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Punjab eases building norms for shops; tightens electrical, fire safety rules
The changes were notified through the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Building (Second Amendment) Rules, 2026, by the housing and urban development department on September 7
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The Punjab government has eased several building norms for commercial properties, rooftop solar installations, parking and recreational facilities, while tightening safety requirements for structures near high-tension power lines.
The changes were notified through the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Building (Second Amendment) Rules, 2026, by the housing and urban development department on September 7. The amendment modifies provisions of the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Building Rules, 2021, which have been amended several times since their introduction five years ago.
One of the key changes relates to booths, shops and shop-cum-offices. Their maximum floor-to-floor height has been increased to 5 metres from the earlier limit of 4.27 metres (14 feet). This gives commercial property owners greater flexibility in designing shops and other small commercial buildings.
The amended rules also allow solar panel structures to be raised up to 2.4 metres above the terrace without the additional height being counted towards the building’s overall height or its Floor Area Ratio (FAR).
A toilet of up to 6 square metres in area and 2.75 metres in height can now be constructed on the terrace. The structure will not be counted towards the building’s FAR or overall height.
Car lifts allowed for basement parking
For plots measuring up to 3,000 square metres, the rules now allow cars to access basement parking through a car lift — a vehicle-sized elevator — subject to prescribed conditions. Such lifts can generally provide access to parking in one basement level below ground. Separate provisions have been made for car showrooms and workshops.
The existing parking requirements based on the type of building and dwelling units otherwise remain in place.
Regular lifts have been permitted up to terrace level in all categories of buildings, but installation of lifts, escalators and moving walkways must comply with applicable laws and the National Building Code, 2016
FAR concession for indoor sports, fitness facilities
The amendment provides a FAR concession for certain common indoor sports, games and fitness facilities located on podium floors in specified categories of buildings.
For eligible buildings, only 50% of the built-up area of these facilities will be counted toward FAR. For example, a 1,000-sq-metre qualifying facility would count as 500 square metres for FAR purposes.
The concession is not available for several categories, including residential plots, farmhouses, dwelling units and marriage palaces, among others.
Safety in focus
On the safety front, the government has substantially revised provisions governing buildings near high-tension electrical lines.
The new rules prescribe minimum vertical and horizontal distances between buildings and power lines based on the voltage of the line. They also take into account the maximum deflection of the line due to wind.
For overhead lines above 650V and up to 33kV, the minimum vertical clearance is 3.7 metres, with additional clearance requirements for higher voltages.
For high-voltage direct-current systems, the prescribed vertical clearance ranges from 4.6 metres for 100kV to 12.4 metres for 800kV, with corresponding horizontal clearances.
The amendment also tightens fire-safety requirements by providing that buildings exceeding 21 metres in height must have all required staircases as fire-exit staircases.
