A construction cost per square foot is useful only when the covered area and included work are clear. The Whatson House Construction Cost Calculator builds a budget from floor areas and the grey structure and finishing quotes that you enter.
It does not supply current Pakistan market rates. The example below uses hypothetical quotes to demonstrate the arithmetic, not a recommendation or a dated price list.
Agree the covered area basis
Enter each floor separately. Use the area unit selector for the schedule, and check that the contractor’s quoted area basis matches it.
Plot size is not automatically covered floor area. Setbacks, open spaces, terraces and other items may be treated differently in an actual quotation. Keep the agreed scope in writing rather than applying a rate blindly to the plot’s marla figure.
Grey and finishing rates remain PKR per sq ft even when a floor’s area is entered in another unit. If you select marla or kanal, also select the correct marla square foot definition.
A two floor budget with stated assumptions
Select sq ft and enter these hypothetical quotes:
| Floor | Covered area | Grey rate | Finishing rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground | 1,000 sq ft | PKR 3,500/sq ft | PKR 2,500/sq ft |
| Upper | 800 sq ft | PKR 3,600/sq ft | PKR 2,600/sq ft |
The grey subtotal is PKR 6,380,000 and finishing is PKR 4,580,000. Add PKR 200,000 in fixed costs and a 10% contingency. The checked total is PKR 12,276,000 for 1,800 sq ft of entered covered area.
Contingency is calculated on grey, finishing and fixed costs combined. The tool does not compound it by floor.
What zero rates mean
The default floor rates are zero. A resulting zero or low total is an incomplete budget, not a claim that construction is free or unusually cheap. The calculator notes missing grey or finishing quotes.
If an inclusive quote already contains both stages, split its scope deliberately or use a different budget approach. Entering an inclusive rate as grey and another full finishing rate can duplicate work.
Turn the estimate into a useful comparison
Ask what each quote includes: material specifications, labour, services, approvals, transport and exclusions. The calculator cannot settle those scope differences or predict price changes during the work.
Fixed costs are entered once for the project. Do not add the same item again inside a floor rate. For separately priced quantities, the Construction Budget Planner provides a bill of quantities instead of this area rate model.