Marla, Kanal & Acre Explained (Pakistan)
· 6 min read
Why a Marla can be 272.25, 250 or 225 square feet, how Kanal and acres relate, and how to avoid costly mix-ups when buying property.
The short version
- 1 Kanal = 20 Marla — always.
- 1 Acre = 8 Kanal = 160 Marla — under the revenue standard.
- 1 Marla = 272.25 sq ft in revenue records, but 225 sq ft in many housing societies.
Where 272.25 square feet comes from
The traditional revenue system measures land with the karam, a length of 5.5 feet. A square Marla is 3 karam by 3 karam — 16.5 ft × 16.5 ft — which is 272.25 sq ft, or 30.25 square yards.
Twenty of those make a Kanal (5,445 sq ft) and eight Kanal make an acre (43,560 sq ft). The units fit together exactly, which is why land records and farmland still use them.
Why many societies use 225 square feet
Planned housing societies and some development authorities define a Marla as 225 sq ft. A '5 Marla' plot in such a society is typically 25 × 45 ft (1,125 sq ft) rather than 1,361 sq ft, and a '1 Kanal' plot is 4,500 sq ft rather than 5,445.
Neither is wrong — they are different conventions. The risk is comparing prices or sizes across them without noticing. A plot sold as 10 Marla can differ by almost 500 sq ft depending on the standard.
How to protect yourself
- Ask for the plot dimensions in feet, not just the number of Marla.
- Check which standard the allotment letter, site plan or fard uses.
- Compare prices per square foot, not per Marla, when standards may differ.
- Use a calculator that lets you choose the standard — like the ones on PakCalc.