§ 8 LBauO # Abstandsflächen in Rheinland-Pfalz In Rheinland-Pfalz the depth of the setback area is 0.4 H, at least 3. m. The governing provision is § 8 LBauO. 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 § 8 LBauO requires | Standard factor | 0.4 H | |---|---| | Minimum depth | 3. m | | Commercial and industrial zones | 0.25 H | | Central area | in Kerngebieten steht es im Ermessen der Behörde, weniger als 0,4 H zuzulassen | | 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. ein Giebeldreieck von 8 m × 4 m bleibt außer Betracht. | Work it out yourself ## Calculating Abstandsflächen in Rheinland-Pfalz Set eaves height, roof pitch, building depth and distance to the boundary — the required depth is calculated under § 8 LBauO as you go. The roof allowance is what stands out: the same building yields different values of H across the 16 states. Under § 8 LBauO 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 3.00 m The setback area lies entirely on the plot. 3.00 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 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 Rheinland-Pfalz 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 | 3.2 m | |---|---| | Length per boundary | 12. m | | Total length along all boundaries | 18. m | | Additional conditions | 3,20 m mittlere Wandhöhe und 12 m je Grenze – beides großzügiger als in den meisten Ländern. Die 18 m gesamt sind nicht nachbarschützend. Dachneigung zur Grenze höchstens 45°, Giebel an der Grenze höchstens 4 m; das Privileg reicht bis 3 m Grenzabstand. | | Habitable rooms and fireplaces | Aufenthaltsräume und Feuerstätten ausgeschlossen | In comparison ## What is different in Rheinland-Pfalz Der Gewerbefaktor ist 0,25 H statt der sonst üblichen 0,2 H – und die Grenzbebauung ist mit 3,20 m Höhe und 12 m je Grenze die großzügigste im Bund. 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 → ](https://schwarzplan.eu/abstandsflaechen/)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 Landesbauordnung Rheinland-Pfalz, § 8 LBauO. Last amended: Änderung vom 22.09.2025, GVBl. S. 549, in Kraft 01.11.2025. [Synopse zur LBauO Rheinland-Pfalz](https://mkbwk.rlp.de/fileadmin/07/Bilder/Themen/Baurecht_und_Bautechnik/Bauvorschriften/Bauordnungsrecht/Synopse_mit_unterschiedlichen_Inkrafttretenszeitpunkten_2.0.pdf) (Synopse des Ministeriums (PDF)) [ View parcel boundaries in Rheinland-Pfalz → ](https://schwarzplan.eu/flurkarte/rheinland-pfalz/) [ Official site plan for a building application ](https://schwarzplan.eu/lageplan-bauantrag/) Other states ## Setback areas and boundary building elsewhere - [ Baden-Württemberg 0.4 H · 2.5 m ](https://schwarzplan.eu/abstandsflaechen/baden-wuerttemberg/) - [ Bayern 0.4 H · 3. m ](https://schwarzplan.eu/abstandsflaechen/bayern/) - [ Berlin 0.4 H · 3. m ](https://schwarzplan.eu/abstandsflaechen/berlin/) - [ Brandenburg 0.4 H · 3. m ](https://schwarzplan.eu/abstandsflaechen/brandenburg/) - [ Bremen 0.4 H · 3. m ](https://schwarzplan.eu/abstandsflaechen/bremen/) - [ Hamburg 0.4 H · 2.5 m ](https://schwarzplan.eu/abstandsflaechen/hamburg/) - [ Hessen 0.4 H · 2.5 m ](https://schwarzplan.eu/abstandsflaechen/hessen/) - [ Mecklenburg-Vorpommern 0.4 H · 3. m ](https://schwarzplan.eu/abstandsflaechen/mecklenburg-vorpommern/) - [ Niedersachsen 0.4 H · 3. m ](https://schwarzplan.eu/abstandsflaechen/niedersachsen/) - [ Nordrhein-Westfalen 0.4 H · 3. m ](https://schwarzplan.eu/abstandsflaechen/nordrhein-westfalen/) - [ Saarland 0.4 H · 3. m ](https://schwarzplan.eu/abstandsflaechen/saarland/) - [ Sachsen 0.4 H · 3. m ](https://schwarzplan.eu/abstandsflaechen/sachsen/) - [ Sachsen-Anhalt 0.4 H · 3. m ](https://schwarzplan.eu/abstandsflaechen/sachsen-anhalt/) - [ Schleswig-Holstein 0.4 H · 3. m ](https://schwarzplan.eu/abstandsflaechen/schleswig-holstein/) - [ Thüringen 0.4 H · 3. m ](https://schwarzplan.eu/abstandsflaechen/thueringen/)