Skip to content
219+ plans · available now · commercial license
SCHWARZPLAN.EU
§ 6 HBO

Abstandsflächen in Hessen

In Hessen the depth of the setback area is 0.4 H, at least 2.5 m. The governing provision is § 6 HBO. 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 HBO requires

Standard factor 0.4 H
Minimum depth 2.5 m – die errechnete Tiefe wird auf volle 0,10 m abgerundet
Commercial and industrial zones 0.2 H – § 6 Abs. 7 lässt bei Wänden ohne Öffnungen 1,50 m bzw. 2,50 m zu
Central area no separate rule — the standard factor applies
Roof allowance Dachflächen über 70° Neigung werden voll auf H angerechnet, Dachflächen über 45° zu einem Drittel. Das ist die Formel, die Ratgeber meist für ganz Deutschland behaupten – sie gilt in vier Ländern. Über 70° gilt die Dachfläche als Wand, zwischen 45° und 70° zählt ein Drittel, bis 45° gar nichts.

Work it out yourself

Calculating Abstandsflächen in Hessen

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

6.00 m
35 °
10.00 m
3.00 m
Ridge above eaves 3.50 m
of which counted 0.00 m
governing height H 6.00 m
required depth 2.50 m

The setback area lies entirely on the plot. 2.50 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 Hessen 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 no length limit — see additional conditions
Total length along all boundaries 15. m
Additional conditions Statt einer Längengrenze gilt eine Wandfläche von 25 m² je Nachbargrenze; der Dachüberstand zählt in die 15 m hinein. Gebaut werden darf an der Grenze oder mit mindestens 1 m Abstand.
Habitable rooms and fireplaces nicht ausdrücklich geregelt; das Gesetz spricht von untergeordneten Gebäuden für Abstellzwecke

In comparison

What is different in Hessen

Einziges Land, das die Grenzbebauung je Grenze über eine Wandfläche (25 m²) statt über eine Länge begrenzt – und einziges, das die Abstandsfläche auf volle 10 cm abrundet.

On the roof allowance: Dachflächen über 70° Neigung werden voll auf H angerechnet, Dachflächen über 45° zu einem Drittel. Das ist die Formel, die Ratgeber meist für ganz Deutschland behaupten – sie gilt in vier Ländern. 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

Hessische Bauordnung, § 6 HBO. Last amended: Änderung vom 14.10.2025, GVBl. 2025 Nr. 66.

HBO Stand Oktober 2025 (Broschüre des Wirtschaftsministeriums (PDF))

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

Other states

Setback areas and boundary building elsewhere

?