Building near your neighbor's border – These are the rules you need to know

In urban areas and densely built-up areas, plots are often small, and every square meter needs to be used efficiently. This inevitably leads to the question: how close to the neighbor's boundary can I build a garage, a warehouse or even the main building itself? The answer is not straightforward, but a combination of legislation, local regulations, fire safety and agreements between neighbors.

The rule of thumb is that the distance between the building and the plot boundary should be at least half the height of the building, but usually at least 4–5 meters. However, the local plan may set its own, stricter or looser conditions for this. It is particularly important to take into account fire regulations: if a building is placed closer than 8 meters to a neighboring building, it often requires fire-compartmental structures. A distance of less than 4 meters from the boundary almost always requires the written consent of the neighbor. Incorrect placement can lead to an expensive demolition order, so it is worth carefully examining the regulations in advance.

• The general guideline distance to the neighbor's boundary is 4–5 meters, but this is not a binding law.
• The site plan is the most important document that determines the permitted location of a building on a plot.
• If the distance between buildings is less than 8 meters, the wall must be made partitioned for fire safety reasons (e.g. EI 60).
• If you want to build closer to the boundary than the plan allows, you usually need your neighbor's written consent.
• The neighbor's consent does not override fire safety regulations.
• Always check local regulations and discuss your plans with the designer and your neighbor.