Everyone dreams of building their own home. Very few people enjoy the paperwork that comes with it.

Between the Haryana Building Code, Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) approvals, Town and Country Planning (TCP) clearances, and a rulebook that runs into hundreds of pages, it’s easy to see why so many homeowners either overpay a consultant to “handle it” or, worse, skip a step and end up with a demolition notice years later.

This guide breaks down the Haryana Building Code — the law that governs residential construction in Gurgaon (Gurugram) and the rest of Haryana — in plain language. We’ve cross-checked the figures below against official Town and Country Planning Department (Haryana) notifications, so you’re working from accurate, current numbers rather than a decade-old PDF.

This guide is for educational purposes and reflects our understanding of the Haryana Building Code as of 2026. Bye-laws are amended periodically — always verify current figures for your specific plot on the OBPAS portal or with a registered architect before finalising your design.

And because Brichub delivers cement, steel, blocks, and every other core construction material anywhere in India, we’ve also flagged where your choice of materials directly affects bye-law compliance — because a rulebook is only useful if you can actually build within it.

In Haryana, the governing document is the Haryana Building Code, 2017, as amended from time to time — most notably in 2020, 2022, and 2023–24. There is no separate “UBBL 2023” for Haryana. We’ll refer to the above throughout this guide.

Table of Contents

1. Who Governs Construction in Gurgaon?
2. Ground Coverage: How Much of Your Plot You Can Build On
3. Floor Area Ratio (FAR): How Much You Can Build, Total
4. Setbacks: The Open Space You Must Leave
5. Height Restrictions
6. The Approval Process, Step by Step
7. General Building Requirements (Room by Room)
8. Basements: Rules You Can’t Afford to Miss
9. Rainwater Harvesting: Mandatory, Not Optional
10. Sustainable & Compliant Building Materials
11. Common Violations and What They Cost You
12. Estimated Costs: Fees, Architects, and Materials
13. Frequently Asked Questions

Before you touch a single brick, it helps to know which office you’re actually dealing with:

• Town and Country Planning Department, Haryana (TCP) — frames the Haryana Building Code and issues state-wide amendments (ground coverage, FAR, height, setbacks).
• Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) — the local body that receives and sanctions building plans within Gurugram’s municipal limits.
• Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP), formerly known as HUDA — governs plots in HUDA/HSVP-developed sectors specifically.
• Directorate of Fire Services, Haryana — clears fire safety compliance for taller buildings and basements used for habitation.

Since 2023, most of the plan submission, scrutiny, and approval workflow has moved onto the Online Building Plan Approval System (OBPAS), a digital portal that lets applicants upload drawings, NOCs, and undertakings in one place instead of visiting multiple offices. This is one of the genuine improvements in the recent amendments — approval timelines are meant to be faster and less discretionary than under the old paper-based system.

Ground Coverage: How Much of Your Plot You Can Build On

Ground coverage is the percentage of your plot that your building physically occupies at ground level — essentially, the footprint of the structure when you look at it from above.

While calculating ground coverage, the following are counted: shafts, chutes, lift wells, atriums, and staircases.

The following are excluded from the ground coverage calculation:

• Ventilation shafts larger than 3 square metres
• Fire staircases
• Open courtyards of permitted size

The general rule in the Haryana Building Code: smaller plots get a higher permissible ground coverage. This is deliberate — it recognises that a small plot needs a larger share of its area built up to be usable at all, while a large plot can afford to leave more open space.

Indicative ground coverage and FAR bands under the current Code (always confirm the exact figure for your plot on the OBPAS portal or with your empanelled architect, since these bands are revised periodically):

Table is indicative and reflects the direction of recent Haryana Building Code amendments; the Code has been revised more than once in the last few years, and some plot categories carry a “purchasable FAR” option where additional floor area can be availed on payment of a fee. Treat this table as a planning reference, not a final number — verify against the current notification before finalising your design.

Floor Area Ratio (FAR): How Much You Can Build, Total

FAR (Floor Area Ratio) — sometimes called Floor Space Index (FSI) elsewhere in India — is the ratio between the total built-up area across all floors of your building and the total plot area. It’s the single most important number for deciding how many floors, and how much usable space, your home can have.

Formula:

FAR = (Total covered area of all floors × 100) ÷ Plot Area

Worked example: If your plot is 200 sq. m and the permissible FAR is 1.80 (180%), your total buildable area across all floors is 200 × 1.80 = 360 sq. m — spread across the ground floor and however many floors the height and coverage rules allow.

What’s excluded from the FAR calculation

Not everything you build counts against your FAR limit. The following are typically exempt:

• Permitted roof projections, lift rooms, and the mumty (the small structure housing the staircase head/water tank on the roof)
• Balconies (within permitted width limits)
• Basement or any floor used purely for parking, services, or storage
• Unenclosed stilt area used for parking or as a pedestrian plaza
• Open staircases without a mumty, and fire staircases
• Terraces (with or without access)
• Atriums and water tanks
• Open courtyards of permitted size
• The area under shafts, chutes, lift wells, and staircases (counted only once, at ground floor level, as you move from the stilt to the floor above)

One important nuance: if your ventilation shaft is larger than 3 square metres, it is not excluded — it gets counted into your FAR.

Setbacks: The Open Space You Must Leave

A setback is the mandatory open space you must leave between your building and the plot boundary — on the front, rear, and both sides. Setbacks exist to guarantee light, ventilation, fire access, and basic privacy between neighbouring properties.

Indicative minimum setbacks by plot size:

Two practical rules worth remembering:

• You can adjust your front setback to help you achieve your permissible ground coverage — but if you do, your rear setback becomes fixed and cannot be reduced further.
• The setback area can be sunk to provide light, ventilation, or basement access, provided it doesn’t obstruct fire tender movement.

All boundary walls or common walls enclosing an open area should be built to a minimum thickness of 230 mm.

Height Restrictions

Building height is measured vertically from the finished mean street level (or, if the plot doesn’t front a street, from the highest adjacent ground level) up to the flat roof.

• Standard maximum height for residential buildings: 15 metres, excluding the mumty and water tank.
• Recent amendments permit up to 16.5 metres for smaller plots opting for a stilt-plus-three-floor structure (commonly written as “S+G+3” or “Stilt + 4 Floors” in local parlance) — subject to road width and other conditions set by MCG/TCP.
• Projections such as mumties, flues, ducts, machine rooms, minarets, water tanks, and parapets up to 1.2 metres are excluded from the height calculation.
• Buildings exceeding 15 metres may be classified as high-risk structures, which can trigger additional clearances — including, in some cases, from aviation authorities if the plot lies near restricted flight paths.

Because a stilt-plus-multiple-floor structure adds real load, this is also where your choice of structural materials — TMT bars, ready-mix concrete grade, and block type — starts to matter for both compliance and long-term safety. More on that in the materials section below.

The Approval Process, Step by Step

Building without a sanctioned plan is not a shortcut — it’s a liability. Unapproved construction can attract demolition notices, sealing, and financial penalties, and it will almost certainly block your home loan and utility connections later.

Step 1 — Engage a registered architect. You’ll need an architect empanelled with MCG or TCP to prepare your structural and architectural drawings. This isn’t a box-ticking formality — a good architect will also help you optimise FAR and ground coverage within legal limits.

Step 2 — Submit through OBPAS. Upload your drawings along with the required undertakings: adjoining-owner NOC (where applicable), fire safety compliance, structural stability certificate, and a rainwater harvesting commitment.

Step 3 — Scrutiny and site inspection. Expect this to take roughly 30 to 60 days. The portal runs an automated rules-check (Auto-DCR-style scrutiny for deviations), followed by a manual field inspection in most cases.

Step 4 — Sanction and construction. Once your plan is sanctioned, construction must match the approved drawings exactly. Deviations discovered later can void your approval.

Step 5 — Completion/Occupancy Certificate (OC). Once construction is complete, your architect applies for the Occupancy Certificate. This is not optional paperwork — banks generally will not disburse or fully release home loans without an OC, and permanent electricity/water connections are often contingent on it too.

General Building Requirements (Room by Room)

Beyond the headline numbers (FAR, coverage, height, setbacks), the Code specifies dimensional standards for individual building elements. A quick reference:

Stilt & lift lobby: Stilt parking areas need a minimum clear height of 2.45 m from finished floor to beam bottom (relaxed for buildings up to 3 floors). Lift lobbies must be at least 1.8 m × 2.0 m.

Plinth: The plinth height must sit between 450 mm and 1.5 m, with proper site drainage. Courtyard plinths must be at least 150 mm above street level. Any ramp connecting the plinth to the street must have a minimum slope of 1:4 — at least 1 m wide for pedestrian use, 3 m wide for vehicular use.

Boundary wall: Maximum permitted height is 1.2 m on the front side and 1.8 m on the rear/side, measured from the mean ground level. Security additions like spikes or wire are permitted on top.

Party wall: If you’re sharing a wall with your neighbour, it must be at least 230 mm thick, and you need written consent from the adjoining owner before building it. If you’d rather build an independent wall, the adjoining plot must either be vacant or your foundation/wall must not touch it.

Staircase: Minimum headroom of 2.1 m under the landing; a maximum of 14 risers per flight; spiral staircases must be at least 1 m wide.

Passages & corridors: Minimum width of 1.25 m, fire-resistant construction, and clear headroom above 2.15 m — ideally with natural light and ventilation.

Exits: Residential doorways must be wider than 1 m (2 m minimum for assembly/institutional buildings). Exit doors must open outward and must not obstruct a stairway or landing by more than 0.9 m.

Light & ventilation: Habitable rooms not facing a front, rear, or side open space must abut an interior open space at least 3 m wide in every direction (for buildings under 15 m), unless mechanically ventilated. Internal courtyards used for light/ventilation must be at least 3 m × 3 m.

Chajja / cantilevered projections: Sunshades over a road, park, or public space must be at least 0.23 m wide and built at a minimum height of 2.3 m from ground level. Within your own plot, a chajja can project up to 0.45 m, provided it doesn’t exceed half the setback width.

Balcony: Front/rear balconies can be up to 1.8 m wide (within half the setback). If your plot is 300 sq. m or larger with a side setback, side balconies are capped at 1 m. A mezzanine or internal balcony is only allowed in rooms at least 5 m high, must not exceed 50% of the room’s floor area, needs a minimum clear height of 2.3 m, and does count toward FAR.

Basements: Rules You Can’t Afford to Miss

Basements are one of the most misunderstood parts of the Code — get them wrong and you risk both a compliance failure and a genuinely unsafe structure.

• Minimum clear height: 2.4 m. Maximum clear height: 4.75 m (floor to underside of ceiling).
• For plots up to 1,000 sq. m, the basement roof must sit between 0.45 m and 1.5 m above ground.
• For plots above 1,000 sq. m, the basement roof must either be flush with the ground or raised at least 1.5 m above the surrounding ground level.
• Basements can store household goods (non-combustible materials only), air-conditioning plant, and other service equipment.
• A habitable basement requires Fire Department clearance and is counted toward your FAR — it isn’t a free pass to add hidden square footage.
• Clear distance from the adjacent property: 2.4 m if the neighbouring building has no basement; the basement lines can be attached if the neighbouring plot is vacant or also has a basement.

Because basements sit below the water table in many parts of Gurgaon, waterproofing quality (grade of concrete, admixtures, and membrane systems) matters more here than almost anywhere else in the build — a place where cutting corners on materials shows up years later as seepage, not immediately as a compliance issue.

Rainwater Harvesting: Mandatory, Not Optional

Given Haryana’s long dry season and falling groundwater tables, rainwater harvesting isn’t a green add-on — it’s a legal requirement.

• Buildings with a roof area of 100 sq. m or more must install a rooftop rainwater harvesting system.
• The recharge well must be located at least 10 metres away from any structure handling sewage or industrial wastewater.
• Groundwater recharge is mandatory for all Group Housing Societies with a plot area above 500 sq. m.
• Skipping this isn’t a minor omission — it’s flagged during scrutiny and can hold up your Occupancy Certificate.

Sustainable & Compliant Building Materials

The Code doesn’t just regulate dimensions — recent amendments actively encourage sustainable material choices, both for environmental reasons and because certain materials help you hit thermal-comfort and structural targets more efficiently. This is also where your material sourcing decisions start to directly affect your build timeline and budget.

Materials favoured under the current sustainability push, and commonly stocked for pan-India delivery through Brichub:

• Fly ash bricks — lighter than traditional clay bricks, reduce dead load on the structure, and use industrial by-products instead of virgin topsoil.
• Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC) and fly-ash concrete — lower embodied carbon than straight OPC, with comparable long-term strength for residential structures.
• AAC (Autoclaved Aerated Concrete) blocks and CLC (Cellular Lightweight Concrete) panels — significantly better thermal insulation, which cuts down cooling load and reduces dependence on air-conditioning — relevant in Gurgaon’s summer heat.
• Phosphogypsum-based wall and roof panels — repurpose an industrial by-product into a functional building material.
• Panels, hollow blocks, and hollow slabs — reduce both material consumption and water usage compared to solid-cast equivalents.
• TMT bars and ready-mix concrete — the structural backbone for stilt-plus-multiple-floor construction; getting the grade right matters more as your permitted height increases.
• Compressed stabilised earth blocks and rammed-earth systems — lower-carbon options increasingly used for boundary walls and low-rise sections.

Because Haryana’s bye-laws are structured around plot-specific FAR, coverage, and height allowances, your material choices should be finalised alongside your architect’s structural drawings — not after. Ordering the wrong grade of cement or an incompatible block size after your plan is sanctioned is one of the most common (and avoidable) causes of on-site delay.

Common Violations and What They Cost You

A few violations show up repeatedly across Gurgaon’s residential sectors:

• Building beyond sanctioned FAR or ground coverage — the single most common violation, usually from an owner adding an “extra room” after occupancy.
• Unauthorised floor additions beyond the sanctioned height/floor count.
• Encroaching on setbacks — extending a balcony or room into the mandatory open space.
• Skipping rainwater harvesting or removing it after installation.
• Occupying a building without an OC.

Consequences range from monetary penalties and compounding fees to sealing of the premises and, in persistent cases, demolition notices. Because enforcement now runs partly through automated portal scrutiny, deviations that were once easy to overlook are increasingly flagged before they even reach a manual inspector.

Estimated Costs: Fees, Architects, and Materials

While exact figures vary by project and are revised periodically, budgeting for the following is a reasonable starting point:

• Plan scrutiny fee: approximately ₹10 per sq. ft. of the sanctioned building area (confirm the current rate on OBPAS before submission).
• Architect fees: typically ₹30–50 per sq. ft., depending on scope (design only vs. design + supervision).
• Structural and material costs: the largest variable in your budget, and the one most within your control — grade of cement, steel tonnage, block type, and waterproofing specification all move this number significantly.

This last point is exactly where sourcing matters. Ordering directly from a single, reliable supplier who delivers pan-India — rather than juggling multiple local vendors with inconsistent quality and delivery timelines — is one of the more effective ways to keep a compliant build on budget and on schedule.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Haryana Building Code, and does it apply to Gurgaon? The Haryana Building Code, 2017 (as amended) is the primary regulation governing residential, commercial, and industrial construction across the state, including Gurgaon/Gurugram. Plans within Gurugram’s municipal limits are sanctioned by the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG); plots in HSVP (formerly HUDA) sectors follow HSVP’s specific norms within the same overall Code.

Is “UBBL 2023” the correct name for Haryana’s building law? No. “Unified Building Bye-Laws” is the name used in Delhi and Jammu & Kashmir. Haryana’s law is the Haryana Building Code, 2017, with amendments made periodically since — most recently around 2023–2024.

How many floors can I build on my plot in Gurgaon? It depends on your plot size, road width, and the applicable ground coverage/FAR/height limits. Smaller plots (under 150 sq. m) are typically allowed a stilt-plus-three-floor structure up to roughly 16.5 m; larger plots are generally capped around 15 m, with the exact floor count depending on your FAR allowance.

Do I need an NOC from my neighbour to build? Yes, in specific cases — most commonly if you’re constructing a shared (party) wall, or if your plan requires certain relaxations that affect the adjoining plot.

What happens if I build without approval? You risk penalties, compounding fees, sealing, and demolition notices. You’ll also be unable to get a home loan disbursed or a permanent utility connection without a sanctioned plan and, eventually, an Occupancy Certificate.

Is rainwater harvesting really mandatory for a single house? Yes, if your roof area is 100 sq. m or more. It’s checked during scrutiny and can affect your Occupancy Certificate approval.

Does a basement count toward my FAR? Only if it’s used as habitable space — a basement used purely for parking, storage, or services is excluded from the FAR calculation.

Where do I submit my building plan in Gurgaon? Through the Online Building Plan Approval System (OBPAS), Haryana’s digital portal for plan submission, scrutiny, and sanction.

Building to Code Starts With the Right Materials

Understanding the bye-laws is step one. Executing a compliant, structurally sound build is step two — and that’s where material quality and reliable delivery decide whether your project stays on schedule.

Brichub delivers cement, TMT steel, AAC blocks, fly ash bricks, sand, aggregates, and more — anywhere in India, with transparent pricing and no dependence on inconsistent local middlemen. Whether you’re pouring your foundation or fitting your final chajja, we’re built to get the right material to your site on time.

This guide is for educational purposes and reflects our understanding of the Haryana Building Code as of 2026. Bye-laws are amended periodically — always verify current figures for your specific plot on the OBPAS portal or with a registered architect before finalising your design.

Build once. Build right. Start from brichub.com

Check out the Roma book on GOOGLE PLAY here
Take a look at the Roma book on AMAZON here

Blog Home