ᐅ Upper floor permitted for residential use according to the building plan – any experiences?
Created on: 15 Sep 2018 11:45
M
MojosHello,
my name is Carla and I am new here. My partner and I have just purchased a plot of land and are starting the initial planning for our house. Because of the zoning plan, we are currently wondering whether we are allowed to build an upper floor or not. Here are the facts from the plan:
Plot size: 2000 m² (21,530 sq ft)
Floor area ratio: 0.3
Plot ratio: 0.3
Number of floors: 1 full floor
Eaves height: 4 m (13 ft)
Ridge height: 9 m (30 ft)
Roof pitch: 25–50%
Location: Lower Saxony
We understand that we cannot build an upper floor that is not limited by the roof. But is it possible at all to use the attic space with sloping ceilings as living area? And how can this be calculated based on different roof pitches and the building’s footprint? Our heads are spinning 😀
Thanks in advance 🙂
Kind regards, Carla
my name is Carla and I am new here. My partner and I have just purchased a plot of land and are starting the initial planning for our house. Because of the zoning plan, we are currently wondering whether we are allowed to build an upper floor or not. Here are the facts from the plan:
Plot size: 2000 m² (21,530 sq ft)
Floor area ratio: 0.3
Plot ratio: 0.3
Number of floors: 1 full floor
Eaves height: 4 m (13 ft)
Ridge height: 9 m (30 ft)
Roof pitch: 25–50%
Location: Lower Saxony
We understand that we cannot build an upper floor that is not limited by the roof. But is it possible at all to use the attic space with sloping ceilings as living area? And how can this be calculated based on different roof pitches and the building’s footprint? Our heads are spinning 😀
Thanks in advance 🙂
Kind regards, Carla
M
Mottenhausen15 Sep 2018 23:45A full storey is a above-ground floor that has a clear height of 2.20 m (7.2 ft) or more over at least half of its floor area. 2 A topmost floor only counts as a full storey if this clear height mentioned in sentence 1 is present over more than two-thirds of the floor area of the floor below.
I assume this concerns a traditional pitched roof. That means you need to draw a cross-section and either increase the roof pitch or lower the knee wall until less than 67% of the area has a clear height of 2.20 m (7.2 ft), so that the upper floor just does not qualify as a full storey.
Based on the eaves height alone, it will probably have a knee wall of about 1 m (3.3 ft), then continue up to the maximum ridge height with a suitable roof pitch. Yes, this results in a normal living floor within the roof space, and depending on the house size (length of the ridge side), there may also be an attic space above it for storage.
If needed, additional space in the upper floor can be created with dormers and gable windows without violating the building permit / planning permission.
Edit: The floor area ratio and similar factors will only become an issue for your plot size with larger houses, but that remains the easiest calculation in your planning.
I assume this concerns a traditional pitched roof. That means you need to draw a cross-section and either increase the roof pitch or lower the knee wall until less than 67% of the area has a clear height of 2.20 m (7.2 ft), so that the upper floor just does not qualify as a full storey.
Based on the eaves height alone, it will probably have a knee wall of about 1 m (3.3 ft), then continue up to the maximum ridge height with a suitable roof pitch. Yes, this results in a normal living floor within the roof space, and depending on the house size (length of the ridge side), there may also be an attic space above it for storage.
If needed, additional space in the upper floor can be created with dormers and gable windows without violating the building permit / planning permission.
Edit: The floor area ratio and similar factors will only become an issue for your plot size with larger houses, but that remains the easiest calculation in your planning.
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