Layouts and floor areas
Built-up area (zastavěná plocha)
In Czech: Zastavěná plocha
Built-up area (zastavěná plocha) is the part of a plot covered by a building, its footprint measured along the outside walls. It is used for houses and land and says nothing about indoor living space.
Also called: zastavěná plocha, building footprint, footprint area
What it means
Built-up area, in Czech zastavěná plocha, tells you how many square metres of land a building occupies. It is the footprint measured along the outer edge of the building, so unlike floor area (podlahová plocha) it includes the thickness of the external walls. A two-storey house has one built-up area, while the floor area of both floors together is larger.
In listings it appears for family houses, cottages, building plots and commercial buildings. On its own it does not tell you how much living space the house offers; it rather shows how much of the plot the building takes and how much is left for the garden.
How it works in the Czech Republic
Built-up area matters when you plan to build or extend. The municipal zoning plan (územní plán) may limit how much of a plot can be built on, or what size of buildings is acceptable in the area. Before buying land, look at the zoning plan at the municipal office or on the municipality's website and check what may be built there.
Do not confuse it with the land register (katastr nemovitostí). The land type 'zastavěná plocha a nádvoří' (built-up area and courtyard), which you see on the title deed (list vlastnictví) or at nahlizenidokatastru.cz, describes how the parcel is registered, not the footprint of the building. Such a parcel can be larger than the house because it includes the yard or surroundings.
How terraces, carports, balconies or a garage enter the built-up area can differ by purpose and document. If a decision depends on the figure, for example an extension, have an architect check the calculation and ask at the building office (stavební úřad).
Practical example
For example, an 800 m² plot is offered with a family house whose built-up area is 120 m² (illustrative figures). The house has two floors, so the floor area of both floors together is more than 120 m². The buyer plans to add a garage and therefore checks in the zoning plan how much further building the plot allows.
What to watch out for
- Do not mistake a house's built-up area for its living space.
- Check in the zoning plan whether a building coverage limit applies to the plot.
- The land register type 'zastavěná plocha a nádvoří' is not the same as the building's footprint.
- Check that structures on the plot, such as a garage or carport, match the documentation.
Frequently asked questions
Is built-up area the size of the house?
No. It is the building's footprint on the plot. Living space is better described by floor, usable or living area.
What does 'zastavěná plocha a nádvoří' mean in the land register?
It is the land type under which the parcel is registered. It does not by itself say how big the house on it is.
Why should I care about built-up area when buying a plot?
Because the zoning plan may limit how much of the plot you can build on, which decides how large a house or extension you can add.