Renovation & Restoration in Karachi – Naffees & Sons

Karachi is a city of layers. Many of its most valuable properties — in Clifton, Bath Island, PECHS, Nazimabad, North Nazimabad, and Saddar — are structures built between the 1940s and 1990s that remain structurally sound at their core but have become functionally obsolete, aesthetically dated, or physically deteriorated. Renovation and restoration is how these assets are brought into productive use again.

Naffees & Sons has been restoring, refurbishing, and renovating buildings across Karachi since 1972. Our renovation work spans residential properties, commercial buildings, and institutional facilities — including two documented government school renovation projects with full compliance under CDGK (City District Government Karachi) oversight. This page covers what renovation in Karachi actually involves, what it costs, how the Federal Budget 2025–2026 affects renovation economics, and what clients should understand before committing to a renovation contract.

Renovation Costs in Karachi: 2025–2026

Renovation costs vary more than new-build costs because every existing building presents a different condition baseline. A structural refurbishment of a concrete-frame building that was maintained regularly costs dramatically less per square foot than one that has been neglected for two decades with water-damaged reinforcement, failed waterproofing, and compromised brickwork.

That said, here are indicative ranges for common renovation scopes in Karachi in 2025–2026:

Scope of Renovation	Cost Per Sq Ft (PKR)	Notes
Cosmetic Interior Only	500 – 1,500	Paint, basic tiles, doors — no structural or MEP work
Mid-Range Interior Renovation	1,500 – 3,500	New flooring, bathroom/kitchen upgrade, electrical refresh
Full Interior Gut-and-Refit	3,500 – 6,000	Full demolition of finishes, new MEP, new finishes
Structural Remediation	2,000 – 5,000	Column jacketing, slab repairs, crack injection — varies widely
Full Structural + Interior	5,000 – 10,000+	Complete refurbishment: structure + MEP + finishes
Commercial Renovation (office/retail)	4,000 – 9,000	Commercial MEP, raised floors, facades, fit-out
Heritage/Period Restoration	6,000 – 15,000+	Specialist trades, matching materials, documented methods
Floor Addition (new storey on existing)	3,000 – 5,500	Requires structural assessment first

Note on Budget 2025–2026 impact: The doubling of Federal Excise Duty on cement (from PKR 2/kg to PKR 4/kg) adds PKR 125 per 50kg bag, raising Karachi cement prices to PKR 1,520–1,560 per bag. Structural renovation work involving concrete repairs, jacketing, or new slabs absorbs this increase directly. Quotes prepared before July 2025 are underpriced relative to current input costs.

The Federal Budget 2025–2026 and Renovation Economics

Cement FED increase. The 100% increase in Federal Excise Duty on cement directly affects all renovation work involving concrete. Any renovation that includes column jacketing, slab repairs, new concrete elements, or cast-in-situ plaster involves cement procurement at the new elevated price. A full structural refurbishment of a 3,000 sq ft property consuming 30 tonnes of cement absorbs PKR 120,000 in additional FED versus pre-budget estimates.

Steel prices easing. Grade 60 rebar has eased 10–15% from 2024 peak prices. Currently PKR 228,000–242,000 per tonne in Karachi. For structural remediation involving new reinforcement (column jacketing, crack-stitching, new beams), this is a modest positive offset to the cement increase.

Property transfer FED abolished. The removal of the 7% Federal Excise Duty on property transfers (effective July 1, 2025) has stimulated the secondary property market. More people are buying older properties — which directly drives renovation demand. A property that was previously suppressed by 7% FED friction on top of stamp duty and WHT now transfers at a significantly lower transaction cost, making the economics of "buy and renovate" far more attractive than in FY2024-25.

Tax credit for owner-occupier improvements. The mortgage tax credit introduced in Budget 2025–26 — proportionate relief on profit paid on construction and acquisition loans — indirectly benefits clients financing both a property acquisition and its renovation through formal banking channels.

Non-filer restrictions. From July 1, 2025, property cannot be purchased by non-filers. This push toward formal documented transactions benefits clients working with registered, compliant contractors — not informal day-labour.

Types of Renovation Work We Undertake

Structural Remediation

The most consequential renovation work is structural — and the most dangerous to defer. In Karachi, structural deterioration commonly presents as:

Exposed reinforcement with corrosion: Rebar oxidises when concrete cover is insufficient or water ingress occurs. Corroded rebar expands, cracking the surrounding concrete and progressively losing structural capacity. Left untreated, this becomes a safety emergency.
Column and beam cracking: Settlement, seismic movement, or overloading can crack structural members. Not all cracks are equal — diagonal shear cracks are more serious than vertical flexural cracks, and assessment by a structural engineer is essential before deciding on the remediation approach.
Foundation settlement: In Karachi's varied soil conditions — particularly in areas with made-up ground or high water tables — differential settlement can cause structural distress. Remediation options range from soil grouting to underpinning.
Failed waterproofing with consequential damage: Flat-roof waterproofing in Karachi fails at predictable intervals. Water tracking through failed waterproofing reaches reinforcement within months in Karachi's humidity. We find and fix the root cause, not just the visible symptom.

Our structural remediation work includes concrete repair (pressure injection, patch repair, jacketing), cathodic protection for chronically damp environments, and structural strengthening where loading requirements have changed.

Full Residential Renovation

A full residential renovation — taking a property back to structure and rebuilding the interior — is often the right choice when:

The existing MEP infrastructure has aged beyond economic repair
The floor plan does not suit the owner's needs and walls need to be repositioned
The finishes are so degraded that a cosmetic-only approach would look visually inconsistent
The owner is investing in a property for resale or rental and wants a clean, marketable finish

We manage full residential renovation as a turnkey scope — demolition, structural work if required, new MEP, new finishes, and project coordination from a single contract. Our residential renovation experience spans properties from 5-marla homes in North Nazimabad and Gulshan-e-Iqbal to large bungalows in Clifton and DHA.

Commercial Renovation and Office Refurbishment

Commercial buildings in Karachi age out of tenancy requirements faster than their structural lives suggest they should. A building constructed in the 1980s or 1990s — with manual switchboards, no raised floors for data cabling, single-pipe HVAC systems, and small window-to-wall ratios — does not meet the expectations of contemporary tenants. Commercial renovation addresses:

Central HVAC replacement (switching to variable-refrigerant-flow or chilled-water systems)
Electrical switchboard and distribution upgrade
Raised access floor installation for data and power distribution
Facade upgrade (recladding or glazing replacement)
Fire detection and suppression system installation or upgrade
Structural strengthening for new loading requirements (added floors or equipment loads)

Our documented commercial renovation experience includes the SM Science College Renovation (2004–05), a full renovation of a major Karachi educational institution under CDGK commission.

Floor Additions (Adding Storeys to Existing Structures)

Adding a floor to an existing Karachi property is one of the most technically risky construction activities in the city — and one of the most frequently mismanaged. The critical first question is whether the existing structure can take the additional load. This is not a question a contractor can answer by looking at the building; it requires a structural assessment of the existing foundation, column, and beam capacities.

We have completed floor additions across Karachi localities — North Nazimabad, F.B. Area, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Bahadurabad, and PECHS — and we will not proceed with any floor addition without a structural engineer's written assessment confirming the existing structure's capacity.

If the assessment reveals that the existing columns or foundation cannot carry additional load, remediation options include column jacketing (increasing column cross-section), foundation underpinning, or redesigning the addition to be lightweight (steel frame rather than in-situ concrete). We have experience with all of these approaches.

Heritage and Period Building Restoration

Karachi has a substantial stock of pre-Partition buildings — particularly in Saddar, Old Town, and the Civil Lines areas — of architectural and historical significance. Restoration of these structures requires different skills than standard renovation:

Matching original materials (lime mortar, terracotta tile, timber species)
Understanding period structural systems (load-bearing masonry without reinforcement)
Structural assessment of unreinforced masonry walls and lime-mortar bonded brick arches
Careful removal and cataloguing of original fabric before any intervention
Documentation of existing conditions and interventions for heritage records

We have experience working on period buildings in Karachi and can advise on appropriate restoration approaches that respect the building's heritage while making it structurally safe and functionally viable.

Institutional and School Renovation

Our documented institutional renovation track record is among the strongest in Karachi. Our CDGK-commissioned school renovation and conversion projects demonstrate our ability to manage renovation under government oversight with full financial documentation:

These projects involved structural renovation, laboratory construction, MEP upgrades, and finishing — all managed within government-approved budgets and documented against PC-1 sanctions.

The Renovation Process: What to Expect

Step 1: Condition Assessment

Every renovation begins with a thorough condition assessment — not a quotation. We inspect the existing structure, identify defects, assess the MEP infrastructure, and evaluate what needs to be done versus what can be retained. This assessment informs the scope and cost of the renovation and prevents the unpleasant mid-project discovery that conditions were worse than the quote assumed.

Step 2: Scope Definition and Contract

Based on the condition assessment, we define a detailed scope. For structural remediation, scope is defined by the structural engineer's findings. For interior renovation, scope is defined by the client's brief and budget. All scope is documented in writing before any work begins.

Step 3: Deconstruction and Salvage

Renovation involves controlled demolition of existing finishes, MEP, and (where required) structural elements. We identify salvageable materials — original tiles, timber, ironmongery — before demolition and preserve them where the client wishes to retain them.

Step 4: Structural and MEP Work

Structural remediation and rough MEP installation are completed before finishes. This is non-negotiable — there is no point installing new tiles over a structure that has not been properly repaired.

Step 5: Finishing

New finishes are installed to specification. For heritage projects, we source matching or sympathetic materials. For commercial renovation, we work to the approved interior design drawings.

Step 6: Commissioning and Handover

All MEP systems are commissioned and tested before handover. A snagging list is agreed and cleared before the final payment is released.

Common Renovation Mistakes to Avoid in Karachi

Starting without a condition assessment. Day-rate contractors will quote without understanding the building's condition. Discoveries mid-project become change orders that exceed the original quote. A condition assessment upfront prevents this.

Cosmetic solutions to structural problems. Paint and tiles over a cracked column does not fix the column. Structural problems worsen if not addressed, and the cosmetic fix fails within months.

Reusing failed MEP. Karachi electrical wiring from the 1970s and 1980s uses conductors and insulation that are genuinely dangerous by current standards. Attempting to renovate an interior while retaining old wiring is a false economy.

Not planning for Karachi's utilities. Generator capacity, UPS provision, water storage, and increasingly solar infrastructure need to be planned into the renovation rather than bolted on as afterthoughts.

For broader guidance on evaluating contractors, see our guide to choosing a builder in Karachi.

Frequently Asked Questions: Renovation in Karachi

How long does a full home renovation take?

A full interior gut-and-refit of a 2,000 sq ft apartment takes 3–5 months. Adding structural remediation extends this by 1–3 months depending on scope. A full structural + interior renovation of a large bungalow can run 6–10 months.

Do I need SBCA approval for renovation work?

For interior-only work, SBCA approval is typically not required unless you are changing the use of the space. For structural changes — adding floors, removing load-bearing walls, changing the building footprint — approval is required. In DHA, any structural work requires Town Planning approval regardless of scope. We advise clients on the approval requirements for their specific project.

Can you renovate a property that I am renting out, with tenants in place?

This requires careful sequencing and is significantly more complex and expensive than renovating a vacant property. We have experience managing phased renovation around occupied tenancy, but we are honest with clients about the timeline and cost implications.

Do you offer structural assessments before renovation?

Yes. We provide structural condition assessments as a paid, standalone service before committing to a renovation contract. This protects both client and contractor from scope surprises.

Commission Your Renovation Project

Whether you need a full structural refurbishment, a targeted interior renovation, a floor addition, or heritage restoration, Naffees & Sons provides a single point of accountability for the full scope.

Contact us:

Call / WhatsApp: +92 310 348 8563
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Office: B-142, Block A, North Nazimabad, Karachi

Renovation & Restoration in Karachi – Structural, Interior & Heritage