Guides / Buying

Building a house in Pakistan from abroad

Buying7 min readLast checked 22 October 2026

Start with the land and the plan

Before you spend on building, be sure the plot is truly yours and the papers match (see our guide on checking before you buy). Then get the building plan approved.

• Approval rules differ by city and authority. In Islamabad, the CDA has building control directorates for different areas, and an enforcement directorate that acts against construction built "without proper permits or in violation of zoning and building regulations" (checked 22 October 2026). Its regulations page lists building control and zoning regulations you can read.
• In Lahore, the LDA website lists building plan approval and application requirements among its services, and a Building and Zoning Regulations 2019 document (checked 22 October 2026).
• In other cities, and inside private societies, ask the local authority and the society what approval you need, and ask for the answer on paper, with the date.

Do not accept "the map will be passed later". Do not start digging until the approved plan is in your hands, and keep a copy of it.

Choose the people

1. Architect or engineer. Ask for past work you can see, and a plan that follows the local rules. Pay them for their own design and supervision, not as a favour.
2. Contractor. Visit houses they have built, speak to the owners, and ask how they handled changes and delays.
3. A person on the spot. Someone must see the work regularly. A relative may be willing, but they may also be busy or too polite to complain. An independent visit with dated photos gives you a record that does not depend on anyone’s mood.

Labour-only or with materials

• Labour only. The contractor charges for work, and you buy the materials. You control quality and price of materials, but you must buy, store and guard them, and a delay in delivery can stop the job.
• With materials. The contractor supplies both for an agreed price. It is simpler from abroad, but it is also easier for quality to slip. The contract must name the materials, such as the cement, steel and brick, as exactly as it can.

Neither is always better. If you are abroad and have no one to buy materials, "with materials" plus careful checking may suit you. If you do, make the specification part of the contract.

The written contract

Ask a lawyer to read it. It should cover:

• Names, CNICs, the address and the plot.
• The scope: what is included and what is not.
• The drawings and specification, signed as part of the contract.
• The price, and how it changes if you change the work. Changes should be in writing and priced before they are done.
• The stages and what you pay at each, with proof needed before each payment.
• The start date, the finish date, and what happens if it is late.
• Who is responsible for fixing faults after handover, and for how long.
• Who pays for water, electricity and security on site.

Paying by stage

1. Pay a small first amount to start, not a large one.
2. Pay each stage only after you have seen photos or a visit showing that the stage is done.
3. Do not pay ahead of the work because "the price of steel is going up".
4. Pay by bank transfer where you can, to the named contractor, and keep the record.
5. Keep a simple sheet: date, amount, what it was for, receipt number.
6. Hold back the last part until the final check and handover.

What to photograph at each stage

Ask for dated, place-stamped photos with something for scale, such as a tape measure.

• Foundation: the dug trenches, the steel before concrete, the depth, and the spacing of bars.
• Plinth: the level, the damp-proofing layer, the walls up to plinth height.
• Columns: the steel cages before concrete, the size, and the ties.
• Slab: the shuttering and steel before the pour, and the curing afterward.
• Brickwork: the type of brick, the joints, the openings for doors and windows.
• Services: pipes and electrical conduits before they are covered.
• Plaster: the finish, cracks, and the corners.
• Finishing: floors, doors, paint, fittings, taps and switches, working.

Take the photos before each stage is covered. After the concrete is poured or the plaster goes on, you cannot see what was there.

Common overrun traps

• A "labour only" price, then a material bill later.
• "Extra" charges for things you thought were included.
• Payment asked in advance for materials that are never delivered.
• Cheaper materials than you were told.
• Work stopped until a new payment is made, at the stage where you are most stuck.
• No one checks the work until the end, and then the faults are inside the walls.

Finishing and completion

Walk through with your architect or engineer and a checklist: doors, windows, taps, drains, electrics, paint, leaks. Make a list of faults and a date to fix them. Keep back the last payment until they are done. Ask for the approved plan, any completion paper your local authority requires, utility connection papers, and the contractor’s contact for later faults. Rules differ by city, so ask your authority what completion paper you need.

Common mistakes

• Starting before the plan is approved.
• A spoken agreement with no written stages.
• Paying a large advance.
• Trusting photos with no date or place.
• Not keeping receipts.
• Changing the design halfway without a written price.
• Not checking the work until it is finished.

Urdu glossary

Last checked: 22 October 2026. Rules change; confirm with the office or a lawyer before acting.