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.
The required minimum setbacks shall be provided at ground level itself for the whole building — they cannot be achieved only on upper floors by stepping the building in.
KMBR 2019, Rule 26(3) — and 21 related rules below.
The required minimum setbacks shall be provided at ground level itself for the whole building — they cannot be achieved only on upper floors by stepping the building in.
In a building with multiple occupancies, other than a multiplex complex, the yards required are those for the most restrictive occupancy present.
Any side yard may be interchanged with the rear yard. That means a strict front / rear / side-1 / side-2 reading understates what is legally available: the required dimensions may be redistributed between a side and the rear, which matters when fitting a building to an awkward plot.
Front 3 m, rear 1.5 m, sides 1 m. This is the ordinary residential case: Group A1 and A2 of any built-up area, and Group F (mercantile) with built-up area not exceeding 200 m². For buildings up to 10 m in height.
| Front setback (m) | 3 |
| Rear setback (m) | 1.5 |
| Side setback 1 (m) | 1 |
| Side setback 2 (m) | 1 |
Front 2 m, rear 1 m, sides 0.6 m — the smallest yards in the table. Applies to small plots under Group A1 and F where the built-up area does not exceed 200 m² AND the plot area does not exceed 125 m². Both conditions must hold.
| Plot area up to (m²) | 125 |
| Front setback (m) | 2 |
| Rear setback (m) | 1 |
| Side setback 1 (m) | 0.6 |
| Side setback 2 (m) | 0.6 |
Front 5 m, rear 2 m, sides 2 m. Groups B, C and D are educational, medical and assembly occupancies.
| Front setback (m) | 5 |
| Rear setback (m) | 2 |
| Side setback 1 (m) | 2 |
| Side setback 2 (m) | 2 |
Front 7.5 m, rear 3 m, and sides 3 m and 5 m — the two sides are deliberately unequal here, the only column in the table where that happens.
| Front setback (m) | 7.5 |
| Rear setback (m) | 3 |
| Side setback 1 (m) | 3 |
| Side setback 2 (m) | 5 |
Front 3 m, rear 1.5 m, sides 1 m — the same as ordinary residential. Group E is business and Group F mercantile.
| Front setback (m) | 3 |
| Rear setback (m) | 1.5 |
| Side setback 1 (m) | 1 |
| Side setback 2 (m) | 1 |
Front 3 m, rear 2 m, sides 2 m.
| Front setback (m) | 3 |
| Rear setback (m) | 2 |
| Side setback 1 (m) | 2 |
| Side setback 2 (m) | 2 |
Front 3 m, rear 3 m, sides 3 m.
| Front setback (m) | 3 |
| Rear setback (m) | 3 |
| Side setback 1 (m) | 3 |
| Side setback 2 (m) | 3 |
Front 7.5 m, rear 5 m, sides 3 m. Group G2 is the more hazardous industrial class and takes a deeper front yard than G1 at any size.
| Front setback (m) | 7.5 |
| Rear setback (m) | 5 |
| Side setback 1 (m) | 3 |
| Side setback 2 (m) | 3 |
Front 6 m, rear 3 m, sides 2 m.
| Front setback (m) | 6 |
| Rear setback (m) | 3 |
| Side setback 1 (m) | 2 |
| Side setback 2 (m) | 2 |
7.5 m on every side — front, rear and both sides alike. The only occupancy in the table with a uniform yard all round.
| Front setback (m) | 7.5 |
| Rear setback (m) | 7.5 |
| Side setback 1 (m) | 7.5 |
| Side setback 2 (m) | 7.5 |
Front 10 m — the deepest front yard in the table — with rear and sides 5 m.
| Front setback (m) | 10 |
| Rear setback (m) | 5 |
| Side setback 1 (m) | 5 |
| Side setback 2 (m) | 5 |
For single family residential buildings on plots abutting un-notified roads less than 6 m wide, the front yard shall not be less than 2 m — a relaxation from the 3 m the table otherwise requires.
| Road width up to (m) | 6 |
| Front setback (m) | 2 |
All the yards above are for buildings up to 10 m in height. Taller buildings are governed by separate provisions in these rules, which are not transcribed here — do not carry these figures upward.
| Height limit (m) | 10 |
The panchayat yards table is numerically identical to the municipal Table 4, column for column: residential A1/A2 and small Group F take front 3 m, rear 1.5 m, sides 1 m; a small plot under Group A1 or F (built-up ≤200 m² and plot ≤125 m²) takes 2 / 1 / 0.6; Groups B, C and D of 200–500 m² built-up take 5 / 2 / 2 and above 500 m² take 7.5 / 3 / sides of 3 and 5; Groups E and F above 200 m² take 3 / 1.5 / 1; Group G1 up to 200 m² takes 3 / 2 / 2 and above 200 m² takes 3 / 3 / 3; Group G2 takes 7.5 / 5 / 3; Group H above 200 m² takes 6 / 3 / 2; Group I hazardous takes 7.5 all round; and Group J multiplex takes front 10 m with rear and sides 5 m. Unlike coverage and FSI, which differ sharply between the two codes and again between panchayat categories, the yards do not move.
| Front setback (m) | 3 |
| Rear setback (m) | 1.5 |
| Side setback 1 (m) | 1 |
| Side setback 2 (m) | 1 |
Any one yard other than the front yard, for a building in the residential or small-plot columns, may be reduced to as little as 50 centimetres if there is no opening on that side. Combined with the rule that a side yard may be swapped with the rear, this gives real freedom on an awkward plot — but only where the wall is blank.
For single family residential buildings on plots abutting un-notified roads less than 6 m wide, the front yard shall not be less than 2 m — a relaxation from the 3 m otherwise required.
| Road width up to (m) | 6 |
| Front setback (m) | 2 |
Where an appurtenant building is used exclusively for parking the main building and stands on the same plot, the open yard abutting the street must be at least 3 m and the other sides at least 1 m for buildings up to 10 m in height, with additional open space at 50 cm for every 3 m of height or part of it, provided at ground level. Such a building may abut the main building, so long as the main building's light and ventilation are not reduced below the required minimum.
| Front setback (m) | 3 |
| Side setback 1 (m) | 1 |
Unless otherwise specified in a Master Plan, Detailed Town Planning Scheme or Interim Development order in force under the Kerala Town and Country Planning Act 2016, side yards may not be required for buildings under Group F mercantile. Check the planning instrument for your area before assuming the table governs.
All the yards above govern buildings up to 10 m in height. Taller buildings are dealt with separately in these rules and are not transcribed here — do not carry these figures upward.
| Height limit (m) | 10 |
Official text: Kerala Municipality Building Rules, 2019 ↗
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 Kerala the 64 rules published here are the reference, and the check is yours to make.
Trace your tatima → All Kerala rules →