5

Building bye-laws
5· 1. Introduction

Everv locality has its own p 1 · · ·

_ J
ecu ant1es m respect of weather conditio ns, availabil ity of
material
. s and. labour and. thus adopts 1·t s own met 110ds of construc· tion.
·
· . Every locality prepares
certam rules ,:lnd r~gulatt ons _which help in controlli ng the developm ent of the locality.
rules a nd regulati ons covermg the. requirem ents
fue
. . · of bui'ldi· ngs, ensuring
· '"'
sa1ety o f t he pu bl"
. 1c
through open spaces, mmtmu m size of rooms, and height and area limitatio n are known as
hu:!ding bye-law. fl The building bye-law s are necessary to achieve the followin g ~bjects.
l.Building bye-law s give guidelin es to the architec ts or Enginee r and thus help in '
pre-plan ning the building activitie s.
2. Buildm g bye-law s allow orderly growth and prevent haphaza rd develop ment.
3. Provisio ns of bye-law s usually afford safety against fire, noise, health h~ard, and
structura l failure. ·
In the absence of suitable building bye-laws , the people will construc t residenc es lacking
in amenitie s and health conditio ns, with profit as the only motive. · Hence only framing
of
building bye-law s is not sufficien t. If desired results are to be achieved there sliould be proper
auth ority who could enforce the building bye-laws .
While framing building bye-law s assistan ce of experts on various subjects such as town
planni ng, law , health, civil engineer ing, traffic, general adminis tration etc. should be sought
and
their views given due weighta ge. Now the importa nce of building bye-laws is being increasi
ngly
realised. Indian Standar d Instituti on, an organisa tion of Governm ent of India has publishe
d
LS. 1256 " c ode of building laws" covering all the salient aspects of building activitie s. {l½ving
reali sed the importa nce of building bye-law s and also to smoothe n the work of local
enforcin g autho rit ies Govern ment of India has publishe d Nationa l Building Code (NBC).
This
publication covers all the a s pects of building activitie s and embodie s all the relevent Indian
Standar ds and thus has been t ak en as an advisory docume nt by all the local auth ) rities, goven-
ment and semi-go ve rnment departments and other construction agencies . The document has
'been drafted with perform a nce o rientatio n and gives better freedom to architects and
en gi neers. In case of any difficult y or dispute the provisio ns of N.B.C. form the ba~is
of
deciding the things~ J
---
 . D igning and S cheduling
96 B UI•td f·nu
_, Pfa11ntng es

5·2 . Function of local authority .. ated with the purpose 0 ~ carry ing
15
A local authority 1s . . It•th eommun1ty
. a b ody crea t e d by Jaw ere . lt•fe. One of the important
. ·
out various functions a nd ob1igations ·n· connection wid reoulation '·. e. building bye-laws
1
- and to
°
f an•mplementati
dut y of a local authority is to frame sui·t a ble rules on. 1-\.11 the plans of proposed
·
: .mtrastmcture
. f r its success u. 1 I
provide su1tabk O
It should howeve r , be observed that the
b ·1d· irs a re to be approved b y this local auth ority. nd simple and should not lead to
ut m..,, . should be easy a . .
Pr-0cedures laid out by the local authority . t ction of the bmldmg.
. · n for the cons ru
unduedelav in granting the permissio stant watch on the behaviour of
. • h ·t to keep a con
It is also the duty of the local aut on Y . ·ved from the public , architects
1. d suggestions rece1 •
building bye-laws. The comp a1~ts a_n . . building bye-laws need any change, should be
Eng,neers should be recorded and if exi st mg .. Following important points should be
altered to suit the changed local needs and cond1t1ons.
r emembered in connection with building bye-laws.
1. The bye-laws causing undue hardships to the public should either be removed or
simplified. . h b
2 There should not be frequent ch anges m · th"", basic reqmrements oft e ye-laws.

3.· There snould be adequate staff for effective

· imp
· 1e m c--ntation of the1b ye-laws
d h.
4. The professional institutions, engineers, and staff should be consu te at t e time of
framing or changing the bye laws.
5. The procedural requirements should be reduced to minimum possibll! extent.
6. The building bye-laws should be given wide publicity to m ake publ ic aware of
them.
5·3 _ Terminology
DefinitiJ ns ~f some of the terms commonly used. are as follows.
. S _____- 1. Building. Any structure for whatsoever purpose and of whatsoever materials cons-
~ ructed, and every part the eof whether used for human habitation or for any other purpose is
known as a building. The building consists of foundation , plinth, walls, floors , roofs, verandah.
ba lcony, projections, ~himneys, plumbing and building services. Tents , shamianahs and tarµan-
1in shelters are not considered as buildings .

.Y 2. Building Height. In case of flat roofs, the vertical distance measured from the avera~e
level of the centre line_<2.f..the adjoining street to th~ Lg~~sJ _p._2~nt_ of the building is kt1ow1~
· height. In case of pitched roofs building hei ght is vertical distance - me~;u·~~df
ro~ the av~rag.~
11
level oi th e centre line of the adjoining street to the po int where extern a l surface of the oute r
wall int ersect s the finished surface o f the sloping roof. ln case of gables facing the road, 1t
is vertical dista nce measured from the average leve l of the centre line of the adJ'oinino street to
.:,
t he mid -point between the eaves level and the rid ge. If the building do~s r\l..)t ab ut on a stree t,
the hei ght s·hall be meas ured abo ve the average level l'f the ground around and comiguous to
the buil ding. lf some architectural foalures whi ch serve no other purpose except that of d~cor: ,
1
tion, shall not be considered for the purpose of taki ng hei ghts.
 f>r. \ • 'f1 t:__ (_;..) l;,J.. C,r\.._, (~ -' t , I
I, J-> 1.._jl.~ e lf\L, f->v~r>, t.lt' 'f\~ 6)f b ~ c-.,u_; nJ kf S}...A r ( ... ,
Building f!ye-Law( $,t), c (,k

1,,0 -
,e...,
Buildi~g line. The line upto h'
. f • . w tch the plinth of th b ·1d· . . .
97
on extension o a street or on a future t e u1 mg adJ01ning a street or
. s reet may lawfuU d. .
,he line refers to the hne of building fr t Y exten 1s known as the building line.
on age. Often this J• · k
building line. Generally the buildings are all me 1s nown as set back or front
B
ut certain buildings such as cinema f o~ed to be con st ructed beyond the building line.
s, actones com ·
m ber of vehicles shou)d be set b k f ' mercia 1 concerns which attract large
nu ac a urther distan f · • • •
t which such buildings can be ce apart rom the burldmg line. The hne
up o constructed is know . . .
f rom the building line Th d. n as a control line. This lme is set further
deep b · e 1stance of control 1· from t h
.·
-0r road may be a Q,Ut one and half ttmes that of the· b me •id· .
e centre of the adjoining street
u1 mg 1me.
The distances of lines of building frontages is d ·d d b h • ·
. . ec1 e y t e category of the city zone m
which the site of the proposed building is located.
Town planning authorities mark the present width and f t
. . . u ure 1·k· I ·d · f
I e y w1 enmg o eac
h
~treet and_ r~ad. The mmimum di.stance from the centre line of the road is prescribed for the
line of bu1idmg frontages. Sometime, there is a line to which generally all the buildings abut.
This line is known as 'general building line'. No building is allowed to be extended beyond
this line. However, th~ rule of the general building line is released if the general line existing
bt1ildings is too deep or more than I 5 m from the road ·way. The set back obtained by the
building line proves heplfgl in (i) future widening of the road (ii) reducing noise, dust from
abutting buildings, (iii) Preventing creation of blind corners at the intersection of streets and
(fr) maintaining open spaces for air, sun, etc .
. ;;,-- 4. Permit. · A peni:iission or authorizat~on in writing by the authority to carry out
~,ork regulated by the code 1s -known as the permit.
3-s. Set back line. Set back line is a line usuall_y parallel to the pl~ t ~~undari~_! and ~ d
•
down m each case by the authority bPyond
r
which nothmg can be constructed towards the site
boundaries. .
,,.~ ___6_ Savice Road. It is a roag or !~e pr?.Y~~~
J~,!!. .~:,~;~~-,~r~,s"~de -~f-~-R~ot. It is used
--------- . •..-..!"''°""·.,.~-~ ,
mostly for service purposes. . . . . ·
- - ~1. · 1-t 1•s the lirie defimng the side hm1ts of a !1-treet.
-:::::;.... -1 Street me. · " h. h
· · h. hway street Jane pathway, alley, carnage way, 1oot way ; w 1c
8 Street. It 1s any 1g , ' ' . .
P. · bl· J s a right of passage or access to 1t. It mcludes channels,
may be thorough fare or_ n~t, pu IC . l~ d walks traffic islands, road side trees, railings and
ditches, storm water drams, culvert s , st e '
barriers within the street lines. . nd specifications submitted under
9. Sanctioned plan. It is a se! of drawings, p1an., a
_,., d and sanctioned by the authontr.
tb.c code and duly approve . · bl. hed elevation or grade of the centre
. the offi.c1ally esta ts . .
10. Street level or grade. It is h is no officially established grade the
. . l t fronts. If t ere
line of the street upon which the P O . the street level or grade.
• ·d
·existing grade of the street at its m1 p oint 1s taken as · d ft " t th
d from the fimshe oor sur1ace o e
. l d'Istance measure , . .d d
<_ 1i. Room height. The vert1ca i ht Where a finished ceiling 1s not pro~1 e ,
finish d •i·
e ce1 mg su·rface 1·s known as the room heticg beams ·
s
hall 0.. taken as the upper point of
..,
the underside of the joists or beams or
measurement.
 98 Building Planning Designing and Scheduling

r 12
•
cMcr <'d area. • · · - d' atcly above the plinth level .;i e·
The u.rca coywcd bv bu1ld1ng 1mmc 1
.a · - - •- ~ - -:r - - d not include the spaces covered
gro u nd no o r, 1s known n~ covered nrcn . 1 he coverca a reu oes ·
hy
"' wa ll", ijlllC, umtoroycd pore I1 un d po rtico-, uncovered
staircases and area
(1•) Compound .
covcrcJ by dwjj,L and the like.
(ii) (i :\ 1"tk11. '°'''-·kory, well nnd well !1:i truc1urcs, plant nursery, waterp~ol, uncovered swim~
min g p,,ol , plateform round a tree, tank, bench, chabutra wit. h open top and un-
c nclo!\cJ o n sides by walls and the like.
(iU ) drni na gc culvert, conduit, catch pit, gulley pit, chamber, gutter etc.

In short the cove red area of the building is. equal to the plot area minus the area due
f\" r open sp;1ces.
D. Chajja . It is sloping or horizontal structural overhang which is usually provided
over openings in ext ernal walls. Its purpose is to provide protection from sun and rain.
14. Balcony. It is horizontal projection which is used to serve as passage or sitting
o ut place. It includes hand rail or balustrade also.
,; 15. Ba.i;ement or cellar. The lower storey of a building below or partly below ground
level is known as basement or cellar. It is said that at least t·S m of its total height should be
below ground level.
'-- ..--t 6. Detached building. It is a building whose walls and roofs are independent of any
other building. It has open spaces on all the sides as specified. It may include amenities such
as garden, swimming pool badminton court etc. A detached building if meant for residence
and is the highest form or class of residence.
Semi-detached building. A building detached on three sides with specified open
__., ! 7.
spaces is known as semi-detached building.
J 8. Drain. Jt is a pipe line meant for the drainage of a building, or a number of
buildings or yards appurtenant to the buildin~s. The drain includes open channels also used
for con~cyi n;; surface water. Fittings like main holes, inspection chambers, traps, gullies, floor
t rap!? , etc. arc also ind ude:d in this term.
19. Exit. It is a means of egress from any building, storeys or floor area, to a street
or ot he, open space of safety . It may be in form of passage or channel.
20. Plinth urea. It is the built up coveil!d area measured at the floor level of the
basement or of any storey.

21 . Plinth. The portion of a structure lying between the surface of the surrounding
ground and su rface of the flo or immediately above the ground is known as plinth.
22. Open spacP . It is an area forming aA integral part of the plot, left open to the
sk) is known as the open space.
, 23 . f1oor area. 1t means usahlc co vered area of a building at any floor level.
 Building BJe-Laws
. . 99
L,..)~ . Floor Area Ratio (FAR). It is the uo . . . ..
rea (plinth area) on all the floors multirjlicd b q lient obtained by d1v1din g the total covered
a Y IOO, by the area of the plot.
FAR ::-:: Total covered artn of all fl.oorx 100
Ploturca""
The limitation of area and height of b ·1d· .
, . h' ., . ui ings of different types of coniaruction and
occupancy class l_!_a~ tev~d b s ec1tymg it in terms of FAR .
.J 2 5. Occupancy or use group. Jt
J repre5ents the main purpose for wh ich a buildin~ or
---a pa rt '6f- building-i~~..,..u('s.;:
i, ed;r;;o~r:-::m=-it'"e"....n-d-e d t 0 b -
e used. Occupancy classification of buildings as
specified by bye-laws is :
(i) Residential
(ii) Educational
·(iii) Institutional
(iv) Assembly
(v) Business
(vi) Mercantile
(vii) Industrial
(viii) Storage and
(ix) Hazardous.
I

26. Storey. The portion of a building lying be~wcen the surface of any floor and the
surface of the floor next above it, is known as storey. If there is no other floor above it, then
the space between any floor and the ceiling next above it, is known as storey.
21. Raw housing. It is row Qf r~sidential hous~s. Every house has only front, rear,
and interior open spaces. Such houses do not have any open spaces at the side!i.

28. Plot or site. It is a piece of land enclosed by definite boundaries. When site lies
at the junction of and fronting on two or more intersecting streets it is called corner site. A
site access to which is by a passage from a street whctner such passage forms part of the site or
and rear site boundaries is known as depth of site. A site having a frontage on two streets
other than a corner plot is known as double frontage site.
~ 29. Tand or ledge. It is shelf like projection within a room. It may be supported in
any manner whatsoever except by means of vertical supports. lls projection must not be ~ider
than l m.
~ Loft. It is an intermediate floor between two floors with a ma~imum height of
5 m. It constructed for storage purposes.
!S ·
1~ .
31 . w1 fl It · ·ntermediate floor between two flo1.>rs (in any storey),
ezza11/ne oor. 1s an 1 . . 1
O\ler hang· k' fl
. mg or over 10 0 mg a 00
r beneath Area of mezzanine floor 1s restricted to :1 of the
· ,
area of that floo r. Its m aximum height has to be 2· 2 m.
. dwelling ho use is used to indicate a residential building
32 . Dwe/1111g house. The term •
~b· h . ·
· ic includes out ho use, a nd garage for pa rking. . .
. •. d to refer a res1dcnt1 a l accomodation for one
33. Dwellin g unit. Thi s term 15 use
 Building Planning De~f,gnlng and Scheduling

. . room ' one kitchen, one bathroom ' and

· 0 ne
r•em1,1Y with
• llll\Ximum rcquiremontH us ono 11vm 8
latrine.
. . . . d as 'l dwelling unit for a family is -.now
1,
n
34. 1,t'fu•m,·111 : A building which 1s to be uss · '
as tenement.
·, 1 b uii ding constructe
• a rcs1·d cnlia
• 1s . d in detac.hed O r scnu-.
35. Tnwment buildi ng.\· : Tlus · a
u • ty, a pub J1c
socie • trust or any a , utl1 or1·ty established. .by Jaw . m. Inda'a, 1n
,tctac hl·d mnnncr by
ate occupatwn WJ th independent
building plot eal.'.h being d1:signcd an<l constructed for separ
provisions for bath room, Jat'rinc etc.
con st ructed in detached or
36. Ownership tenement flats : These are residential flats
c tru st or any authority establi-
semi-detached manner on plinth or piIJars by a society, a publi
of an independent bath, latrine
shed by law in India. for separate ownership and .with provision
and a common staircase.
. '- · .,, _,,. 37. Low rise and high rise buildings : The build
ings ha-ving not more than two floors
L. .,, excluding ground flo<?r are known as
low rise buildings rand the buildings having more than two-
floors excluding ground floor are known as high-rise buiJdings.
38. Building unit : This term is used to indicate a final
plot or a part of a final plot
the concerned local authority.
or the co!'lbination of more than one final plot as approved by
~ - 39. Auditorium : It represents enclosures
, covered or open, where people can assemble
for watching a performance given on the stage or screen.
provides all or
40. Window : It is an opening 'to the outside other than a door which
ior space.
part of the required natural light or ventilation_or b'lth to an inter
en a building and the adjoiEing
:_:: ;___ 41 . Yard : yard is an open space at ground level betwe
by encroachments or structures
boundary lines of the plot unoccupied and unobstructed except
a building. All yard measure-
specificall y permitted by these bye-l~ws on the same plot with
side yardplot boundaries, and
ments shall be the minimum di~tance between the front, rear and
ed porches. Every part of every
the nearest point of the building including enclosed or cover
yard shall be accessible from every other part of the same yard.
,,,,,;,--- (i) Front yard. It is a yard extending across the
front of a plot between the side
the street line and the main
yard lines. It is the minimum horizontal distance between
sed balconies and unenclosed
building or any projection there of, other than steps, unclo
porches.
'
a plot measured between plot
/ (ii) Rear yard. It is a yard extending across the rear of
the rear plot boundary and the
boundaries. It is the minimum horizontal distance between
closed balconies or unenclosed
rear of the building or any projection . other than step.i, unen
porch es. In a corner plot, the rear yeard shall be consi
dered as parallel to the street upon
interior plots, the rear yard
which the plot has its Jeast dimensions. In both ~he corner and
shall, be at the opposite end of the plot from the front yard.
and the side line of the plot. It
' ;,, (iii) Side yard. It is a yard between the building
the minimum horizontal distance
extends from the front line to the rear line of the plot. It is
 Building Bye- Laws
101
t,etween a side boundary line and the sides of the b . .
steps , mencl osed bnJ conies or unen c,1 ose d porches. ullding or any other projections other than
l

--:: 42. Barsali, Saiban or R ent-hc'ilse It ·, ·

.
\ const ructed on a terraced roof and mainly is af covered space
· used d . open
. . at least on one side. It
1 ~r s11e1tcr unng rams.
43. Habitable Room, It is a room ._· d .
~ . . . · . occuJJte or
,vrsons for :study' J, vmg, sleeprng, eating kitchen etc It d for occupancy
designed by one or more
·
corridors
I-' - . ce 11 ars. et c. ' · oes not mclude •W.C. bath room,
, 44. Antia or A,famti (Stair cover) It 1·s .. b' 1·k
. • a ca tn 1 e structure with Q covering roof over
a st air case and landing. It encloses only stairs and not used for human habitation.
_ 45. ~et back· It is ~lso referred to as a building line. Set back rr.ay be defined as
frontage margin or ~ space m front of the abutting street or road as shown in the Fig. s· 1
in plate s·t.

The land contained in set back belongs to the owner of the property. But he is prohi-
bited from putting any structure in the set back portion. The width of set br..ck depends upon
the area in which plot is located. Size of the plot also determines the width of the set back. In
connecti on with light plane the horizontal distance to be left from vertical face of the building
is also known as set-back as shown in Fig. 5·2 plate 5· t.
>---4 6. Light plane. In city area or gamtal area ~sit is known, the construction is allowed
00 the full area without the provision of margins on any side. In such cases 1t becomes
necessary t·o check that t he height of one building does not obstruct ventilation of the property
on the other side of the road. For this ur · lane is marked at a suitable angle
from the edge of road on other side and the height of building is suitably curtailed o to a ow
the light plane to pass as s hown in Fig. 5·2. T~e angle of ~ plane is 45° or 63· 50°, the latter
being very common. \Vith an angle of 6r
50° set back becomes necessary when the total height
of the building exceeds twice the width of road or street.
; 47. Floor space index' (FSI). It is the ratio of the total built up area inclusive of
~ f all the floors to the area of the land on which the building stands. · The value of FSI
is fi xed by local authority and it is different for diiferent areas .and ~or different buildings of
the town. Tentative figures of FSI for a typical town may be as given m Table 5· l.
Jn town planning schemes of Greater Poona FSI has been taken as 1·o for most of the
localities.
Table S·t
Use area FSI Remark

~ esiden tal scheme area Maxi allowed on ground Floor (G.F.) 0·40
Reside nt tal city area 4 Facio,; street of more than 12 m width.
- do - - do - 3 Facing street of less than 12 m width.
vA Indll5trial
scheme area 1'50 Maxi allowed on G.F t ·o
~ mn1ercial scheme area 1·33 Maxi allowed on G F. o· 4.
 Building Planning DeJl-gning and Sched,
102

·er ND
SET BACK fLOOR

GROUND
FLOOR
C)R)(SITE.
AU>ERTY

f IG 5·2
LIG HT PL ~A NE A NO SET 8 ACI(

V
.

4
I,
~ s~ <0
~
0

Q.
.sm ~
•
I,

B -= BUI LOl NG
S :: SET 'BACK
EIG S·l
Pt_A T( 5:~
Plate s·I.
Building Bye-Laws
SI . .
F cntcnn controls the dcver ,·
103
1 k d .· . . opi_t\cnt net iv it I
o,ensure to c ec enslty ot popu\atio \ r- . Y on t 10 plot and thus cnn be u1cd at a
. '1 0 h . , . ror 11\stnnco if IOt .
ble F.S.I. in , t c. m;~x•mum built up · r area 111 Nay 300 m2 and i~ pcrmi11i~
llrCl\ which • b
permissible butlt
•

. .
up area can either b ,
e consumed
Ctln
In th
° put up on the plot ln 3f)() m2. Tht•
n
floors each he,ng t 50 ml. It should ho · rec oon ec\ch being 100 m1 or in two
wovor
laws are re~pccted. The Ut\U~ed F.S 1 . d' , . · ho seen th at provrn ,
lons of other building bye-
. . in ICl\tes the potential o I1 ldd l f h d
1!•4
~ •
Princlnles
1·
underlying bulldlng bye-laws · ·r en va ue o t e Ian .
The broad principles which should be _ . • . .
O
for any locality can be summarised as follows. bserved wlule framing the building bye-laws
1. Classifying the building with u •t . . . .
. . . nt ns a fomlly and mentioning the requirements.
2. Classtfvmg the rooms acco d'
~ . r mg to use and then specifying minimum standards of
each . room
. with
. respect
· to s · · h t, ft oor area, vcntilat1on
, 1zr., 11e1g · · and light.
3. Spec,fymg hclght of compound wall and location of compound wall gates.
4. Controlling height of structures and laying maximum limit of height in certain
zones.
5. Controlling projections in marginal spaces.
6. Insisting on suitable FSI or FAR.
7. Specifying suitable arrangements with respect to drainage and water supply.
8. Making compulsory the appointment of an architect or engineer for works of
specified nature and magnitude.
9. Specifying materials and workmanship as per standard specifications for th(con-
struction of buildings.
10. Specifying light plane, set backs and marginal spaces.
11. Specifying minimum size of plots, their dimensions and frontages.
s·s. Classification of Buildings ~ . .
According to bye-laws bmldmgs are classtfied base~ on occupancy and types of
construction.
1. Classification based upon occupancy.
All the buildings are to be cl:is&ificd according to the uc.;e or the character of occupatH.'Y
as follows.
Group A- Residential
Group B- Educational
Group C- lnstitutional'
Group D - As~cmbly
Group E-Business
Group F - Mercantile
Group G- Industrial
Group H - Storage
Group I - Hazardous
 . - - - - - •• &~V I U JI I-J Vj Ul'C ,

,.,. Oped Spaces L '-> ~

The open spaces insidc_and around th b "Id. . -
t,e provided to cater for the lighting and ; u_a angs p~rticularly residential type, have to
11
fcsiOential tyi,e, the open space left aroundv:;: a~10n requirement~. ~or buildings other than
of view, but there are other con,ideration also~m is not only from hghtmg and ventilation point

Every room intended for human h b"t .

space or an open verandah ope t h . a.• abon sha~l abut on an interior or exterior open
n o sue mteraor or exterior open space I b . ·1d· . .
abutting street either in front, rear or sides the open "d d .h . n case u1 mg ts
"d . f h ' spaces prov1 e s ould be adequate for
f uturc w, enmg o sue streets.
Each site shall have a minimum frontage of 6 m on any street. For row housing

c~
schemes th,,:.minimum frontage miy be 5· m.

the building.
EX'i'er,!<£,Ojl!~c'i';';:
s
Exterior open space maybe in the front, rear and sides of

. (i) J!!on!_ '!P!'!/P~~e : . ~very building fronti~ng a street shall have a front yard forming
an m~egral part of the ~ate. M1n1mwn width of front yard has to be 3 m. In case building is
fronting two or more sides to streets, the averag~ width of the front yard should be 3 m but in
no case less than t-·8 m. · · ·
No construction work of a building shall be undertaken within 7·5 m from the centre
line of any street. The limiting_distance has to be fi~ed by the authority for the individual
road, street widths taking into account the traffic flow. -
(ii) ~ r EP!!L space : Every building shall have a rear yard farming an integral part
of the site The average__ w;dth of J!_le ~e~!:,!~rd. sh~~ld ~}..E!.~ ~..!!~R~~ R\~.!~~LnsJess
than t ·8 m. In case of back to back site, the width of the rear yard should be 3 m throughout.
Subject to the condition of free ·ventilation, the open space left up to half the width of the plot
shall also be taken into account for calculating the average width of the rear yard. The rear
open space shall be co-extensive with the entire face of rear wall. If a building abuts on two
or more atreets, such rear open space shall .be provided throughout the entire face of the rear
wall. Rear wall, in case of building abutting two or more streets is the wall on the opposite
side of the face of the building abutting on the wider street unless the authority otherwise
directs.
(iii) SJde_!)l!.l/1_spg_CJ _;_ ~ ~~Y.J~giJ~i.!1~
~ 8~0_'!:l~, ha~ ..,~r.m!n£~t~Pg}_.!!!..JJ?!'~ form-
ing integral pa~
9
rtho iit.e, of not less tha!l 3. ,mj r ~i!Ub..i,.t tJ1e ijides,_ Detached building will
have side ~pen space at both the side~ each, m:nimum 3 min width whereas semi -det11,cti~
buildin, will tiave side Opell space on oqe side onlr, minirnlllll 3 rq wi40·
 l Oti Building Planning Designing and Scheduling

. . . . d ··d 0pen space mentioned before . are not applicable

r rov ,s,on~ ot rcur open space nn s, c d , t a distance of 7 5 m from any street
• l1c1·g,ht lornte ,\ '
for f'ar\.. inJt, l\lCk •u1, gnrn.grs upt<,l 3 m 1n
linr ,,r t'r,,nt hount.Jnry of tho plot. . d' upto a height of 10 m For
, re for bu1l ings
f ' .
The open srncc provi sion given be ore a. . should be as given in Table s·2.
hd1thts ,)f build ings above 10 m, open space prov, st ons

R1111gt of !,eights of building

TABLE 5·2
Minimum open spaces requirements -
10 m to 25 111.
dd'f to the minimum open spa~e~ required for heiahtsof
In a I ion n increase in the minimum open spac~ at th
10 m there shall be.~ 3
rate of l m per evciy m
or fraction thereof for heights abo e
· Ve
tom.
<

25 m to 30 m. There shall be a minimum open spaces of 30 rn

Abo\'e 30 m. 1 dd't"on to the minimum open space required for heights up

t~ foam th~re shall be a minimum op~n space at the rate of~ m for
c_v_e_r_y.-S.. m or fraction thereof for heights above 30 m subJect to a
maximum of 16 m. ·
·- - --- - 1- - - -····- ·· - - - - - -- - -
2. Interior open Jpace . The whole of one side of one or more rooms intended for
human habitation and not abutting on either the front, rear or side open spaces should abut on
· ter·tor
an 1n __ open space whose_ ____minimum shall-be-,-..........
___ ..__...,width---~·-.. 3 m._ This ~rqvisioq l~ fo.r.. thc_height
-~~~ .. ~of
building upto l O m. '

3. Joint open air space. AU ~he ~xterior an~ intcrio\ open ~pa.ces shall be entirely
within the owner's own premises. If interior or exterior ppcn air space 1s mtcnded to be used
for the benefit of more than one building belon?,ing to the same owner then the width of 8Uch
open air space shall he the one specified for the tallest building i.e., above 30 m as given in
Table 5'2 abutting on such open air space.

If interior or exterior open air space is jointly owned by more than one person then its
width should be as specified for exterior open spaces. Such common open air space is treated
as permanent open air space and no boundary wall between such joint open air space shall be
raised to a height of more than 2 m.

3'7. ~owing are the examptlons of Open Spaces ~

/ , I. 1,'rnl!!:!,!_n11s inti, open seaces, Every open space, interior or exterior shall bo kept free
from·1 t~rcction thereon. It shall be open to the sky. No cornice, roof or shade more than
0·75 rn wide shall projec t over the said open 3p;ice so a~ to reduce the widt h ·to less } llan the
mln1 mum req uired.

2. Pr,,~iertion into strn t. No prnj~ctinn of any sort whatsoevci, except sun shades as
given in 3 ahea d r xtc11 J ing mo re than 23 cm below a height of 4·3 m shall project over the road
or over any drJi 11 or ov !r any pJrti on outsiu! thi:: boun ·hrics of the site . However, the proiec..
t ), ~ l• J l c• ' ' J I I " '
' V\ j t Y\ 'j ' _I
. 'l ,- \

i,utldlng Bye-Laws
101
. ns arising out of the vert icnl port of the ml
t1° . . . . n wat-,, 1pou11 projecting at the road level or th,
water pipe may be permitted an nccorduncc with th• d I . l
" ra naac pan .
3, Sun shadts over wl"dow., ,ind ,, tll
- ·;-- • ··-- · --· ''~!!!!!!:.. Projection• of aun 1hade• over whwfowt or·
ventilators wl,~n perm,tted by th c Aut hority ahall fulftl the followlna condiliont.

~~
~ footpaths.
d
(it ~No sunsha e shall be permitted on road, leu than 9 min width or ro.dt havln1 no
-

{fN No sunshade shall. be permitted over th~ road *,. 1..1 ~ , ..._
, ,\ . . · " or over any port 1on ou.-N,1111; ,..,
·, boundaries of the sate below a height of 2·8 m from the road level,
(iii) Sun shade~ provided above a height of 2·8 m from the ground level ahall be pfflllk·
\ ted to proJect upto •a minimum width of 60 cm lf the road over which they p,ojed
!, ,ex~eeds 9 m in width. -

4. Porticos in existing developed area. Portico, in Bazar area• of existing developed

areas may be permitted to project on road land subject to the following limitation :
, ~ " icos may be allowed on such roads leavin a minimum clear space of 18 m betwtei1
kerbs or if a stipulation has been made for such constru~titn int he lcaae deed in ,uch ca.sea or
~ its construction would co~pletcly fill in a sap in the cxisiting arcade, provided that theee
shalt.be constructed as follows."
~ It shall not be less than 3 m wide.
l ts
'-- (ii) Nothing shall be allowed to be constructed on the portico which 1ha1J be uaed aa
an open terrace.
(iii) Nothing shall be allowed to project beyond the line of arcades and
(iv) The space under the portico shall be paved and channelled according to the ditec.
tions of the authority.
To safeguard against reduction of open space, no construction work on a bwlding
should be allowed if it reduces an open air space of any other adjoining building. belon1in1 to
the same owner to an extent less than the prescribed in the code.
No additions or extensions tn the building be allowtd if it causet reduction of the open
air space below minimum requi; ·em~nt.s specified in the code.
In cases of row housing schemes, the front and rca~ open spaces, and interior open
spaces are to be followed on the same scale as already given earhcr.

In case of corner p1ots, the Sl. de open spaces and in case of. industrial
. . and. other hu.ar-
dous b·µ1'ld mgs
' t he open spaces are to be determined by the authonty keepang 10 v1ew the A&turc
of- occupancy and also the area where they are lecated.

! ·s . Altlt-Limitatlom i __c;·~
. . . ~ hci ht of lhe building• of different types of construction and
The bm1tahon of area a . _g . (FAR). The Qoor ~rcat r*iio js apecilfd
occupancy class is achieved by satasfy1og floor area ratio , ,
i&king into account the following aspect s,
 108 Building Planning Designing and Scheduling

(i) Occupancy class.

(ii ) Type of constru cti on .
(iii) Width of strc(' t frontin g the bui lding and tt:c trnff.c: load.
(ir) Locality where the particular buildi.ng is propo sed.
(v) Density of population in the locality.
(ri) Parking facilities and
(,·ii) Local fire fighting facilities.
Table 5.3 gives F.A.R. ratios for diuere
er nt types cf con st I uction s and different ocrn.
pancies. The authority can specify the F.A. R. for a par t ·cular
I t"re of construction an·•u
J • ·
particttlar occupancy.
TABLE 5·3
FAR for buildings facing one public street of 9 m width

Type of construction
Occupancy classification

Type 1 Type 2 Type 3 Type 4

Residential UL 200 10 100

- -- ----- -- _ ,.__ ., ______
Educational UL 200 140 100
- ---- - --- - - . -- ·-·- - --
Institut ion al UL 150 100 80
------- - ··-- - ---- ---
---
Assembly ·-·- - - --
UL 100 70

Business
- . ··--- --- -·· - . - ----- -
- -- -
50
-
UL 290 210 160
---- ---·- ~-- - . .. .
Mercantile 800 180 140 100
--- --- - - ·- --- --·- -
lodll!tr ial 750 190 160 130
- -- --- ·--- .
Storage 600 . 150 130
-· -~-- - .
------- - 100
Hazardou'l
~·so --- -·---- .
110 190
I NP

UL mc:-in unlimited and NP means not permitted.

Table 5·3 has hce11 prepared taking into account the combustible conte
nt in the different
occupancies anJ ;1bo Ihe fire I c~istanrc ofTcrcd by the type cif constrndio
n. If need be, this table
may be modified hy th ~ authorit y. Th\! FAR values specified in this
table may be increased by
20% for the f0llt-1wrng services -
'
s,,;tJ;ng Bye-laws
109
~ ) . A bas~ men t or cella r and space unde r a build
ing constructed on stilts and used as
a par~ tn~ spac e, st ore room , and air cond ition
ing plan t room used as accessory to
the pnnc 1pal use.
v{t t) Electric sub- stati on, watc hma n's boot h, pum
p house, grabage shaf t.
ve fJ Stai r case room and lift room above the
topm ost store y, arch itect ural features,
chim mne ys etc.
(ir) Proj ectio ns and accessory buil ding s as spec
ifically exempted unde r code.
The min imu m fire sepa ratio n on all sides of
buildings of unli mite d area s and of type 1
~onstruction shal l be 9 m.
·
_The area limi ts shal l appl y to all buil ding s fron
ting on a stree t or publ ic spac e not less
than 9 m in widt h, accessible to a publ ic street.

Like F.A R .. Floo r spac e inde~ (FSI) may

also be u,;;ed as crite ria· for fixing the area
limitations for diffe rent buil ding s for different
areas. F:S.!. crite ria has alrea dy been expl aine
d
earlier. ,,,_ "yY) L\ )( he_f ~
1 't-S uJ + F-\ 1u~ ~6 Pe .~ fC-\te. .
~
1
5.9. Height of the Building Limitations
The h~ight and num ber of store ys fer a buil
ding are relat ed to FAR and the prov1s10ns
of open spaces alre ady expl aine d l!arlicr. Whe
re the buil ding heig ht is not cove red by tabl e
the maximum heig ht shou ld be limi ted acco rdin 5·3
g to the widt h of the stree t as follows.
1. The max imu m heig ht of the buil ding
shal l not exceed 1· 5 time s the widt h of road
abut ting plus the fron t open space.
2. If a buil ding abut s on two or mor e streets of
different widt hs, the buil uing shal l be
deem ed to face upo n the stree t that has the gr::a
ter w,dt h and the heig ht of the
buil ding is regu lated by the widt h of that stree
t and may be cont inue d to this
heig ht to a dept h of 24 m alon g the narr owe
r stree t subj ect to conf orm ity of ex~
terio r ope n spac es.
3. In the vicin ity of aero drom es the max imu
m heig ht of the buil ding s is fixed in
cons ulta tion with the Civi l Aviatio1t auth oriti es.

App urte nanc es like wate r tank on the roof ,

vent ilati ng and airc ondi tion ing appl ianc es,
li ft rooms, chim neys and para pet walls not
exceeding l m in heig ht are not inclu ded in
the
height of the buil ding .

In city area or gam tal area as it is know n, the cons

truc tion is allow ed on the full area
witho ut the prov ision of mar gins on any sitk. In
such case s, it becomes nece ssar y to chec k that
the height of one buil ding docs not obstruct
vent ilati on of the prop erty on the othe r side
road . For this purp ose, a ligh t plan e is marked of the
at a suita ble angl e from the_ edge of the road on
0 ther side and the
height of buil ding is suitably curt ailed oIT to allow
the light plan e to pass as
show n in Fig. . in plat e 5· I. The angk of ligh
52 t plane may be 45° or 63 l°, the la~ter bein
very comm on. With an a nt!k of 63 °, set h:1t.:k g
2 becomes necessary when the tota l heig ht of the
building exceed-; twice the ,~·ioth of ru ;u.l nr :,1rcct
abut ting the building.
 110 building p[a nng DesignirJg and Sch
edul,,,g
he rea r spa ce is mar ked by two ima
The heig ht ol, the bu1· lum.1·
g wt' lh respect to t gina rv
. .
line s, one hnc . . d 1 ti
. l The har izo nt al 1·me 1s · drawn
at righJt
er
belllF, hor iwn tnl an t ,c O 1 tbe d,ag ona . . b. h
. .
The loc atio n oft 1s onz ont al line
abg les to the roa d , hro ueh the cen is
tre of lbc fron t Im~- t whe re the hor izo
· ·
tak en at the higher poi nt alon g tJ1c '" 1· nta l line mee ts the rea
me. fro m. the . poi nf the bui ldin.
g at 63½ o wit h the horizontalr
.
bou nda ry, a diag
. .
. . •
ona l hnc 1s
.
d
rawn ·n the d1re ctto n
1
.
°
f fig 5·3 in pla te s·2.
hnc . For deta ils 1·
of hon zon tal me an d d"a
1 gonal hne re er .
No par t of the bui ldin g is allowed ·ect bey on d t h e d l'ago nal line exc ept th
to proJ '- at for
min or par ts such as chimneys, turr ets,
etc. _c; ~ d2-0 \ S\ }, t
5·10 . Plinth Area Regulations in Plots
L
The max imu m plin th are a of bui'ld' f diff eren t clas ses sha ll be gov ern ed
mgs 0 by the
.
foll owi ng reg ulat ion s. Plin th are a 1s ~ d b nam e cov ered are a.
also rc1erre Y
r (i) In a bazzar or Jl}arket
area , the plin th are a sha ll n~t . e_xce
site , pro vid ed tha t sufficient off-stre ed 7 5%. of thc area of ~he

\
j of vehicles are pro vid ed-o n the ·same
(ii) In an ind ustr ial plo t the plin
et par kin g fac_•h~ies for loa din g aD d
plo t of the bui ldm g.
unloading

th are a sha ll not exc ee d 60°/o/ of the site area .

\ (iii) In resi den tial plo t the cov
ered are a sha ll be as foll ows .
l TABLE 5·4
Covered area or plinth area in residen
tial plo ts

S. No.
I Area of the plot Max imu m perm issib le covered area

I
J. Less than 200 m2 166¼ % of the plot area on the grou
the seco nd floor except a Bars ati notndexce
and first fl~ r and no1hingo,
floor. edin g 25 X, of the gn,und

2.
I 201 to 500 m2 \ 50% of the plot area or 133 m 2 whi chev er is
mor e.
.I
J 3. .I 501 m 2 to 1000 m2 140% of the plot area or 250 m2 whi chev er is mor e.

4.
I mor e than 1000 m2
l 331 % of the plot area or 400 m2 whi
chev er is mor e.

~ v) In c,,a~c of bui ldin gs of mixed class, the cov

ere d are a· sho uld be det erm ine d by
~, ru)f s per tain ing to the par ticu lar the
class for whi ch the par ticu lar floor
intended to be used. In case where the is used or
1 re are two diff ere nt ·classes of occ
0 n one fl ? or, the covered upancy
are a sho uld be gov ern ed by the ope
be left fo r tha t par ticu lar class of occ n spa ce required to
upa ncy for eac h por tion of the bui ldin
bam e fl oor . g in the

Rel'.o mm cnd a ti o ns given aho vc arc

for lhe gui dan ce of sma ller municipa
fo r whi ch the , c a rc n o ma ster pla n lities and areas
s.
 tt l Bu ild in g Pl an ni ng De
sig ni ng an il Schedulin
g
s·n . l\t uns of Afc~SS l.
. .
Ev en, bm ld m . f . . \
-- ·
an d S m in wi dt h be
g sh all have a m ea
- ns o al::cqs at lea st_3·6 m in wi dt h up to , th re e sto
- · 1 Th . cl ea r ac ce-ss le
cnt ra.1h.--c d\_)o r o f th eyo nd three storeys hc1g it. is ad s fro m th e str ee_ rey
t t -hs
building. This access . .
an d sh ouJd no t at an way sh ou ld be mamta~ ot e
y time cau~e or pe rm ne_d fre e fro m an ~ ob
it any po rti on of an y str uc tio n
to o, ·erha ng or to pr oj bu ild in g be lo w a he ig
ec t ov er or in to such a ht of 2·3 m
N o buildin g sh ou ld pa ss ag e.
be er ec ted · so as to
3c ce ss . T he access de pr iv e an y ot he r bu
way sh ou ld be sa tis fa cto ild in g of th e means of
o th e r fit tin gs laid ril y dr ai ne d an d lig
in th is access way sh ou ht ed . M an ho le co ve rs or
ld be flush wi th th e fin any
ob str uc t th e safe trave ish ed su rfa ce lev el so as no t to
l ov er it.
In the (a sc of m ul ti- sto
re ye d ro w ho us in g sc
dent for ea d1 pl ot /te ne he m es , m ea ns of ac ce
m en t an d th er e sh ou ld ss sh ou ld be indepen-
no t be co m m on ru nn
5·12. Distance from in g ba lc on y.
Electric Lines L _.<;____-"
No ve ra nd ah , ba lco ny ..
, sa ib an or th e lik e, of
tru cte d withi_n th e di sta an y bu ild in g sh ou ld be
nc es qu ot ed in ta bl e s· al lo we d to be cons-
Ru les an d 1ts am en
dm en ts fro m tim e to
s in ac co rd an ce w ith th
e cu rr en t In di an Elec
be tw ee n th e bu ild in g tim e. Th es e di sta nc tricity
an d any ov er he ad ele es ar e th e m in im um distan
ctr ic su pp ly lin e. ces
TABLE s·s ·

Particular of electric /-ine------\--~~~=-·==-------_-_-_-_--_ ·--D~•-·s~-at _·n~c-e~~:::_ _

_ _ __
Vertical \ Ho riz on tal
1. ~o w an d me diu m vo lta
ge lin es an d ser vic e

I
li ne s. 2A m
1· 22 m

2. High vo lt age I ines

33000 V. up to an d inc lud ing
3 66 m
1·s3 m
J . Ex tra high vo ha ge
lin es be yo nd 3000 V.
3·6 6 m
1'83 m
r - - - -- - __ .>. ,._
- ~ - - -- ~
(p lus O·J m fo r exery
33000 V or pa rt thereo ad dit ion al
f.)
~. 13 . Rt qu ire llient s of P ar t s
nf c
 - ~ - . ,. vi ,u \; w1uu1 0 1 toe rema in-
, ·J4, Ugbffost and ·v entila tion --
1. lli1hl1 ab/e Roo,111 , w ,n<l.r.,w 14·-- d f . ,
,nM an o ~ri vc ran"la h arc pro v1Jl't] ',, , , n<l • .an.. l ~ w ht ~ O )Pn i . - 1 d.
' ~ n~) ett,1er 1rectl y ~o . .
Jr a. m1 ·f!.~ 1on of n t
exter nal air or
,#J)oo r OJ1C1l l nr. a rc no t coun ted in ti . l . , l 1· .
a u r a ighl and a ir mto the - ---
room s.
1
,.. p:\rtl y fhcd , on ly opcn :.!bl c a rea ; hal l ~ ~tg t tt ns and vent ila
ti on of the bui ld ing. If a windo w
be Jt .(?htcd if it is mv,rc tha n 7·5 m · ~ counted Also n 0 rf
f · _RO ion o f a room 1s ·
assum ed to
me -- away rom the Q[!en ing a
rm oimu m aggre gate area of open ings f gh . r
..2__ ss~m .
ed f 1· gh
1 . .
or 1 il ng that portio n.
not Jeu ,than . or t . ling and ventilation point of view sllou)d be
I I / 10th of t he floor a rea f or dry _hot climy te and
(I )
, (ii) I /6th of t he floo r area for wet hot clima tes.

'I~e aggr! ga_te area .of door and window shall not be l
the ro-0m . - e&s th a n I /7 th of t he flo~ r area o~ j
_Crotts vent ilatio n by m eans of wind ows or venti lators or bot h shall be
ctkct cd in at least
one IJ'vt ng r 0om of a t en emen t eithe r by mea ns of windo
ws in oppo site walls or if thi:, is not
possible or a<lvisa bJc, t hen at leas t in the adjoi ning walls.
2.
t Jihting and ventil ation of ~athrooms and W.C. Bathr ooms
and water closets
ihould be provi d ed wi th natur al Jight and perm anent venti
lation by one ()f the follow ing
means :
(a) ·wind ows h av in g an area of not less than 10% of the floor area
and locat ed in an
<:1.tcrio r wa1J fac111 g a stree t alley , yard, or an airsh aft whose
di mens ion 1n the direc tion per-
pcnd tcuJar t o t he w1nctowJ h- nOt less t han one-t hird · the heigh
t of the build ing on whic h the
wrnd<Jw is locat ed, subje cted t o a minim um limit of 1 m and maxi mum
6 m.
( h) Sky Jights may be pro vided whic h will provide light and venti lation
..
fr) Vent ilatio n d ucts, pro v1<lcd such ducts have 130 2
as in (a).
cm of area for each m1 of floor
-
area with a *minimum total a rea o f 300 cm2' and a least d imensj on oL
9 c~ The vent fegis ier
or g,iff to the auct ~h al l' be locat ed in or next to the ceiling or the venti
lated space . A separ ate
<luct from each space or room shall run t o and above the roof
and shall be provi ded with a
lou,ercd ve nt ~lac k, p ro vided howe ver , when an exha u~t fan 1s used,
the duct open ing may be
located in ,in outer wall. "'("
 116 Building Plan nfng Designing and Schedultna
~ Kitchen. Ever y kitch en shou ld be vent ilate d acco rdin g to the stan dard s prescribed
for habi table room_.near the ceili ng as far as poss ible.
~ Stair ways. Ever y stair case shou )d be light ed and vent ilate
d from an open air
spac e of n'Jt less than 3 m dept h meas ured horiz onta lly in case of grou nd
and one uppe r floor
struc ture;-- ·4·5 m in case of grou nd and two uppe r, and in high er struc
ture than this, theopen
ifr spac e shallc::....._
be not less t han 6 m, prov ided that the light ing area shall be not
less than 1 m2
__----- --;-------=----=- _ _ _ ___..>
per floor heig ht. Every stair case shou ld be vent ilate d prop erly.
• -
5. Basement and cellars. Base ment and room s loca ted there in
exce pt stora ge room
shall be light ed and vent ilate d by windows in exterior wall s havi ng a vent
ilati ng area of not less
than 2J % of the floor area . --
-- -----.. -;-------
6. Stores, back rooms etc. Thes e will have at least half of vent ilati
on requ ired for
Jiving roon-. Whe re such ventilati<'n by aper tures in walls is not" poss ible
or advi sabl e, at least ,
there shall be vent ilatio n by mean s of a flue or chimney.