A marla is 225 square feet in most housing societies and development authorities in Pakistan today. In older land revenue records it is 272.25 square feet. Both are called “marla”, which is why the same 5 marla plot can mean 1,125 or 1,361 square feet depending on who you ask.
Before you buy, sell or build, find out which marla your document uses. The difference is 21%, which is a lot of land.
Why there are two marlas
The older marla comes from the revenue system used for agricultural land in Punjab. It is 272.25 square feet, which is a square of 16.5 × 16.5 feet. Twenty of them make a revenue kanal of 5,445 square feet, and 8 revenue kanal make exactly one acre (43,560 square feet). That neat fit with the acre is why it survives in the fard, jamabandi and other revenue papers.
Urban housing schemes adopted a rounder figure: 225 square feet per marla, so a kanal is 20 × 225 = 4,500 square feet. Most housing societies and development authorities, including the big city authorities and DHA, sell plots on this basis.
- Housing societies and development authorities: 1 marla = 225 sq ft, 1 kanal = 4,500 sq ft.
- Revenue records (patwari, fard, agricultural land): 1 marla = 272.25 sq ft, 1 kanal = 5,445 sq ft.
If you’re not sure, ask for the plot dimensions in feet. Feet don’t change.
Marla to square feet table
| Marla | Sq ft (225) | Sq ft (272.25) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 225 | 272.25 | 47.25 |
| 2 | 450 | 544.5 | 94.5 |
| 3 | 675 | 816.75 | 141.75 |
| 4 | 900 | 1,089 | 189 |
| 5 | 1,125 | 1,361.25 | 236.25 |
| 6 | 1,350 | 1,633.5 | 283.5 |
| 7 | 1,575 | 1,905.75 | 330.75 |
| 8 | 1,800 | 2,178 | 378 |
| 9 | 2,025 | 2,450.25 | 425.25 |
| 10 | 2,250 | 2,722.5 | 472.5 |
| 11 | 2,475 | 2,994.75 | 519.75 |
| 12 | 2,700 | 3,267 | 567 |
| 13 | 2,925 | 3,539.25 | 614.25 |
| 14 | 3,150 | 3,811.5 | 661.5 |
| 15 | 3,375 | 4,083.75 | 708.75 |
| 16 | 3,600 | 4,356 | 756 |
| 17 | 3,825 | 4,628.25 | 803.25 |
| 18 | 4,050 | 4,900.5 | 850.5 |
| 19 | 4,275 | 5,172.75 | 897.75 |
| 20 | 4,500 | 5,445 | 945 |
For other values, use the marla to square feet converter (225 sq ft) or the revenue marla to square feet converter (272.25 sq ft).
Common plot sizes in feet
Plot dimensions are set by each society, so they vary, but these frontage × depth sizes are very common with the 225 square foot marla:
| Plot | Typical size | Area (sq ft) | Marla (225) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 marla | 25 × 27 ft | 675 | 3 |
| 5 marla | 25 × 45 ft | 1,125 | 5 |
| 7 marla | 35 × 45 ft | 1,575 | 7 |
| 8 marla | 30 × 60 ft | 1,800 | 8 |
| 10 marla | 30 × 75 ft | 2,250 | 10 |
| 1 kanal | 50 × 90 ft | 4,500 | 20 |
| 2 kanal | 75 × 120 ft | 9,000 | 40 |
So a 5 marla house is usually about 25 × 45 feet, and a 10 marla plot often 30 × 75 or 35 × 65 feet. Some societies sell “5 marla” plots that measure slightly more or less, so the allotment letter and site plan matter more than the label.
How to convert
- Marla to square feet: multiply by 225 (or 272.25 for revenue land). 12 marla × 225 = 2,700 sq ft.
- Square feet to marla: divide by 225 (or 272.25). A 30 × 50 ft plot is 1,500 sq ft, which is 6.67 marla, or 5.51 revenue marla.
- Marla to kanal: divide by 20 in both systems. 10 marla is half a kanal either way, but half a “society” kanal is 2,250 sq ft while half a revenue kanal is 2,722.5 sq ft.
The kanal to marla converter is handy for bigger plots, and our guide to kanal, acre and murabba covers farmland units. All units are on the unit converter page.
Marla in square yards and square meters
A 225 square foot marla is exactly 25 square yards (gaz) and about 20.9 square meters. A revenue marla of 272.25 square feet is 30.25 square yards and about 25.29 square meters. This helps when comparing a Lahore or Islamabad listing in marla with a Karachi listing in square yards, or when an overseas buyer thinks in square meters.
So a 10 marla society plot is 250 square yards, close to the popular 240-yard size in Karachi, and a kanal is 500 square yards.
A worked example
Say you inherit 2 kanal 6 marla of land mentioned in a fard. That’s 46 revenue marla, or 46 × 272.25 = 12,523.5 square feet. If a buyer measures it with the 225 square foot marla, the same land comes to 55.7 marla, which sounds like more but is exactly the same ground. Agree on square feet, and confusion disappears.
Frequently asked questions
Is 1 marla 225 or 272 square feet?
Both are used. Housing societies and development authorities mostly use 225 sq ft; revenue records for agricultural land use 272.25 sq ft. Check which one your document follows.
How many square feet is a 5 marla house?
With the 225 sq ft marla, 5 marla is 1,125 sq ft, often 25 × 45 ft. With the revenue marla it is 1,361.25 sq ft.
How many square feet is 10 marla?
10 marla is 2,250 sq ft (225 basis) or 2,722.5 sq ft (revenue basis).
How many marla are in 1 kanal?
There are 20 marla in a kanal in both systems, so a kanal is 4,500 sq ft or 5,445 sq ft. See the kanal to marla converter.