1 marla is 225 sq ft in most housing societies and 272.25 sq ft in revenue records (fard, patwari). A 250 sq ft marla is also used in some places. So a 5 marla house is 1,125 sq ft in a society, but 1,361.25 sq ft on the revenue scale.
Pick the marla size above before you convert. If you are not sure which one applies, check the allotment letter or the fard. The difference grows fast: on 10 marla it is 472.5 sq ft.
Marla to square feet table
Square feet for common plot sizes under each marla standard.
| Size | 225 sq ft marla | 250 sq ft marla | 272.25 sq ft marla |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 marla | 225 sq ft | 250 sq ft | 272.25 sq ft |
| 2 marla | 450 sq ft | 500 sq ft | 544.50 sq ft |
| 3 marla | 675 sq ft | 750 sq ft | 816.75 sq ft |
| 4 marla | 900 sq ft | 1,000 sq ft | 1,089 sq ft |
| 5 marla | 1,125 sq ft | 1,250 sq ft | 1,361.25 sq ft |
| 6 marla | 1,350 sq ft | 1,500 sq ft | 1,633.50 sq ft |
| 7 marla | 1,575 sq ft | 1,750 sq ft | 1,905.75 sq ft |
| 8 marla | 1,800 sq ft | 2,000 sq ft | 2,178 sq ft |
| 10 marla | 2,250 sq ft | 2,500 sq ft | 2,722.50 sq ft |
| 12 marla | 2,700 sq ft | 3,000 sq ft | 3,267 sq ft |
| 15 marla | 3,375 sq ft | 3,750 sq ft | 4,083.75 sq ft |
| 1 kanal (20 marla) | 4,500 sq ft | 5,000 sq ft | 5,445 sq ft |
1 marla length and width
A marla has no fixed shape. On the 225 sq ft society marla, 1 marla is a square of 15 × 15 ft. On the revenue marla it is 16.5 × 16.5 ft, which is 3 karam by 3 karam. These fronts and depths also make exactly 1 marla:
| Front | Depth for 225 sq ft marla | Depth for 250 sq ft marla | Depth for 272.25 sq ft marla |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 ft | 22.50 ft | 25.00 ft | 27.23 ft |
| 12.5 ft | 18.00 ft | 20.00 ft | 21.78 ft |
| 15 ft | 15.00 ft | 16.67 ft | 18.15 ft |
| 16.5 ft | 13.64 ft | 15.15 ft | 16.50 ft |
Plots are laid out as whole plots, not single marlas. DHA Lahore's 5 marla plot is 25 × 45 ft, exactly 1,125 sq ft. Its 10 marla plot is 35 × 64 or 35 × 65 ft, which is close to but not exactly 2,250 sq ft, so measure the sides rather than trusting the label. The 5 marla and 10 marla pages have the building limits for those plots.
How to calculate marla from length and width
- Measure the front and the depth of the plot in feet.
- Multiply them to get the area in square feet.
- Divide by 225 for a society plot or by 272.25 for land measured in the fard. Use 250 only where your file says so.
- To write the answer the way a patwari does, keep the whole marla and leave the rest as square feet.
Worked example: a 30 × 60 ft plot
- Area: 30 × 60 = 1,800 sq ft, which is 200 gaz (1,800 ÷ 9)
- Society marla: 1,800 ÷ 225 = 8 marla
- Revenue marla: 1,800 ÷ 272.25 = 6.61 marla, written 6 marla and 166.5 sq ft (6 × 272.25 = 1,633.5)
The same plot is "8 marla" in a society and under 7 marla in land records. If the sides are not equal on opposite edges, measure all four sides and a diagonal and use the plot area calculator.
Why there are three marla sizes
272.25 sq ft: the revenue marla
This is the old land-record unit. 1 marla = 272.25 sq ft = 30.25 sq yd = 9 sarsai. It makes an acre come out at exactly 160 marla. Revenue offices, rural land, the old parts of Lahore and most of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa use it.
225 sq ft: the housing society marla
Most private and approved housing schemes use 225 sq ft, which is 25 square yards (25 gaz). DHA and Bahria Town are commonly cited examples. Here 1 kanal is 4,500 sq ft.
250 sq ft
Some areas and some schemes use 250 sq ft. Neither LDA nor CDA fixes one marla size for every scheme, so check the size in square feet on your own file or allotment letter.
Worked example
You are buying a 7 marla house.
- On the society scale: 7 × 225 = 1,575 sq ft
- On the 250 scale: 7 × 250 = 1,750 sq ft
- On the revenue scale: 7 × 272.25 = 1,905.75 sq ft
The revenue plot is 330.75 sq ft larger than the society plot with the same "7 marla" label. When comparing prices per square foot, convert first. Going the other way? Use the square feet to marla converter.
12 marla and 15 marla in square feet
12 marla
12 marla is 2,700 sq ft (300 gaz) on the 225 sq ft marla, 3,000 sq ft on the 250 sq ft marla and 3,267 sq ft (363 gaz) on the revenue marla. It is not a standard DHA Lahore size; you will find it in private schemes and as land outside schemes. Fronts and depths that give 2,700 sq ft include 30 × 90, 40 × 67.5 and 45 × 60 ft. On the revenue scale 9 karam by 12 karam (49.5 × 66 ft) makes exactly 3,267 sq ft.
15 marla
15 marla is 3,375 sq ft (375 gaz), three quarters of a 4,500 sq ft kanal. It is 3,750 sq ft on the 250 sq ft marla and 4,083.75 sq ft (453.75 gaz) on the revenue marla. 45 × 75 ft is a common layout; 50 × 67.5 ft also works.
What LDA lets you build on them
Both sizes are in the LDA band from 10 marla to under 1 kanal: a 10 ft building line, 7 ft rear space and 5 ft on one side (clause 2.2.1) and ground coverage of up to 70% (clause 2.2.3, LDA Building and Zoning Regulations 2019). The open spaces take a fixed strip from each edge, so the shape changes the ground floor:
| Plot | Ground floor after open spaces | 70% limit |
|---|---|---|
| 12 marla, 30 × 90 ft | 25 × 73 = 1,825 sq ft | 1,890 sq ft |
| 12 marla, 40 × 67.5 ft | 35 × 50.5 = 1,767.5 sq ft | 1,890 sq ft |
| 12 marla, 45 × 60 ft | 40 × 43 = 1,720 sq ft | 1,890 sq ft |
| 15 marla, 45 × 75 ft | 40 × 58 = 2,320 sq ft | 2,362.5 sq ft |
A 1 kanal plot falls in the next band at 65%, or 2,925 sq ft on 4,500 sq ft. So the kanal has 1,125 sq ft more land than 15 marla but only 562.5 sq ft more permitted ground floor.
Joining two 6 marla plots
Two neighbouring 6 marla plots of 25 × 54 ft each sit in the band under 10 marla: 5 ft front and 5 ft rear space, 75% coverage, so up to 1,012.5 sq ft of ground floor each and 2,025 sq ft together. Joined into one 12 marla plot of 50 × 54 ft, the 10 ft, 7 ft and 5 ft spaces apply: (50 − 5) × (54 − 10 − 7) = 1,665 sq ft. Work out both before paying for an amalgamation. Estimate building costs with the house construction cost calculator.
Marla in other units
| Unit | 225 sq ft marla | 250 sq ft marla | 272.25 sq ft marla |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square yards (gaz) | 25 | 27.78 | 30.25 |
| Square metres | 20.90 | 23.23 | 25.29 |
| Sarsai | 9 | 9 | 9 |
Karachi and most of Sindh sell plots in square yards, not marla. See marla to gaz for that. For bigger areas, kanal to marla covers kanal and acre.
Each common plot size has its own page with plot sides and building limits: 2 marla, 3 marla, 4 marla, 5 marla, 6 marla, 7 marla, 8 marla, 10 marla, 2 kanal. Plans drawn in metric give the area in square metres; the square metre to marla converter turns it into marla.
Marla questions
How many square feet are in 1 marla?
It depends on the standard. In most housing societies 1 marla is 225 sq ft. In revenue records (fard, patwari) it is 272.25 sq ft. Some places use 250 sq ft. Check your allotment letter or fard to see which one applies to your plot.
How many square feet is a 5 marla house?
A 5 marla plot is 1,125 sq ft in a housing society using the 225 sq ft marla. On the 250 scale it is 1,250 sq ft, and on the revenue scale it is 1,361.25 sq ft. This is the plot area, not the covered area of the house.
Is a marla 272 or 272.25 square feet?
The exact revenue figure is 272.25 sq ft (30.25 sq yd). People often round it to 272. Using 272 makes almost no difference on a small plot, but on an acre it drops 40 sq ft, so land records keep the .25.
Which marla size does DHA use?
DHA and Bahria Town generally use the 225 sq ft marla, so 1 kanal is 4,500 sq ft there. Your allotment letter states the plot area, which is the figure to rely on.
What is the length and width of 1 marla?
On the 225 sq ft society marla, 1 marla is 15 × 15 ft. On the 272.25 sq ft revenue marla it is 16.5 × 16.5 ft, or 3 karam by 3 karam. Any front and depth that multiply to the marla size work, such as 10 × 22.5 ft on the society scale.
How do I calculate marla from feet?
Multiply the length by the width in feet, then divide by 225 for a society plot or 272.25 for land in the fard. A 30 × 60 ft plot is 1,800 sq ft: 8 marla in a society, or 6 marla and 166.5 sq ft on the revenue scale.
How many square feet is 12 marla and 15 marla?
12 marla is 2,700 sq ft on the 225 sq ft marla and 3,267 sq ft on the revenue marla. 15 marla is 3,375 sq ft and 4,083.75 sq ft. On the 250 sq ft marla they are 3,000 and 3,750 sq ft.
1 marla kitne square feet ka hota hai?
Housing society mein 1 marla 225 square feet ka hota hai, jabke fard aur patwari ke record mein 272.25 square feet. Kuch jagah 250 square feet ka marla bhi chalta hai. Is liye apni file ya fard dekh kar sahi marla chunein.
Last reviewed 2 October 2026. Results are estimates; official notices always take precedence.