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Complete Grey Structure Material List for a 5 Marla House

Author : waheed abdullah | Published On : 24 Jul 2026

Grey structure the foundation, walls, roof slabs, and columns of a house before any finishing work begins typically accounts for 55–60% of total construction cost in Pakistan. Getting the material quantities right at this stage isn't just about budgeting accurately; it's about avoiding the two most common and expensive mistakes seen on residential sites: under-ordering (which causes delays and price hikes on repeat orders) and over-ordering (which ties up cash in materials sitting unused on site).

The estimates below are based on a standard 5 Marla plot (25×45 ft, roughly 1,125 sq. ft. per floor) with a double-story structure, which is the most common configuration built in Pakistani housing societies and best construction company. Actual quantities will vary slightly depending on soil type, structural design, and number of floors, so these figures should be treated as a planning baseline rather than a final bill of quantities always confirm exact numbers against your approved structural drawing.

1. Cement

Cement is the single largest cost driver in grey structure and the material most sensitive to price fluctuation.

  • Foundation and DPC: ~150–180 bags
  • Structure (columns, beams, slabs) for a double-story 5 Marla house: ~600–700 bags
  • Brickwork (walls): ~250–300 bags
  • Plaster (if included in grey structure scope): ~150–200 bags
  • Estimated total: ~1,150–1,350 bags (50 kg each)

Practical note: Cement should be purchased in phases matched to the construction schedule rather than in one bulk order. Cement that sits in storage for extended periods, especially during humid weather, loses strength.

2. Steel (Reinforcement Bars)

Steel quantity is directly determined by the structural engineer's design and should never be estimated by rule of thumb alone. As a general planning range for a double-story 5 Marla house:

  • Foundation: ~400–500 kg
  • Columns and beams: ~1,800–2,200 kg
  • Roof slab (per floor): ~1,200–1,500 kg
  • Estimated total (double-story): ~3.5–4.5 tons

Practical note: Steel grade matters as much as quantity. Grade 60 deformed bars from a reputable mill (with proper mill test certificates) should be specified in the contract — this is one of the most common places contractors substitute lower-grade material to cut costs invisibly.

3. Bricks

  • Standard requirement for a double-story 5 Marla house: ~35,000–40,000 bricks
  • This covers external walls (typically 9-inch), internal walls (4.5-inch), and boundary wall if included in scope.

Practical note: First-class bricks (well-fired, uniform shape, ringing sound when struck) should be specified explicitly, since brick quality varies significantly between kilns and directly affects wall strength and plaster adhesion.

4. Sand (Ret)

  • Coarse sand (for concrete): ~1,400–1,600 cubic feet
  • Fine sand (for plaster and brickwork mortar): ~1,000–1,200 cubic feet

5. Crush (Aggregate)

  • For foundation, columns, beams, and slab concrete: ~1,800–2,000 cubic feet

6. Bajri / Gravel (if used regionally in place of crush)

Some areas substitute crush with bajri for certain concrete work quantities are broadly comparable to crush requirements above, but confirm with your structural engineer since compressive strength characteristics differ slightly.

7. Blocks (if used instead of solid brick walls)

Many 5 Marla houses now use lightweight concrete blocks for internal or even external walls to reduce dead load and cost:

  • Estimated requirement (if used for full structure): ~4,500–5,500 blocks (varies by block size, typically 8×8×16 inches)

8. Waterproofing Materials

  • Damp-proof course (DPC) chemical or polythene sheeting for the foundation
  • Waterproofing compound mixed into roof slab concrete (typically 1–2% of cement weight, added per manufacturer specification)

9. Shuttering Material (Formwork)

  • Timber (deodar/kail) or steel shuttering plates for columns, beams, and slab
  • Quantity depends on whether shuttering is purchased or rented most contractors rent shuttering material rather than purchasing it outright, which is usually the more cost-effective route for a single-house project.

10. Miscellaneous Structural Items

  • Binding wire for steel fixing: ~40–60 kg
  • PVC pipes for plumbing sleeves through slabs and beams (sizes per plumbing layout)
  • Electrical conduit pipes embedded during structure stage (per electrical layout)

Common Estimation Mistakes to Avoid

Relying on a "per marla" rule of thumb instead of the actual structural drawing. Rule-of-thumb figures (like a fixed number of cement bags "per marla") are useful for very rough early budgeting only. They don't account for your specific soil condition, number of floors, or structural design, and can be off by 10–20% in either direction.

Ordering all material at once. Cement and steel prices fluctuate; timber shuttering and steel bar stock also degrade if left exposed to weather for long periods. Phased ordering matched to the construction timeline avoids both price risk and material wastage.

Not verifying quality on delivery. Cement bags should be checked for manufacturing date (cement older than 2–3 months loses strength). Steel should be checked against mill certificates. Bricks should be spot-checked for uniformity and firing quality. These checks cost nothing and prevent expensive rework later.

Final Word

A grey structure material list is only as reliable as the structural drawing behind it. The figures above are a solid planning baseline for a standard double-story 5 Marla house, but the final bill of quantities should always come from your structural engineer's calculations, not a generic table every plot's soil condition and design load differs enough to matter.