Calculators
Construction calculators that show their working.
Twenty free tools for plot area, building envelope, cost, materials and returns. They work in Marla, Kanal and square feet, and the numbers behind them are published on this page.
- 20
- free calculators
- 6
- parameters published
- Q4 2026
- last reviewed
Planning a house or a building with Avenir: Discuss My Project on WhatsApp
All calculators
A calculator for each question a build raises.
Filter by the stage you are at. Each one opens on its own page, free and without sign-up.
- PlotLand area conversionMarla, Kanal, square feet, square metres and square yards.Open
- PlotFloor area ratioThe floor area a plot may carry, from its size and the authority’s ratio.Open
- PlotGross floor areaTotal floor area from floors and site coverage, with the saleable share.Open
- PlotParking spaceThe parking a building needs for its use and floor area.Open
- CostHouse construction costGrey structure, finishing or a complete house, at this quarter’s rates.Open
- CostGrey structure costThe shell budget by plot size, covered area, city and specification.Open
- MaterialsBrick quantityBricks, cement and sand for a wall or a whole house.Open
- MaterialsConcrete volumeWet and dry volume, cement bags, sand, crush and water.Open
- MaterialsTileTiles and boxes for a floor or a wall, with a wastage allowance.Open
- MaterialsPaint costPutty, sealer and paint for walls and ceilings, and their cost.Open
- MaterialsFalse ceiling area and costGypsum or POP ceiling area, boards, framing and cost.Open
- Design and climateStaircase designRisers, treads, slope and headroom from your floor-to-floor height.Open
- Design and climateWindows to wall ratioThe glazed share of each facade, for daylight and heat gain.Open
- Design and climateAC tonnageCooling load and tonnage for a room, with Pakistani climate presets.Open
- Design and climateLighting requirementLight levels, lumens and fittings for a room, by its use.Open
- Design and climatePassive house designA design checked against passive house targets.Open
- Design and climateRainwater harvestingThe rainwater a roof can collect, and the tank to hold it.Open
- ReturnsRental yieldGross and net yield on a house, a flat or a shop.Open
- ReturnsReal estate investment ROIThe return once rent, running costs and financing are counted.Open
- ReturnsProperty development feasibilityEarly cost, revenue and margin for an apartment or mixed‑use scheme.Open
Our working
Every result rests on six numbers. Here they are.
A calculator is only as honest as its assumptions. These are the values Avenir’s plot, cost and quantity calculators use, and the same ones Avenir works to on its own projects.
Choose one to see it drawn, and what it changes. Reviewed Q4 2026.
Marla and Kanal
225 sq ft
One Marla. One Kanal is 20 Marla, or 4,500 sq ft.
This is the convention DHA and many planned housing schemes use, and Avenir’s calculators start from it. The floor area, parking and feasibility calculators also let you choose 250 or 272.25 sq ft. Land revenue records use the older 272.25 sq ft Marla.
What it changes. On a 10 Marla plot the two main conventions differ by 472.5 sq ft: 2,250 sq ft at 225, and 2,722.5 sq ft at 272.25. Check which one your allotment letter or transfer deed uses.
Used by House construction cost Grey structure cost Floor area ratio Brick quantity
Covered area
Every storey
What a rate per square foot is multiplied by.
Covered area is the floor space enclosed by the outer walls and roof on every built storey: basement, ground, first and second floors and the mumty, including cantilevered projections. It is not the plot area.
What it changes. A lower rate quoted against a narrower definition does not make a cheaper house. Ask what any quoted rate counts before you compare it.
Brick and joint
9 × 4.5 × 3 in
Standard brick, laid with a 10 mm mortar joint.
The brick quantity calculator works on the standard 9 by 4.5 by 3 inch brick with a 10 mm joint, and a 1:6 cement and sand mortar by default.
What it changes. With its joint, each brick takes up about 9.4 by 3.4 inches of wall face. Kiln sizes vary, and a smaller brick means more bricks in the same wall, so enter your supplier’s size if it differs.
Used by Brick quantity
Mortar
× 1.33
Dry volume of cement and sand, against mortar in the wall.
Cement and sand lose volume once they are mixed with water, so the dry materials for a mortar are 1.33 times its volume in the wall.
What it changes. 1 cu ft of mortar in the wall needs 1.33 cu ft of dry materials. At 1:6 that is 0.19 cu ft of cement and 1.14 cu ft of sand.
Used by Brick quantity
Concrete
× 1.54
Dry volume of cement, sand and crush, against concrete as poured.
Concrete is measured wet, as poured. The cement, sand and crush it needs are 1.54 times that volume. A 50 kg cement bag is taken as 1.25 cu ft, and the default mix is 1:2:4.
What it changes. 100 cu ft of 1:2:4 concrete needs 154 cu ft of dry materials: 22 cu ft of cement, which is 17.6 bags, 44 cu ft of sand and 88 cu ft of crush.
Used by Concrete volume Brick quantity
Wastage
5%
Added to every quantity for cutting and breakage.
5% is added to bricks, blocks and straight-laid tiles. Marble, diagonal and herringbone patterns and irregular rooms take 10%, because more pieces are cut.
What it changes. 1,000 sq ft of floor needs 1,050 sq ft of tiles laid straight, or 1,100 sq ft laid diagonally.
Used by Brick quantity Tile
Planning values for calculation. On a real building, the concrete mix, cover and reinforcement follow its structural drawings.
Next step
What were you working out?
Pick the closest. Your WhatsApp message will say so, and the team will start from there.
Answered by Avenir’s client relations team within one working day.
Reading a result
Two calculators, two answers. Usually for one of four reasons.
A result is worked from what you enter and what the tool assumes. When two figures disagree, check these before deciding either one is wrong.
A different Marla
225 sq ft in DHA and many planned schemes, 272.25 sq ft in revenue records. On a 10 Marla plot that is 472.5 sq ft apart.
A different covered area
Some figures leave out the basement, the mumty or the cantilevers. Avenir counts every built storey.
A different scope
Grey structure, finishing and a complete house are different prices for the same building.
A different quarter
Material and labour rates move. A figure without its date cannot be compared with one that has it.
A quantity is an ordering guide and a cost is a planning estimate. A price you can sign against comes from drawings and a bill of quantities measured from them.
This quarter’s construction rates, and what they includeDesign and build
The calculators follow the work Avenir does.
Each set of tools sits on a stage Avenir carries out for clients, from the first plot study to the finished rooms.
-
Your plot and what it allowsLand area, floor area ratio, parking
Architecture
Plot studies, design to the byelaws and submission drawings. Explore architecture -
Construction costHouse construction cost, grey structure
Design + Build
One team from the first drawing to handover, priced from drawings and a bill of quantities. Explore Design + Build -
Material quantitiesBricks, concrete
Construction
Grey structure to turnkey, material and labour, in Lahore, Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Explore construction -
Design, comfort and climateStaircase, windows to wall, AC tonnage, lighting
Integrated building design
Structure, MEP, HVAC and fire protection, coordinated with the architecture. Explore integrated building design -
FinishesTiles, paint, false ceilings
Interior design
Whole houses, apartments and commercial spaces, from layout to the schedule of finishes. Explore interior design -
Investment and developmentRental yield, feasibility
Project consultancy
Feasibility and development advice for apartment and mixed‑use schemes. Explore project consultancy
Questions
Questions about these calculators
Are these calculators free to use?
Yes. Every calculator on this page is free, needs no sign-up and runs in your browser.
Which Marla size do the calculators use?
225 sq ft, so one Kanal is 4,500 sq ft. That is the convention DHA and many planned housing schemes use. Land revenue records use an older Marla of 272.25 sq ft, which makes a 10 Marla plot 2,722.5 sq ft instead of 2,250. The floor area, parking and feasibility calculators let you switch to 250 or 272.25 sq ft.
How much wastage should I add when ordering materials?
5% for bricks, blocks and straight-laid tiles. 10% for marble, diagonal and herringbone patterns and irregular rooms, because more pieces are cut.
Can I order materials straight from these quantities?
For one room or one wall, yes, with the wastage allowance added. For a whole house, treat the result as a check on a take-off measured from the drawings, which accounts for openings, junctions and levels a calculator cannot see.
Why does my contractor’s figure differ from the calculator’s?
Usually because of one of four things: a different Marla, a different definition of covered area, a different scope (grey structure, finishing or a complete house) or rates from a different quarter. Ask which applies before deciding either figure is wrong.
What is the difference between covered area, gross floor area and floor area ratio?
Floor area ratio is the total floor area a plot may carry, divided by the plot area. Gross floor area is the total floor area of all storeys. Covered area, as Avenir measures it for a construction rate, is the floor space enclosed by the outer walls and roof on every built storey, including the basement, mumty and cantilevered projections. Each authority sets its own rules on which spaces count towards its limits, so check the byelaws for your plot.
Do the calculators work outside Lahore and Islamabad?
The unit, quantity and design calculators work anywhere in Pakistan. The construction cost calculators use rates for Lahore and Islamabad or Rawalpindi only, where Avenir builds. Avenir designs houses and buildings across Pakistan.
What does Avenir need before it can give me a quotation?
Architectural, structural and MEP drawings, the plot conditions and a bill of quantities measured from the drawings. If you do not have drawings yet, design is the place to start.
How often are the parameters reviewed?
Every quarter, alongside the construction rates. They were last reviewed in Q4 2026.
A price for your project
From a planning figure to a price you can build to.
Send your plot size, society and what you plan to build. The team will set out the next step, starting with a free first consultation.
Replies within one working day.
- Plot
- 2 Kanal
- Covered area
- 9,500 sq ft
- Scope
- Design + Build
About Avenir
Designed to be built.
Avenir Developments is an architecture, interior design and construction firm. It designs across Pakistan and builds in Lahore, Islamabad and Rawalpindi, from offices in DHA Phase 5, Lahore and Gulberg Greens, Islamabad.
These calculators use the parameters Avenir works to on its own projects, reviewed every quarter.
If a result looks wrong, email email@avenirdevelopments.com with the calculator’s name and what you entered, so the team can check it.