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§ 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.

Boundary

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 →

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 (Synopse der Senatsverwaltung (PDF))

View parcel boundaries in Berlin → Official site plan for a building application

Other states

Setback areas and boundary building elsewhere

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