Plot Check: What Can Be Built Here?

From plot to house: how to read the result correctly

A plot is more than a price per square metre. Whether and how much you may build on it is determined not by the seller but by the building law of your municipality. Two key figures from the development plan set the framework: the site coverage ratio (GRZ) and the floor area ratio (GFZ). The GRZ determines what share of the plot may be built over at all — terrace, garage and driveway count proportionally towards it. The GFZ caps the sum of all floor areas and thereby indirectly decides whether you build one or two storeys. Our Plot Check combines both values with typical ranges for the respective location type and applies a cautious deduction so that you receive a realistic rather than a flattering living area.

Why do the values differ so strongly between a major city and the countryside? In densely built inner cities, the GRZ and GFZ are high, because the scarce land is meant to be used intensively — here two full storeys and a compact construction are the rule. On the city outskirts and in small towns, loosely spaced residential areas with lower ratios but larger plots predominate. In rural areas, finally, many development plans deliberately prescribe village-style, single-storey construction. That is precisely why the same per-square-metre value produces a completely different buildable living area depending on the location. Anyone who sees through this avoids the most common mistake when buying a plot: acquiring a large but cheap plot on which the desired house is not even approvable under building law.

Standard land value, purchase price and the hidden ancillary costs

The standard land value (Bodenrichtwert) is an official average value per zone and serves as guidance — the actual purchase price can lie clearly above it, for example for corner plots, a south-facing position or in particularly sought-after neighbourhoods. The ranges stored in this check are curated guidance values for building-ready residential land in 2026 and do not replace the parcel-precise official value. You obtain that via the BORIS portals of the federal states and via the central BORIS-D platform of the valuation committees. For the specific purchase decision, you should also review the land register extract, the land use plan and — if available — a soil survey.

The ancillary costs of buying a plot are regularly underestimated: real estate transfer tax of between 3.5 and 6.5 percent depending on the federal state, notary and land register costs of around 1.5 to 2 percent, and — where an agent is involved — the buyer's commission. Add an undeveloped plot, and house connections and development charges quickly add up to a five-figure sum. How these items break down in detail and which sequence makes sense is explained in our guide Developing a Plot. You can put current regional land prices into context with our overview Plot Prices 2026.

Check first, then build: the next steps

Use the result of this check as the starting point for a structured review. First request the valid development plan from the municipality and have the building lines, permitted roof shapes and ridge heights explained to you. If no development plan exists, admissibility is assessed under the requirement to fit into the surrounding development (§ 34 BauGB) — here a chargeable preliminary building enquiry is worthwhile, giving you legal certainty before money flows. How to evaluate a plot systematically, which documents you need and what to watch out for with contaminated sites, subsoil and sloping ground is explained in our guide Finding and Evaluating a Plot. Once the plot is settled, the matching house-type choice follows: for compact plots, a semi-detached house or a bungalow are suitable, while for generous plots a detached house or a town villa fit well. And if you want to see construction and plot costs in a single total, the Cost Calculator can help.