Approved Maps and Society NOCs: The Compliance Guide Nobody Gives You
Two different documents get confused constantly, and the confusion is expensive.
The society NOC is the development authority's approval of the society itself — permission for the scheme to exist, develop land and sell plots.
Your approved map is the society's approval of the specific building you intend to construct on your specific plot.
You need both. The society having an NOC does not mean your house is approved, and an approved map means nothing if the society itself is unapproved.
The society NOC
Issued by the relevant development authority — the RDA for Rawalpindi district, covering Faisal Hills and Faisal Town.
An NOC means the authority has reviewed the society's land ownership, layout plan and development scheme, and permitted it to proceed.
Verifying it
Contact the authority directly. Do not rely on marketing material. Check specifically:
- Does the NOC cover the entire society or only some blocks?
- Is it current, or lapsed and awaiting renewal?
- Does it cover the block your plot is in?
Partial approvals are common. A society can be legitimately approved for part of its land while marketing plots on land that is not covered.
We state this plainly on each society page. Faisal Hills is RDA approved. Faisal Town Phase 2 is under process as of August 2026.
Your approved map (naqsha)
Before construction begins, the society must approve the building you intend to construct.
What gets checked
Setbacks. Mandatory distances from plot boundaries — front, rear and sides. These maintain street width, light and ventilation, and vary by plot size.
Covered area ratio. The proportion of the plot you may build on. You cannot build to the boundary on all sides.
Height and storeys. Permitted number of floors and maximum height.
Basement. Whether permitted, and under what conditions.
Elevation controls. Some societies impose facade requirements in particular blocks.
Structural adequacy. Some require structural drawings signed by a registered engineer.
The process, broadly
- Architect prepares drawings to the society's by-laws
- Structural engineer prepares structural drawings where required
- Submission to the society office with fees and ownership documents
- Review, usually with some objections to resolve
- Revisions and resubmission
- Approval issued, often with a security deposit
- Construction may begin
- Completion certificate on finishing, and refund of the deposit
Timelines vary. Start early. Waiting for approval with labour mobilised is expensive.
What happens if you build without approval
This is not theoretical.
Demolition notices. Societies do issue them, and non-compliant structures do get demolished.
Fines and penalties. Regularisation, where possible, costs more than approval would have.
Utility refusal. Societies commonly withhold permanent electricity, gas and water connections for unapproved construction.
Transfer problems. The society may refuse to transfer the plot on sale. Your buyer's lawyer will find this, and it will either kill the sale or cut the price.
Financing problems. Banks will not lend against non-compliant construction.
Insurance. Claims can be refused for unapproved structures.
The pattern is consistent: building without approval saves a little time upfront and creates a defect that follows the property permanently.
Common by-law mistakes
Building over the setback. Usually driven by a desire for more covered area. Visible from the street and the most commonly enforced violation.
Exceeding covered area. Adding a room where open space was required.
Unapproved extra storey. Building a third floor where two are permitted.
Basement without permission. Requires specific approval nearly everywhere.
Roof structures. Rooms added on the roof after approval frequently breach the approved plan.
Practical advice
Get the by-laws before you design. Ask the society office for the current building by-laws for your block and give them to your architect at the start. Designing first and checking later means redesigning.
Use an architect who has worked in that society. Familiarity with a particular society's requirements and reviewers saves entire rounds of objections.
Do not start on a verbal assurance. "You can begin, approval will come" is worth nothing when a notice arrives.
Build what was approved. Approval is not a formality to clear before doing something else. Deviating recreates the whole problem.
Keep the documents. Approved map, approval letter, receipts, completion certificate. You will need them at sale.
How we handle it
Every home we build is constructed strictly to the society-approved map. When a client asks us to add covered area beyond what the approval permits, we decline — not out of caution, but because the cost lands on them years later at resale, when we are long gone.
You can see homes we are building, and our published rates are quoted against approved covered area, which is another reason that figure matters so much in a quotation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a society NOC and an approved map?+
A society NOC is the development authority permitting the housing scheme itself to develop land and sell plots. An approved map (naqsha) is the society approving the specific building you intend to construct on your plot. You need both — an approved house in an unapproved society, or an unapproved house in an approved society, each leaves you exposed.
Can I start construction before my map is approved?+
No. Building without an approved map risks demolition notices, fines, refusal of permanent utility connections, and refusal by the society to transfer the plot when you sell. Verbal assurances that approval will follow are worth nothing when an enforcement notice arrives. Submit early so approval is in hand before you mobilise labour.
What do societies check when approving a building map?+
Setbacks from each boundary, the permitted covered area ratio, number of storeys and maximum height, whether a basement is allowed, any elevation or facade controls for that block, and in many cases structural drawings signed by a registered engineer.
What happens if I build more covered area than approved?+
It is the most commonly enforced violation because it is visible from the street. Consequences range from fines and forced demolition of the excess to refusal of utility connections and, critically, refusal to transfer the plot at resale. A buyer's due diligence will surface it, and it will either reduce your price or end the sale.
How do I verify a society NOC?+
Contact the relevant development authority directly — the RDA for Rawalpindi district societies such as Faisal Hills and Faisal Town. Confirm the NOC is current rather than lapsed, and check whether it covers the entire society or only certain blocks, because partial approvals are common and a society may market plots on land not covered.