How many metres from the boundary? Setbacks you need before a house design
Before an architect draws the first wall, they need to know how close to the neighbour's boundary a house may stand. One regulation answers this — the technical-conditions regulation, §12 — but it carries more exceptions than the textbook 'four metres' rule suggests.
The base rule: 4 metres or 3 metres
The regulation on technical conditions for buildings and their siting sets a different minimum distance from the neighbouring boundary depending on what's in the wall. A wall with windows or doors must stand at least 4 metres from the boundary. A blank wall — no windows, no doors — may stand closer: a minimum of 3 metres.
Eaves, cornices and other elements projecting beyond the wall face follow partly separate rules — the architect calculates them apart from the building's main volume. Don't assume an eave automatically eats into the base distance.
When you can build closer: 1.5 metres and building on the boundary
- A plot up to 16 m wide may, under certain local-plan conditions, allow a house 1.5 m from the boundary or directly on it — with a blank, windowless wall.
- A local plan can explicitly permit building on the boundary (typical for semi-detached and terraced housing) — the plan's own wording then overrides the general technical-conditions rule.
- A neighbour can consent to siting a building closer than the standard distance — but that doesn't replace a formal agreement recorded in the design; a verbal understanding between neighbours isn't enough.
Why this matters before you even buy the plot
Boundary setbacks, together with the minimum biologically active area and the maximum building-coverage ratio, decide what house actually fits on the plot — not just whether building is formally allowed. A narrow plot with 4+4 metre setbacks on both side boundaries may physically not fit a house of the width you had in mind.
Centria's parcel report marks out an indicative buildable area accounting for boundary setbacks and the plan's parameters — before you pay an architect for a concept that won't fit.
Frequently asked questions
Often yes, if it's an outbuilding or garage with the right parameters — the technical-conditions regulation allows smaller distances for certain accessory structures than for a residential building. Check this individually with your designer; it depends on the height and length of the wall along the boundary.
No. Where a neighbour's consent is needed and possible in a given situation, it must be part of the design documentation, not a verbal statement. Without it, the designer will apply the base distance.
The technical-conditions regulation applies directly (4 m / 3 m / exceptions). A plan may tighten these rules or, in specific cases, allow something different — but a plan's silence doesn't mean anything goes.
See what actually fits on the plot
The report shows an indicative buildable area accounting for boundary setbacks and the plan's parameters — before you invest in a design.