Aana, Ropani and square feet: a plain-language land unit guide

In the hill and valley regions of Nepal, including Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur, land is measured in the Ropani system. Construction drawings and contractor rates, meanwhile, are almost always in square feet. Moving between the two is simple once you know the base figures.

The Ropani system

• 1 Ropani = 16 Aana = 5,476 sq.ft (about 508.7 m²)
• 1 Aana = 4 Paisa = 342.25 sq.ft (about 31.8 m²)
• 1 Paisa = 4 Daam = about 85.56 sq.ft
• 1 Daam = about 21.39 sq.ft

Reading land notation

Land is often written as four numbers separated by dashes, in the order Ropani-Aana-Paisa-Daam. For example, 0-4-2-0 means 4 Aana and 2 Paisa, which is about 1,540 sq.ft.

Plot size is not built-up area

Your plot size limits how much you can build, but it is not the same thing. Bylaws cap ground coverage (how much of the plot the building may cover) and floor area ratio (total floor area relative to plot size). A 4 Aana plot does not give you 4 Aana of floor space per storey.

Use the converter in our cost estimator to switch between units, then talk to us about what your plot allows under current bylaws.

Convert any plot size

To convert a plot size between Nepali land units and square feet or square metres, use the Nepali land area converter on UtilitySansar.com.