The setback is the open strip that must be left between the building and each boundary. What sets it varies by state — usually the size of the plot, the height of the building, or the width of the road outside.
No setback on any side: front, rear or either side. Delhi lets the smallest plots build to every boundary, which is what makes the 90% coverage achievable.
MPD-2021 Table 4.3, minimum setbacks, rows 1–3 — and 7 related rules below.
No setback on any side: front, rear or either side. Delhi lets the smallest plots build to every boundary, which is what makes the 90% coverage achievable.
| Plot area up to (m²) | 100 |
| Front setback (m) | 0 |
| Rear setback (m) | 0 |
| Side setback 1 (m) | 0 |
| Side setback 2 (m) | 0 |
Where the permissible ground coverage cannot be achieved with the setbacks stated for your plot size, the local body may grant the setbacks applicable to the LOWER category of plot size. It may also disregard a variation of up to 2% in plot size arising from converting square yards to square metres. This is a designed fallback, not a discretionary favour — if coverage and setbacks conflict, the setbacks give way.
A projection into the front setback may be at most 2.4 m deep where the setback is 3 m, and at most 3 m deep where the setback is 6 m or more. The same limits apply to side setbacks. At least 30% of the area of each setback must be kept open to sky.
3 m at the front and nothing at the rear or either side.
| Plot area from (m²) | 100 |
| Plot area up to (m²) | 250 |
| Front setback (m) | 3 |
| Rear setback (m) | 0 |
| Side setback 1 (m) | 0 |
| Side setback 2 (m) | 0 |
3 m front, 3 m rear and 3 m on side (1). Side (2) remains nil — the last band where a plot may still build to one side boundary.
| Plot area from (m²) | 250 |
| Plot area up to (m²) | 500 |
| Front setback (m) | 3 |
| Rear setback (m) | 3 |
| Side setback 1 (m) | 3 |
| Side setback 2 (m) | 0 |
6 m front, 3 m rear, 3 m on both sides. One setback band spans four plot-area rows here — 500–750, 750–1000, 1000–1500 and 1500–2000 — even though the coverage and FAR change within it.
| Plot area from (m²) | 500 |
| Plot area up to (m²) | 2000 |
| Front setback (m) | 6 |
| Rear setback (m) | 3 |
| Side setback 1 (m) | 3 |
| Side setback 2 (m) | 3 |
9 m front, 6 m rear and 6 m on both sides, spanning every band from 2,000 to 10,000 m².
| Plot area from (m²) | 2000 |
| Plot area up to (m²) | 10000 |
| Front setback (m) | 9 |
| Rear setback (m) | 6 |
| Side setback 1 (m) | 6 |
| Side setback 2 (m) | 6 |
15 m front, 9 m rear and 9 m on both sides.
| Plot area from (m²) | 10000 |
| Front setback (m) | 15 |
| Rear setback (m) | 9 |
| Side setback 1 (m) | 9 |
| Side setback 2 (m) | 9 |
Official text: Master Plan for Delhi 2021 (MPD-2021), sub-para 4.4.3 — Control for Building/Buildings within Residential Premises ↗
Rules change and we would rather hear it from you than have somebody build to a stale number. No account needed.
Trace your tatima to get the real area, side lengths and a dimensioned plan. Automatic compliance checking runs on Himachal rules today — for Delhi the 27 rules published here are the reference, and the check is yours to make.
Trace your tatima → All Delhi rules →