Authorities & RERA
What is Ground Coverage?
The rule that decides how much garden there is. And the reason two projects on identical plots can feel completely different.
The short answer
Ground coverage is how much of the PLOT the building may sit on — expressed as a percentage.
40% ground coverage on a 10,000 sq ft plot = the building may occupy 4,000 sq ft. The other 6,000 sq ft must stay open.
That open space is what you are actually paying for when you buy the lawns, the play area and the "60% open green space" in the brochure.
What ground coverage is
The formula
Ground coverage % = Built footprint at ground level ÷ Plot area × 100
- Plot area
- 10,000 sq ft
- Permitted ground coverage
- 40%
- Building footprint permitted
- 4,000 sq ft
- Must remain OPEN
- 6,000 sq ft
Ground coverage vs FSI — two different constraints
Ground coverage says: how much of the plot may the building stand on?
FSI says: how much total floor area may exist, across all floors?
Together, they determine the shape of the project:
• High FSI + LOW ground coverage = a tall tower on a small footprint, with a lot of open ground around it. Lawns. Play areas. Air.
• Same FSI + HIGH ground coverage = squat blocks covering most of the plot. Same total flats, almost no open space.
Same FSI. Same number of flats. Entirely different places to live.
Why it decides how a project actually feels
This is the number behind the difference you can sense but not name — why one gated community feels spacious and the one down the road feels cramped, though both have the same number of flats.
It is ground coverage.
- Low ground coverage → open ground, gardens, distance between buildings, light reaching the lower floors, air moving.
- High ground coverage → buildings close together, flats overlooking each other, dark lower floors, cars where the lawn was.
The brochure says “60% open green space”.
Check the sanctioned plan. If ground coverage is 40%, then 60% is indeed open — but 'open' includes driveways, car parking, the ramp to the basement, and the STP.
'Open' is not the same as 'green'. And it is certainly not the same as 'usable'.
Ask to see the layout plan, and look at how much of the open space is actually landscaped — as opposed to tarmac.
What to check
- The permitted ground coverage in the local building bye-laws for that zone.
- The consumed ground coverage in the sanctioned plan.
- How much of the 'open' space is actually landscaped — versus driveways, parking and services.
- Whether there is a future phase planned in that open space. Look at the layout, and ask.
- Whether the building has encroached on the setbacks or the open space — a deviation from the sanctioned plan is a serious matter, and it is the commonest reason an occupancy certificate is refused.
The four planning numbers
| What it controls | Why it matters to YOU | |
|---|---|---|
| FSI / FAR | How much total floor area may be built, as a multiple of the plot area | Unused FSI can be built later. By the builder. In your open space. |
| Ground Coverage | How much of the PLOT the building may sit on, as a percentage | The rest is open space — which is what you're paying for when you buy 'green area' |
| Setback | The open distance that must be left between the building and each boundary | Light, air, fire access. And the thing builders most often encroach on. |
| Height limit | How tall the building may be — often driven by road width, and by airport proximity | Whether the tower blocking your view can lawfully exist |
These four numbers, set by the local authority in the building bye-laws, decide what a plot can hold. Together they are why one project has a tower and open lawns, and the one next door has three towers and a car park.
The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 is a central law. But it is administered by a separate authority in each state, each with its own portal, its own rules, its own forms, and its own fee schedule.
Which means: the principles below apply everywhere. The procedure does not.
Always check YOUR state's RERA portal for the current rules, forms and fees. Search for it by name — MahaRERA, K-RERA, TS-RERA, TNRERA, UP RERA, HARERA — rather than following a link a builder or a broker sends you.
Frequently asked questions
What is ground coverage in real estate?
The proportion of a plot that the building may occupy at ground level, expressed as a percentage. 40% ground coverage on a 10,000 sq ft plot means the building may occupy 4,000 sq ft, and 6,000 sq ft must remain open.
What is the difference between FSI and ground coverage?
Ground coverage controls the FOOTPRINT — how much of the plot the building stands on. FSI controls the TOTAL floor area across all floors. High FSI with low ground coverage gives you a tall tower with open ground around it. The same FSI with high ground coverage gives you squat blocks covering most of the plot. Same flats, entirely different place to live.
Does ground coverage affect open space?
Directly. Whatever the building doesn't cover must remain open — that open space is what you are actually paying for when you buy the lawns and the play area. But note: 'open' includes driveways, car parking, ramps and the sewage treatment plant. Open is not the same as green, and green is not the same as usable.
Where do I find the ground coverage for a project?
The sanctioned building plan states the permitted and consumed ground coverage, and it should be in the RERA filing. Check it against the brochure's claims about open space — and look at the layout plan to see how much of that space is actually landscaped rather than tarmac.