgrades:
- A double-car porch. Two cars covered, side by side, with the front door still clear. This is the single most-wanted feature a 240 delivers that a 200 struggles to.
- A side passage. A 3–4 ft strip down one side for service access, a generator/solar inverter, water tank access, and a clean route to the rear without tracking through the house.
- A wider, calmer plan. Rooms can be a touch larger and corridors less pinched, simply because the plate is wider.
A realistic ground-plus-one layout:
- Ground floor: a double-car porch, a formal drawing/guest room, a family lounge, a kitchen with a back kitchen, a dining area, a powder room, and a lawn.
- First floor: four bedrooms, a master suite with attached bath and dressing, three further bedrooms (one or two with attached baths), and a family lounge.
- Roof: a servant quarter with bath, a store, a mumty, and a laundry terrace. Where G+2 is permitted, a self-contained third floor is a common rental addition.
The Design Advantages of a 240
- Parking that actually works. Two-car households are the norm in this segment, and a 240 parks both under cover, a real daily quality-of-life difference and a resale plus.
- Service routing without compromise. The side passage means water tanks, the generator, the solar inverter, and external AC units have a home that is not your lawn or your porch. On narrower plots these end up cluttering the frontage.
- Four bedrooms and a proper upstairs lounge. The extra footprint over a 200 means you don't have to trade a bedroom for the family lounge, both fit.
- A more generous master suite. Attached bath, dressing, and a study nook or balcony become realistic.
Constraints to Design Around
- Side walls may still be party walls in tighter schemes. In DHA the side setback is enforced and gives you windows on the side; in dense Gulshan or Johar precincts a 240 can still be built wall-to-wall on one or both sides. Know which applies before you design, because it determines whether the side passage is yours or shared.
- The double porch competes with the lawn. Both want the frontage. A wide 240 fits both; a deeper-but-narrower 240 may force a choice between a two-car porch and a generous front lawn.
- Don't over-scale the formal spaces. It is tempting to make the drawing and dining grand at 240. Keep them proportionate so the bedrooms and family areas, where you actually live, don't get squeezed.
The DHA Factor
A large share of 240 sq yard plots sit in DHA, which changes three things:
- Approval runs through DHA Town Planning & Building Control, not SBCA, with its own setback, height, and finishing rules enforced more strictly than general SBCA areas.
- A 15–25% construction premium applies versus central Karachi, higher contractor margins and DHA finishing standards.
- Gate-pass labour logistics must be managed for site access. See our construction company in DHA Karachi page for the DHA-specific process.
A 240 outside DHA, in Gulshan, Johar, Bahria, or a KDA scheme, avoids the premium and follows the standard SBCA route.
Regulatory Notes, Setbacks and Floors
- Setbacks: front, rear, and (in DHA and wider plots) side setbacks apply. On a 240 they shape a comfortable house with parking and a lawn rather than constraining it.
- Floors: ground-plus-one standard; ground-plus-two permitted in many zones and DHA phases subject to height limits, the common route to a rental upper portion. Confirm against your approved plan.
- Approval: SBCA for general Karachi, DHA TP&BC for DHA. Build only against an approved plan.
240 Square Yard House Construction Cost in Karachi (2026)
A ground-plus-one build on a 240 yields roughly 3,500 sq ft of covered area. Using current 2026 rates from our house construction cost guide:
| Specification | Rate (PKR/sq ft) | Approx. Total (G+1, ~3,500 sq ft) |
|---|---|---|
| Economy | 3,800 – 5,000 | 1.33 cr – 1.75 cr |
| Standard | 5,000 – 7,500 | 1.75 cr – 2.6 cr |
| Premium | 8,000 – 13,000+ | 2.8 cr – 4.55 cr+ |
In DHA, add the 15–25% area premium on top, a standard DHA 240 build commonly runs PKR 2.0–3.0 crore. Grey structure alone is about 55–60% of the total. Budget separately for approval (SBCA or DHA TP&BC), architect and structural engineer fees, utility connections, and a 10–15% contingency.
Build Timeline
A standard double-storey 240 sq yard house runs roughly 9–13 months from foundation to handover; DHA finishing standards and premium imported materials can add 2–4 months. Allow 6–10 weeks beforehand for approval, plus a 15–20 day buffer per phase for Karachi's standard stoppages.
Frequently Asked Questions, 240 Square Yard House in Karachi
How much does it cost to build a 240 square yard house in Karachi in 2026? A ground-plus-one 240 sq yard house (about 3,500 sq ft covered) costs roughly PKR 1.75–2.6 crore at standard specification and PKR 1.33–1.75 crore at economy, excluding land, approvals, and fees. In DHA, add a 15–25% premium, putting a standard DHA build commonly at PKR 2.0–3.0 crore.
Is 240 square yards the same as 10 marla? Closely. 240 square yards is slightly larger than a standard 10 marla (which is 225 sq yards), so for planning and finance comparison they are the same class. Karachi uses square yards; finance products and Punjab listings use marla. A 240 is at the top of the Apna Ghar scheme's 10-marla funding cap.
What does a 240 give you that a 200 doesn't? Mainly the extra width: a genuine double-car porch and a side passage for services (generator, tanks, solar inverter) and rear access. It also lets you keep four bedrooms and a proper upstairs family lounge without trading one for the other. It is the most flexible mainstream Karachi size for these reasons.
How many cars can you park on a 240 square yard plot? Two cars under cover in a double porch is the standard, which suits the two-car households common in this segment. On a wider 240 you can fit two-car parking and still keep a front lawn; on a narrower-but-deeper 240 you may choose between the second covered bay and a larger lawn.
Is a 240 square yard plot in DHA more expensive to build on? Yes, DHA carries a 15–25% construction premium over central Karachi due to higher contractor margins and stricter finishing standards, plus approval through DHA TP&BC rather than SBCA and gate-pass labour logistics. The same 240 in Gulshan, Johar, or Bahria avoids that premium.
Build Your 240 Square Yard Home With Naffees & Sons
The 240 is Karachi's most flexible family plot, and we have built it on both sides of the DHA line since 1972, managing DHA TP&BC approvals and gate-pass logistics where needed, and the standard SBCA route everywhere else. We will design the double-porch, four-bedroom layout this size is made for and price it with a transparent Bill of Quantities.
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