§ 6 BauO Bln # Abstandsflächen in Berlin In Berlin the depth of the setback area is 0.4 H, at least 3. m. The governing provision is § 6 BauO Bln. H is the wall height from ground level to the point where the wall meets the roof surface. 0.4 H · min. 3. m As of 08/2026 The dimensions ## What § 6 BauO Bln requires | Standard factor | 0.4 H | |---|---| | Minimum depth | 3. m | | Commercial and industrial zones | 0.2 H | | Central area | no separate rule — the standard factor applies | | Roof allowance | Das Land kennt keine anteilige Dachanrechnung. Die Wandhöhe H wird stattdessen unmittelbar an der Dachhaut bzw. abschnittsweise ermittelt. H wird von jedem Punkt der Dachhaut aus ermittelt – es gibt nichts anzurechnen. | | Special rule for residential buildings | 3 m genügen für Gebäude der Gebäudeklassen 1 und 2 mit höchstens drei oberirdischen Geschossen. | Work it out yourself ## Calculating Abstandsflächen in Berlin Set eaves height, roof pitch, building depth and distance to the boundary — the required depth is calculated under § 6 BauO Bln as you go. The roof allowance is what stands out: the same building yields different values of H across the 16 states. Under § 6 BauO Bln 6.00 m 35 ° 10.00 m 3.00 m Ridge above eaves 3.50 m of which counted 3.50 m governing height H 9.50 m required depth 3.80 m The setback area extends 0.80 m beyond the boundary. 3.80 m would be required, 3.00 m are kept. A symmetrical gable roof and level ground are assumed. The figure is geometric, not a statement about permissibility: a local by-law, a development plan or a building encumbrance can set different dimensions. Worked through ## Worked examples at a glance Depth = 0.4 × H, but never less than 3. m. These values apply to a wall in the standard case; commercial zones, core zones and privileged boundary structures follow the figures above and below. | Wall height H | Calculation | Depth of the setback area | |---|---|---| | 3. m | 0.4 × 3. = 1.2 m → minimum applies | 3. m | | 4.5 m | 0.4 × 4.5 = 1.8 m → minimum applies | 3. m | | 6.5 m | 0.4 × 6.5 = 2.6 m → minimum applies | 3. m | | 9. m | 0.4 × 9. = 3.6 m | 3.6 m | | 12. m | 0.4 × 12. = 4.8 m | 4.8 m | Building on the boundary ## What may stand on the boundary in Berlin without a setback area Garages, carports and garden sheds may stand directly on the property boundary under narrow conditions. The dimensions differ in every state. | Height | 3. m | |---|---| | Length per boundary | 9. m | | Total length along all boundaries | 15. m | | Additional conditions | die 9 m schließen den Dachüberstand ein; Dachneigung höchstens 45° | | Habitable rooms and fireplaces | Aufenthaltsräume und Feuerstätten ausgeschlossen | In comparison ## What is different in Berlin Keine anteilige Dachanrechnung: H läuft von jedem Punkt der Dachhaut, was steile Dächer spürbar teurer macht als in Ländern mit Drittel-Regel. On the roof allowance: Das Land kennt keine anteilige Dachanrechnung. Die Wandhöhe H wird stattdessen unmittelbar an der Dachhaut bzw. abschnittsweise ermittelt. This system is shared by 4 of the 16 states. The formula that guides usually claim applies across Germany — "over 70° in full, over 45° one third" — applies in only four. [ All 16 states compared → ](https://schwarzplan.eu/abstandsflaechen/)Limits of this information ## What this page does not answer These figures reproduce the state building code. A local by-law, a development plan or a registered building encumbrance can set different dimensions — and there is no nationwide register of such by-laws. Only the building authority's own information is binding. Also not covered: provisions in the development plan, registered building encumbrances, the duty of mutual consideration between neighbours, fire-safety distances, and whether a project is exempt from a permit. And the most common error: exempt from a permit does not mean exempt from setbacks. A carport that needs no building application must still keep the setback areas. Legal reference ## Read the original Bauordnung für Berlin, § 6 BauO Bln. Last amended: Gebäudeenergie- und Bauordnungsänderung vom 09.07.2026, GVBl. S. 692, in Kraft 23.07.2026. [Synopse zur Änderung der BauO Bln](https://www.berlin.de/sen/stadt/_assets/service/rechtsvorschriften/bereich-bauen/synopseaendbauobln_durchgeb.pdf) (Synopse der Senatsverwaltung (PDF)) [ View parcel boundaries in Berlin → ](https://schwarzplan.eu/flurkarte/berlin/) [ Official site plan for a building application ](https://schwarzplan.eu/lageplan-bauantrag/) Other states ## Setback areas and boundary building elsewhere - [ Baden-Württemberg 0.4 H · 2.5 m ](https://schwarzplan.eu/abstandsflaechen/baden-wuerttemberg/) - [ Bayern 0.4 H · 3. m ](https://schwarzplan.eu/abstandsflaechen/bayern/) - [ Brandenburg 0.4 H · 3. m ](https://schwarzplan.eu/abstandsflaechen/brandenburg/) - [ Bremen 0.4 H · 3. m ](https://schwarzplan.eu/abstandsflaechen/bremen/) - [ Hamburg 0.4 H · 2.5 m ](https://schwarzplan.eu/abstandsflaechen/hamburg/) - [ Hessen 0.4 H · 2.5 m ](https://schwarzplan.eu/abstandsflaechen/hessen/) - [ Mecklenburg-Vorpommern 0.4 H · 3. m ](https://schwarzplan.eu/abstandsflaechen/mecklenburg-vorpommern/) - [ Niedersachsen 0.4 H · 3. m ](https://schwarzplan.eu/abstandsflaechen/niedersachsen/) - [ Nordrhein-Westfalen 0.4 H · 3. m ](https://schwarzplan.eu/abstandsflaechen/nordrhein-westfalen/) - [ Rheinland-Pfalz 0.4 H · 3. m ](https://schwarzplan.eu/abstandsflaechen/rheinland-pfalz/) - [ Saarland 0.4 H · 3. m ](https://schwarzplan.eu/abstandsflaechen/saarland/) - [ Sachsen 0.4 H · 3. m ](https://schwarzplan.eu/abstandsflaechen/sachsen/) - [ Sachsen-Anhalt 0.4 H · 3. m ](https://schwarzplan.eu/abstandsflaechen/sachsen-anhalt/) - [ Schleswig-Holstein 0.4 H · 3. m ](https://schwarzplan.eu/abstandsflaechen/schleswig-holstein/) - [ Thüringen 0.4 H · 3. m ](https://schwarzplan.eu/abstandsflaechen/thueringen/)