Bangalore guide
Bengaluru building rules 2026: what changed for plot owners
The Greater Bengaluru amendment raised height limits, cut setbacks and opened small plots to apartments. Here is what it actually lets you build, and the one limit that did not move.
In January 2026 the Karnataka government notified the Greater Bengaluru (Amendment) Regulations, 2026, and for once a rule change is genuinely good news for the person who owns one plot. Height went up, setbacks came down, and plots that were previously limited to an independent house can now take a small apartment building. If you are planning a build, this changes the arithmetic, and a design drawn to the older bye-laws may be leaving space on the table.
Quick answer: Residential height rose from 11.5 m to 15 m, and a stilt floor of up to 3 m no longer counts towards it. Setbacks were reduced, with fixed minimums for small plots. Apartments are now permitted from 200 sq m (about 2,150 sq ft), with up to 6 dwelling units on plots of 200 to 359 sq m. FAR did not change: it is still 1.75, and that is usually what actually limits you.
What the amendment changed
| Rule | Before | Under the 2026 amendment |
|---|---|---|
| Height in residential zones | 11.5 m | 15 m |
| Stilt floor | Counted towards height | Up to 3 m excluded from the height calculation |
| Setbacks | Larger, which ate into small plots | Reduced, with fixed minimums for plots up to 150 sq m |
| Apartments on small plots | Largely restricted to independent or low-intensity use | Permitted from 200 sq m, up to 6 dwelling units on 200 to 359 sq m |
| Larger plots | Unit limits applied | Reported as no upper unit cap above 360 sq m in Ring I and Ring II, subject to FAR and setback compliance |
| Floor Area Ratio (FAR) | 1.75 | Unchanged at 1.75 |
Height: 15 metres, and the stilt stops counting
The height change is the one most owners will feel. Under the old 11.5 m ceiling, a stilt plus three floors was often impossible once you allowed for floor-to-floor heights and the parapet. At 15 m, with up to 3 m of stilt excluded from the calculation, a stilt plus three floors becomes realistic on plots where G+2 was previously the practical limit.
Two cautions. Height is a ceiling, not a permission: you still have to fit within FAR, ground coverage and setbacks, and your road width can constrain what is allowed. And if you are anywhere near the airport, the airport authority height clearance applies regardless of what the city rules permit, which matters across the whole north Bangalore belt.
Setbacks: small plots gain the most
Setbacks are the quiet tax on a small site. On a 30×40 plot, losing five feet at the front and rear and three feet on each side takes the buildable footprint from 1,200 sq ft down to 720. The amendment reduces setbacks and applies fixed minimums to plots up to 150 sq m, which includes the 30×40 (about 111 sq m) and the 20×30 (about 56 sq m). In practice that means a wider house on the same plot.
Because the exact minimum depends on your plot size, zone and road width, we deliberately do not publish a single setback table. Use the plot setback calculator with the figures your architect confirms for your plot, and treat its defaults as illustrative rather than as your entitlement.
Apartments on a 40×60: what the numbers actually allow
This is the headline most coverage stops at: up to six dwelling units on a plot of 200 to 359 sq m, where previously such plots were largely held to independent or low-intensity residential use. It is a real change, and for an owner weighing rental income against building one large house it is worth understanding properly.
But run it against the FAR that did not change, and the picture gets more honest. FAR 1.75 caps your total built area at 1.75 times the plot, so the unit cap is rarely the binding constraint. The space is.
| Plot | Total buildable at FAR 1.75 | If split into 6 units |
|---|---|---|
| 200 sq m (about 2,150 sq ft), the new threshold | ~3,770 sq ft | ~630 sq ft per unit |
| 40×60 (2,400 sq ft, about 223 sq m) | ~4,200 sq ft | ~700 sq ft per unit |
| 50×80 (4,000 sq ft, about 372 sq m) | ~7,000 sq ft | ~1,165 sq ft per unit |
So six units on a 40×60 means six compact homes of roughly 700 sq ft, before you deduct staircases, lifts, lobbies and parking, not six comfortable family flats. That may be exactly right if you are building for rental demand near an employment hub, and quite wrong if you imagined 1,200 sq ft units. The rule opens the option; FAR still decides the scale. Check your own case with the FSI and FAR calculator.
We are a planning platform, not an advisor: we are setting out what the rules now permit so you can evaluate it. A multi-unit build brings in parking norms, fire and services requirements, a different approval path and, if you sell units, RERA obligations. Take it to a licensed architect before you commit.
What did not change
- FAR is still 1.75. The single most important number for how much you can build did not move
- You still need a sanctioned plan before starting work, from whichever authority covers your plot
- Title, khata and e-khata still govern everything. Relaxed bye-laws do nothing for a plot that cannot get a plan approved
- Jurisdiction is unchanged. Which body sanctions your plan still depends on where the plot sits
What to do if you are planning a build now
- If your drawings predate January 2026, ask your architect to re-check them against the amended regulations. You may be entitled to more than the design assumes
- Confirm the setback minimums for your specific plot size, zone and road width, in writing
- Ask whether the stilt exclusion lets you add a floor within the 15 m limit
- If you are considering multiple units, model it at FAR 1.75 first, then decide whether the unit sizes work for your market
- Confirm the amendment applies to your plot at all: the Greater Bengaluru regulations govern the Greater Bengaluru Area, while planning authority areas can have their own regulations
Frequently asked questions
Can I build G+3 on a 30×40 site now?
The 15 m height limit and the exclusion of up to 3 m of stilt make it far more achievable than under the old 11.5 m ceiling. Height is only one of the constraints though: you also have to satisfy FAR 1.75, ground coverage, setbacks and any road-width condition. Have an architect test it for your specific plot rather than assuming it.
Can I really build six flats on a 40×60 plot?
Up to six dwelling units are permitted on plots of 200 to 359 sq m, and a 40×60 at about 223 sq m falls in that band. The practical limit is FAR: at 1.75 you have roughly 4,200 sq ft of built area in total, so six units average about 700 sq ft each before common areas and parking. Permitted and sensible are different questions.
Did FAR increase in 2026?
No. FAR stayed at 1.75. This is the most common misreading of the amendment: height, setbacks and unit counts were relaxed, but the total built area you are allowed relative to your plot did not change.
Do these rules apply outside city corporation limits?
Not automatically. The Greater Bengaluru regulations apply to the Greater Bengaluru Area. If your plot falls under a planning authority such as Anekal, BIAAPA or BMICAPA, or under a gram panchayat, check which regulations govern it before assuming the relaxations apply to you.