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5 Marla House Finishing cost in Islamabad & Rawalpindi (2026): What's Included, from Basic to Luxury
By wajahat Ali
Real Estate Analyst
Updated 16 min read
The short answer: Finishing a 5 marla house in the twin cities in 2026 runs about PKR 1,500–2,300 per sq ft at basic level, PKR 2,400–3,600 at standard, and PKR 6,500–11,000+ at luxury, on top of a completed grey structure. For a 2,000 sq ft double story that is roughly PKR 30 lakh to over 2 crore, depending entirely on specification.
Most people who build in Rawalpindi or Islamabad budget carefully for the grey structure and then get ambushed by finishing. The reason is structural: the grey structure is an engineering problem with a predictable bill of quantities. Finishing is an open-ended shopping list. The same 1,100 sq ft house can be finished for 17 lakh or for 90 lakh, and both figures are legitimate.
This guide sets out exactly what finishing includes in the twin cities market, trade by trade, and what changes as you move up the tiers. For the full build picture including grey structure and approvals, read our 5 marla double story construction cost guide.
"A note on the numbers. Published finishing rates in Pakistan contradict each other badly, because many builders quote turnkey rates and label them "finishing." Every rate below is finishing only, on top of a completed grey structure. Composite rates are cross-checked against the Punjab Finance Department's Market Rates System, the government schedule that governs Rawalpindi district. Retail item rates are market-observed bands, verify them against live quotations before committing funds.
Where the Grey Structure Ends and Finishing Begins
This boundary is the most common source of owner–contractor disputes in the twin cities. Put it in the contract before anyone lifts a trowel.
Grey structure normally ends with: foundation, RCC frame, masonry, internal and external plaster, concealed electrical conduit (empty pipes, no wire), concealed plumbing and waste lines, water tanks, stairs and boundary wall in raw form, and roof waterproofing.
Finishing is everything after that ,everything you can see, touch, switch on or open.
At standard quality the split runs roughly 55–60% grey / 40–45% finishing, consistent with the phase breakdown in our 5 marla construction guide. At luxury level it inverts: finishing routinely becomes 60–70% of total spend.
Covered Area: The Number Everything Multiplies By
A 5 marla plot in the twin cities is about 1,125 sq ft of land. You pay for covered area, not plot area.
| Configuration | Typical covered area |
|---|---|
| Single storey | 1,000 – 1,200 sq ft |
| Ground + 1 | 1,800 – 2,200 sq ft |
| Ground + 1 + mumty/roof room | 2,000 – 2,400 sq ft |
Working figures below: 1,100 sq ft single storey, 2,000 sq ft double storey.
One trap worth naming: some contractors count car porch, terraces, stairs and mumty at full rate. Standard practice is to count open and semi-covered areas at 40–50% of the built rate. If a quotation does not state how these are counted, it is not a quotation.
The Finishing Scope, Trade by Trade
1. Flooring
The largest single visible item, and — with joinery — the largest share of the finishing bill.
| Option | Material rate (per sq ft) | Tier |
|---|---|---|
| Local ceramic tile | Rs 180 – 350 | Basic |
| Porcelain, local premium brands | Rs 350 – 800 | Standard |
| Large-format / imported porcelain | Rs 900 – 2,200 | Premium |
| Local marble (Badal, Verona, Ziarat) | Rs 250 – 700 | Standard |
| Imported marble, onyx | Rs 1,800 – 6,000+ | Luxury |
| Engineered / solid wood | Rs 700 – 3,500 | Premium |
| SPC / vinyl plank | Rs 150 – 450 | Budget upgrade |
Add roughly Rs 80–200 per sq ft for laying labour, plus screed, tile bond, grout, skirting and thresholds. A quoted tile price that excludes installed cost understates the flooring bill by 30–50%. Compare installed BOQ rates, not showroom prices — a point the Punjab MRS makes structurally by pricing flooring items as composite rates including labour and ancillaries.
Marble remains the default in older Rawalpindi construction; large-format porcelain dominates newer Islamabad sectors and society builds. Porcelain generally wins on maintenance — marble needs periodic grinding and polishing, a recurring cost most owners never budget.
2. Wall Finishes
- Basic: putty plus economy emulsion — roughly Rs 45–90 per sq ft applied.
- Standard: branded emulsion over properly sanded putty — Rs 110–220 per sq ft applied.
- Premium: textures, feature walls, imported paints.
- Luxury: wallpaper, wood or composite panelling (Rs 900–3,500 per sq ft), venetian plaster, stone features.
The tell of a cheap paint job is not the brand ,it is surface preparation. Expensive paint over unsanded, under-cured putty looks worse in eighteen months than economy paint over properly prepared walls.
3. Ceilings
| Type | Rate (per sq ft) | Tier |
|---|---|---|
| Plaster and paint only | in wall finish | Basic |
| POP false ceiling | Rs 180 – 380 | Standard |
| Gypsum board on GI framing | Rs 350 – 700 | Standard / premium |
| Designer gypsum, cove lighting | Rs 700 – 1,400 | Premium |
| Wooden / composite designer | Rs 1,200 – 2,500+ | Luxury |
Gypsum on galvanised framing is the correct specification for the twin cities' humidity swings. POP on wooden battens is cheaper and cracks sooner.
4. Woodwork and Joinery, The Biggest Variable
This is where 5 marla budgets most often double, and where quotations are least comparable. Contractors routinely quote visible shutter area while excluding carcass material, edge banding, polish, hardware, glass and installation.
Doors (with frame): local flush Rs 16,000–35,000 each; semi-solid with laminate Rs 35,000–75,000; solid polished hardwood Rs 90,000–250,000; imported or bespoke main doors well beyond that. A 5 marla double story needs 8–12 internal doors plus a main door — roughly 2–3.5 lakh at basic grade, over 20 lakh at luxury.
Wardrobes and built-in storage: MDF carcass with laminate shutters Rs 1,800–4,000 per sq ft of face area; plywood carcass with veneer or acrylic and branded hardware Rs 4,500–8,000; imported modular systems above that.
Stair railing: MS painted Rs 1,200–2,500 per running ft; stainless steel Rs 3,000–6,000; glass with SS or brass Rs 7,000–15,000.
Before comparing any two woodwork quotes, demand a room-by-room joinery schedule: dimensions, carcass material and grade, shutter finish, hardware brand, polish type, quantities. Without it you are comparing fiction.
5. Kitchen
A 5 marla kitchen typically has 12–18 running feet of cabinetry.
| Component | Basic | Standard | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cabinets (per running ft) | MDF + laminate, Rs 15,000–25,000 | Plywood/solid wood, branded hardware, Rs 30,000–45,000 | Imported modular, acrylic or lacquer, Rs 50,000+ |
| Countertop | Local granite | Premium granite / engineered stone | Quartz, Corian, imported marble |
| Backsplash | Ceramic tile | Glass or porcelain slab | Full-height slab |
| Sink & mixer | Local stainless | Branded SS or composite | Imported undermount, pull-out |
| Appliances | None built-in | Hob and hood | Built-in oven, dishwasher, chimney |
That maps to roughly Rs 2.5–4.5 lakh at basic level and Rs 9–20 lakh at premium, before countertop and appliances.
Countertop pricing is the least reliable figure in the whole finishing market — published rates for engineered quartz vary by a factor of five across suppliers. Get three written quotations against a measured drawing, not a per-square-foot number over the phone.
A low per-running-foot cabinet rate almost always excludes tall units, pantry pull-outs, premium hinges and channels, countertop, sink cut-outs and installation.
6. Bathrooms
A 5 marla double story usually has 3–4 bathrooms. Multiply accordingly.
| Item | Basic | Standard | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| WC | Rs 25,000 – 40,000 | Rs 40,000 – 85,000 | Rs 120,000+ (wall-hung, concealed cistern) |
| Basin + vanity | Rs 18,000 – 35,000 | Rs 35,000 – 90,000 | Rs 150,000+ |
| Shower set / mixer | Rs 20,000 – 40,000 | Rs 40,000 – 90,000 | Rs 150,000+ (rain, thermostatic, concealed) |
| Tiling | Local ceramic | Porcelain, full height | Imported slab, book-matched |
| Extras | Mirror, towel rail | Glass partition, LED mirror | Bathtub, steam, designer lighting |
Do not economise on waterproofing. Wet-area membrane before tiling costs little and is the difference between a dry ceiling and a five-year dispute. Insist on a ponding test before tiles go down.
7. Electrical Finishing
Conduit is grey structure; everything after is finishing.
- Wiring pull: Rs 2,500–6,500 per point. A 5 marla double story runs 90–140 points.
- Switches and sockets: local Rs 250–700 per unit; branded Rs 1,500–6,000; touch panels higher.
- DB, breakers, earthing: Rs 60,000–250,000. Proper earthing is non-negotiable and routinely skipped.
- Lighting: Rs 40,000–100,000 basic; Rs 300,000–1,500,000 for designed schemes with cove LED, spots and dimmers.
- Backup: UPS/inverter Rs 150,000–500,000. Solar has moved from luxury to mainstream — a 5 kW on-grid system plans around Rs 7–11 lakh, hybrid with lithium storage Rs 13–20 lakh.
- Luxury: structured cabling, CCTV, video intercom, automation, motorised curtains.
Cable is the classic hidden downgrade. Specify brand and gauge in the contract and inspect the drums on site. The Punjab MRS prices electrical work and fittings as separate scheduled items — useful as a sanity check when a contractor bundles all electrical work into one lump sum.
8. Plumbing Finishing
Taps, mixers, angle valves; geysers (gas Rs 35,000–90,000, electric Rs 40,000–120,000, instant Rs 90,000–300,000); water pump and, at premium level, a pressure pump so upper-floor showers work; filtration from point-of-use to whole-house softening.
Both cities have hard-water pockets and irregular pressure. A pressure pump and softener deliver more daily quality-of-life than most cosmetic spending.
9. Doors, Windows and Glazing
| Type | Rate (per sq ft) |
|---|---|
| Aluminium, local sections, single glazed | Rs 750 – 1,400 |
| Aluminium, heavy sections | Rs 1,500 – 2,800 |
| uPVC single glazed | Rs 1,600 – 2,800 |
| uPVC double glazed | Rs 2,800 – 5,000 |
| Thermal-break aluminium, double glazed | Rs 5,000 – 12,000 |
Double glazing is one of the few premium upgrades in the twin cities with a measurable comfort and electricity return rather than a purely visual one — Islamabad's summer load and winter cold, plus traffic noise across much of Rawalpindi, make the case on their own.
10. Elevation and External Works
This determines resale perception in a society market.
| Treatment | Rate (per sq ft of façade) |
|---|---|
| Plaster + weather-shield paint | Rs 250 – 550 |
| Tile or local stone cladding | Rs 900 – 2,000 |
| Imported stone, travertine | Rs 2,000 – 4,500 |
| ACP, GRC, composite louvres | Rs 2,500 – 6,000 |
Plus main gate (MS painted Rs 120,000–300,000; designer or automatic Rs 400,000–1,500,000), car porch flooring and ceiling, boundary wall finish, external lighting, and landscaping from Rs 100,000 to well over a million on a designed 5 marla frontage.
The Four Tiers, Side by Side
| Basic / Rental | Standard / A-Category | Premium | Luxury | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flooring | Local ceramic | Porcelain / local marble | Imported porcelain, wood in bedrooms | Imported marble, book-matched slab |
| Walls | Putty + economy emulsion | Branded emulsion, feature wall | Texture, panelling in living areas | Wallpaper, veneer, stone features |
| Ceiling | None or minimal POP | POP/gypsum in living areas | Designer gypsum, cove lighting | Multi-level designer ceilings |
| Doors | Local flush | Semi-solid laminate | Solid polished hardwood | Bespoke / imported |
| Wardrobes | Basic MDF or none | MDF + laminate | Plywood, veneer, branded hardware | Imported modular, full fit-out |
| Kitchen | Basic cabinets, local granite | Good cabinetry, hob + hood | Premium modular, quartz, built-ins | Imported kitchen, island, full appliances |
| Bathrooms | Local sanitary | Branded local | Imported sanitary, glass, vanities | Full imported suites, bathtub/steam |
| Electrical | Local switches, basic lights | Branded switches, decent lighting | Designed lighting, UPS, CCTV | Automation, full solar-hybrid |
| Windows | Local aluminium | Good aluminium / uPVC | uPVC double glazed | Thermal-break, motorised shading |
| Elevation | Plaster + paint | Paint + partial cladding | Full cladding, façade lighting | Designer façade, imported stone |
| Finishing rate / sq ft | Rs 1,500 – 2,300 | Rs 2,400 – 3,600 | Rs 3,800 – 5,500 | Rs 6,500 – 11,000+ |
Total Finishing Cost, 5 Marla (2026 planning bands)
| Tier | Single storey (1,100 sq ft) | Double storey (2,000 sq ft) |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | Rs 17 – 25 lakh | Rs 30 – 46 lakh |
| Standard | Rs 26 – 40 lakh | Rs 48 – 72 lakh |
| Premium | Rs 42 – 60 lakh | Rs 76 lakh – 1.1 crore |
| Luxury | Rs 72 lakh – 1.2 crore+ | Rs 1.3 – 2.2 crore+ |
Cross-check. Grey structure in the twin cities currently plans at roughly Rs 2,800–4,500 per sq ft. Add standard finishing at Rs 2,400–3,600 and turnkey lands near Rs 5,200–8,100 per sq ft — consistent with the Rs 5,800–8,800 per sq ft complete-build band documented in our construction cost crisis analysis, and with the 1.0–1.5 crore turnkey range in our 5 marla guide. If someone quotes Rs 4,000 per sq ft turnkey for an A-category finish, the specification is doing the lying, not the arithmetic.
Where finishing money actually goes. Zameen's construction cost calculator, modelling a 5 marla double story, puts wood, metal and tile works at roughly two-thirds of total finishing material cost, far ahead of electrical, plumbing and fixtures combined. That is the practical lesson: control your flooring and joinery specification and you control the finishing budget. Everything else is rounding by comparison.
Scaling up? The same tier logic applies at 7 marla, 10 marla and 20 marla, though per-sq-ft finishing rates typically ease slightly with scale as fixed costs spread.
Islamabad vs Rawalpindi: What Actually Differs
The materials market is shared — both cities buy from the same suppliers. What differs:
- Labour. Islamabad skilled finishing trades run roughly 10–20% above equivalent Rawalpindi work, with approved society sites paying a further premium for access and supervision requirements.
- Approval regime. CDA in Islamabad sectors, RDA in regulated Rawalpindi, and private society building control each impose different completion requirements. Some societies require elevation approval before external finishing — building a façade the society then rejects is expensive.
- Market expectations. In DHA Islamabad, Bahria Enclave, Gulberg and newer sectors, premium finishing is the baseline and a basic finish caps resale. Across much of Rawalpindi's established housing and affordable society belt, standard finishing is the norm and over-finishing does not recover.
- Site logistics. Congested older Rawalpindi localities carry higher handling and access costs than wide-road society plots.
The ROI point most owners miss: finishing spend recovers only up to the ceiling of the surrounding market. Spending 1.2 crore finishing a 5 marla house on a street where finished houses transact at 1.6 crore is consumption, not investment. Finish to the standard of your street, plus one notch.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is finishing work in a house? Everything after the grey structure — flooring, wall finishes, ceilings, woodwork, kitchen, bathrooms, electrical and plumbing fixtures, doors, windows, paint, elevation and external works. It is the visible, usable half of the house.
How much does finishing cost for a 5 marla house in Islamabad or Rawalpindi in 2026? Roughly Rs 17–25 lakh (basic) to over Rs 1.2 crore (luxury) for a single storey of about 1,100 sq ft, and Rs 30–46 lakh to over Rs 2.2 crore for a double storey of about 2,000 sq ft. Verify against at least three current quotations.
Is finishing more expensive than the grey structure? At basic and standard level, no — the grey structure is 55–60% of the build. At premium and luxury level, yes: finishing routinely exceeds structure cost because the specification changes while the frame does not.
Can I build the grey structure now and finish later? Yes, and it is common in the twin cities. Complete the structure, protect the roof and openings, and finish when funds allow. Ensure concealed conduiting and plumbing are complete and accurately recorded first — retrofitting into finished walls is destructive and expensive.
How long does finishing take on a 5 marla house? About 3–5 months at standard specification, 6–9 months at luxury. Delayed material selection is the most common cause of slippage.
Which finishing items give the best return on resale? Kitchen, bathrooms and elevation, in that order — provided they stay within the standard of the surrounding market. Beyond your street's ceiling, finishing spend stops recovering.
Sources and Method
Rate bands in this article were compiled from the following, in descending order of authority:
- Punjab Finance Department, Market Rates System (MRS) — the government composite schedule of rates governing Rawalpindi district. The current edition runs from 1 July to 31 December 2026 and covers 27 chapters including tiles, flooring, plaster, electrical work and fittings. Used as the composite-rate baseline.
- Pakistan Bureau of Statistics — monthly price indices, which publish Urban Construction Items Prices, and the Price Statistics division for material price movement.
- Zameen construction cost calculator — used for the proportional split between finishing categories, not for absolute twin-cities pricing.
- Twin-cities market observation for retail finishing items (tiles, sanitary, joinery, kitchen), where no government or statistical schedule exists. These are ranges, not quotations, and are flagged as such throughout.
Where sources conflicted, the conflict is stated in the text rather than resolved silently.
Related Guides
- 5 Marla Double Story House Construction Cost in Rawalpindi & Islamabad (2026)
- 7 Marla Double Story House Construction Cost in Pakistan (2026)
- 10 Marla Double Story House Construction Cost in Pakistan (2026)
- 20 Marla House Construction Cost in Pakistan (2026): A Verified Budget Breakdown
- Pakistan's Construction Cost Crisis 2026: Cement, Steel and the Collapse of the Builder's Budget
Milkiyat.com is a commission-free real estate research and editorial platform for the Islamabad–Rawalpindi twin cities market. We do not broker property, take dealer commission, or accept payment for coverage. All cost figures are planning bands and should be verified against live quotations before you commit funds.