House construction checklist for Pakistan: grey structure to finishing

Before construction starts

A house construction checklist is most useful before the first trench is dug. Whether the plot is in DHA, Bahria or under LDA, the house map has to be approved first, and approval generally needs a professional architect (Zameen.com forum).

• Plot possession and demarcation, with the layout checked against the plot boundaries.
• Soil test where ground conditions vary, then structural drawings to match.
• House map approved by the relevant authority.
• Utility connection applications started early; they take time.
• A budget per phase and a rough timeline the family or client has seen (budget vs actual by phase).
• Who approves material demands and payments, written down.
• A lockable site store and who keeps it.

Building work in Pakistan is guided by the Building Code of Pakistan, developed through the Pakistan Engineering Council and based on the International Building Code (International Code Council). Your engineer applies it in the structural design.

House construction steps in Pakistan, phase by phase

Grey structure checklist

The grey structure covers the foundation, columns, beams, walls and roof slab, with the rough electrical conduits and plumbing sleeves, but not plaster, tiles or fittings (Avenir Developments).

• Excavation depth and width checked against the drawings before any concrete.
• Anti-termite treatment and damp-proof course done and photographed.
• Steel checked for size, spacing and cover before every pour.
• Shuttering checked for level and support before the steel goes in.
• Electrical conduits, plumbing sleeves and boxes placed before slabs and before plaster.
• Each pour recorded with its date, mix and cement used, in the daily site report.
• Steel, cement and bricks counted against store issues every week (how to count site stock).

How many days to cure concrete

Keep concrete continuously moist after every pour. ACI 308 guidance, summarised by the Portland Cement Association, gives a minimum of 7 days for ordinary (Type I) cement in normal temperatures, or until the concrete reaches about 70% of its specified strength (Portland Cement Association). Slabs in hot, dry weather benefit from longer. Follow your engineer's specification where it asks for more.

How long a house takes, and how much material

Builders' estimates for Lahore put grey structure for a 5 to 10 marla house at about 3 to 5 months and a 10 to 20 marla house at 4 to 7 months, with the full build of a 1 kanal house at roughly 11 to 14 months (Avenir Developments). Weather, labour, material supply and approvals all move these numbers, so plan a buffer and read how to avoid construction delays.

Published estimates of cement for a 10 marla grey structure range widely, from about 800 to over 1,300 bags, because covered area, number of storeys and specification differ (Zameen.com). Ask your engineer for a bill of quantities for your own plan, then track deliveries against it with the material tracking checkpoints. For a first budget in rupees per square foot, try the house construction cost calculator for Pakistan: it prices grey structure or complete construction with Lahore defaults you can change.

Finishing and handover checklist

• Plumbing pressure-tested before tiles and plaster close the pipes.
• Wiring tested before fixtures go up.
• Samples of tiles, paint and fittings approved by the client in writing.
• Finishing material ordered against measured quantities, with a small allowance for breakage.

1. 1Walk the house with the client and write a snag list.
2. 2Close every snag and photograph it.
3. 3Settle the client's account and the last supplier and labour payments.
4. 4Move leftover material to the store or the next site with a record.