Plaza is one of the most common types of the marketplace in Pakistan. It is a public square surrounded with other buildings or streets. Plazas are purposely built to provide an open space for different markets, suitable for high foot traffic. Plazas are considered as an amenity of developing parts of the city, primarily downtown. If we trace back the history of plazas, they have always been deemed central to the development of urban centers. Public plazas accommodate several business and trading activities.

The design and structure of the plaza can also vary from one location to another. It can either be a hierarchy of small spaces or a grand open space network. Before planning to construct the plaza, it is always important to keep in view its location, area objectives, street scale, surrounding buildings, pedestrian influx and circulation patterns. 

Following are some of the most significant plaza design elements that you should consider before constructing a plaza. 

Street to plaza visibility 

The street to plaza visibility should be fairly high. It symbolizes the plaza as an open public space, allows better recognition and is also safer. The key to achieve this visibility is to locate the plaza nearer to the street level, ideally 1.0 m  above or below the street level. 

Dynamic pedestrian network 

The design and architecture of the plaza should always be dynamic for pedestrian networks. It should be linked with surrounding open spaces and lobbies which include bridges and passages. 

Safety 

Before constructing a plaza, always keep safety features such as visual surveillance in mind. The structure should be such that it allows visual surveillance both within the plaza space and along its edges. The structure of the plaza should be favorable for casual monitoring which includes components such as adjacent sidewalks, decks, and windows. 

After considering all these components of design, the next essential point to consider is the construction of the plaza. Zarea.pk has previously given a detailed account of house construction of various sizes including 5 marla house construction cost and 1 kanal house construction cost, mapping out the required construction materials and estimated costs of construction.

In this series, we are here to provide you with some more insightful information about plaza construction and without further ado, let’s dive deep into the subject matter. What is the construction cost of a 5 Marla commercial plaza? 

Below is an exhaustive list of various components of 5 marla plaza construction:

Contract Type

There are two basic types of contracts usually signed for the construction of plazas. Understanding the difference between the two is necessary. 

1. Labor contract:

In labor contracts, the responsibility of construction solely lies in the hands of owners as they only pay for the required labor for the construction. The owner has to take care of the procurement of construction materials as well. Usually, the owners buy materials from a contractor which provides all the required material on an agreed timeline. The payment is made usually on a weekly basis. 

The biggest advantage of choosing a labor contract is that the owner is involved in each cycle of the project management. The disadvantage of a labor contract is that the contractor has no liability of any damages and defects and the wastage level of construction materials is also fairly high. 

But if you are planning to go with this type of contract, then you have to worry no more about the materials procurement as Zarea.pk has made it easier to buy construction materials online in bulk quantities and get them delivered to your door-step. 

2. Turnkey contract:

Turnkey contracts are also known as lump-sum contracts. The owner hires a professional such as an architect/company or a contractor by paying them a lump sum amount.  The entire responsibility of construction, design, liasioning, and procurement is transferred to the contractor/company. The owner provides a detailed account of the construction requirements to the contractor. The contractor then quotes a price of construction which can either be fixed on estimated on the basis of per sq.ft. one of the reasons why owners choose turnkey contracts is that it reduces the level of efforts of the owner significantly. 

The contractor is held responsible for the completion of the project on a stipulated timeline.  Once the project is completed, the contractor hands it over to the owner. However, there are a few disadvantages as well that you should bear in mind. Turnkey contracts can be very expensive and as far as the scope of specifications is concerned, quantifying changes are usually next to impossible. The reason being the prices of individual items are hard to navigate if not planned out or discussed beforehand. 

Covered area of a 5 Marla Plaza: 

First things first, before estimating the total budget it is important to know precisely about the total area of the building upon which the construction will take place. The total area which constitutes a 5 Marla commercial plaza is 4900 sq. ft. This covered area encompasses the following: 

• Basement 1200 sq. ft
• Ground floor 1200 sq. ft
• first floor 1200 sq. ft
• Second floor  1200 sq. ft
• Mumtee 100 sq.ft

Grey structure construction 

Following is the detailed account of grey structure construction of a 5 Marla plaza construction: 

Which Construction Material Used in Plaza :

The construction method of a plaza is a frame structure construction method. In this method, a frame is developed by combining beam, slab, and column. This frame structure is suitable for heavy movement during construction. To develop this frame structure shuttering is done which is highly crucial in the entire construction process of the plaza. Steel plates made up of palai sheets usually 4ftx8ft in size are used. 

Construction Materials:

Bricks 

For the construction of a  5 Marla plaza, 53260 bricks are required in total. It is recommended to use Awwal category bricks. The cost of the Awwal category (Class-A) is 11.30 per brick. The total cost of the brick for a 5 Marla plaza will be PKR 601,838. 

Cement 

Around 1715  bags of cement will be used in the construction of a 5 Marla plaza. There are various cement companies that offer high quality such as Flying cement, Maple leaf cement, Bestway Cement, Lucky cement, etc. The cost of one cement bag is around PKR 570 on average. As per this estimate, the total cement cost will be around PKR 977,550. 

Crush and Gravel 

Crush is used for the formation of the base structure of the floors. There are two most common types of crushes. One is Margalla’s crush and the other one is Sargodha’s crush. The approximate quantity of the crush required is around 8024 c.ft. The total cost of the crush will be PKR 641,920. 

Gravel will be required for the flooring. It will cost around PKR 20 per sq.ft. The total cost of gravel will be PKR 98,000. 

Rebar 

Rebar (steel) is also a necessary component for the construction of the building. Usually, 60-grade Sarya is recommended. For the construction of a 5 Marla plaza around 27.37 tons of Sarya is required which is equal to 27370 kgs. At the rate of PKR 130 per ton sarya, the total cost will be around PKR 3,558,100. 

Sand 

Sand is a crucial component for construction. It is usually extracted from riverbeds or coastal areas. Ravi and Chenab are most commonly used in construction.  In the case of construction of a 5 Marla plaza, the required san will be around 8166 c.ft. As per this estimate, the total cost of sand will be PKR 244,980.  

Mud

When it comes to construction the malleable mud is used as a semi-fluid for coating, sealing and adhering purposes. The mud used in construction is often known as mortar given its type of mixture. The rate of mud will be PKR 4 per sq.ft. The total cost of mud will be PKR 19,600. 

Bitumen  

Bitumen is used as a binding material. It has various roofing applications. Used for different insulating purposes, it is applied to pipe coatings and joint sealants as well. The rate of bitumen is PKR 5 per sq.ft. The total cost of bitumen will be around PKR 24,500. 

Labor Cost 

The labor cost usually depends on the contract. If you get laborers through a contractor then probably they will stick to the project from beginning to the end and you wouldn’t have to change laborers often. Direct dealing with the contractor is mostly favorable for the parties involved. One thing which is important to note is that labor cost depends upon the time required for the construction. The estimated cost of labor will vary from city to city but on average laborers charge up to PKR 450 per sq. ft. For 5 Marla Plaza, the general labor cost as per this estimation will be around PKR 220,500. ( This cost is exclusive of other costs such as steel fixer and electrical contractor etc.). For better clarity, the division of labor tasks that will make up the total labor cost includes the following:

• Masons 
• Helpers 
• Mixing machines 
• Vibrators 
• Scaffolding 
• Shuttering 

Steel Fixer 

Steel fixing is one of the most crucial aspects of plaza construction. When it comes to constructing a plaza, you will require to hire a professional steel fixer. The job of the steel fixer is to assemble steel bars in the building. They are also responsible for developing the reinforcements for concrete structures which include concrete slabs etc. A steel fixer usually charges PKR 36 per sq.ft. As per this estimate, the total cost for hiring the steel fixer will be PKR 176,400. 

Plumbing 

No construction is complete without the development of a water supply, proper drainage, and sewerage system, and gas supply system.  All of these important developments require plumbing work which will cost around PKR 88,200 in labor. 

Electric Work 

Just like any other building, commercial wiring and power supply is significant for a plaza. The safe and effective disbursement of power relies on well-built electric systems that will meet the power demands of the plaza. For this purpose, you will need to hire a professional electrician. The electrician will charge you around PKR 18 per sq.ft. As per this estimation, it will cost you around PKR 88,200.

Apart from paying the professional electrician, you will also have to buy important electricity components as following:

• UPVC Conduit pipes
• Switchboards 
• Internal boxes 
•  Main distribution boxes 

UPVC pipes will be used underground and in walls, slabs, etc. According to estimates, the total cost of electric accessories such as these will be at the rate of PKR 35 per sq. ft. The total cost will be PKR 171,500. 

Excavation 

Excavation is a crucial process undertaken during construction. This involves the removal of rocks and earth to form a cavity on the ground. It also includes wall shafts and trenching. Excavation is the preliminary part of the construction and usually, this is done first. It costs around PKR 10 per sqft. Since the total covered area of a 5 Marla plaza is 49000 sq ft. The total excavation cost will be around PKR 49,000.  

Water Proofing

Waterproofing is an essential component of construction. When it comes to plaza construction, membranes and coatings are used to make the building structure waterproof. The process of waterproofing protects the structural integrity of the building. Waterproofing involves the chemical coating of ultra silica. PVC membrane sheets are often used for waterproofing of basement and retaining walls. However, PVC membrane can also be used for waterproofing of the entire building but it can be a bit expensive. The cost of waterproofing is PKR 10 per sq.ft. The total cost of waterproofing 5 marla plaza will be PKR 49,000.

Similarly, a water stopper is also used in construction with the sole purpose of providing a barrier to water passage in the concrete structures. The cost of a water stopper is PKR 5 per sq.ft. The total cost of the water stopper will be PKR 24,500. 

Additionally, brick tile will be required for waterproofing during the finishing of walls and roofs. It will cost around PKR 10 per sq. ft. the total cost of brick tile for a 5 marla plaza will be PKR 73,500. 

Miscellaneous costs of construction of 5 Marla commercial plaza

There are several additional costs as well that are needed to be taken care of. These costs include taxes, chips aggregate, electricity bills, waterboarding, and polythene sheets. Polythene sheet is used as a window film and vapor retarder in construction. It is also used to cover building materials. The total cost of all of these additional components will be around PKR  274, 400. 

Apart from this pre-construction termite control treatment is also important to prevent any future hazards of termite infestation which will cost around PKR 34,300.

The miscellaneous cost will be around PKR 308,700 . 

The total cost of construction of 5 Marla commercial plaza will be approximately PKR 7,415,988. 

To learn more about construction costs estimation, construction material prices, and stay up-to-date about the construction industry, visit Zarea.pk blog is the best construction blog in Pakistan. 

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