Guide
SBCA Fees and Challans Explained, With Worked Costs by Plot Size
By Maham Imtiaz
Real Estate AnalystVerified author
9 min read
Anyone building in Karachi outside the cantonments pays the Sindh Building Control Authority before the first brick is laid, and often again at completion, regularisation or sale. Yet SBCA does not publish its full current fee schedule online. Owners usually learn the amount only when the challan is issued. That makes it hard to budget, and easy for agents to quote "SBCA charges" that include their own margin. The few official figures that are public, however, show how the fees are built up and where the large costs really lie.
Fees belong to the building layer. Our guide on how to verify property in Karachi explains that a building needs an approved plan and completion record, and every step towards them carries an SBCA charge paid by challan.
This guide explains the kinds of fees SBCA charges, the figures that are officially on record, a worked example from a real 2025 challan, the penalties and regularisation costs that dwarf ordinary fees, and how to make sure you pay the right amount to the right account.
A note on the figures
SBCA's scrutiny fees are set under Schedule 3A of the Karachi Building and Town Planning Regulations 2002, whose current rates are not published in full online. This guide uses only figures from official texts, SBCA's own amendment notices and reported official challans. Confirm the exact amount for your plan with SBCA's single window before paying.
The fees SBCA charges
| Fee | When it is charged | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Scrutiny or plan approval fee | When the building plan is submitted | KBTPR Schedule 3A, by category and covered area |
| Structural vetting | For larger buildings, at the second stage | As notified |
| Betterment charges | On approval, mainly for high-density and commercial projects | Raised sharply in August 2016 |
| NOC for sale and advertisement | Before units in a public sale project are sold | As notified |
| Completion plan | When the completion plan is submitted | As notified |
| Composition and regularisation | For deviations that can be regularised | Ordinance and KBTPR amendments |
| Land-use change | For conversions processed through planning | Per square yard |
| Licences and registration | For builders and professionals | KBTPR Schedule 4A |
Religious buildings, public-sector buildings, educational buildings for disabled persons and registered charities are exempt from scrutiny fees under Schedule 3A.
Fees on the official record
| Item | Figure | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Builder registration | Rs30,000; renewal at 20% | KBTPR Schedule 4A |
| Professional registration | Rs500; renewal Rs250 | KBTPR Chapter 4 |
| Soil or material testing laboratory licence | Rs7,500 | KBTPR Chapter 4 |
| Pre-approved house plans for 60, 80, 120 and 240 sq yd plots | Rs600 for a set of six copies; permission within five days | SBCA, August 2020 |
| Change between low and high commercial use | Rs1,000 per sq yd | KBTPR amendment, October 2002 |
| Land-use conversion under the 2004 amnesty | Rs300 to Rs1,500 per sq yd by category | KBTPR amendment, September 2004 |
| Extra-floor regularisation under the 2004 amnesty | Rs50 per sq ft | KBTPR amendment, September 2004 |
| Older plan approval fees | Rs3.75 per sq yd residential and Rs5.62 per sq yd commercial, on permissible covered area | Reported 2003 rates, now outdated |
The 2004 amendment notice, which sets out the regularisation and conversion rates, is one of SBCA's own published amendments to the Karachi Building and Town Planning Regulations.
A real 2025 challan, worked through
In November 2025, SBCA issued the first online challan at its single-window facility in Hyderabad: Rs61,740 for construction on a 233.33-square-yard plot. It is the most recent public example of what a house plan actually costs at SBCA.
| Measure | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Challan per square yard of plot | Rs61,740 ÷ 233.33 | About Rs265 per sq yd |
| Challan per square foot of plot | Rs61,740 ÷ 2,100 | About Rs29 per sq ft |
Illustrative scaling by plot size. Using the same per-yard figure only as a rough guide:
| Plot size | Rough equivalent at about Rs265 per sq yd |
|---|---|
| 120 sq yd | About Rs31,800 |
| 240 sq yd | About Rs63,600 |
| 400 sq yd | About Rs106,000 |
| 500 sq yd | About Rs132,500 |
These are not SBCA rates. Real fees depend on covered area, category, location and the specific charges included, so a 120-yard plot with three floors may cost more per yard than the example. Use the table only to sense-check a quote, not to pay.
Fees compared with other costs
| Cost | Typical scale |
|---|---|
| SBCA plan challan for a house | Tens of thousands of rupees, on the 2025 example |
| DHA plan fee for members, up to 500 sq yd | Rs32,500 on ordinary processing, plus CBC and Military Estate Office charges |
| Stamp duty on buying the plot | 2% of the FBR value, often far higher than SBCA's fee |
| Betterment charges on a large commercial plot | Millions of rupees after the 2016 increase |
For an ordinary house, SBCA's fee is small next to the price of the plot and construction. Our guide to stamp duty and registration fees in Sindh shows how much larger the transfer costs usually are.
Betterment charges: the big jump in 2016
| Example | Before | After August 2016 |
|---|---|---|
| 5,000 sq yd plot in a high-density zone | Rs7.5 million | Rs125 million |
| 2,000 sq yd converted commercial plot | Rs4.9 million | Rs20 million |
| Ground-plus-two house for a buyer | Not stated | An extra Rs1.2 million to Rs4 million reported |
| One-unit bungalow up to two storeys | Exempt | Exempt |
Betterment charges are why flat and commercial projects pay far more than house owners. A builder's sale price for flats includes them.
Penalties and regularisation costs
| Situation | Cost |
|---|---|
| Building without approval, section 19(1) of the Ordinance | Up to three years' imprisonment, a fine of at least Rs50,000, and Rs500 a day for continuing offences |
| Compoundable deviation, section 19(1-C) | Existing composition fee enhanced by 400%, five times the ordinary fee |
| Deviation beyond 20% of permissible limits | Not compoundable; alteration or demolition |
| Extra floors beyond permitted storeys | Not regularisable |
A penalty or composition fee can easily exceed every ordinary fee on the project. Our guide to the SBCA building plan approval process explains how to get the approvals right first.
How to pay the right amount
- Get the challan from SBCA's single window or online system, not from an agent.
- Check the plot size, covered area and category on the challan against your plan.
- Pay only into the account named on the challan, through the bank or online channel shown.
- Keep the paid challan with your approval file.
- Ask for an itemised breakdown if the amount looks high.
- Use a pre-approved plan for small plots if it fits, to save architect and processing costs.
- Budget for completion fees and, for flats, the sale NOC.
What the numbers show: Milkiyat.com findings
A 2025 house challan worked out at about Rs265 per square yard. Rs61,740 ÷ 233.33 = about Rs264.60.
Betterment charges on large high-density plots rose more than sixteenfold. Rs125 million ÷ Rs7.5 million = about 16.7 times.
Compounding costs five times the normal fee. The base fee plus a 400% enhancement = 5 times the ordinary composition fee.
A 1,000 sq ft extra floor cost Rs50,000 under the 2004 amnesty. 1,000 × Rs50 = Rs50,000, where regularisation was allowed.
Pre-approved plans cost Rs100 a copy. Rs600 ÷ 6 copies = Rs100, with permission promised within five days.
Stamp duty usually dwarfs SBCA's fee. On a 240-yard plot valued at Rs10 million, 2% stamp duty is Rs200,000, about three times the illustrative SBCA figure for that size.
Frequently asked questions
Q1. How much does SBCA charge to approve a house plan?
A. SBCA does not publish its full schedule online. A reported November 2025 challan was Rs61,740 for a 233.33-square-yard plot, about Rs265 per square yard. Confirm your amount at SBCA's single window.
Q2. Are there cheaper options for small plots?
A. Yes. SBCA introduced pre-approved ground-plus-two plans for 60, 80, 120 and 240-yard plots in 2020, at Rs600 for six copies, with permission within five days.
Q3. What are betterment charges?
A. Charges for the added value of development, raised sharply in August 2016 and paid mainly by high-density and commercial projects. One-unit bungalows of up to two storeys were exempt.
Q4. What is the fine for building without approval?
A. Under section 19(1) of the Ordinance, up to three years' imprisonment, a fine of at least Rs50,000 and Rs500 a day for continuing offences.
Q5. How much does regularisation cost?
A. Where allowed, the composition fee is enhanced by 400%, making it five times the ordinary fee. Extra floors beyond permitted storeys cannot be regularised.
Q6. Who is exempt from SBCA scrutiny fees?
A. Religious buildings, public-sector buildings, educational buildings for disabled persons and registered charities, under Schedule 3A.
Q7. How do I avoid paying an agent's mark-up?
A. Get the challan directly from SBCA's single window or online system, and pay only into the account it names.
This guide is for general information. SBCA's fees, charges and penalties change, and the illustrative figures here are not official rates. Owners should confirm every amount with SBCA's single window and a licensed architect before paying.