Square Feet to Marla: Complete 2026 Conversion Guide for Pakistan

If you have ever tried to buy, sell, or price a plot of land in Pakistan, you have almost certainly run into the same confusing question: how many square feet is one Marla, really? The answer depends on where the plot is located, which is exactly why so many buyers overpay or undersell without realising it. This guide walks you through everything you need to know to convert square feet to Marla with confidence in 2026.

Why Square Feet to Marla Conversion Matters

Real-estate listings, tax records, DHA and Bahria Town brochures, and even government revenue documents mix square feet and Marla freely. A 5 Marla house in Lahore is not always the same physical size as a 5 Marla house in Islamabad, and that difference can mean tens of thousands of rupees per square foot. Getting the conversion right protects you from:

• Overpaying for a plot that is smaller than advertised.
• Underestimating construction cost per square foot.
• Errors in stamp duty and capital gains tax calculations.
• Wrong home-loan valuations from banks.

The Two Standard Marla Sizes in Pakistan

There are two widely used Marla standards. Every conversion you do should start by identifying which one applies to your plot.

• Standard Marla (Modern): 1 Marla = 225 square feet. Used in DHA, Bahria Town, Askari, private housing societies, and most urban Punjab and KPK developments.
• Government Marla (Historical): 1 Marla = 272.25 square feet. Used in older revenue records, rural land, katchi abadis, and legacy municipal documents.

If the difference sounds small, do the math. A 10 Marla plot is either 2,250 sq ft or 2,722.5 sq ft depending on the standard. That is a 21% difference on the same "10 Marla" label.

Quick Conversion Table: Square Feet to Marla

Use this reference for the most common plot sizes in Pakistan.

Square Feet	Standard Marla (225 sq ft)	Government Marla (272.25 sq ft)
225	1 Marla	0.83 Marla
500	2.22 Marla	1.84 Marla
1,125	5 Marla	4.13 Marla
2,250	10 Marla	8.26 Marla
4,500	20 Marla (1 Kanal)	16.53 Marla
5,445	24.2 Marla	20 Marla (1 Kanal historical)

The Formula Behind the Conversion

Both standards use a simple division. Once you know the sq ft of your plot, apply one of these:

• Standard: Marla = Square Feet ÷ 225
• Government: Marla = Square Feet ÷ 272.25

To go the other way, multiply. For example, a 7 Marla plot in DHA is 7 × 225 = 1,575 sq ft. The same 7 Marla in an old revenue record is 7 × 272.25 = 1,905.75 sq ft. Same paper label, very different reality.

How to Measure a Plot in Square Feet First

Before you convert, you need an accurate square-foot number. Here is the process professional surveyors use:

1. Measure the length of the plot in feet from front boundary to back boundary.
2. Measure the width in feet from left boundary to right boundary.
3. Multiply length × width. That is your area in square feet.
4. For irregular plots, break the shape into rectangles and triangles, calculate each, then add.

Always measure inside the boundary walls, not from the centre of the wall, and never trust the seller's number without at least one independent measurement.

Regional Variations You Should Know

Punjab

Lahore, Faisalabad, and Rawalpindi almost exclusively use the 225 sq ft standard for private housing. Revenue records in older areas of these cities may still use 272.25 sq ft, so always confirm with the patwari before finalising a deal.

Sindh

Karachi rarely uses Marla for large plots. Instead you will see Square Yards (1 sq yd = 9 sq ft) and Gaz. If a Karachi seller quotes Marla, they usually mean 225 sq ft, but confirm in writing.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Peshawar, Abbottabad, and Mardan use the standard 225 sq ft Marla in modern schemes and 272.25 sq ft in older katchi abadi records.

Islamabad

CDA sectors are officially measured in square yards, but private societies inside ICT limits use the 225 sq ft standard when quoting Marla.

Common Mistakes That Cost Buyers Money

• Assuming all Marla are equal. A 5 Marla plot in DHA is smaller than a 5 Marla plot in a rural revenue record. Always ask which standard applies.
• Not verifying with the fard. The fard-e-malkiat is the legal ownership document. It lists the exact area, usually in Marla and Sarsai. Get a fresh copy from the patwari.
• Confusing covered area with plot area. A 10 Marla house may sit on a 10 Marla plot but have only 1,800 sq ft of covered construction. Price per sq ft applies to the covered area, not the plot.
• Ignoring the road cut. If a society widens a road, your plot loses area but the paperwork may still say the original Marla figure for months.

Marla and Its Sub-Units Explained

Marla is the middle unit in a chain that goes from small to large:

• 1 Sarsai = 25 sq ft (standard) or 30.25 sq ft (government).
• 9 Sarsai = 1 Marla.
• 20 Marla = 1 Kanal (4,500 sq ft standard, 5,445 sq ft government).
• 8 Kanal = 1 Acre (43,560 sq ft, fixed everywhere).

Sarsai is often overlooked, but revenue records for inherited land almost always mention it. If your fard says "10 Marla 6 Sarsai" in standard units, that is (10 × 225) + (6 × 25) = 2,400 sq ft.

Digital Tools vs Manual Calculation

Manual conversion works, but it is error-prone when you are juggling Sarsai, Marla, Kanal, and sq ft on a phone call with a seller. A calculator built for South Asian land units removes that friction. Our free Land Area Calculator supports both Marla standards, handles Kanal and Sarsai together, and lets you add multiple plots to get a single total, which is exactly what you need when comparing shortlist properties or dividing inherited land between heirs.

How Marla Conversion Affects Property Value

Property in Pakistan is priced per Marla or per sq ft, and the two must always agree. If a plot is advertised at "PKR 25 lakh per Marla" for a 5 Marla plot, that is PKR 1.25 crore total. On a standard 225 sq ft Marla, that works out to PKR 11,111 per sq ft. On a government 272.25 sq ft Marla, it drops to PKR 9,183 per sq ft. Same rupee amount, very different per-sq-ft value, and lenders use per-sq-ft to appraise. Always run the numbers both ways before making an offer.

Real Example: Converting a 7 Marla Plot in Lahore

Suppose you are considering a 7 Marla corner plot in DHA Phase 6, Lahore, listed at PKR 3.15 crore.

1. Standard: 7 × 225 = 1,575 sq ft.
2. Rate per sq ft: 3,15,00,000 ÷ 1,575 = PKR 20,000 per sq ft.
3. Compare against DHA Phase 6 average of PKR 18,500 to 22,000 per sq ft, and you know the price is fair for a corner plot.

Now suppose the same plot's fard uses the government Marla. The 7 Marla figure becomes 1,905.75 sq ft, and the rate drops to PKR 16,528 per sq ft, which would be a bargain. Always confirm which standard the fard uses before you celebrate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 1 Marla always 225 square feet?

No. 225 sq ft is the modern standard used in DHA, Bahria, and most private societies. The government/historical Marla is 272.25 sq ft and still appears in old revenue records. Always check which one applies.

How do I know which Marla standard applies to my plot?

Check the fard-e-malkiat or the society's original allotment letter. Modern housing societies almost always list 225 sq ft per Marla. Government revenue records for rural or older urban land usually use 272.25 sq ft.

Can I convert Marla to square yards directly?

Yes. 1 Standard Marla = 25 square yards. 1 Government Marla = 30.25 square yards. Multiply your Marla figure by these to get square yards.

How many Marla is a 10 Marla house actually?

The plot is 10 Marla. Covered area is separate and usually 60 to 80% of plot size depending on setback rules. A 10 Marla plot in DHA is 2,250 sq ft of land, but the house on top might be 1,600 to 1,800 sq ft of covered construction.

Why does the government Marla still exist?

Historical land records were never re-measured. Redoing every revenue record in Pakistan would take decades, so the older 272.25 sq ft standard survives alongside the modern 225 sq ft standard.

Final Word: Always Convert Both Ways

The safest habit for any land transaction in Pakistan is to write out the area in both Marla standards and in square feet before you sign anything. It takes 30 seconds with our Land Area Calculator and protects you from a category of mistakes that costs buyers lakhs every year. Bookmark the tool, share it with your family before their next property purchase, and read our related guide on Marla vs Kanal differences for even more clarity.

If you also work in international real estate or send funds abroad for property, our Currency Converter gives you the exact live PKR to USD, GBP, AED, and SAR rates so your budget calculations stay accurate right up to the moment you transfer.

Marla Standards Beyond Pakistan

The Marla is not unique to Pakistan. It is used across the Indian subcontinent, and each country and even each state has slightly different definitions. If you are dealing with cross-border property (an inheritance in India, an investment in Bangladesh, a family plot in Nepal) the same word can mean very different things.

India

In Punjab and Haryana, 1 Marla equals 272.25 sq ft, matching Pakistan's government standard. In Himachal Pradesh, 1 Marla is 272.25 sq ft as well. In some Uttar Pradesh revenue records, however, 1 Marla is defined as 25 sq yards, which comes to 225 sq ft, matching Pakistan's modern standard. Always ask which state's convention applies.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh does not commonly use Marla. Land is measured in Katha, Bigha, and Decimal. 1 Katha in Dhaka is 720 sq ft, but in other districts it can be 1,440 sq ft. If someone quotes Marla in Bangladesh, they are almost always applying the historical 272.25 sq ft figure imported from British-era records.

Nepal

The Marla is not standard in Nepal. Ropani, Aana, Paisa, and Dam are used in the hills, while Bigha, Kattha, and Dhur are used in the Terai. Cross-border buyers should convert everything to square metres or square feet for consistency.

Using Marla for Construction Estimates

Once you know your plot in sq ft, you can estimate construction costs accurately. In 2026, average residential construction rates in Pakistan sit around:

• Grey structure: PKR 1,400 to 1,800 per sq ft.
• Finished (turn-key): PKR 2,800 to 4,500 per sq ft depending on materials and city.

For a 10 Marla plot (2,250 sq ft) with a covered area of 3,600 sq ft across two floors, that comes out to roughly PKR 1 crore to 1.6 crore for a full-finish build. The Marla number alone tells you nothing about cost, but the sq ft translation gives you an instantly usable budget.

Legal Language on Sale Deeds

When you finally sign the sale deed (bay-nama or intiqal), the area is legally binding in whichever units are written. Do not assume the notary will use the modern standard. Common phrasings and their meanings:

• "Raqba 10 Marla" without further clarification typically defaults to the government 272.25 sq ft in revenue documents.
• "Raqba 10 Marla ba-hisab 225 sq ft" explicitly names the modern standard.
• "Raqba 250 Gaz" is in square yards. Multiply by 9 to get sq ft.

If the deed is silent on which standard applies, insist the lawyer adds an explicit clause. It costs nothing at the drafting stage and can save years of dispute later.