Kerala Municipality Building Rules, 1999
(1) These rules may be called the Kerala Municipality Building Rules, 1999.
(2) They shall apply to all Municipalities in the State.
(3) They shall come into force at once.**
(1) In these rules unless the context otherwise requires,-
(a) 'access' means the way to a plot or building;
(b) 'accessory building' means a building attached or detached to a building on a plot and containing one or more accessory uses;
(c) 'accessory use' means any use of the premises subordinate to the principle use and customarily incidental to the principal use;
(d) 'Act' means the Kerala Municipality Act, 1994 (20 of 1994);
(e) 'advertising sign' means any sign either free, supported or attached to a building or other structure which advertises an individual, a firm, a society, an establishment or a product displayed on the said premises for identification purposes;
(f) 'alteration' means a structural change, such as an addition to the area or height or addition of floor/floors or mezzanine floor within any existing floor height, or change of existing floor or cha
These rules shall apply to,-
(i) any public or private building as described below, namely:-
(a) where a building is newly erected, these rules shall apply to the designs and construction of the building;
(b) where the building is altered, these rules shall apply to the altered portion of the building;
(c) where the occupancy or use of a building is changed, these rules shall apply to all parts of the building affected by the change;
23[(d) where addition or extension is made to a building, the rules shall apply to the addition or extension only, but for calculation of floor area ratio and coverage permissible and for calculation of required off street parking area to be provided, the whole building (existing and the proposed) shall be taken into account;
23A[x x x x]
(ii) all lands which is proposed to be developed or redeveloped for construction of building;
24[(
Notwithstanding anything contained in these rules, provisions or regulations in any Town Planning Scheme 24B[in force] under Town Planning Acts 24C[x x x x] shall prevail over the respective provisions of these rules wherever such schemes exist.]
Wherever the provisions of the National Building Code are mentioned in these rules, the provisions of the code in force shall be adopted.]
The Government may, in conformity with the provisions of the Act and in consultation with the Chief Town Planner, exempt any building when construction is made--
(a) by Government/Local Self Government Institutions or Government Institutions for a public purpose;
(b) by those who surrender land to Government or Local Self Government Institutions or Government Agencies for a public purpose subject to the condition that the exemption shall be applicable to the land in equal proportion to the surrendered land.]
24EA[(c) by co-operative societies which were set up and functioning with the Government share and financial assistance and which come under Group B Education and/or Group C Medical/Hospital occupancies as provided in rule 30 of the Kerala Municipality Building Rules, 1999 exclusively for a public purpose]
(1) No person shall develop or redevelop any parcel of land or cause the same to be done without first obtaining a permit for each such development or redevelopment from the Secretary.
(2) No person shall construct or reconstruct or make addition or extension or alteration to any building or cause the same to be done without first obtaining a separate building permit for each such work from the Secretary:
25[x x x x]
25A[(3) No person shall change the occupancy of an existing building from one group to another, without first obtaining the permit from the Secretary.]
(1) Every person other than a Central or State Government Department who intends to develop or redevelop any parcel of land shall apply in writing to the Secretary in the form in 26[Appendix AA] and such application shall be accompanied by plans and statements in duplicate as required under these rules and documents to prove the ownership of the land concerned 25B[such as title deed proving the ownership of the applicant, land tax receipt issued by the village office and the possession certificate issued by the village office] and payment of application fee as specified in Schedule I 27[along with a copy of the certificate of registration of the Architect, Building Designer, Engineer, Town Planner or Supervisor as the case may be, who has prepared and signed the plans, drawings and statements.]
27A[x x x x]
27B[(1a) Applications may also be submitted through e-filing system, as may be prescribed, if such system is
(1) An application for a development permit shall be accompanied by site plan, service plan, together with details and specifications as described below:
(a) the site plan shall be drawn to a scale of not less than 1 : 400 and shall be fully dimensioned and shall show:
(i) the boundaries of the plot and of any contiguous land belonging to the owner thereof, including the revenue survey particulars in full;
(ii) the position of the site in relation to the neighbouring street and its main access;
(iii) the name of such street, if any; and its width, which shall be the width in between the plot boundaries on the opposite sides;
(iv) all existing structures in the plot;
(v) all existing streets or foot-paths within the plot;
(vi) the layout of cul-de-sac, streets, or foot-paths within, adjoining or terminating at the site, existing, proposed to be widened or newly aligned;
(vii) the propose
(1) Every person other than a Central or State Government Department who intends to construct or reconstruct a building or make alteration or addition or extension to a building shall apply in writing to the Secretary in the form in Appendix A together with plans and statements in duplicate as required under these rules and documents to prove ownership of the land concerned and payment of application fee as in Schedule I 37[along with a copy of the certificate or registration of the Architect, Building Designer, Engineer, Town Planner or Supervisor, as the case may be who has prepared and signed the plans, drawings and statements].
37A[x x x x]
37B[(1A) Application may also be submitted through e-filing system, as may be prescribed, if such system is in force in the Local Self Government institution concerned.]
(2) In the case of any construction by Central or State Government Department, the officer authorised 38[shal
In the calculation of floor area of buildings the following shall be taken into account, namely:-
(a) General:
(i) the total floor area of building shall be the sum total of floor areas at every floor including basement, if any;
48A[x x x x]
(iii) The area of 'Barsati' or penthouse at terrace floor level shall be included in the floor area; and
(iv) towers, turrets, domes, etc., projecting above the terrace shall not be included in the floor area at terrace level.
(b) Floor area of ground floor:
(i) the floor area of ground floor shall be calculated at the plinth level excluding the plinth off-sets (if the off-set does not exceed 5 cm.);
(ii) in cases where the building consists of columns projecting beyond cladding the floor area shall be taken upto the external face of the cladding and shall not include the projections of columns;
49[(iii) in the case of v
The 52[x x x x] operational constructions of the Central or State Government, whether temporary or permanent which is necessary for the operation, maintenance, development or execution of any of the following services shall be exempted from these rules, namely;-
(a) Railway;
(b) National Highway;
(c) National Waterways;
(d) Major Ports;
(e) Airways and Aerodromes;
(f) Posts and telegraph, telephones, wireless, broadcasting and other like forms of communications;
(g) Regional grid for electricity
(h) Any other service which the State Government may, if it is of opinion that the operation, maintenance, development or execution of such services is essential to the life of the community by notification, declare to be a service for the purpose of this clause:
53[x x x x]
Provided further that the following constructions by the services do not come under the purview of operational construction name
Notwithstanding anything contained in these rules, no building permit shall be necessary for executing the following works which do not otherwise violate any provisions regarding general building requirements, structural stability and fire safety requirements of the rules, namely:-
(i) Providing or removing of windows or doors or ventilators;
(ii) Providing inter-communication doors;
(iii) Providing 54[or removing of] partitions;
(iv) Gardening excluding any permanent structures;
(v) White or colour washing;
(vi) Painting;
(vii) Petty repairs to the building and pitched roof;
(viii) Plastering and patch work; and
(ix) Interior decoration without any structural alterations:
55[(x) changing of the location of the building or construction within the plot;]
Provided that the details of 56[works] under item (ix) shall be intimated to the Secretary 57[at least] ten days
(1) The Secretary shall, after inspection of the site and verification of the site plan and documents, if convinced of the bonafides of the ownership of the site, and that the site plan, drawings and specifications conforms to the site and the provisions of these rules or bye laws made under the Act and any other law, approve the site and site plan.
(2) The Secretary shall, after approving the site and site plan verify whether the building plan, elevation and sections of the building and specifications of the work conforms to the site and site plan, and is in accordance with these rules and bye laws made under the Act or any other law, approve the plan and issue permit to execute the work.
(3) Approval of site and plans shall be intimated to the applicant in writing and the permit as in Appendix C shall be issued on remittance of the permit fee at the rates specified in Schedule II and submission of revised or modified plans, if approved with modifications or condition
(1) In the case of constructions/land developments which involve any earthwork excavation to a depth of more than 1. 5 metres, if the depth of cutting is more than the horizontal distance of such cutting from the plot boundary, the following provisions shall apply:
Provided that, such provisions are not necessary in cases where such excavation is carried out for construction of structures such as wells, septic tank, recharge pits, drainage works, compound walls and the like.
(2) The application for Development and/or building permit shall be submitted by the applicant as per the provisions of these rules, along with a certificate of the Architect, Building Designer, Engineer, Town Planner, Supervisor as the case may be, who has prepared and signed the plans, drawings, statements etc. as to whether permit as envisaged under rule 11A is required.
(3) The application for permit shall also include sufficient copies of,--
(i) dimensioned plan(s) an
The grounds on which approval of site for construction or reconstruction of a building or permission to construct or reconstruct a building shall be refused are the following:-
(i) that the work or use of the site for the work or any particulars comprised in the site plan, ground plan, elevations, sections or specifications would contravene provisions of any law or order, rule, declaration or bye law made under such law;
(ii) that the application for such permission does not contain the particulars or is not prepared in the manner required by these rules or bye law made under the Act;
(iii) that any of the documents required to be signed by a registered Architect, Engineer, Town Planner or Supervisor or the owner/applicant as required under the Act or these rules or bye laws made under the Act has not been signed by such Architect, Engineer, Town Planner or Supervisor or the owner/applicant;
(iv) that any information or document or certificate required by
The Secretary shall, within 58C[fifteen days] from the date of receipt of the application for approval of site plan, or any information or further information required under these rules or bye laws under the Act, by written order either approve or refuse to approve the site plan on any of the grounds mentioned in rule 12 and intimate the same to the applicant.
The Secretary shall within 58C[fifteen days] from the date of receipt of an application for permission to execute any work or any information or document or further information or further document required under these rules or bye laws made under the Act, by written order either grant or refuse to grant such permission on any of the grounds mentioned in rule 12 and intimate the same to the applicant:
58D[x x x x]
(1) The Council shall, if the Secretary neither approves nor disapproves a building site, neither gives nor refuses permission to execute any work within 58C[fifteen days] from the date of receipt of the application, on the written request of the applicant, be bound to determine whether such approval or permission should be given or not.
(2) Where the Council does not, within 58D[fifteen days] from the date of receipt of such written request, determine whether such approval or permission should be given or not, such approval or permission shall be deemed to have been given, and the applicant may proceed to execute work, but not so as to contravene any provision of the Act or these rules or bye-laws made thereunder.
59[Provided that such execution of work shall be considered as duly permitted and not one for regularisation and permit shall be issued as per rules even if the work has been commenced, being carried on or completed if it oth
(1) A development permit or a building permit issued under these rules shall be valid for three years from the date of issue.
(2) The Secretary shall, on application submitted within the valid period of the permit, grant extension twice, for further periods of three years each.
(3) The fee for extension of period of permits shall be ten per cent of the development permit fee or building permit fee, 60A[excluding the fee for additional Floor Area Ratio] as the case may be, in force at the time of granting extension.
60B[(4) The Secretary may, if he deems fit, grant renewal for a period of three years on application submitted after the expiry of the permit, subject to the condition that the total period of validity of permit from the date of issue of original permit shall not exceed 9 years:
Provided that in case the permits need to be extended/renewed beyond the period of nine years, the applicant shall submit an application in
The Secretary shall suspend or revoke any permit issued under these rules if it is satisfied that 60B[that the applicant has violated any provisions of the Act or rules or any conditions stipulated in the permit or that the construction is carried out in deviation of the approved plan or Town Planning Scheme] or that the permit was happened to be issued on misrepresentation of fact or law or that the construction if carried on will be a threat to life or property:
Provided that before revoking permit, the owner of the permit shall be given sufficient opportunity to explain and the explanation shall be duly considered by the Secretary.
(1) The applicant shall, if he intends to make any deviation from the approved plan or specification during the execution of any development or redevelopment of land or construction or reconstruction or alteration of any building, submit revised plans and drawings showing the deviation and obtain revised permit:
Provided that no permit is necessary for effecting minor deviations such as shifting the position of access to plots in the case of layouts and shifting the position of rooms, stairs, lifts, windows, doors or ventilators and their sizes in the case of building constructions if they do not conflict with these rules:
Provided further that the deviations mentioned in the above proviso shall be incorporated in the completion plan and submitted along with completion certificate.
(2) Where it comes to the notice of the Secretary that a work-
(a) is not in accordance with the plans or specifications approved;
(b) is in contravention of
(1) Where the Secretary is satisfied-
(i) that the construction, reconstruction or alteration of any building or digging of any well-
(a) has been commenced without obtaining the permission of the Secretary or in contravention of the decision of the Council; or
(b) is being carried on, or has been completed otherwise than in accordance with the plans or specifications on which such permission or decision was based; or
(c) is being carried on or has been completed in breach of any of the provisions contained in the Act or these rules or bye law or order made or issued thereunder or any direction or requisition lawfully given or made thereunder; or
(ii) that any alteration required by notice issued regarding deviation has not been duly made; or
(iii) that any alteration of or addition to any building or any other work made or done for any purpose in or upon any building has been commenced or is being carried on or has been co
(1) Where the erection of any building or the execution of any work has been commenced or is being carried on (but has not been completed) without obtaining the permission of the Secretary or in contravention of any decision of the Council or any provision in the Act or these rules or byelaw made thereunder or any lawful direction or requisition given or made under the Act or these rules or byelaws made thereunder, the Secretary may without prejudice to any other action that may be taken under these rules, by order require the person at whose instance the building or the work has been commenced or is being carried on, to stop the same forthwith.
(2) Where the order under sub-rule (1) is not complied with, the Secretary may require any police officer to remove such person and all his assistants and workmen from the premises within such time as may be specified in the requisition, and such police officer shall comply with the requisition accordingly.
(3) After the requis
(1) The granting of the permit or the approval of the drawings and specifications or inspections made by the Secretary during the 67[erection of the building or structure or digging of well] shall not in any way relieve the owner of such building of the responsibility for carrying out the work in accordance with the requirement of these rules.
(2) Every owner shall,-
(a) permit the Secretary or any person authorised by 67A[the Secretary or by the Government] for this purpose to enter the plot or building or premises 68[x x x x] at any time between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. normally or at any other time as may be deemed necessary for the purpose of enforcing the rules;
(b) submit a proof of ownership of the plot;
(c) obtain from the Secretary, sanction for any other allied matter connected with the development or redevelopment of land or construction or reconstruction or addition or alteration of building;
(1) Every person holding development or building permit shall, unless the work has been executed in full and development or occupancy certificate obtained, inform the Secretary, every transfer of the whole or part of any property involved in the permit together with the name and address of the transferee and his intention to transfer or otherwise of the permit.
(2) Every person in whose favour any property is transferred along with a development or building permit by the transferor shall before commencing or continuing the work obtain permit of the Secretary in writing.
(3) The request for permission to commence or continue work shall be submitted in white paper affixed with necessary court fee stamp, together with document regarding the ownership and possession certificate and fee of Rs. 25.
(4) The Secretary shall, if convinced that the transfer will not in any way badly affect the development or construction, issue permission in writing, transferring the perm
(1) Every owner shall, on completion of the development or redevelopment of land or construction or reconstruction or addition or alteration of building, as per the permit issued to him, submit a completion certificate certified and signed by him, to the Secretary in the form in Appendix E :
Provided that in the case of buildings, other than 73[single residential units up to two floors with total floor area not exceeding 150 sq. meters] the completion certificate shall be certified and signed by the owner and registered Architect or Engineer or Supervisor also as in Appendix F.
(2) The Secretary shall, on receipt of the completion certificate and on being satisfied that the development or redevelopment of land has been effected in conformity with the permit given, issue a development certificate in the form in Appendix G, not later than 15 days from the date of receipt of the completion certificate:
Provided that if no such development certificate is
General requirement regarding plot.– (1) No land development or redevelopment shall be made or no building shall be constructed on any plot on any part of which there is deposited refuse, excreta or other offensive matter which in the opinion of the Secretary is considered objectionable, until such refuse, excreta or other offensive matter has been removed therefrom and the plot has been prepared or left in a manner suitable for land development or building purpose for the satisfaction of the Secretary.
(2) No land development or redevelopment shall be made or no building shall be constructed on a plot, which comprises or includes a pit, quarry or other similar excavation or any part thereof unless such plot has been prepared or left in a manner or condition suitable for land development or redevelopment or building purposes to the sat
(1) Every room intended for human habitation shall abut on an exterior open space or verandah open to such exterior or interior open space and such open space shall be maintained for the benefit of the building exclusively and shall be entirely within the owner's own premises and shall be open to the sky and is barred from being subdivided, partitioned or legally bifurcated or transacted in any manner whatsoever, till such date when the structure itself is demolished and shall be kept free from any erection thereon other than those specially allowed in these rules.
(2) In case a group of buildings are to be put up within any plot belonging to the same owner or by different owners of adjoining lands jointly the area of the land remaining after accounting for the mandatory front, rear and side yards from the boundary of the plot shall be considered as buildable area of the plot where the buildings may be constructed subject to the conditions regarding floor area ratio, coverage
(1) The minimum distance between the central line of a street and any building other than a compound wall or fence or outdoor display structure shall be 86A[5.0] metres and that between plot boundary abutting the street and building shall be 3 metres:
87[Provided that in the case of cul-de-sac of whatever width but not exceeding 250 metres length or pedestrian lanes and streets upto average 3 metres width or internal roads and streets of whatever width within or leading to any residential colony, it shall be sufficient if the distance between the plot boundary abutting the street and building is 2 metres for buildings upto 7 metres height irrespective of the distance from the central line of the road to the building:
Provided further that in the case of lanes not exceeding 75 metres length leading to one or more individual plots it shall be sufficient if the distance between the plot boundary abutting the lane and the building is 1.50
89[x x x x] No person shall construct any building other than compound wall within 3 metres from any plot boundary abutting national highways, state highways or other roads notified by Municipality:
90[Provided that open ramps or bridges or steps or similar structures with or without parapets or railings shall be permitted as access from the street to the building within that 3 metres and cornice roof or weather shade not exceeding 75 cms shall be permitted to project from the building into such 3 metres.]
There shall be provisions for safe disposal of waste.]
All new developments including land sub-divisions and plot developments shall be subject to the following namely:-
1[(i) the area of any newly subdivided plot, reconstituted plot or building plot shall be not less than 125 square metres with an average width of 6.00 metres:
Provided that for row housing where side open spaces are not required, it is sufficient if the plot has an average width of 4.50 metres.]
(ii) every plot shall have a frontage of not less than 4 metres on any abutting street;
(iii) every street in the 1A[layout 1B[x x x x]]shall have not less than 7.00 metres width and shall be motorable:
2[Provided that in the case of cul-de-sacs with length not exceeding 250 metres, it is sufficient if the street (cul-de-sac) has not less than 5.00 metres width and in the case of cul-de-sacs not exceeding 75 metres, it is sufficient if the street (cul-de-sac) has not less than 3.00 metres width:
<
All new developments including land sub-divisions and plot developments shall be subject to the following:-
(i) the width of every new street, public or private, intended for use as cart or carriage way giving access to or through a commercial precinct consisting of a continuous row of shops exceeding ten in number shall not be less than 10 metres except in the case of cul-de-sac not exceeding 150 metres length, where the minimum width shall be 7 metres;
(ii) the frontage of every commercial plot abutting the street shall have a minimum width of 6 metres;
(iii) no plot with a layout proposed for commercial development shall be an area less than 60 Sq. metres.
(iv) for every plot within a layout for commercial development, the building line from the street shall not be less than 3 metres;
(v) no plot intended to house a service garage or autoworkshop within a layout for commercial development shall be of an area less than 300 Sq. metres and an avera
All new developments including land sub-divisions and plot developments shall be subject to the following:-
(i) the width of every new street, public or private intended for use as a cart or carriage way giving access to or through an organised industrial area with not less than six constituent units, shall be minimum 10 metres:
Provided that in the case of small industrial units or cul-de-sac not exceeding 150 metres length, the minimum road width shall be 7 metres;
(ii) the minimum size of industrial plot abutting street shall be 400 sq. metres in extend with a width of not less than 15 metres:
Provided that the minimum plot requirement in item (ii) shall not apply to small industrial units;
(iii) in industrial layouts a place for installation of transformer shall be provided in consultation with the Chief Electrical Inspector or an officer authorised by him;
(iv) the approval of the Chief Town Planner or an officer authorised by him shall
Occupancy of buildings.- (1) The occupancy of any building or part thereof shall be governed by the usage of plots proposed for development or redevelopment according to the provisions contained in the development plan or detailed town planning scheme prepared for the area.
(2) All buildings, whether existing or hereafter proposed, shall be classified, in one of the following occupancies according to the use or character of occupancy, namely:-
Group A1 | .. | Residential | |
| Coverage and floor area ratio.25A– (1) The maximum percentage of coverage permissible for each occupancy shall limit the 26[maximum area at any floor of a building.] The floor area ratio value shall limit the maximum buildable total floor area. Floor area ratio ie, F.A.R. shall be calculated as shown below: |
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