FAR (Floor Area Ratio) Explained: How Much Can You Build in Bengaluru?

FAR is the total floor area you may build divided by your plot area. The BDA zonal regulations give residential plots up to 360 sq m a FAR of 1.75, so a 30x40 (1,200 sq ft) plot gets about 2,100 sq ft of counted floor area. A bye-laws expert quoted by Deccan Herald said the January 2026 amendment did not relax it. As of Nov 2026.

What is FAR? FAR, or Floor Area Ratio, is the ratio of total built floor area to plot area. Multiply it by your plot area to find the floor area your plan can count. In the regulations, a residential plot up to 360 sq m has a FAR of 1.75, and your architect shows the working floor by floor on the drawing.

FAR and coverage: two different limits

New owners often mix these up, so here is the plain version.

• Ground coverage is how much of the plot your building covers at ground level. It limits the footprint.
• FAR adds up the floor area of every floor you build. It limits the total.

Your plan must also satisfy setbacks and height. Whichever limit you hit first decides your design.

The numbers for residential (main zone) plots

Table 10 of the BDA's Zonal Regulations of the Revised Master Plan 2015, in the amendments compilation hosted by the Bangalore Development Authority (read 2 November 2026), gives for plots up to 360 sq m (about 3,875 sq ft) a maximum ground coverage of "up to 75 %" and a FAR of 1.75, for roads up to 12.0 m wide. That compilation may not show every later change, so your architect should confirm the current table. Almost every house plot in our audience, from 20x30 up to 50x80, is under 360 sq m. (A 50x80 plot is about 372 sq m, so check your exact area on the deed.)

The January 2026 amendment (notification UDD 235 MNJ 2025(E), dated 5 January 2026) is the one that changed setbacks. On 7 January 2026 Deccan Herald quoted a building bye-laws expert, Shrikant Channal, saying the government did not relax the FAR of 1.75; that is his view as reported, not a line in the notification. One more line matters: Note 4 of the notification says that for plots up to 4,000 sq m, the coverage mentioned in the regulations for main land use zones shall not be considered. So on small plots the setbacks, not a coverage percentage, now shape your footprint. Ask your architect how the authority applies this to your plan.

What counts toward FAR, and what does not

Clause 3.4(ii) of the same BDA compilation says the floor area ratio "shall exempt the floor area used for purposes such as" the following:

• Parking space
• The main staircase room
• Lift shafts, lift wells and lift machine rooms
• Ramps
• Ventilation and sanitary ducts
• Overhead tanks

Balconies, corridors and similar areas are the ones owners get wrong. Ask your architect to show a FAR statement on the drawing, floor by floor, and to say clearly how each balcony is counted. A stilt floor must be used for parking only, up to 3 m high, and is not counted in building height, as per the 1 August 2025 amendment. That notification does not say how it is treated for FAR, so confirm that point with your architect.

Worked example: a 30x40 plot

A 30x40 plot is 1,200 sq ft, about 111.5 sq m, so it sits in the first row. The FAR ceiling is 1,200 x 1.75 = 2,100 sq ft of counted floor area. Using the January 2026 setbacks for this bracket (0.9 m front, 0.7 m rear and 0.7 m on one side), the building envelope is about 34.7 ft deep and 27.7 ft wide, roughly 960 sq ft. See our setback guide for how that works out.

These are illustrations of the arithmetic, not a design. Height and fire-safety rules also apply. For plots up to 250 sq m, the January 2026 notification caps height at 12 m excluding the stilt floor.

The lesson: on a small plot, FAR can be the real ceiling on how many floors give you full-size rooms. Stilt parking is one way owners and architects try to fit a third living floor into the same FAR, because parking space is on the exempt list above. Whether your plan can use it is for your architect to confirm.

Is there extra FAR available?

Note 5 of the January 2026 notification says development rights (DR), transferable development rights (TDR) and premium FAR may be used even on plots up to 250 sq m, provided they abut a road 9 m wide or more. The costs and procedure are specialised. Treat this as a question for your architect, not a plan to count on.

Why FAR matters to your budget

Construction cost is charged on built-up area. A plan that uses the full 2,100 sq ft on a 30x40 plot costs more than one that stops at 1,700 sq ft. At Buildryt's Classic rate of Rs 2,180 per sq ft, the 400 sq ft difference is about Rs 8.7 lakh. Before asking how many floors you want, ask how many square feet you actually need. Use the cost estimator to compare, and see the packages and the 30x40 cost page for current rates.

What goes wrong with FAR

• Building more than the sanctioned area. The deviation can block later approvals and cause legal trouble. See our note on the occupancy certificate.
• Enclosing a balcony or a stilt area after sanction.
• Adding a floor 'later' without re-checking FAR. It also changes the load on the structure, which needs an engineer.
• Relying on a neighbour's numbers. Plot area, road width and date of sanction differ.

A quick way to check your own plan

Do this on paper in two minutes. Multiply plot length by width to get the plot area in sq ft. Multiply by 1.75 to get your FAR ceiling. Then add up the floor areas on your draft drawing, leaving out the exempt items above. If the total is over the ceiling, the plan will not clear scrutiny as drawn. If it is well under, you may have room for a larger room or a future floor, but remember a future floor needs fresh sanction and a foundation designed for it from day one.

Keep the plot area from the sale deed and the one from the survey side by side. If they differ, design on the lower figure until the authority accepts the other.

Estimate the cost for your built-up area

Sources

Bangalore Development Authority, Zonal Regulations of the Revised Master Plan 2015, amendments compilation (Table 10 and clause 3.4), read 2 Nov 2026; Government of Karnataka, Urban Development Department, notification UDD 235 MNJ 2025(E), 5 January 2026 (setback Table 8 and Notes 1, 4 and 5); notification UDD 31 MNJ 2022(E), 1 August 2025 (stilt floor); Deccan Herald, 7 January 2026, as reported (expert's view that FAR 1.75 was not relaxed). Checked as of Nov 2026. Rules change; confirm with your architect or the authority.

Frequently asked questions

What is the FAR for a 30x40 plot in Bengaluru?

The BDA zonal regulations give residential plots up to 360 sq m a FAR of 1.75, for roads up to 12 m wide. A 30x40 plot is 1,200 sq ft, so counted floor area can reach about 2,100 sq ft. Your architect confirms the figure for your road and plot.

Is the stilt parking floor counted in FAR?

The regulations exempt parking space from the FAR count. The 1 August 2025 amendment says the stilt floor must be used only for parking, up to 3 m high, and is not counted in building height. It does not mention FAR, so confirm with your architect. Misuse can lead to closure and denial of BESCOM and BWSSB connections.

What is the difference between FAR and ground coverage?

Ground coverage limits how much of the plot the building covers at ground level, so it caps the footprint. FAR limits the total floor area across all floors. A plan must satisfy both, along with setbacks and height. Whichever limit you reach first decides the design.

Was FAR relaxed in 2026?

Deccan Herald, 7 January 2026, quoted a bye-laws expert saying the January amendment did not relax the FAR of 1.75. The notification itself changed setbacks and the height limit for small plots. Confirm the current FAR for your plot and road width with your architect before finalising the design.

Can I add another floor later if FAR is left over?

Only with fresh sanction and structural approval. Extra floors change loads on the foundation, columns and slabs, so your engineer must confirm the structure can take them. Building without sanction can create approval and legal problems. Ask for the FAR statement now and design the foundation for your future plan.