Renovation Cost Guide for Karachi

Almost nobody in Karachi publishes renovation prices. The market norm is 'visit ke baad batayenge' — we will tell you after the visit — which makes comparing quotes nearly impossible and budgeting a guessing game. This guide publishes the planning ranges we work from, drawn from Pakistani contractor rate cards and cost guides published in 2026 (including ACCO's renovation rate card, Elite Construction's Karachi bathroom prices, ApnaDHA's Karachi kitchen guide, Bluebird Paints' Karachi labour rates and Avenir Developments' cost models).

Read these as planning ranges, not quotations. Two flats of the same size can price very differently once a survey finds the state of the plumbing and wiring. Your binding number is always the itemised BOQ — but these ranges will tell you whether a quote you receive is in the honest band or somewhere else entirely.

Full home renovation rates per square foot

A complete finishing renovation — paint, tiles, ceilings, kitchen and bathroom upgrades — prices at roughly Rs 2,500–4,500 per sq ft at standard specification. Luxury interiors with imported finishes, wardrobes and décor run Rs 5,000–8,000 per sq ft. Grey-structure repair on its own (masonry, plaster, roof repair, demolition) is Rs 800–1,200 per sq ft, and a front elevation redesign Rs 700–1,500 per sq ft. In house sizes: a basic 5 Marla renovation runs Rs 15–25 lakh, 10 Marla Rs 25–45 lakh, 1 Kanal Rs 45–65 lakh, with luxury 1 Kanal projects reaching Rs 1.2–1.8 crore.

Cross-checks from finishing guides agree on the shape: economy finishing around Rs 1,800–2,500 per sq ft, standard Rs 2,800–3,800, premium Rs 4,500–7,000+. For comparison, building a complete new standard house in Karachi runs about Rs 4,300–5,500 per sq ft — renovation at standard specification costs roughly half to two-thirds of rebuilding, which is why owners of well-located old houses renovate rather than sell and move.

Bathroom and kitchen rates

Bathrooms, from a Karachi specialist's published prices: a basic 5×6 ft flat bathroom (tiles, WC, basin, minor plumbing) is Rs 1.3–1.8 lakh; a mid-range 7×7 ft bathroom Rs 2–3 lakh; a high-end 8×10 ft bathroom with imported tiles and concealed plumbing Rs 4–6 lakh. Kitchens, from Karachi guides: a focused standard renovation (cabinets plus counter) is Rs 5–10 lakh; a premium full kitchen with imported appliances and custom stone is Rs 20–50 lakh and beyond; light refreshes can start near Rs 3 lakh. Kitchen timelines run 3–6 weeks, up to two months with layout changes.

One number to carry into any bathroom negotiation: about 72% of a bathroom's cost is invisible work — plumbing, waterproofing, setting and labour. A quote far below these bands is almost always buying that invisibility. Insist the BOQ names the waterproofing system and pipe brand, and that the work is photographed before tiling.

Paint and flooring rates

Painting: Karachi painter labour is about Rs 15–25 per sq ft for two coats on prepared walls; all-in standard paint (material plus labour) is Rs 40–80 per sq ft and premium Rs 100–200. Whole-house interior repaints: roughly Rs 2.1–3.4 lakh for 5 Marla and Rs 3.5–5.6 lakh for 10 Marla. Texture finishes run Rs 60–120 per sq ft (Rockwall) up to Rs 350–700 (microcement).

Flooring, installed: local porcelain tile about Rs 410–650 per sq ft finished; local marble Rs 290–510, with Ziarat White at Rs 460–840; laminate flooring Rs 180–350 per sq ft plus installation of roughly Rs 70–150. Marble laying labour alone is Rs 100–160 per sq ft plus grinding and polishing at Rs 60–130 — which is why a 'cheap marble' quote usually means the polishing quietly disappeared.

How to use this guide (and how quotes try to beat it)

Budget with the middle of the range for your specification, then let the survey move you. If your house is in an older DHA phase or PECHS with original plumbing, expect the survey to push you up the range; a newer Bahria house needing mostly finishes will sit lower. Keep a contingency of about 10% for what walls hide — any contractor who tells you a 40-year-old house hides nothing has not opened many.

When comparing quotes, compare BOQ lines: are materials named by brand, is waterproofing a line, is prep a line, is removal of the old finish a line? The cheapest total is often just the quote with the most lines missing. Our own quotes are written to survive exactly this comparison — and our supervision fee, 10–15% of project value, is a declared line in the agreement, not a margin hidden inside material rates.