Grey Structure or Turnkey Wah Cantt: Grey structure gives you the skeleton of your house. Turnkey gives you the keys to a finished home. The right choice depends on your budget, your timeline, and how much control you want over the finishing. This guide compares both packages on what they include, what they cost, how long they take, and which one suits your situation in Wah Cantt.
Grey Structure or Turnkey Wah Cantt
| Question | Grey structure | Turnkey |
|---|---|---|
| What you get | The skeleton: foundation, frame, walls, roof, concealed pipes and conduits | A ready to live home: grey structure plus full finishing |
| Typical cost range | About PKR 2,700 to 3,500 per sq ft of covered area, per recent Punjab guides | About PKR 6,700 to 8,800 per sq ft for standard finishing, per recent Lahore guides |
| Typical timeline | About 5 to 8 months for a 5 to 10 marla house | Grey stage plus finishing, so several months longer |
| Control over finishing | Full control: you choose tiles, fittings, and paint later | Limited: finishes follow the agreed specification |
| Best for | Families who want control, or want to build in stages | Families who want one contract and a fixed move in date |
What Grey Structure Includes, and What It Leaves Out
A grey structure is the bare shell of the house before finishing. Across builders, the included work is consistent:
| Included in grey structure | Left for finishing |
|---|---|
| Excavation, foundation, damp proof course | Floor and wall tiles, marble |
| RCC columns, beams, slabs, and stairs | Paint, polish, wallpaper |
| Brick masonry for outer and inner walls | Doors, windows, woodwork, wardrobes |
| Roof slab, parapet, and mumty | Kitchen cabinets, false ceiling, glass work |
| Concealed electrical conduits and plumbing pipes | Switches, lights, fans, sanitary fittings |
| Underground water tank and sewerage provisions | All fittings and fixtures |
| Termite proofing, curing, and engineer supervision | Furniture and appliances |
One scope difference to check in writing: plaster. Some builders include plaster in the grey package, others count it as finishing. Before you sign, ask one direct question: is plaster included in this grey rate or not? The answer changes both the price and the handover point, so get it in the written scope, not in a verbal promise.
What Turnkey Includes
A standard turnkey package is the grey structure plus A grade finishing: flooring, woodwork, doors and windows, kitchen, bathrooms, wiring, fixtures, and paint, built to named brands in the specification. Luxury turnkey adds premium or imported finishes, upgraded systems, and designer fittings. The point of turnkey is a single contract: one builder, one price for the finished home, and one date to plan your move around.
The trade off is control. Once the specification is signed, changing tiles or fittings mid way usually means a variation order and an extra charge. If you enjoy choosing every finish yourself, or you want to spread the finishing cost over a later year, grey suits you better. If you live abroad, or you need a firm move in date, turnkey suits you better.
What Each Package Costs
Rates are quoted per square foot of covered area, not per marla. A double storey house on the same plot has roughly twice the covered area of a single storey one, so always multiply the rate by the covered area in your approved drawings, including the mumty.
| Package | Recent guides’ range (PKR per sq ft) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Grey structure | 2,700 to 3,500 | Recent October 2026 Lahore guides cluster here |
| Finishing only, added to grey | 3,900 to 5,300 | Plaster, flooring, woodwork, fittings, paint |
| Standard turnkey | 6,700 to 8,800 | Grey plus A grade finishing, to named brands |
| Luxury turnkey | 10,000 to 15,000 | Premium or imported finishes and upgraded systems |
Two honest notes on these figures. First, ranges conflict across sources: older and looser guides quote grey as low as 1,800 to 2,500 per sq ft, while recent Lahore guides cluster at 2,700 to 3,500. Very low quotes usually mean thinner steel, weaker concrete, or a scope that leaves things out. Second, no Wah Cantt specific verified rate was found in this research; these are Punjab and Lahore guides’ ranges, and Wah Cantt follows the same steel and cement market. Material rates in October 2026 guides were roughly PKR 255 to 285 per kg for steel, PKR 1,450 to 1,600 per bag for cement, and PKR 16,000 to 21,500 per 1,000 A class bricks. Because rates move with materials, insist on a BOQ based quote for your own drawings rather than a per square foot promise.
A worked example, using the recent ranges only: a 5 marla double storey house with about 2,400 to 2,800 sq ft of covered area works out to roughly PKR 67 to 98 lakh for grey structure alone in Lahore guides. The same house as standard turnkey works out to roughly double that, because finishing roughly equals the grey cost again. Treat both figures as planning ranges, not quotes.
How Long Each Package Takes
For a 5 to 10 marla house, Lahore guides put grey structure at about 5 to 8 months after map approval, and a single storey 5 marla grey at about 3 to 4 months. Finishing adds several more months on top, so a turnkey home takes the grey timeline plus the finishing timeline. Basements add time and about 15 to 20 percent to the grey cost.
Time also depends on approvals. Your map must be approved before construction starts, and the approval record affects what you can build. Check how approval and NOC status work before you fix a start date with any builder, and read what to check before buying a plot if you have not bought yet, because plot problems discovered after the foundation starts are the most expensive kind.
Which Package Suits Your Situation
| Your situation | Better pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Tight budget, and you can finish later | Grey structure | You lock the skeleton now and finish when funds allow |
| You live abroad and want keys, not site visits | Turnkey | One contract, one builder, one move in date |
| You want full control over tiles and fittings | Grey structure | You choose every finish yourself, at your own pace |
| You need a firm move in date | Turnkey | The date is in the contract, with finishing included |
| You want to test a builder before a big contract | Grey structure | A smaller first contract shows their quality early |
| Your drawings are still changing | Grey structure | Changes to finishes are cheap before finishing starts |
Contract Checks Before You Sign Either Package
Whichever package you pick, these checks protect you more than the headline rate does:
- Ask for an itemised BOQ (bill of quantities) worked out from your approved drawings, never guessed from plot size alone.
- Confirm the steel grade in writing. Recent guides specify Grade 60 steel and cube tested concrete; thinner steel is the most common hidden saving.
- Confirm what is included and what is not, especially plaster, boundary wall, water tanks, and septic tank, since builders differ on all four.
- Agree stage wise payments tied to completed stages, not large advances.
- Ask how variation orders work: what counts as a change, who prices it, and whether work stops until you approve the price.
- Confirm engineer supervision is included, and who signs off each stage.
- Ask about warranty in writing, and what it covers after handover.
Choosing the builder matters as much as choosing the package. Read how to choose a construction contractor before you sign, and compare two or three BOQ based quotes on the same drawings. A quote that is far below the rest usually leaves something out.
FAQs
Can I pause after grey structure and finish later?
Yes, and that is the main advantage of grey. Families often pause after the skeleton to save for finishing, or to choose finishes later. Protect the structure while you pause: keep the roof drainage clear, cover openings, and agree with your builder what handover condition the grey stage ends in.
Is grey cheaper than turnkey overall?
Not always. Grey plus finishing done separately can cost the same as turnkey, or slightly more, because you pay two mobilisations and lose bulk buying. Grey wins on control and staging, not automatically on total price. Compare the two totals on the same drawings before deciding.
Does grey structure include plaster?
It depends on the builder, which is why you must ask. Some packages include plaster in grey, others count it as finishing. Get the answer in the written scope, because it moves both the price and the handover point.
Can I change builders after grey structure?
Yes, but agree the handover in advance: stage completion certificate, material warranties, drawings, and any retention amount. A clean grey handover makes the finishing contract simple. A disputed one makes it expensive.
The Bottom Line
Grey structure suits families who want control and staging. Turnkey suits families who want one contract and a move in date. Neither is better in general; the better package is the one that matches your budget, your timeline, and how involved you want to be. Get BOQ based quotes for both on the same drawings, check the contract points above, and then decide. GlowStar Builders builds both packages in Wah Cantt, and the right first step for either one is a drawing based estimate, not a per square foot guess.