DHA Islamabad-Rawalpindi is growing in two directions. To the north, inside Islamabad’s Zone IV, it is developing Margalla Enclave with the CDA and balloting commercial plots at Margalla Orchards (Phase 10). To the south-west, it is preparing DHA Gandhara (Phase 9) on the M-2 motorway corridor. None of these is ready for houses yet. The change that matters to plot owners now is closer in: possession in named sectors of Phase 6 and Phase 7 (DHA Valley) has turned thousands of long-held files into plots that can be built on.
DHA Islamabad in five answers
- Where can you build today?
- In Phases 1, 2, 3 and 5, and in the sectors of Phases 4, 6 and 7 where DHA has handed over possession: sectors A, B and C of Phase 4 since June 2022, and named sectors of Phases 6 and 7 since August 2024 and January 2025.
- What cannot be built on yet?
- DHA Gandhara, which DHA has not formally priced or opened for possession; Margalla Enclave, balloted in 2025 but without a possession notice we could confirm; and any plot still held as an unballoted file or certificate.
- What does DHA value a 1 Kanal plot at?
- On DHA’s own benchmark for 16 to 30 September 2026: PKR 9 to 25 million in Phase 6’s balloted sectors, PKR 35 to 70 million in Phase 2, and PKR 80 to 85 million in Margalla Enclave.
- What does the house itself cost?
- A complete house at Standard specification plans at PKR 8,370 per square foot of covered area in DHA Islamabad, on Avenir’s current construction rates. In the newer phases, the house is most of the budget.
- What decides when you can start?
- The monsoon and a three-year clock. DHA halts plot demarcation about a week before the monsoon, allows no excavation during it, and expects the house to be finished within three years of drawing approval.
This page replaces our earlier outlook. That version gave 2026 dates for the Phase 6 and Phase 7 possession ceremony and for the first Margalla Enclave ballot; both took place in 2025. It also quoted price forecasts, which we have replaced with DHA’s published benchmarks.
How close is each part of DHA Islamabad to being built on?
Each bar spans the stages that a phase’s sectors have reached, from the least to the most advanced. Status as of Q3 2026; plot values from DHA’s own benchmark for 16 to 30 September 2026.
- 1. File or certificateA right to a plot later. No plot number yet.
- 2. BallotedPlot number issued. Development still under way.
- 3. PossessionDemarcated plot handed over. Building can start.
- 4. BuiltHouses finished and occupied.
| Phase or scheme | 1 File or certificate | 2 Balloted | 3 Possession | 4 Built | DHA benchmark, 1 Kanal plot (500 sq yd) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1Established. Built houses listed in DHA’s benchmark. | Stage 1, file or certificate: not reached | Stage 2, balloted: not reached | Stage 3, possession: reached | Stage 4, built: reached | PKR 28 to 46 millionSectors A to F and the Orchard sectors |
| Phase 2Established. The largest phase, between GT Road and the Islamabad Expressway. | Stage 1, file or certificate: not reached | Stage 2, balloted: not reached | Stage 3, possession: reached | Stage 4, built: reached | PKR 35 to 70 millionSectors A to J |
| Phase 3Established. Prices vary widely between sectors. | Stage 1, file or certificate: not reached | Stage 2, balloted: not reached | Stage 3, possession: reached | Stage 4, built: reached | PKR 11 to 36 millionSectors A to L |
| Phase 4Possession in sectors A, B and C since June 2022. Sectors E to M trade mainly as files. | Stage 1, file or certificate: reached | Stage 2, balloted: reached | Stage 3, possession: reached | Stage 4, built: not reached | PKR 7.5 to 38 millionSectors A to D: PKR 21 to 38 million |
| Phase 5Established. Newer sectors include K and Pine Hills. | Stage 1, file or certificate: not reached | Stage 2, balloted: not reached | Stage 3, possession: reached | Stage 4, built: reached | PKR 18.5 to 50 millionSectors A to K and Pine Hills |
| Phase 6Formerly Phase 2 Extension. Possession in named sectors in 2024 and 2025; much of the old extension still trades as certificates. | Stage 1, file or certificate: reached | Stage 2, balloted: reached | Stage 3, possession: reached | Stage 4, built: not reached | PKR 9 to 25 millionBalloted sectors. Certificates: PKR 3.2 to 5.2 million plus development charges |
| Phase 7 (DHA Valley)Possession in named sectors in 2024 and 2025. DHA Homes are occupied. 11 of 19 sectors listed only as files. | Stage 1, file or certificate: reached | Stage 2, balloted: reached | Stage 3, possession: reached | Stage 4, built: reached | No 1 Kanal plots8 Marla, balloted: PKR 2.6 to 7.5 million |
| Margalla EnclaveCDA-DHA joint venture in Zone IV. Balloted in 2025. No possession notice confirmed. | Stage 1, file or certificate: not reached | Stage 2, balloted: reached | Stage 3, possession: not reached | Stage 4, built: not reached | PKR 80 to 85 millionZones ME-1 to ME-4 |
| Phase 9 (DHA Gandhara)Pre-launch. No DHA launch price, ballot or possession schedule published. | Stage 1, file or certificate: reached | Stage 2, balloted: not reached | Stage 3, possession: not reached | Stage 4, built: not reached | Not on DHA’s benchmarkTraded as pre-launch files |
Location is being priced ahead of possession. DHA values a 1 Kanal plot in Margalla Enclave above the top of Phase 2’s range, although no house can be built there yet.
Balloting multiplies value. In Phase 6, a balloted 1 Kanal plot is benchmarked at about three to five times a certificate, before development charges.
Stages: Avenir reading of DHA possession announcements between June 2022 and January 2025, and of DHA’s benchmark, which lists built houses only in Phases 1, 2, 3 and 5 and in DHA Homes. Values: DHA Property Exchange, Price Valuation Benchmarking, 16 to 30 September 2026. A benchmark is DHA’s valuation guide for the fortnight, not a sale price or an appraisal.
Which DHA Islamabad phases can you build in today?
DHA sells a plot long before anyone can build on it. A plot starts as a file or certificate, becomes a numbered plot at ballot, and only becomes buildable at possession, which DHA’s regulations define as handing over a demarcated plot with its four corners marked (regulation 1.2.43). After possession you can take a site plan, submit drawings and start work. Where each phase sits in that sequence explains most of what is happening across DHA Islamabad today. Our guide to building a house in DHA Islamabad lists every phase under its current name.
Established phases: 1, 2, 3 and 5
DHA’s September 2026 benchmark lists built houses in all four: Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3 and Phase 5. Phase 2, between GT Road and the Islamabad Expressway, is the largest; Phase 5 faces it across the Expressway at the DHA North interchange.
Here the future is about rebuilding and filling the remaining plots rather than possession. A new house goes up between existing neighbours, so excavation, party walls and level differences shape the design. The regulations require a 5 ft safety distance when excavating a basement beside a built house (regulation 8.21.1).
Possession in named sectors: Phases 4, 6 and 7
Phase 4, beside Phase 1 along the Soan river, received possession in sectors A, B and C on 2 June 2022. DHA’s benchmark prices a 1 Kanal plot in sectors A to D at PKR 21 to 38 million and in sectors E to M at PKR 7.5 to 10.5 million, a gap that follows development status.
Phase 6, formerly Phase 2 Extension, and Phase 7, which is DHA Valley, opened in two steps. On 13 August 2024 DHA held a possession ceremony for Phase 6 sectors B-3 and C-2 and Phase 7 sectors Oleander and Magnolia. On 30 January 2025 it handed over close to 10,000 residential and commercial plots across Phase 6 sectors B-3, C-2 and C-3 Extension and Phase 7 sectors Bougainvillea, Oleander, Lily, Rose, Bluebell and Daffodils.
Most of both phases is still not buildable. DHA’s benchmark lists the former Phase 2 Extension sectors A to T as 1 Kanal certificates at PKR 3.2 to 5.2 million, with a development charge of PKR 600,000 or PKR 1,465,000 still payable depending on the certificate number. In Phase 7, 11 of the 19 sectors on DHA’s benchmark appear only as unballoted files, and the standard plot sizes are 5 and 8 Marla.
Check the plot, not the sector
Possession is announced by sector but granted to each member who has cleared their dues and applied (regulation 6.3.1). Confirm your own plot number with DHA’s Town Planning and Building Control directorate before you commission drawings for a specific site.
Find out what your plot’s status means for your design
Send us the phase, sector and plot size. We will tell you what can be designed now, what has to wait for possession, and which DHA requirements will shape the drawings.
What comes next: Gandhara, Margalla Enclave and Margalla Orchards
DHA’s next schemes move the authority away from the GT Road and Expressway corridor where Phases 1 to 7 sit. They are at very different stages, and none of them has reached possession.
DHA Gandhara (Phase 9), on the motorway side
DHA Islamabad-Rawalpindi announced DHA Gandhara on its official Facebook page in August 2024 and said it would unveil the scheme at its property expo on 29 and 30 September 2024. Since then the market has traded pre-launch files. As of Q3 2026, DHA had not published launch prices, a ballot or a possession schedule, and Gandhara does not appear in its price benchmark. Agents describe a first district of about 32,000 kanals on the M-2 corridor; that figure does not come from DHA, so treat it as unconfirmed.
For a plot owner, there is nothing site-specific to design until DHA issues a plot number and a site plan.
Margalla Enclave: DHA inside Islamabad’s Zone IV
Margalla Enclave is a joint venture rather than a numbered phase. DHA is developing it on 10,000 kanals of CDA land in the Kuri area of Zone IV, and the CDA receives 55 percent of the developed plots against DHA’s 45 percent. The first ballot, on 24 February 2025, drew about 47,000 applications for 125, 250 and 500 sq yd plots. A second ballot was held in November 2025, the CDA board has approved a second phase of more than 9,000 kanals next to the first, and DHA’s website is promoting a further ballot.
Two things decide when anyone can build there. The first is access: a 3.8 km road from Park Road, 220 ft wide, has been declared an arterial road, and in September 2026 Dawn reported its earthwork almost complete while the linked underpass was running late. The second is possession: in February 2025 the interior minister set a target of full development by 31 December 2025, yet we could find no DHA or CDA possession notice as of Q3 2026. Some agents report a possession ceremony for selected streets in sector ME-2; we have not been able to confirm it.
Margalla Orchards (Phase 10)
DHA has run ballots for commercial plots at Margalla Orchards Walk during 2026, and its benchmark values 8 Marla commercial plots there at PKR 195 to 231 million, the highest 8 Marla figures on the sheet. Residential plots at Margalla Orchards do not yet appear in DHA’s benchmark.
Which infrastructure projects matter, and when do they arrive?
Four projects shape how the next few years play out for DHA plot owners. Treat any opening date as provisional until the road or pipe is actually in use.
| Project | What it links | Status | What it means for building |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rawalpindi Ring Road | 38.6 km from Banth on GT Road to Thallian on the M-2, with interchanges at Chak Beli Khan Road, Adiala Road and Chakri Road. | Built apart from toll booths. Four of five interchanges complete; Thallian still under construction. Sixth opening deadline missed; awaiting an inauguration date.ProPakistani, 10 September 2026 | Brings the M-2 side, where Gandhara is planned, closer to the GT Road side of DHA. Plan around the road once it opens, not around a promised date. |
| Zone IV access road | 3.8 km from Park Road to Margalla Enclave, with a 220 ft right of way. | Declared an arterial road. Earthwork almost complete; the linked underpass running late.Dawn, September 2026 | Realistic occupation of Margalla Enclave depends on it. |
| DHA Expressway | Leaves the Islamabad Expressway at the DHA South interchange, towards Phases 6 and 7. | Interchange in use. Check the current state of the onward link before relying on it for site access.Islamabad Expressway interchange list | Day-to-day access for the possessed sectors of Phases 6 and 7. |
| Dadocha Dam water supply | Dam in Rawalpindi district, with a treatment plant and 28 km line to Rawalpindi city and cantonment. | Dam 92 percent complete. Treatment plant, transmission line and distribution network due in December 2029.The Nation, 23 and 24 August 2026 | A Rawalpindi city scheme, not a DHA one, so do not count on it for your plot. DHA allows rainwater harvesting tanks and a small extra overhead tank for rainwater; design storage in now. |
What DHA’s regulations mean for your timing
Every phase in DHA Islamabad-Rawalpindi, new or old, follows the DHA Islamabad and DHA Rawalpindi Revised Byelaws and Regulations 2022, updated 2023, made under the DHA Islamabad Act 2013 and the DHA Rawalpindi Act 2013. They replaced the Building Control Regulation 2000 (revised 2016). Five stages set the calendar for any build. Regulation and page numbers below refer to DHA’s published PDF.
- Possession and site plan
Clear your dues and apply; the site plan marks your gate, manhole and water point. At the printed rates, site plan and possession charges are PKR 7,500 per Marla for a residential plot, which is PKR 150,000 for 1 Kanal, with water and electricity meters charged separately.
Regulations 6.3, page 14, and 3.10, page 9 - Soil test and drawings
Structural design starts from a soil investigation with at least two boreholes, and the drawings must be prepared by an architect and a structural engineer on DHA’s panel. Scrutiny is charged at PKR 20 per square foot for a house.
Regulations 8.4.1 and 8.5, page 22, and 3.11, page 9 - Approval
Drawings that comply are approved within 15 working days, with another 15 after any corrections. Approved drawings are valid for three months; if work has not started by then, they must be revalidated.
Regulations 8.7, pages 23 and 24, and 8.9, page 24 - Demarcation and the monsoon
DHA’s survey team sets the corner pillars in the presence of the owner or contractor, checks again after the boundary wall is excavated, and again at DPC level. The main building cannot start until the road-side boundary wall reaches DPC and has been checked. Demarcation stops about a week before the monsoon, around 15 July, no plot may be excavated during it, and demarcations on plots where work has not begun are cancelled.
Regulations 8.13, pages 24 and 25; 7.19, page 20; 8.19, page 25 - Construction and completion
Work must be carried out by a DHA-registered contractor unless you have permission to build yourself. The house must be complete within three years of drawing approval; after that DHA applies a penalty, doubled in the fifth year.
Regulations 7.27, page 20, and 8.31.1, page 27
Work backwards from mid-July
If you want excavation finished before the monsoon, the drawings need approval and the plot needs demarcation well before early July. Allow for the soil test, the architectural and structural drawings, and at least one round of DHA comments ahead of that. Our guide to building a house in DHA Islamabad sets out the full approval route.
The cost of waiting
An empty plot is not free to hold. The regulations set non-utilisation charges of PKR 20,000 a year for plots up to 250 sq yd and PKR 25,000 a year for plots up to 1,000 sq yd, on top of annual security charges of PKR 12,000 (regulations 3.6 and 3.15, pages 8 and 10). DHA revises its charges from time to time (regulation 3.22), so confirm current figures before you budget. Emaar’s Canyon Views community inside DHA also has its own construction standard (regulation 8.76, page 51).
What this means for your project
The right next step depends on what you hold today, not on where DHA is heading.
A plot in Phase 1, 2, 3 or 5
You can design now. The questions are about neighbours and ground: an existing house on each side, basement excavation near built structures, and any level difference with the plot behind. Aim to finish excavation before mid-July, or start once the monsoon ends.
A possessed plot in Phase 4, 6 or 7
You can design now, but expect to build ahead of your neighbours. Water is connected only after demarcation (regulation 8.16). Where plots sit at different levels, seepage treatment must be shown on the drawings (regulation 8.18), and a lower plot must temporarily drain rainwater from the higher plot behind it through a 6 inch pipe until that plot is built (regulation 8.20). Termite proofing is compulsory (regulation 8.24). Design the plinth, drainage and retaining walls for the street as it will be, not as it is today.
A file, a certificate or a Gandhara pre-launch file
There is no plot to design for yet. Use the time to settle a brief and a budget, not drawings. If you hold a Phase 6 certificate, budget for the development charge DHA lists against your certificate number: PKR 600,000 or PKR 1,465,000.
An allotment in Margalla Enclave
Wait for your site plan, and confirm which authority will approve your drawings before you commission a design. As a CDA-DHA joint venture on CDA land, it is the one scheme in this article where that answer should be checked rather than assumed. Our DHA Islamabad guide explains why the scheme structure matters.
Land or house: which is the bigger number?
On Avenir’s current construction rates, a complete house in DHA Islamabad, grey structure plus finishing, plans at these figures per square foot of covered area:
- Essential
- PKR 7,310
- Standard
- PKR 8,370
- Premium
- PKR 11,020
- Luxury
- PKR 14,680
Materials and site labour, per square foot of covered area, DHA Islamabad. Planning figures, not a quotation.
A 1 Kanal house with 5,500 sq ft of covered area on ground and first floor, without a basement, plans at about PKR 46 million at Standard. Set that against DHA’s benchmark and the balance changes by phase. In Phase 6’s balloted sectors, where a 1 Kanal plot is valued at PKR 9 to 25 million, the house costs roughly two to five times the land. In Phase 2, at PKR 35 to 70 million, it is between two-thirds and one-and-a-third of it. In the newer phases, design and specification decisions move your total budget far more than the plot price does.
Put your own covered area and basement through the construction cost calculator.
Questions plot owners ask about DHA Islamabad’s future
Is DHA Islamabad a good place to build a house in 2026?
Where you have possession, yes. The established phases have services, neighbours and a working approval system, and the possessed sectors of Phases 4, 6 and 7 are open for construction under the same regulations. Whether a plot is a good investment is a separate question that depends on your price, timing and holding period; this article does not forecast prices.
Which DHA Islamabad phases have possession in 2026?
Phases 1, 2, 3 and 5 are established. Phase 4 sectors A, B and C have had possession since June 2022. Phase 6 sectors B-3, C-2 and C-3 Extension and Phase 7 sectors including Bougainvillea, Oleander, Lily, Rose, Bluebell and Daffodils received possession in August 2024 and January 2025. Confirm your own plot number with DHA.
When can I build in DHA Gandhara (Phase 9)?
Not yet. As of Q3 2026, DHA had not published launch prices, a ballot or a possession schedule for Gandhara, and the scheme does not appear in DHA’s price benchmark. You can prepare a brief and a budget, but not a design for a specific plot.
Has possession been given in Margalla Enclave?
We could not confirm a DHA or CDA possession notice as of Q3 2026. Plots were balloted in February and November 2025, DHA’s website is promoting a further ballot, and the access road from Park Road is still under construction.
What is the difference between a file, a certificate and a balloted plot?
A file or certificate is a right to be allotted a plot later and carries no plot number. A balloted plot has a number but may not yet be developed. Possession means DHA has handed over the demarcated plot with its four corners marked (regulation 1.2.43). A design can only be fixed to a numbered plot, and building starts only after possession.
How long do I have to build after DHA approves my drawings?
Approved drawings are valid for three months; if construction has not started by then, you revalidate them (regulation 8.9). The house must be complete within three years of approval, after which DHA applies a penalty that doubles in the fifth year (regulation 8.31.1).
Can I start construction during the monsoon in DHA Islamabad?
No plot may be excavated during the monsoon. DHA stops demarcation about a week before it starts, around 15 July, and cancels demarcations on plots where work has not begun (regulation 8.19). Finish excavation well before mid-July or start after the monsoon.
How much does it cost to build a house in DHA Islamabad?
On Avenir’s current rates, a complete house at Standard specification plans at PKR 8,370 per square foot of covered area in DHA Islamabad, from PKR 7,310 at Essential to PKR 14,680 at Luxury. Use the construction cost calculator for your own covered area and basement.
Does the Rawalpindi Ring Road affect DHA Islamabad?
It will make the M-2 side, where Gandhara is planned, easier to reach from GT Road. As of Q3 2026, the road was built apart from its toll booths and the Thallian interchange, and it was waiting for an inauguration date.
Sources checked for this update
We prefer DHA’s own documents to secondary summaries. Plot values are DHA’s fortnightly valuation benchmarks, not sale prices or appraisals. Charges are as printed in the 2022 regulations, which DHA revises from time to time. Where only property media reported an event, we say so in the text. This page is reviewed every quarter and whenever DHA announces a possession, ballot or launch.
- DHA Islamabad-Rawalpindi, Accessed Q3 2026Revised Byelaws and Regulations 2022, updated 2023 (PDF)
- DHA Islamabad-Rawalpindi, Building Control Directorate, Accessed Q3 2026Visual Interpretation of DHAI-R Byelaws (PDF)
- DHA Property Exchange, Replaced by DHA every fortnightPrice Valuation Benchmarking, 16 to 30 September 2026 (PDF)
- Zameen News, 4 June 2022DHA Islamabad announces possession of plots in Sectors A, B and C
- Zameen News, 7 August 2024DHAI-R announces possession ceremony for Phases 6 and 7 sectors
- Manahil Estate (property media), January 2025DHA announces 10,000 plot possessions in DHA Valley and DHA Phase 6
- Zameen News, 16 August 2024Gandhara by DHAI-R: coming soon teaser
- Zameen News, 2024DHAI-R to unveil Gandhara at its Property Expo 2024
- Dawn, 16 January 2025CDA collaborates with DHA to launch Margalla Enclave
- Dawn, 11 February 2025Naqvi reviews uplift work of Margalla Enclave housing scheme
- The News, February 2025Balloting held for residential plots in Margalla Enclave
- Manahil Estate (property media), November 2025DHA Margalla Enclave ballot date announced
- Dawn, May 2025CDA set to launch second phase of Margalla Enclave housing scheme
- Dawn, September 2026Plan to allow commercial activities in Islamabad’s Zone III raises eyebrows
- ProPakistani, 10 September 2026Rawalpindi Ring Road misses 6th deadline
- The Nation, 23 August 2026Punjab approves Rs36bn project to supply clean drinking water to Rawalpindi
- Wikipedia, Accessed Q3 2026Islamabad Expressway: interchange list
- Avenir Developments, Rates current in Q3 2026House construction cost: rates per square foot for Lahore and Islamabad
Plan your build window before the next monsoon
Tell us where your plot is and when you want to move in. We will set out what has to happen first, from the soil test and drawings to submission and demarcation, and the months in which each step can realistically be done.
