Build ratio: how many metres does the plot actually give you?

The build ratio is the share of the plot you may build on at each floor. On a 1,000 m² plot at 50%, the building footprint is 500 m² per floor. That number alone is not enough — it has to come with the permitted number of floors.

The basic sum

Total built-up area = plot area × build ratio × number of floors (including the ground floor). So 1,000 m² × 50% × (ground + 3) = 500 × 4 = 2,000 m² of building.

Now compare. A 1,000 m² plot at EGP 40M with 50% and ground+3 gives you 2,000 m² of building — EGP 20,000 per built metre. A second plot the same size at EGP 35M but 30% and ground+1 gives you only 600 m² — EGP 58,000 per built metre. The "cheaper" plot is far more expensive.

What eats into that number

• Setbacks — required distances from neighbours and the street — can cut the actual footprint below the paper ratio.
• Common areas: stairs, lifts, light wells and the core. Net lettable or sellable area is usually 15% to 25% below built-up area depending on the design.
• The basement is sometimes counted in built-up area and sometimes not. Ask specifically.
• Height limits: some districts cap height in metres rather than in floor count.

Permitted use matters more than the ratio

A plot with a generous build ratio but an administrative-only designation is no use if the scheme in your head is retail or F&B. Permitted use is fixed in the allocation or in the district conditions, and changing it is neither easy nor guaranteed. Read the conditions before you model any return.