This calculator converts square feet to Marla using the standard Pakistani conversions. The default 272.25 sqft per Marla applies to most modern Pakistani residential developments including DHA, Bahria, LDA-developed areas, and standard housing schemes. Older or regional variants (225 sqft, 250 sqft per Marla) are available for properties using those standards.
Convert Square Feet to Marla
Why 272.25 sqft per Marla is the Pakistani standard
The 272.25 sqft Marla derives from British-era land surveying traditions carried forward through Pakistani land records. The technical derivation: 1 Marla = 9 sarsahis; 1 sarsahi = a square 5.5 feet on each side = 30.25 sqft; 9 × 30.25 = 272.25 sqft total. The 5.5-foot measurement traces back to the British surveying chain, which used 22-yard chains divided into specific subdivisions. This historical accident produced a non-round number that has persisted because the official land records, property registrations, and development authority documents all encode it.
Pakistani residential development standardises around specific Marla sizes — 3 Marla, 5 Marla, 7 Marla, 10 Marla, 14 Marla, and 20 Marla (1 Kanal) are the common plot sizes in major housing schemes. Each corresponds to a precise square footage: 3 Marla = 816.75 sqft; 5 Marla = 1,361.25 sqft; 7 Marla = 1,905.75 sqft; 10 Marla = 2,722.5 sqft; 14 Marla = 3,811.5 sqft; 20 Marla = 5,445 sqft. These plot sizes underlie the entire urban planning structure of Pakistani residential cities.
Conversion mechanics and regional variants
The basic conversion: Marla = square feet ÷ 272.25 (for the standard). A 2,722 sqft plot converts to 2,722 ÷ 272.25 = 9.998 Marla, essentially 10 Marla — confirming the plot's standard sizing. For the 225 sqft variant (older Punjab usage, some Sindh areas), the divisor is 225 — a 2,250 sqft plot equals 10 Marla under that standard. For the 250 sqft regional variant, divide by 250. The calculator's standard selector applies the appropriate divisor based on your area's convention.
Practical tip: if a plot's stated Marla doesn't match the standard 272.25 conversion of its square footage, the local convention may differ from the modern standard. Always cross-check with official property documents from the registrar to confirm which Marla standard applies to a specific property.
Pakistani plot sizes — what each Marla number actually means
Knowing typical Pakistani plot sizes helps interpret Marla measurements in context. 3 Marla plots are small residential plots common in older urban neighbourhoods and some affordable housing developments. 5 Marla is the entry-level standard plot size in most Pakistani housing schemes — typical of mid-tier developments. 7 Marla represents an upgraded standard, common in many LDA and DHA sectors. 10 Marla is the most popular family-house plot size in upper-middle-class Pakistani developments. 14 Marla represents larger family homes in premium sectors. 20 Marla (1 Kanal) plots are the typical upper-class plot size, common in DHA Phase areas and Bahria's elite blocks. Above 1 Kanal, plots are typically measured in Kanal (2 Kanal, 4 Kanal) for larger residential or estate properties.
When sqft-to-Marla conversion is genuinely needed
Several practical situations require converting between sqft and Marla. Construction professionals quote build-up area in sqft, while buyers think about plot size in Marla — the conversion bridges these conversations. Real estate listings sometimes quote in sqft (particularly newer or commercial-leaning listings); converting to Marla helps compare against the buyer's Marla-based mental map of pricing. International discussions about Pakistani property typically benefit from sqft or m² conversion since Marla isn't internationally understood. Government documentation in some contexts uses sqft as the recorded measurement; cross-checking against the Marla figure ensures consistency. For pure Pakistani residential transactions where both parties think in Marla, conversion isn't usually needed — Marla is the working unit.
Square Feet to Marla — practical questions
Why is 1 Marla equal to 272.25 square feet — what's the historical origin?
The 272.25 sqft Marla derives from the British-era surveying system used in pre-partition Punjab. The standard plot survey used a 'sarsahi' as the basic land unit — 9 sarsahis form one Marla, and each sarsahi equals 30.25 square feet (specifically a square 5.5 feet on each side). Nine sarsahis × 30.25 = 272.25 sqft. The 5.5-foot side length comes from the surveying chain used at the time (1/4 of a 22-yard chain, which itself derives from agricultural land measurement traditions). The standard was carried forward into post-independence Pakistani land records and remains the legal measurement in Punjab for both DHA developments and most established residential areas. Older areas of some cities still use a 225 sqft Marla based on an alternative regional standard, but 272.25 is the dominant convention.
Are there regional variations in Marla size, and how do I know which applies to my area?
Yes — Marla size varies regionally in Pakistan. The 272.25 sqft Marla is standard in Punjab for DHA, Bahria, modern housing schemes, and most government-developed residential areas including LDA-developed sectors. The 225 sqft Marla appears in some older sectors of Punjab cities and in certain Sindh areas. A 250 sqft variant appears in specific Sindh and KPK localities. The applicable standard depends on the specific development, the era when the land was surveyed, and the local revenue records. For verification: check the property's official documents from the registrar — Marla measurements there indicate which standard applies. For modern DHA, Bahria, and major housing developments, assume 272.25 sqft unless documentation states otherwise. For older neighbourhoods, ask local property dealers or the district revenue office which standard applies to that area.
Why does Pakistani real estate still use Marla rather than square feet or metres?
Marla persists in Pakistani real estate because of two practical reasons. First, plot sizes in Pakistani residential planning standardise around Marla quantities — 3 Marla, 5 Marla, 7 Marla, 10 Marla, 14 Marla, 20 Marla — which align with development authority layouts. The Marla number maps to specific official plot sizes that buyers and sellers all recognise. Second, traditional usage from generations of property transactions means market participants think and price in Marla terms. A '10 Marla house' carries specific connotations about size, neighbourhood, and rough pricing tier — the equivalent '2,722 sqft' doesn't communicate the same context. Construction professionals do work in square feet for buildup and pricing; the dual system (plot in Marla, construction in sqft) is well-understood in Pakistani real estate. The calculator's purpose is bridging these when needed.
How does Marla measurement apply to commercial property versus residential?
Residential property in Pakistan is almost universally measured and marketed in Marla — plots, houses, and apartments all reference Marla sizes. Commercial property is more mixed: smaller commercial plots (shops, small offices) may use Marla; larger commercial developments often switch to square feet for the entire structure and per-floor measurements. For office spaces and retail units within larger commercial buildings, square feet is the standard unit — '1,200 sqft office space' is the typical listing format. Industrial property uses kanal and acre for larger plots, with square feet for building floor space. The calculator covers the sqft-to-Marla conversion most relevant to residential property; for commercial property already quoted in sqft, conversion may not be needed at all unless comparing across mixed-format listings.
What does 1 Marla convert to in square metres for international comparison?
1 Marla at the 272.25 sqft standard equals approximately 25.293 square metres. The conversion uses 1 square foot = 0.0929 square metres, so 272.25 × 0.0929 = 25.29 m². For typical Pakistani plot sizes: 3 Marla = 75.88 m²; 5 Marla = 126.46 m²; 10 Marla = 252.92 m²; 1 Kanal (20 Marla) = 505.85 m². When discussing Pakistani property with international friends or comparing against international real estate, square metres is the conversion most commonly requested — most countries outside South Asia use metric square measurements rather than square feet. For the 225 sqft Marla variant, the conversion is 20.90 m² per Marla — slightly smaller. Always specify which Marla standard you're converting from to avoid ambiguity in international communications.