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§ 5 NBauO

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.

0.4 H · min. 3. m
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.

Boundary

Under § 5 NBauO

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 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 Gesamthöhe ohne Mittelung – strenger als die mittlere Wandhöhe der anderen Länder. Das Privileg gilt auch bis 1 m Abstand; Bestand wird angerechnet.
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)

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

Other states

Setback areas and boundary building elsewhere

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