Building zones in Switzerland: what can be built on and next to your plot?
Whether a quiet street or an open view lasts also depends on the zones around it. This page explains what building zones mean in Switzerland, what the map shows and what it doesn't – and how to look up the zone of a specific address instead of assuming it.
- ~2Swiss averageinhabitants per hectare
- 20 – 50Village centre, suburbinhabitants per hectare
- > 100Dense city quartersinhabitants per hectare
- < 5Alpine hamletsinhabitants per hectare
Why the zone matters
What may legally be built at a location is decided by its building-zone classification. That applies to your own plot as much as to the neighbouring ones. A field next to a residential zone can look very different in ten years. The suntag.ch report shows the harmonised building zones of the Confederation and the population density of the surroundings.
The main zone types
The harmonised building zones distinguish categories including these:
| Residential zone | mainly housing |
| Mixed zone | housing and business side by side |
| Commercial zone | commercial use, with a different noise situation from housing |
| Industrial zone | industrial use, with a different noise situation from housing |
| Agricultural zone | generally not buildable |
New homes can only be built in a building zone. A plot in an agricultural or forest zone is therefore normally not buildable. Residential, mixed, commercial and industrial zones allow very different uses and noise levels.
Open land inside a residential zone
Undeveloped land inside a residential zone can in principle be built on. The municipality decides whether and how. The zone map shows neither building heights nor density: these are set in the municipality's building and zoning regulations, as is the zoning plan.
Population density of the surroundings
The density map shows the number of inhabitants per hectare (100 m × 100 m) from the annual federal population statistics. As a reference:
| about 2 | Swiss average (about 215 per km²) |
| 20 to 50 | village centre, suburban streets |
| over 100 | dense city quarters |
| below 5 | alpine hamlets |
Density tells you how lively the surroundings are: traffic, shops, neighbours. It shows the current state, not future development.
What the zone map doesn't show
The map shows the building zone, not details such as height limits, floor-area ratio or setbacks. The municipality holds those. Ask there for the zoning plan and the building and zoning regulations before you count on a view or a quiet location.
What to check when buying
- Check the zone of your plot and of the neighbouring plots: residential, mixed, commercial, industrial or agricultural.
- Look at undeveloped land nearby and ask the municipality whether and how it can be built on.
- Ask the municipality for the zoning plan and the building and zoning regulations for heights, density and setbacks.
- Use the population density to judge the surroundings: village, suburb, city quarter or alpine hamlet.
- Don't assume an open view or an undeveloped neighbouring plot will stay that way.
Look up the building zone for your own address
The suntag.ch report shows, for any address in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, the building zone and the population density of the surroundings. It also covers sun exposure day by day across the whole year, road, rail and aircraft noise, car and public-transport access, fibre, 5G, mobile antennas, radio and TV transmitters, high-voltage installations, solar potential and natural hazards – a 31-page PDF report with 11 charts, 30 maps and 3 tables from CHF 15.
Frequently asked questions about building zones
Which building zone is my address in?
The map of the harmonised federal building zones shows it, with categories such as residential, mixed, commercial, industrial, agricultural and others. The suntag.ch report displays it for your address.
Can I build in an agricultural zone?
New homes can only be built in a building zone. A plot in an agricultural or forest zone is therefore normally not buildable.
Can the land next to me be built on?
Undeveloped land in a residential zone can in principle be built on. The municipality decides whether and how. Ask there for the zoning plan and the building and zoning regulations.
Does the map show building heights and density?
No. The map shows the building zone, not height limits, floor-area ratio or setbacks. Those are set in the municipality's building and zoning regulations.
What does the population density mean?
It shows inhabitants per hectare from the federal population statistics. The Swiss average is about 2, a village centre often 20 to 50, dense city quarters over 100 and alpine hamlets below 5.
See also: Property checklist for Switzerland →
See also: Sun exposure in Switzerland →
Sources and methodology: Building zones: harmonised building zones of the Confederation, Federal Office for Spatial Development (ARE). Population density: annual population statistics, Federal Statistical Office (FSO), 100 m × 100 m grid. The maps are national overview maps and replace neither the zoning plan nor the municipality's building and zoning regulations. More information: are.admin.ch, bfs.admin.ch and your municipality.