Boundary development: the 9-metre rule and the quota principle

When positioning a modern garden shed, siting it directly on the property boundary is often the most sensible solution, both aesthetically and functionally. In many federal states, particularly under the Bavarian Building Regulations (BayBO), this is possible without planning permission and without the need for specific clearance distances, provided certain conditions are met. The key factor here is the 9-metre rule.

The limit at the boundary

In principle, buildings may be erected directly on the boundary without requiring a separate setback area, provided the total length of the structure does not exceed 9 metres per property boundary. An additional limit applies to the entire plot: across all boundaries, the structures must not exceed a total length of 15 metres.

The ‘garage allowance’: an important planning step

A common pitfall in planning is existing development on the boundary. As the 9-metre allowance applies to the entire plot, existing buildings such as garages or carports must be taken into account.

Example: If there is already a garage with a length of 6 metres on one boundary, a remaining allowance of 3 metres is left for your new garden shed on that specific boundary.

Safety through wall height

Another criterion for the boundary allowance is the average wall height, which must not exceed 3 metres. As our structures are manufactured in standard heights ranging from 2.25 m to 2.90 m, we always remain below this critical threshold due to the design. This eliminates the need for our customers to calculate complicated clearance distances or to ask their neighbours for permission to build below this height.

Summary for your planning:

• Check the length: Measure existing garages or sheds on the boundary in question.
• Note the total length: Keep an eye on the 15-metre limit for the entire plot.
• Advantage: building height: Thanks to our optimised wall heights, compliance with the 3-metre limit is guaranteed by the system design of our models.