Buying a plot and commissioning a house design are usually treated as two separate decisions. They shouldn't be — the plot's size, shape and road-facing width decide which layouts are even possible before a single wall is drawn.

Marla and kanal, in floor-plan terms

A marla is roughly 225 square feet, and a kanal is 20 marla. On paper that's simple, but the same marla count can behave very differently depending on the plot's proportions — a square 5-marla plot designs very differently from a long, narrow one, even though the total area is identical.

Road-facing width matters more than total area

A wider road-facing side gives more options: a car porch alongside the entrance rather than in front of it, better cross-ventilation, and a more generous-feeling facade. A narrow-front, deep plot usually pushes the design toward a central air well and a side-loaded staircase to compensate for the lack of front width.

Setbacks and covered-area limits aren't optional extras

Every housing authority or society sets minimum setbacks from the boundary and a maximum covered-area percentage per floor. These rules directly decide your usable floor plate — a plot bought without checking them can end up with a smaller buildable footprint than the buyer expected. This is one of the first things we check before starting layout work, and it's why the submission drawing set is prepared to the specific authority's format rather than a generic template.

  • Confirm setback and covered-area rules for your specific authority or society before finalising a plot purchase
  • A wider road-facing side generally gives more design flexibility than a wider depth
  • Corner plots gain a second facade but also a second setback to work around
  • Irregular-shaped plots aren't a problem, but they do need the layout drawn around the actual boundary, not a rectangle assumption
A plot's marla count tells you the price. Its shape and setbacks tell you the house.

Before you commission a naqsha

If you're still deciding between two plots, it's worth having both checked against setback and covered-area rules before choosing — a slightly smaller plot with a better road-facing width can sometimes design better than a larger one with an awkward shape.

Bring the plot's dimensions and society name to a site visit, and we'll walk through what's realistically buildable on it before you commit to a design or, if you're still deciding, before you finalise the purchase.