Marla and Kanal Size in Pakistan: Plot Sizes in Square Feet
Marla and kanal size in square feet: the 225, 250 and 272.25 sq ft standards, common plot sizes, square yards in Karachi and how to measure your plot.
By Awais, Founder and editor-in-chiefPublished
1 marla is 225 square feet in Lahore and most housing societies (LDA, DHA Lahore, Bahria Town), and 272.25 square feet in traditional revenue records. Since 1 kanal is 20 marla, a kanal is 4,500 sq ft under the 225 standard and 5,445 sq ft under the revenue standard.
The gap matters: a “10 marla” plot is 2,250 sq ft under one standard and 2,722.5 sq ft under the other, about 21% more land. Always check which marla your seller, society or patwari is using. The land area converter lets you pick the standard and converts between marla, kanal, square feet, square yards, acres and more.
The four marla standards
| Marla size | Where it’s used |
|---|---|
| 225 sq ft | Lahore district under the Punjab Private Housing Schemes Rules 2022; LDA, DHA Lahore, Bahria Town and most private societies |
| 250 sq ft | Some older housing societies, mainly around Rawalpindi and Islamabad |
| 272 sq ft | Punjab districts outside Lahore under the 2022 rules |
| 272.25 sq ft | The traditional revenue (patwari) marla: 9 sarsahi of 30.25 sq ft each; 160 make exactly one acre |
The revenue marla is the “original” one. A karam is 5.5 feet; a square karam (sarsahi) is 30.25 sq ft; 9 sarsahi make a marla of 272.25 sq ft; 20 marla make a kanal; and 8 kanal make an acre of 43,560 sq ft. Housing societies adopted round numbers like 225 sq ft later, which is why the same word now means different areas. For a quick one-way lookup, the marla to sq ft converter has a chart for both main standards.
Conversion table
| Plot | At 225 sq ft | At 250 sq ft | At 272.25 sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 marla | 225 | 250 | 272.25 |
| 3 marla | 675 | 750 | 816.75 |
| 5 marla | 1,125 | 1,250 | 1,361.25 |
| 7 marla | 1,575 | 1,750 | 1,905.75 |
| 8 marla | 1,800 | 2,000 | 2,178 |
| 10 marla | 2,250 | 2,500 | 2,722.5 |
| 1 kanal (20 marla) | 4,500 | 5,000 | 5,445 |
| 2 kanal | 9,000 | 10,000 | 10,890 |
| 8 kanal (1 acre in revenue units) | 36,000 | 40,000 | 43,560 |
All figures are square feet. To convert square feet to square metres, multiply by 0.0929; to square yards, divide by 9.
Marla = square feet ÷ marla size
Kanal = marla ÷ 20
Common plot dimensions
Plots are sold by area, but they’re laid out as rectangles. These are typical sizes; your society’s map is the final word.
| Plot | Typical size (width × depth) | Area | Marla at 225 sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 marla | 20 × 34 ft | 680 sq ft | 3.0 |
| 5 marla | 25 × 45 ft | 1,125 sq ft | 5.0 |
| 8 marla | 30 × 60 ft | 1,800 sq ft | 8.0 |
| 10 marla | 35 × 65 ft | 2,275 sq ft | 10.1 |
| 1 kanal | 50 × 90 ft | 4,500 sq ft | 20.0 |
| 2 kanal | 75 × 120 ft | 9,000 sq ft | 40.0 |
In Islamabad, many CDA sectors describe plots by their dimensions (25 × 50, 30 × 60, 35 × 70, 40 × 80) rather than in marla. A 25 × 50 plot is 1,250 sq ft: 5 marla at 250 sq ft, but 5.6 marla at 225.
Worked examples
A 5 marla house in Lahore. 5 × 225 = 1,125 sq ft. If the house has a ground and first floor each covering most of the plot, the covered area can be well over 2,000 sq ft. Covered area and plot area are different numbers, so make sure you know which one an advert quotes.
Agricultural land in Faisalabad. A seller offers 4 kanal from the revenue record. 4 × 20 × 272.25 = 21,780 sq ft, exactly half an acre. If you mistakenly used 225 sq ft, you’d think it was 18,000 sq ft and undervalue it by 17%.
Comparing two plots by price per square foot. Plot A: 10 marla in a Lahore society (225 sq ft) for Rs 2.5 crore. Plot B: 10 marla in a Rawalpindi society using 250 sq ft for Rs 2.6 crore.
- A: 25,000,000 ÷ 2,250 = Rs 11,111 per sq ft
- B: 26,000,000 ÷ 2,500 = Rs 10,400 per sq ft
Plot B is cheaper per square foot, even though its asking price is higher.
Square yards (gaz) in Karachi
Karachi and the rest of Sindh measure plots in square yards, locally called gaz. One square yard is 9 sq ft.
| Square yards | Square feet | Marla at 225 sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| 80 sq yd | 720 | 3.2 |
| 120 sq yd | 1,080 | 4.8 |
| 200 sq yd | 1,800 | 8.0 |
| 240 sq yd | 2,160 | 9.6 |
| 400 sq yd | 3,600 | 16.0 |
| 500 sq yd | 4,500 | 20.0 (1 kanal) |
So a 120-yard house in Karachi is slightly smaller than a 5 marla house in Lahore, and a 500-yard bungalow is the same area as a Lahore kanal.
How to measure your own plot
- Measure the front and the depth in feet. For a rectangle, multiply them.
- For an irregular plot, split it into rectangles and triangles, work out each area and add them. The area calculator handles triangles, trapezoids and other shapes; the square footage calculator adds up several sections.
- Divide by the marla size your document uses.
- Compare with the allotment letter, transfer deed or fard. If your measurement and the paperwork disagree by more than a little, ask the society or a surveyor before you pay.
FAQ
How many square feet is 1 kanal?
4,500 sq ft in Lahore and most housing societies (20 marla of 225 sq ft). 5,445 sq ft in revenue records (20 marla of 272.25 sq ft). 5,000 sq ft where a 250 sq ft marla is used.
How many marla are in an acre?
160 revenue marla, or 8 kanal, make exactly one acre (43,560 sq ft). With a 225 sq ft marla, an acre is about 193.6 marla.
Is a marla the same in India and Pakistan?
The traditional marla of 272.25 sq ft is used in revenue records in Punjab on both sides of the border, and in parts of Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir. Local practice differs, so check the record or deed.
Why does my society say 5 marla is 1,250 sq ft?
It uses a 250 sq ft marla. That standard is common in some older societies around Rawalpindi and Islamabad. It isn’t wrong; it’s a different definition.
Sources
- Punjab Private Housing Schemes and Land Sub-Division Rules 2022, Government of the Punjab (marla sizes for Lahore and other districts)
Land is valued and transferred on the official record. This guide explains the units; it is not legal or surveying advice.