Grenzabstände in Niedersachsen
In Niedersachsen the depth of the setback area is 0.4 H, at least 3. m. The governing provision is § 5 NBauO. H is the wall height from ground level to the point where the wall meets the roof surface.
As of 08/2026
The dimensions
What § 5 NBauO requires
| Standard factor | 0.4 H |
|---|---|
| Minimum depth | 3. m – die errechnete Tiefe darf auf volle 10 cm abgerundet werden |
| Commercial and industrial zones | 0.2 H – mindestens 3 m |
| 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. keine Dachregel; Giebeldreiecke bis 6 m Breite bleiben außer Betracht. |
Work it out yourself
Calculating Grenzabstände in Niedersachsen
Set eaves height, roof pitch, building depth and distance to the boundary — the required depth is calculated under § 5 NBauO as you go. The roof allowance is what stands out: the same building yields different values of H across the 16 states.
Under § 5 NBauO
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.
On your own plot
Plan your project right on the cadastral map
Click a parcel in Niedersachsen and, under “What can I build here?”, draw an extension, garage, carport, garden shed or pool. Move, rotate, change the dimensions – the setback areas are checked live against the real parcel boundaries.
Then
Calculated is not drawn
The figure above is half the job. The setback area is drawn into the Site plan for a building application – true to scale, with parcel boundaries and the neighbouring buildings. You will find the boundaries free of charge in the Cadastral map; the true-to-scale surroundings as a vector file are in the catalogue for Niedersachsen.
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 Niedersachsen 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 | 3 m Höhe bis zum höchsten Punkt, ohne Mittelung – strenger als die mittlere Wandhöhe der anderen Länder. Grenzbauten stehen ohne Abstand oder mit mindestens 1 m Abstand; bestehende Grenzbauten werden angerechnet. Carports gelten nach § 2 Abs. 10 als Garagen. |
| Habitable rooms and fireplaces | Aufenthaltsräume und Feuerstätten ausgeschlossen |
In comparison
What is different in Niedersachsen
Niedersachsen kennt den Begriff „Abstandsfläche" nicht – das Gesetz spricht von Grenzabständen. Und es misst 3 m als Gesamthöhe statt als Mittel, was Satteldächer an der Grenze deutlich einschränkt.
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
Niedersächsische Bauordnung, § 5 NBauO. Last amended: Gesetz vom 25.06.2025; § 5 in der Fassung ab 01.07.2024.
§ 5 NBauO bei VORIS (Gesetzestext)
Other states
Setback areas and boundary building elsewhere
- Baden-Württemberg 0.4 H · 2.5 m
- Bayern 0.4 H · 3. m
- Berlin 0.4 H · 3. m
- Brandenburg 0.4 H · 3. m
- Bremen 0.4 H · 3. m
- Hamburg 0.4 H · 2.5 m
- Hessen 0.4 H · 2.5 m
- Mecklenburg-Vorpommern 0.4 H · 3. m
- Nordrhein-Westfalen 0.4 H · 3. m
- Rheinland-Pfalz 0.4 H · 3. m
- Saarland 0.4 H · 3. m
- Sachsen 0.4 H · 3. m
- Sachsen-Anhalt 0.4 H · 3. m
- Schleswig-Holstein 0.4 H · 3. m
- Thüringen 0.4 H · 3. m