Ticket size, what you may build, time to first rent, real yields and the risks, side by side for Bahria Enclave and DHA Margalla Enclave buyers.
Short answer: A commercial plot lets you build a multi-level plaza and earn rent from shops and offices. A residential plot lets you build a house to live in or let. In Bahria Enclave the commercial route costs more upfront (Zameen page-one asks of PKR 1.80 to 11.50 Crore, median PKR 4.70 Crore, against Zameen's own index average of PKR 1.97 Crore for the area), takes 8 to 14 months to build, and shows gross rental yields of 3.8% to 5.6% in the five listings that state a rent. It suits investors with spare capital and a long horizon, not first-time buyers who need a home.
Direct line: Muhammad Hasnain, plot specialist for Bahria Enclave & DHA Margalla Enclave — WhatsApp 0300 0399322. Verified before you pay; drawbacks in writing.
"Commercial or residential?" is really three questions: how much money is tied up, what you can do with the land, and how soon and how reliably it pays. This page answers them for an Islamabad buyer looking at Bahria Enclave or DHA Margalla Enclave, using dated numbers and naming the gaps.
One caution first: on 25 September 2026 CDA wrote to Bahria Town alleging, among other things, that land reserved for a park under the approved layout had been converted to commercial use. That makes the plot-number check below more important for commercial land than for residential. Details on the CDA action page.
| Factor | Commercial plot | Residential plot |
|---|---|---|
| Ticket size | Zameen asks, Bahria Enclave, 2 October 2026 (n=27 on page one): PKR 1.80 to 11.50 Crore, median PKR 4.70 Crore | Zameen's own Jun/Jul 2026 index: Bahria Enclave average PKR 1.97 Crore |
| What you can build | Plaza: L.G+G+3 on 30x40 and 40x45 plots, 100% coverage (SOP page 79); fixed elevations | A house within residential bylaws; see our house construction cost page |
| Build cost (contractor bands) | PKR 5,500 / 8,000 / 11,000 per sq ft all-in on a large covered area; plaza construction cost | Smaller covered area; different rates |
| Time to income | Build 8 to 14 months; start within 3 years of first possession letter | Build, or hold the plot with no income |
| Income | 3.8% to 5.6% gross from 5 listed rents (n=5) | Rents on our house rents page; we do not quote a yield |
| Liquidity | 76 commercial plots, 20 plazas and 31 shops for sale on Zameen on 2 October 2026 | Not compared here |
| Transfer costs | Possession and transfer charges, plus approval fees if you build; transfer fee page | Same transfer charges; lower approval cost |
| Taxes | Finance Act 2026 filer rates: 2.75% seller (236C), 1.25% buyer (236K) | Same filer rates |
| Main risk | Footfall concentration; layout and conversion questions; large capital in one asset | Lower rent per rupee invested; slower resale in some sectors |
| Who it suits | Investors with long horizon and spare capital | End users and smaller budgets |
The residential price is an index average across all plot sizes, and the commercial figures are asking prices for specific plots, so they are not like-for-like. They show the order of magnitude, not a premium percentage.
Our page-one read of Zameen.com's Bahria Enclave commercial listings on 2 October 2026 found asking prices from PKR 1.80 Crore (a 5 Marla in Sector M) to PKR 11.50 Crore (a 16 Marla). By size, 4 Marla plots (all Sector A, n=3) asked PKR 5.0 to 6.0 Crore; 5 Marla (n=13) PKR 1.8 to 5.5 Crore with a median of PKR 3.8 Crore; 8 Marla (n=6) PKR 4.3 to 5.6 Crore. These are asking prices, not deals, from the first page only. The live bands are on the commercial plots hub and prices page.
For residential, we use only Zameen's own index figure: an average of PKR 1.97 Crore for Bahria Enclave in its Jun/Jul 2026 index. A like-for-like comparison needs same-size plots, which this page does not claim to have.
On the DHA side, Margalla Enclave commercial plots are sold by ballot. DHA's official plan (prices exclusive of DHA charges and government taxes) shows lump-sum prices of PKR 8.15 Crore for 100 sq yd, PKR 12.0 Crore for 133.25 sq yd, PKR 14.58 Crore for 200 sq yd and PKR 34.3 Crore for 500 sq yd. See Margalla Enclave commercial plots.
The Bahria Town SOP (2023-24 edition) classifies 30x40 and 40x45 commercial plots in Bahria Enclave as Neighborhood Commercial, L.G+G+3, 100% coverage: five levels on the whole plot. Elevations are fixed, though floor plans are your choice. Our building rules page has the full list. A residential plot gives you a house, with a set-back and a covered area limited by residential rules.
The practical difference: commercial land converts plot area into several floors of lettable space. That is what you are paying extra for.
A commercial plot earns nothing until built, and building a plaza takes 8 to 14 months (design 1 to 3, grey structure 4 to 6, finishing 3 to 5, per acco.com.pk, 3 March 2026). Add the SOP clock: construction must start within three years of the first possession letter, and be completed within 18 months for plots up to one kanal. After that you still need tenants. Costs are on our plaza construction cost page.
Five Zameen listings state both a price and a current rent. Their gross yields (annual rent divided by asking price) ran from 3.79% to 5.60%. One example is a Sector A 4 Marla plaza at PKR 9.5 Crore with PKR 425,000 monthly rent, 5.37%. Five is a small sample, and asking prices are not deals. Blogs claiming 6% to 9% cited no lease data. Workings are on the rental yield page.
For houses, we do not state a yield, because we would need price and rent pairs for the same property. The rents themselves are on the house rents page. The SBP policy rate stood at 11.5% after its 14 September 2026 decision, a useful yardstick for either route.
On 2 October 2026 Zameen showed 76 commercial plots, 20 buildings and 31 shops for sale in Bahria Enclave. We do not state residential counts. What the numbers say is that commercial supply exists, but a large ticket narrows the pool of buyers, so expect a longer sale than a mid-priced house plot. That is our reading, not a measured resale time.
Both plot types carry transfer and possession charges; see the transfer fee page. The Finance Act 2026 filer rates are 2.75% for the seller (section 236C) and 1.25% for the buyer (section 236K), the same for both plot types. Commercial building adds the approval, design and security fees in the SOP schedule, and a long list of completion certificates for the final NOC. We do not publish non-filer or stamp-duty rates here because they are disputed.
Agar aap ko rehne ke liye ghar chahiye to residential plot lein. Commercial plot mehnga hota hai: Zameen par Bahria Enclave ke commercial plots ki asking price 1.80 se 11.50 crore tak hai, jab ke Zameen ke apne index ke mutabiq area ka average 1.97 crore hai. Plaza banane me 8 se 14 mahine lagte hain aur kiraye ka gross yield hamare paanch listings me 3.8 se 5.6 percent mila. Commercial tab sochein jab sarmaya faltu ho, intezar kar sakein, aur plot approved layout ke andar ho. Plot number WhatsApp 0300 0399322 par bhejein, main documents check kar ke nuqsanat likh kar bhejta hoon.
Figures are Zameen.com asking prices (page-one sample, 2 October 2026), Zameen's Jun/Jul 2026 index, Bahria Town's 2023-24 SOP, DHA's portal, and contractor bands. This is not legal or tax advice.
A commercial plot is for shops, offices or a plaza. In Bahria Enclave the SOP lists 30x40 and 40x45 commercial plots at L.G+G+3 with 100 percent coverage. A residential plot is for a house. Commercial costs more upfront and earns rent only once built; residential suits living in the property.
It can suit a long-term investor with spare capital, but the evidence is modest. Five Zameen listings that stated a rent showed 3.8 to 5.6 percent gross yield on asking prices, and building takes 8 to 14 months. Check the plot against the approved layout first, because CDA raised layout concerns on 25 September 2026.
Commercial asks are higher. Zameen page-one commercial asks on 2 October 2026 ran from PKR 1.80 to 11.50 Crore with a median of PKR 4.70 Crore. Zameen's own Jun/Jul 2026 index puts the Bahria Enclave average at PKR 1.97 Crore. The two are not like-for-like, so compare same-size plots.
The Finance Act 2026 filer rates we quote, 2.75 percent for the seller under section 236C and 1.25 percent for the buyer under 236K, apply to both. Commercial adds building approval fees and completion certificates. Non-filer and stamp-duty rates are disputed, so confirm them before agreeing a price.
Agar ghar chahiye to residential. Commercial plot mehnga hai, plaza banane me 8 se 14 mahine lagte hain, aur kiraye ka gross yield 3.8 se 5.6 percent mila. Commercial sirf tab lein jab sarmaya faltu ho aur plot approved layout ke andar ho. Plot number WhatsApp 0300 0399322 par bhejein.
Yes. Margalla Enclave commercial plots are allotted by ballot at DHA's published prices, which exclude DHA charges and taxes, and the master plan shows 389 commercial plots. Bahria Enclave plots trade on the open market. DHA has not confirmed the third ballot result as of 2 October 2026.
From Sector A’s finished streets to Sector O’s entry tickets — 5 Marla to 4 Kanal, file to allotment to possession — we keep live options in all sixteen sectors, plus DHA Margalla Enclave ballots, files and resales. Buying, selling, or exchanging: one WhatsApp message gets you today’s real options, with verification built in before any token moves.
Five listings that state their rent give 3.8–5.6% gross, not the 6–9% blogs repeat. Rent per square foot, sale price per square foot, and a calculator that nets out vacancy and costs.
A working calculator for a commercial plaza in Islamabad: covered area from the floors allowed, contractor-published rates by tier, Bahria's approval fees, and the build-or-buy-ready test.
DHA's official commercial payment plan for the third ballot, per-square-yard maths, the 389 commercial plots on the master plan, and what is still unconfirmed about the draw.
WhatsApp the details. Hasnain checks the plot against the approved layout and the SOP, and tells you what the number really buys.