Building Bye-Laws are regulations laid down by the local government, which govern building development. These cover various aspects, such as building area, height, structural safety and architectural and construction features. In Delhi, the Building Bye-Laws are implemented by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) for the construction of residential buildings and other structures. They serve as guidelines for architects, builders and engineers to develop new structures and landmarks.
Delhi Building Bye-Laws: Key aspects
The Delhi Building Bye-Laws encompass a set of rules and regulations covering various aspects of buildings and their development. The Delhi Building Bye-Laws cover:
- Ground coverage
- Floor Area Ratio (FAR)
- Setback
- Height
- General building requirements (balcony, canopy, parapet walls, boundary walls, basement, stilts, lifts, staircase, lighting, ventilation, etc.)
Ground Coverage in Delhi
Ground coverage refers to the ground area that can be covered on a plot. It is the portion of the building within the outer surface of the structural wall, column and slab considered from ground level, excluding the projection, balcony, canopy, porch, void or shaft permitted free from FAR and cladding or curtain wall up to 150 mm.
FAR in Delhi
FAR refers to the ratio between the floor area and the plot area. It determines the size of a structure that can be built on a plot in terms of area, based on plot area and size. Hence, FAR defines a building’s total covered area across all levels to the size of the land where it is built.
FAR = Total covered area (plinth area) of all the floors x 100/plot area
For example, a 251 sqm plot with a 300 FAR permits a total built-up size of 753 sqm on all storeys. This built-up area may be divided across different storeys.
Setback in Delhi
Setback determines the minimum open space required around a building or structure and defines its boundaries. A setback may be defined as the area on a plot on the front, rear or sides, depending on the plot size, that is left for light, ventilation and services, such as drainage.
One of the purposes of setbacks is to prevent overpopulation and ensure a secure and well-designed urban environment.
Minimum setback in Delhi
| Plot size (in sqm) | Front | Rear | Side 1 | Side 2 |
| Below 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 100-250 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 250-500 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 500-2000 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 2000-10000 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Above 10000 | 15 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
Building height in Delhi
In the case of flat roofs, the vertical distance measured from the highest surrounding road or ground level up to the top of the structural slab refers to the structure height. If a building does not adjoin a street, the height is measured from the highest ground level immediately next to the building.
Some structures are included in the building height in Delhi:
- Roof tanks and their supports should not exceed 1.8 m.
- Ventilating apparatus, air conditioning equipment and lift machine rooms, if required, as per the specification of the lift manufacturer and similar service equipment.
- Stair covered with Mumty not above 3 m in height.
- Chimneys and parapet walls should not exceed 1.5 m in height.
- A screen wall up to the height of 1.8 m.
- A solar panel at any height or level, including ground level, terrace or rooftop.
- Height of car lifts or passenger lifts, including the machine room accessible to the rooftop or terrace.
- Toilet on the building terrace.
- Pergola up to the height of the Mumty, maximum of 3 m above the terrace of the top floor.
General building requirements in Delhi
- In the main building, the plinth or any part of a structure or outhouse will be located near the highest surrounding road level from the site or ground level, irrespective of the entry-level location. This is aimed at ensuring adequate drainage of the site.
- The interior courtyards, covered parking spaces and garages must be suitably drained, either by gravity or by mechanical means.
- The outer walls of a structure must have a minimum thickness of 230 mm.
Balcony requirements in Delhi
A balcony is defined as a horizontal cantilevered/non-cantilevered or projected slab, comprising a parapet and handrail balustrade at any floor level, including a terrace. The balcony is aimed to provide a passage or sit-out place with, at least, one side fully open, except being provided with a railing or parapet wall for safety purposes.
- The balcony can be constructed within the plot line to the maximum width of 1.5 m free from FAR.
- Wrap-around continuous balconies are permitted until their area does not exceed 40% of the total open area.
- Minimum double height open terrace is permitted, measuring @10 sqm maximum area with a maximum depth of 3 m free from FAR.
- End walls up to 0.9 m in terrace-type construction built as an architectural feature (non-load bearing) will be compoundable.
Canopy in Delhi
Only one canopy is allowed for each detached block in one-storied residential structures. In more than one-storied residential buildings, canopies are allowed over ground-floor entrances with a maximum of 3 m height from ground level.
Front setback
- The canopy may extend up to a maximum of 2.4 m deep if the front setback is 3 m deep.
- They may extend up to a maximum of 3 m deep in case the front setback is 6 m or more.
Side setbacks
- A maximum of 2.4 m deep is allowedif the side setback is 3 m deep.
- A maximum of 3 m deep if the side setback is 6 m or more.
A minimum of 30% of the area of the respective setback will be maintained as open to the sky.
Parapet walls in Delhi
A parapet wall can be defined as a low wall or railing constructed along the edge of a roof or a floor in a building. A maximum of 1.5 m is permitted for low-rise and a maximum of 1.8 m for high-rise buildings. Parapet walls and handrails are provided on the edges of roof terraces or balconies. They can be a minimum of 1 m and a maximum of 1.5 m in height. On the terrace floor in the area where the DG set, water tank and other service equipment are installed, a lightweight screen can be constructed to hide such equipment.
Boundary wall in Delhi
When constructing a building, the front wall can be a maximum of 1.5 m from the highest adjacent road level at site/ground level to be solid (of stone, brick, masonry, etc.) and above 1.5 m. It must be perforated (stone jail/iron grills/vegetation) to maintain visual continuity.
In the case of the side and back wall, a maximum of 2.4 m from ground level to be solid (stone, brick, masonry, etc.) is allowed.
Basement rules and regulations in Delhi
A basement refers to the lower storey of a building below or partly below the ground level. They are not counted in FAR if used for parking, household storage and services. The basement area must not extend beyond the coverage on the ground floor according to the permissible and sanctioned built-up area. However, they can extend to the area below the internal courtyard and shaft.
- The basement can have a minimum clear height of 4 m from the beam bottom (soffit) and a minimum width of 2.4 m.
- It should have a ventilation provision.
- There should be a sufficient arrangement for surface drainage.
- The basement walls and floors have to be watertight.
- Basement access can be provided either from the main or alternate staircase to the building.
- If there is a lift in a building, the same must serve the basement.
- Up to 40% of the total setback area can be recessed for basement light, ventilation and access, ensuring that fire tender movement is not blocked.
- A sunken courtyard as a ‘light well’ within the building envelope is allowed for basement light and ventilation.
- When building a basement, a 2-m buffer area should be left from the neighbour’s
- One toilet is allowed within the building envelope in the stilt area and basement, provided there is suitable natural/mechanical ventilation, drainage and sanitation, and the maximum size does not exceed 4 sqm, which will not be counted in FAR.
- One toilet on the terrace with a maximum of 2.2 m height will be allowed if the toilet area is a maximum of 4 sqm, not to be counted in FAR, and towards the building height.
Stilt parking
Stilt or stilt floor refers to the non-habitable area of a building above ground level that includes structural columns supporting the superstructure with a minimum of two open sides for parking and landscaping. Stilt is necessary for plot areas of 100-1000 sqm.
When a building is constructed on an individual plot with a stilt floor, a minimum of 2.4 m height at the soffit level of the beam and a maximum of 2.7 m height at the soffit level of the slab for parking space is allowed. T is calculated from the finished floor level.
Lift regulations
- In buildings below 15 m, providing a lift is at the property owner’s discretion to facilitate movement, especially for the elderly.
- All the floors, including the basement and rooftop or terrace, must be accessible by the lifts. The lifts should be treated as a means of escape in case of emergency.
- In the case of residential plots of up to 500 sqm and below 15 m in height, the lift opening will be permitted in the staircase landing if it does not obstruct movement or during an emergency.
- Access to the basement will either be from the main or alternate staircase to the building.
- If there is a lift in a building, the same shall serve the basement.
Staircase rules
- A ladder or any form of open access to the overhead tank for inspection must be provided in a building.
- Interior stairs must be built of non-combustible material and as a self-contained unit. They must be mechanically ventilated if completely enclosed in low-rise residential buildings.
- A staircase should not be arranged around a lift shaft.
- Hollow combustible construction is not allowed in a building.
- The minimum width of treads without nosing should be 25 cm for the internal staircase for low-rise residential buildings.
- The treads must be built and maintained to prevent slipping.
- Winders are allowed in low-rise residential buildings if they are not at the head of a downward flight.
- The maximum riser height will be 19 cm in low-rise residential buildings.
- The maximum number of risers per flight will be limited to 15 per flight.
- The maximum height of risers should be 150 mm in low-rise residential buildings.
- Handrails must be built with a minimum of 1 m height from the centre of the tread. This should ensure that balusters/railing does not reduce the staircase width.
- The minimum headroom in a passage in a staircase landing and under the staircase should be 2.2 m.
- The lift must not open in the staircase landing and there should be a provision of an adequate lift lobby, except for low-rise residential plotted development up to 500 sqm.
- The height of corridors and passageways where staircase discharges should not be less than 2.4 m.
- All exits, including staircases, lifts lobbies and corridors, must be ventilated either naturally or mechanically.
- The additional area of passageway or corridor built over and above the prescribed limit must not be counted toward However, it will be counted in ground coverage.
Lighting and ventilation
All habitable rooms must be designed to allow natural light and air, one or more apertures, including window, glazed door and fan lights, opening directly to external air or into an open veranda not more than 2.40 m in width. A habitable room is a room built for study, living, sleeping, eating and kitchen.
If light and ventilation for a habitable area are through an internal courtyard, the minimum dimensions of the courtyard should be 3X3 sqm for buildings below 15 m in height unless it is mechanically ventilated.
- Rooms without external openings should have access to an internal open space, at least 3 m wide and not more than 15 m in height.
- A sunken courtyard as a ‘light well’ within the building envelope should be allowed for basement light and ventilation.
- A skylight in an interior open space or courtyard can be allowed if it does not act as a coverage space on the ground floor and does not violate the maximum/minimum ground coverage.
Ventilation shafts
A ventilation shaft is necessary for ventilating water closets and bathrooms, if it does not open on the front or rear, and interior open spaces. The shaft’s size should be as large as necessary based on the structure’s height and roof. It should be at least 1 m higher than the roofs around it. The shaft is equal to a four-storeyed building in height but just less than 15 m and 1.2 m.
FAQs
How many floors are allowed in Delhi?
The maximum number of floors that can be constructed in Delhi is four + stilt.
Is the fifth floor legal in Delhi?
The construction of a fifth floor in Delhi will depend on the location, plot size and zoning regulations.
Can I construct a third floor in Delhi?
Ground plus three floors can be constructed in Delhi after considering the building bye-laws.
Does the balcony count as a floor area?
Exterior spaces, including balconies, are not included in the gross floor area. The balcony can be constructed within the plot line to the maximum width of 1.5 m free from the FAR.
What is the minimum gap between houses?
The base distance between two buildings must be equivalent to the level of the taller structure or 1.5 times the joined width of the structures, whichever is more.
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