DHA Karachi
Avenir designs houses, interiors and commercial buildings for plots in Phases I to VIII, worked to DHA Karachi’s Building Control and Town Planning Regulations 2020. Every plan starts from the square-yard band your plot falls in.
We design from our Lahore and Islamabad offices and meet you by video call. We do not build in Karachi: the contractor you appoint builds from our drawings.
Avenir’s record, Q4 2026
What we design
Architecture, structure, services and interiors are coordinated by one team, so the drawings your contractor prices and DHA checks agree with each other.
3D renderClassical villa with deep side verandas, Bedian Road, Lahore. Designed by Avenir. See the villa
3D renderDining room for a 2 Kanal house Avenir is building in DHA Phase 8, Lahore. See the interiors
Plans, elevations and sections for plots from 100 to 2,000 sq yd, settled before anything is priced.
Structural drawings by PEC engineers and MEP layouts, checked against the architecture before issue. A typical house runs to more than 100 sheets.
Drawings to DHA’s residential checklist: 30 x 40 in sheets, AutoCAD files, MEP, and the schedules of areas, doors and stairs.
Whole-house or whole-floor interiors: layouts, ceilings, lighting, joinery and the schedule of finishes.
Exterior and interior renders made in-house, so you decide from pictures before your contractor prices.
Buildings on DHA Karachi commercial plots, worked to Table 5 cover, clear spaces and floor area ratio.
Avenir builds in Lahore, Islamabad and Rawalpindi only. In DHA Karachi, a contractor you appoint builds from our drawings.
The square-yard ladder
Table 1 of the 2020 Regulations gives each plot band one cover limit: 90% up to 200 sq yd, 75% to 400, 65% to 700 and 50% above. Pick a plot size to see what it allows and which rules switch on.
Up to 200 sq yd
810 sq fteach floor, at 90% cover
No clear spaces are set for this band; the cover limit does the work.
Up to 200 sq yd
1,620 sq fteach floor, at 90% cover
No clear spaces are set for this band; the cover limit does the work.
201 to 400 sq yd
2,025 sq fteach floor, at 75% cover
Clear spaces: 5 ft at the front, 3 ft at the rear, 5 ft on the right side only.
401 to 700 sq yd
2,925 sq fteach floor, at 65% cover
Clear spaces: 10 ft at the front, 5 ft at the rear, 5 ft on each side.
401 to 700 sq yd
3,510 sq fteach floor, at 65% cover
Clear spaces: 10 ft at the front, 5 ft at the rear, 5 ft on each side.
701 sq yd and above
4,500 sq fteach floor, at 50% cover
Clear spaces: 20 ft at the front, 10 ft at the rear, 10 ft on each side.
701 sq yd and above
9,000 sq fteach floor, at 50% cover
Clear spaces: 20 ft at the front, 10 ft at the rear, 10 ft on each side.
Table 1: residential area standards, DHA Karachi Regulations 2020
| Plot area | Cover | Front | Rear | Sides | Floors | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 200 sq yd | 90% | None | None | None | B+G+1 | |
| 201 to 400 sq yd | 75% | 5 ft | 3 ft | 5 ft (right side only) | B+G+1 | |
| 401 to 700 sq yd | 65% | 10 ft | 5 ft | 5 ft | B+G+1 | Front clear space 5 ft on rear sub-divided plots |
| 701 sq yd and above | 50% | 20 ft | 10 ft | 10 ft | B+G+1 | Side clear space 7 ft 6 in on 950 to 1,000 sq yd plots with a frontage of 64 ft or less |
Clear spaces are the front, rear and side columns. We read the cover percentage as a limit on each floor: Table 1 does not say so in words, but the Regulations hold the basement to the allowable footprint of the ground floor (4.31) and allow B+G+1, and DHA interprets its own Regulations (1.5). Example dimensions on this page are typical, not DHA’s. On odd or irregular plots the footprint area prevails over clear spaces, but the front clear space stays (4.2.20).
Extra land that pushes a plot into the next band keeps it in its original band only within a 3% tolerance (note to Table 1). Past that, the lower cover applies to the whole plot. We check this before you buy extra land, not after.
Clear spaces
Clear spaces stay open to the sky (4.2), but DHA lists what may sit in them. Shown on an example 500 sq yd plot with 10 ft at the front, 5 ft at the rear and 5 ft each side.
An open service stair to the first floor or roof may stand in the rear space from 401 sq yd, 3 ft clear of the boundary wall (4.30). In a 5 ft rear space that leaves 2 ft, less than the 2 ft 6 in minimum width of a straight stair, so on 401 to 700 sq yd plots it has to go elsewhere.
Corner plots: the boundary wall is chamfered 10 x 10 ft where the roads are 60 ft wide or more, and 6 x 6 ft at other junctions (3.7.1).
Heights and roof
Table 3 measures the gate, the boundary wall and the main building with its parapet from the crown of the road; floor heights are clear inside, and the parapet is measured from the roof’s finished floor. The height of a building starts at the highest point of its title road (2.56).
Source: Table 3, printed page 22. Plinth is measured from the road at the centre of the plot’s frontage (2.79).
Table 4: largest stair tower, sq ft
| Stair | Up to 700 sq yd | 701 sq yd and above |
|---|---|---|
| Box | 275 | 325 |
| Dogleg | 230 | 250 |
| Straight flight | 200 | 225 |
| Spiral | 150 | 200 |
Below ground
Chapters IX and XI of the Regulations decide much of what happens below the ground floor. We settle these in the drawings, not on site.
DHA places Karachi in seismic zone 2B under UBC-97 and asks for design to the Building Code of Pakistan with ACI, UBC and IBC. Wind loads come from local Meteorological Department data. (11.1, 11.2, 11.5)
A geotechnical investigation under engineers registered with PDOHA or CBC, matched to UBC-97 soil types, and a bearing capacity test by a registered geotechnical consultant. Ground filled with town sweepings or other refuse needs their recommendation before any foundation. (11.3, 11.4, 11.6)
RCC retaining walls. Walls next to existing houses are finished within 45 to 60 days of starting excavation. DHA takes an indemnity bond before approval. (4.31)
Termite proofing goes in before any RCC foundation work starts. (3.17)
One underground water tank per plot, away from the slope side and placed so a bowser can fill it. RCC and waterproofed. No pump on the supply line. (9.1, 9.2)
Seven days’ retention, at least 95 cu ft, 4 ft from the water tank. From 201 sq yd, DHA connects a house to the sewer only through one. (9.5, 9.6)
Rainwater goes to open drains or the road as the phase is designed, never into the sewer. A grated 6 x 6 in channel under the gate stops water from the house running onto the road and drains to a manhole. Roofs may take waterproofing with insulation. (9.4.3, 4.10, 3.15.12)
Phase VIII runs along Karachi Creek and the sea front. Exterior metalwork, fixings and finishes chosen for salt-laden air belong in the specification, decided before your contractor prices. (DHA Phase VIII)
Site plan in hand
It gives the plot’s area, dimensions, north point, gate positions and the widths of its roads (3.8). The design starts there.
We reply within one working day.
Approval route
A DHA Karachi house plan passes three offices. DHA’s Town Planning and Building Control Directorate checks it first; Cantonment Board Clifton (CBC) grants the final approval and, at the end, the completion certificate.
DHA’s site plan gives the plot’s size, north point, dimensions, gate positions and road widths (3.8). The checklist asks for a copy valid for two years from issue.
Seven sets of drawings for Phases I to VII, eight for Phase VIII, on 30 x 40 in sheets at no less than 1/8 in to 1 ft, with two AutoCAD copies, MEP drawings, DHA Forms 1 and 2 and CBC’s forms A and B. The checklist includes an undertaking and indemnity bond on stamp paper, whose specimen covers NOCs, a basement and a pool.
DHA scrutinises, CBC checks, MEO issues the land NOC and CBC grants approval. DHA’s fee schedule shows 10 working days against its own fee; no time is published for CBC or MEO.
Apply after approval and aim to have the demarcation letter within three months. DHA surveys the plot; you supply four 4 in PVC pipes, 3 ft long, with the labour and concrete for the pillars, which stay until the boundary wall reaches DPC (13.15, 13.16).
Foundation of the basement before concreting, plinth, ground floor slab, first floor slab, and the stair tower once finishes are done (13.18). DHA issues each within 15 working days.
Within 30 days of finishing, the completion plan goes to DHA; after its survey, CBC issues the completion certificate. No one may occupy the house until DHA has granted permission (13.21.1).
Every plan carries the signature of an architect registered with PCATP and on the PDOHA or CBC panel (2.84, 13.3.16). Structural drawings carry a PEC engineer registered with CBC. Both certify that they will supervise construction (Forms 2 and 3).
Avenir prepares the full drawing set to DHA’s checklist. Who signs and supervises in Karachi is agreed in writing at the start of your appointment.
From 1 July 2026, electric development charges are paid in 12 quarterly instalments over three years, and must be paid in full at completion (DHA notice, June 2026).
Eight decisions
Each one changes the drawings, the approval file or both. Settled at concept stage, none of them reaches the site as a surprise.
A basement adds up to one more ground-floor footprint of area. It brings the indemnity bond, RCC retaining walls, the 45 to 60 day limit on walls beside existing houses, and pumped drainage for any basement toilet. A basement kitchen needs a clear space or light well. (4.31, 9.4.6)
Extra land that moves a plot into the next band keeps the old band only within 3%. Past that, the next band’s lower cover applies and the house can get smaller. (Table 1)
A second gate is allowed on the other road if that road is not a high-traffic road or khayaban: a wicket only up to 299 sq yd, then 12 ft from 300, 15 ft from 500 and 20 ft from 1,000. No main gate at or near the chamfer. (4.32)
Over 5 ft across the plot, DHA wants a contour plan, and a split-level plinth is allowed. Where the level falls 5 ft or more over up to 40% of a plot that faces two roads, the basement may be planned to one road with direct access from it, if that is not the main road. (4.16.2, 4.16.3, 13.3.15)
From 500 sq yd: in the basement, ground or first floor, or in the front or rear space with DHA’s approval, 5 ft from the boundary wall, with a change room, filtration and a holding tank. DHA has no obligation to supply its water. (4.8, 9.1.1)
A lift shaft lets the stair tower rise to 13 ft above the roof, within 45 ft overall (Table 3), and the lift may reach the roof (3.15.9). Adding one later to a built house needs DHA’s permission and a certificate from a structural engineer registered with CBC. (DHA permissions)
From 1,000 sq yd, DHA may consider more than one unit, with the covered area shared equally and at least 7 ft between units. A duplex is not allowed on any plot. Two gates with porches and guard rooms on one road need 75 ft of frontage. (4.19, 4.20, 4.32.5)
A generator goes in the road-side space or on the roof, with a sound canopy and anti-vibration pads. Solar panels stay within the overall height. (4.9, 4.21)
Commercial plots
Table 5 sets cover, arcade and clear spaces by plot size. Up to 400 sq yd a commercial building rises to basement, ground and four floors; above that, the floor area ratio decides.
Table 5: commercial area standards, DHA Karachi Regulations 2020
| Plot size | Cover | Arcade | Rear | Sides | FAR | Floors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 250 sq yd | 100% | None | 40 sq ft compulsory ventilation duct, or regulation 5.6 | None | B+G+4 | |
| 251 to 400 sq yd | 90% | None | 7 ft 6 in | None | None | B+G+4 |
| 401 to 600 sq yd | Ground 85%, above 75% | None | 7 ft 6 in | 5 ft, one side | 1:5 | By floor area ratio |
| 601 to 999 sq yd | Ground 80%, above 70% | 8 ft | 8 ft | 5 ft | 1:5 | By floor area ratio |
| 1,000 to 1,999 sq yd | Ground 75%, above 65% | 8 ft | 10 ft | 7 ft 6 in | 1:5.5 | By floor area ratio |
| 2,000 sq yd and above | Ground 70%, above 65% | 8 ft | 10 ft | 10 ft | 1:5.5 | By floor area ratio |
Source: Table 5, printed page 31. Rear and sides are clear spaces.
DHA’s notice posted in January 2026 allows one additional floor on Peninsula Commercial in Phase VIII and Beach Avenue Commercial in Phase VIII, E-8, against these charges, subject to a 10% increase a year:
Building from abroad
Message us on WhatsApp first; we then set up a video call on Google Meet or Zoom at a time that suits you.
We reply within one working day.
How we work
Seven steps, most of them on WhatsApp and video calls. You come to Lahore or Islamabad only if you want to.
Message us on WhatsApp. Our client relations team replies within one working day.
At our Lahore or Islamabad office, or on a video call. Before it, we send our design brief form so the meeting is about your house.
Within two working days of the meeting.
Layouts and massing for your plot band, with the decisions above settled. Drawn as many times as it needs.
Architecture, structure and MEP checked against each other, and the submission set to DHA’s checklist.
Interiors for the whole house or a whole floor, and renders made in-house.
Construction drawings go to the contractor you appoint in Karachi.
Overseas clients are answered on WhatsApp first, then on a video call set at their time.
If you will not sign in Karachi yourself, tell us early: DHA’s checklist accepts a General or Special Power of Attorney with DHA’s acceptance letter.
139, CCA, DHA Phase 5, Lahore, and 101, Luxus Mall, Gulberg Greens, Islamabad. Monday to Saturday, 10:00 to 19:00.
Questions
Yes. Avenir designs houses, interiors and commercial buildings for plots in DHA Karachi, Phases I to VIII, from its offices in Lahore and Islamabad, with meetings by video call. We prepare the drawing set to DHA Karachi’s 2020 Regulations and its checklist. We do not build in Karachi: a contractor you appoint builds from our drawings.
The Pakistan Defence Officers Housing Authority Karachi Building Control and Town Planning Regulations 2020, in force from 19 August 2020. They replaced all earlier DHA Karachi regulations and byelaws (1.3.1) and apply across DHA Karachi’s jurisdiction. Tables still circulating online with seven plot bands, such as 801 to 1,800 sq yd at 55%, do not match Table 1 of the 2020 Regulations, which has four bands.
We read Table 1 as 65% on each floor, so up to 2,925 sq ft on the ground floor and the same on the first. Table 1 does not say each floor in words, and DHA interprets its own Regulations (1.5). A 500 sq yd plot falls in the 401 to 700 sq yd band of Table 1, with clear spaces of 10 ft at the front, 5 ft at the rear and 5 ft on each side. A basement may follow the ground floor footprint, which takes the total to 8,775 sq ft before the stair tower.
37 ft from the crown of the road to the top of the parapet, with the main building no taller than 32 ft to its roof. The stair tower may rise 10 ft above the roof, or 13 ft with a lift shaft or water tank over it, within 45 ft overall (Table 3).
Yes, up to the allowable footprint of the ground floor, with a height of at least 8 ft (4.31, Table 3). DHA takes an indemnity bond before approval, the retaining walls must be RCC, and walls next to existing houses must be finished within 45 to 60 days of starting excavation. The basement may be used for parking.
The plan is received at DHA’s Central Control Cell and scrutinised by its Town Planning and Building Control Directorate, then sent to Cantonment Board Clifton (CBC). CBC passes it to the Military Estate Officer (MEO) for a land NOC and then grants the final approval. At the end, CBC issues the completion certificate.
Construction should start within one year and finish within two years of approval; the construction period may be extended twice, a year at a time (13.7.1). Completion is due within three years of approval before a late-completion penalty applies (13.20).
In area, yes: 500 sq yd is 4,500 sq ft, which is 1 Kanal where a Marla is 225 sq ft. The rules are not the same. DHA Karachi sets cover by square-yard band, so a 1 Kanal design drawn for another authority may not meet DHA Karachi’s limits and must be checked against Table 1.
Only from 1,000 sq yd, where DHA may consider more than one unit, with the allowable covered area shared equally and at least 7 ft between units (4.20). A duplex of any design is not allowed on any plot (4.19).
No. DHA City Karachi (DCK) has its own byelaws and its own building plan route, with provisional approval by DHA. This page covers DHA Karachi, Phases I to VIII.
Your DHA site plan, the plot number and phase, and a short brief: who will live in the house, the rooms you need, and whether you want a basement, a pool or a lift. Photographs of the plot and its neighbours help. If you will not sign in Karachi yourself, tell us early: DHA’s checklist accepts a General or Special Power of Attorney with DHA’s acceptance letter.
Yes. The construction drawings go to the contractor you appoint. For plots above 700 sq yd and for every commercial plot, DHA requires the contractor to be registered with PEC or PCATP and approved by CBC, with a PEC-registered engineer supervising on site (3.22).
Sources
Every rule here is taken from DHA Karachi’s own documents, read in Q4 2026 and reviewed each quarter. DHA’s Bye-Laws page lists the 2020 Regulations under three titles; we read the approved copy.
| Document | Issued by | Edition |
|---|---|---|
| Building Control and Town Planning Regulations 2020 | Pakistan Defence Officers Housing Authority, Karachi | Executive Board meeting 2/2020; in force from 19 August 2020. Printed page numbers are cited on this page. |
| Proposed or revised building plan, residential: checklist, Forms 1 to 3, fee schedules | DHA Karachi, Central Control Cell | As published on DHA’s site, Q4 2026 |
| Building plan, demarcation, construction NOCs, completion plan and permissions | DHA Karachi, Town Planning and Building Control | As published on DHA’s site, Q4 2026 |
| Attention plot owners, Phase VIII: electric development charges | Secretary DHA | Notice posted 3 June 2026 |
| Attention plot owners: Peninsula Commercial and Beach Avenue Commercial, additional floor | Secretary DHA | Notice posted 1 January 2026 |
| About DHA Karachi (8,797 acres) and Phase VIII Directorate (4,151 acres) | DHA Karachi | As published on DHA’s site, Q4 2026 |
This page explains the Regulations as a design question. It is not legal advice, and DHA’s Town Planning and Building Control Directorate interprets its own Regulations (1.5). Other schemes in Karachi follow their own rules, as on our Bahria Town Karachi page.
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Location: DHA Karachi
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