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§ 6 HBauO

Abstandsflächen in Hamburg

In Hamburg the depth of the setback area is 0.4 H, at least 2.5 m. The governing provision is § 6 HBauO. H is the wall height from ground level to the point where the wall meets the roof surface.

0.4 H · min. 2.5 m
As of 08/2026

The dimensions

What § 6 HBauO requires

Standard factor 0.4 H
Minimum depth 2.5 m
Commercial and industrial zones 0.2 H – mindestens 2,50 m; an Grenzen zu anders genutzten Baugebieten bleibt es bei 0,4 H
Central area no separate rule — the standard factor applies
Roof allowance Dachflächen unter 70° Neigung werden zu einem Drittel angerechnet, ab 70° voll. Eine Zwischenstufe bei 45° gibt es nicht.

Work it out yourself

Calculating Abstandsflächen in Hamburg

Set eaves height, roof pitch, building depth and distance to the boundary — the required depth is calculated under § 6 HBauO 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 HBauO

6.00 m
35 °
10.00 m
3.00 m
Ridge above eaves 3.50 m
of which counted 1.17 m
governing height H 7.17 m
required depth 2.87 m

The setback area lies entirely on the plot. 2.87 m are 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 2.5 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 2.5 m
4.5 m 0.4 × 4.5 = 1.8 m → minimum applies 2.5 m
6.5 m 0.4 × 6.5 = 2.6 m 2.6 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 Hamburg 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 mittlere Wandhöhe
Habitable rooms and fireplaces Aufenthaltsräume und Feuerstätten ausgeschlossen

In comparison

What is different in Hamburg

Mindesttiefe 2,50 m statt der bundesweit üblichen 3 m – in dichter Bebauung der entscheidende halbe Meter.

On the roof allowance: Dachflächen unter 70° Neigung werden zu einem Drittel angerechnet, ab 70° voll. Eine Zwischenstufe bei 45° gibt es nicht. This system is shared by 6 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

Hamburgische Bauordnung, § 6 HBauO. Last amended: HBauO vom 06.01.2025, in Kraft 01.01.2026.

HBauO 2025, Lesefassung der Stadt Hamburg (nichtamtliche Lesefassung (PDF))

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

Other states

Setback areas and boundary building elsewhere

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