West Bengal Municipal Building Rules in 2026: What Changed and Where KMC Differs

There is no new "West Bengal Municipal (Building) Rules, 2026". Municipalities across the state still sanction houses under the West Bengal Municipal (Building) Rules, 2007, as amended, and the main 2026 change is a June order that swaps the National Building Code for the new National Building Construction Standards 2026. Inside Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), and in Howrah, a different rulebook applies: the KMC Building Rules, 2009.

This guide sets out which rules apply where, what has actually changed since 2007, what the numbers mean for a house plan, and the steps, fees and certificates in order. For the Kolkata-specific side (land conversion, the land ceiling NOC, New Town and fire thresholds), see our Kolkata building sanction guide.

West Bengal municipal building rules 2026: is there a new rulebook?

No. We went through every building item on UDMA's list of circulars and notifications from 2015 to October 2026. None replaces the 2007 rules. UDMA's own building permit procedure still tells consultants to design to the "West Bengal Municipal Building Rules 2007 (amended)", and its auto-scrutiny checks drawings "as per WBMBR 2007 & amendments".

What happened in 2026 is narrower:

• NBCS 2026 replaces NBC 2016. The Bureau of Indian Standards established SP 7:2026, the National Building Construction Standards 2026, and withdrew the National Building Code of India 2016, both on 30 April 2026 (Gazette of India notification).
• West Bengal followed on 12 June 2026. UDMA lists Order No. 1221/UDMA-15011(24)/2/2026-LS-MA SEC-Part(I), "Adoption of National Building Construction Standards 2026 (NBCS 2026) in place of National Building Code of India (NBC 2016) under West Bengal Municipal (Building) Rules, 2007". The order's PDF returned "not found" on 2 November 2026. A PropNewsTime report on it says references to NBC 2016 in the rules are now read as NBCS 2026, with immediate effect, and that formal amendments to the rules will follow.

For a house, that mostly matters to your structural engineer and architect: wherever the rules point to the national code for structure, fire safety or services, they now point to NBCS 2026. The plot-level numbers (open spaces, height, FAR, ground coverage) did not change in 2026.

What has changed since 2007

The amendments that change a house plan or its paperwork, each from the official notification:

• 2016, the design numbers. Notification No. 105 of 26 February 2016 added the FAR table (rule 48A), replaced the height table (rule 49) and the open space tables (rule 50), set classes of licensed building surveyor (LBS) and engineers (rule 15), and created partial and block-wise occupancy certificates (rules 34A and 34B).
• 2022, service time limits. Under the West Bengal Right to Public Services Act, 2013, Notification No. 4100 of 25 August 2022 gives municipalities 15 days to sanction a building plan, 5 days for the plinth inspection and 25 days for the occupancy certificate.
• 2023, minor deviations. Notification No. 555 of 27 July 2023 (gazetted 28 July) lets the Board of Councillors regularise minor unauthorised work for a fee (rule 32), and requires EV charging for 10% of parking in residential buildings of more than 30 flats (rule 52). Notification No. 889 of 4 December 2023 defines "minor": up to 5% on linear dimensions or covered area, and up to 10% on overall height with no extra floor and under 3 m added. The fee is a share of the IGR (registration) value of the deviated area, for example 20% for a house of 130 to 200 sq m that stays within its ground coverage.
• 2024, a committee and 15 days. Notification No. 89 of 19 February 2024 has each municipality's Board appoint a building plan committee (rule 20A), which must decide within 15 days instead of 60 (rule 21). A sanction is valid for three years and renewable for two more, or valid for five; it can be revalidated up to ten years in all only where a partial or block-wise occupancy certificate has been issued (rule 23).
• 2025, a state committee. Notification No. 137 of 11 February 2025 reconstituted the State Level Building Committee, to which municipalities can refer regularisation cases for technical advice.

Which rules apply where: WBMBR or KMC Building Rules

• Municipalities, notified areas and industrial townships: the West Bengal Municipal (Building) Rules, 2007 (rule 1(2)). The rules carry extra parts for Salt Lake Township within Bidhannagar and for municipalities in the hill areas. UDMA addresses its notifications under these rules to the municipal corporations of Asansol, Bidhannagar, Chandannagar, Durgapur and Siliguri too; confirm with the corporation's building department for your plot.
• Kolkata Municipal Corporation: the KMC Building Rules, 2009, made under the KMC Act, 1980, and amended on their own track.
• Howrah Municipal Corporation: the KMC Building Rules apply here too, since a 2011 notification, with relaxations for small plots and narrow lanes under Notification No. 876 of 26 August 2022.
• New Town and panchayat areas: neither set applies. New Town has its own building rules under NKDA, and panchayat areas follow the Panchayats and Rural Development procedure; our Kolkata guide covers both.

KMC's own amendment. UDMA lists an "Amendment of Kolkata Municipal Corporation Building Rules, 2009" (No. 597, dated 4 September 2025 on the list), after a draft of 7 April 2025 (No. 272). Neither file opened on 2 November 2026, so we have not summarised it. Press reports in 2025 described KMC easing rules for small plots (PropNewsTime). If your KMC plot is small, ask your LBS or architect for the amended rule before relying on any figure.

What the rules mean for your house plan

Both rulebooks work in metres and square metres. Three numbers set the envelope: height from the road width, open spaces from the height, and FAR from the road width. After the 2016 amendment, the municipal tables match KMC's for a typical house. Take a 200 sq m plot (about 3 katha) on a 5 m road:

• Height: 10 m on a road above 3 m and up to 5 m, or 12.5 m if a 2.5 m strip along the whole frontage is gifted (WBMBR rule 49, KMC rule 74).
• Open spaces for a house above 7 m and up to 10 m: 1.2 m at the front, 1.2 m on each side and 3.0 m at the rear (WBMBR rule 50, KMC rule 62). Up to 7 m, the rear drops to 2.0 m.
• FAR: 1.75 on a road above 3.5 m and up to 7 m, so 350 sq m of floor area in all floors, before exempt areas such as the stair cover and parking (WBMBR rule 48A, KMC rule 69). Road width is the average along the plot's frontage.
• Ground coverage is where they differ: 65% for a residential plot up to 200 sq m in a municipality (WBMBR rule 46), 60% in KMC (rule 70). Both taper to 50% at 500 sq m.

On this plot the open spaces leave a 7.6 m by 15.8 m footprint, about 120 sq m, so three floors would be 360 sq m and FAR is what trims the top floor. If any of these terms are new, our explainer on setbacks, FAR and height limits walks through them.

Who must prepare and sign the plan

Under rule 15 of the municipal rules, as substituted in 2016, the owner engages:

• a house up to 10 m with no deep foundation or underground structure: a Licensed Building Surveyor Class II;
• above 10 m and up to 15.5 m, still on shallow foundations: an LBS Class I and a Geo-technical Engineer Class II;
• up to 15.5 m with a deep foundation or basement: a Structural Engineer Class II, an architect and a Geo-technical Engineer Class II.

LBSs and engineers must be empanelled; an architect must be registered with the Council of Architecture, and a higher class may always do a lower class's work. The building plan certificate in rule 53 is signed by the LBS or the architect. In KMC, rule 47 asks for at least an LBS for a house up to 10 m without deep foundations, and an LBS or architect with a structural engineer above that.

Building permission online in West Bengal: the steps

Municipal plans go through e-Grihanaksha, UDMA's single window at obpsudma.wb.gov.in. From UDMA's procedure:

1. Register as a citizen with name, mobile, email and an ID proof, and start the Common Application Form with owner, site and land details.
2. Get graded for risk. The portal grades the building low, medium or high. Under the risk classification order gazetted in February 2023, a house for your own use up to 400 sq m built-up and 10 m high, on shallow foundations, is low risk in seismic zones II and III.
3. Choose your LBS or architect from the municipality's empanelled list and send the file to them. They fill in the technical details.
4. Upload documents and NOCs. UDMA's checklist starts with the registered deed and mutation; the land checks are in our Kolkata guide.
5. Auto-scrutiny. The consultant sends the .dwg drawings to the Smart-DCR engine, which checks them against the rules before the file reaches the municipality.
6. Pay the demand note online, then download the digitally signed building permit and approved drawings.

Inside KMC, an empanelled LBS or architect files the same kind of Common Application Form on KMC's own system. KMC's EODB FAQ gives 30 days for sanction from the date of application.

Fees and timelines

Municipal sanction fees are set by rule 24 and listed on UDMA's fee page. For a residential building for your own use, the basic rate is ₹500 for the first 30 sq m of total covered area in all floors, plus ₹75 for every further 10 sq m or part. The Board of Councillors may set up to five times that, ₹2,500 and ₹375. Apartment buildings pay double.

Worked example: a two-storey house of 150 sq m in all floors pays ₹500 + 12 × ₹75 = ₹1,400 at the basic rate, or up to ₹2,500 + 12 × ₹375 = ₹7,000 where the municipality charges the maximum. A non-refundable stacking fee of 10% to 50% of the sanction fee per month is paid with it (rule 25); only plots over 2,000 sq m can avoid it, by undertaking not to stack materials on the road. Ask your municipality which multiple it uses.

In KMC, the 2026-27 schedule charges a one-time application fee for a home on a plot up to 500 sq m (₹2,000 up to 7 m high, ₹5,000 up to 10 m), then a permit fee by covered area and road width, plus other charges. For what the building itself costs, see our Kolkata construction cost breakdown.

The milestones people miss

• Plinth. Once work reaches plinth level or one metre above ground, whichever is higher, give notice in Form F. The municipality inspects within 15 days and issues any directions within seven (rule 30); the service limit is 5 days. In KMC, rule 24 gives seven days to inspect.
• Completion notice. Within a month of finishing, submit Form G with a structural safety certificate (rule 33), and completion plans if anything changed.
• Occupancy certificate in West Bengal. The municipality inspects within 15 days of the completion notice and issues the certificate in Form H within 15 days of inspection (rule 34). If 30 days pass with no decision, you can represent to the Chairman, who must decide within another 30 (rule 35). No one may occupy the building without it (rule 36), and there are no municipal water or drain connections until it is issued. In KMC the equivalent is the completion certificate.

Small deviations found at this stage can now be regularised for a fee rather than demolished, within the 2023 limits. Anything beyond them cannot. Our occupancy versus completion certificate explainer is coming soon.

Official portals and documents

• e-Grihanaksha: online building plan approval for municipalities
• UDMA circulars and notifications: every amendment, newest first
• West Bengal Municipal (Building) Rules, 2007: the original text
• KMC Building Rules, 2009: KMC's copy, with amendments
• Council of Architecture: check an architect's registration

Frequently asked questions

Has West Bengal notified new municipal building rules in 2026?

No. The 2007 rules still apply, as amended. The 2026 change is UDMA's order of 12 June 2026 reading references to NBC 2016 as NBCS 2026.

Do the West Bengal Municipal (Building) Rules apply in Kolkata?

Not inside KMC, which has its own KMC Building Rules, 2009. They do apply in municipalities around the city, such as Salt Lake (with extra provisions) and other municipalities in the metropolitan area.

How long does building plan sanction take in a West Bengal municipality?

The service time limit is 15 days, and rule 21 as amended in 2024 gives the committee 15 days, counted from the application or from any further information it asks for. A complete first file is the fastest route.

Can a small extra area or height be regularised?

In a municipality, yes, within limits: up to 5% on dimensions or covered area and up to 10% on height, for a fee based on the IGR value. Larger deviations remain unauthorised.

Who can sign my house plan in West Bengal?

For a house up to 10 m on shallow foundations, an empanelled LBS Class II, or a COA-registered architect. Taller houses or those with basements or piling need engineers as well.

Rules here change by notification, and an architect who has filed with your municipality recently knows the current position. Find a COA-verified architect on MOA and choose your city in the city filter.

Sources

• UDMA, Government of West Bengal: West Bengal Municipal (Building) Rules, 2007, Notification No. 67/MA/O/C-4/3R-8/2002 of 14 Feb 2007 (rules 1, 23 to 25, 30, 33 to 36, 46, 53) (accessed 2 Nov 2026)
• UDMA: Notification No. 105/MA/O/C-4/3R-14/2015 of 26 Feb 2016, amending rules 15, 34, 36, 48A, 49, 50 and 53 (accessed 2 Nov 2026)
• UDMA: Notification No. 4100-UD/O/M/ESTT/E-19/2014 (Pt-I) of 25 Aug 2022, time limits under the West Bengal Right to Public Services Act, 2013 (accessed 2 Nov 2026)
• UDMA: Order No. 1106 on risk classification of buildings, Kolkata Gazette, 20 Feb 2023 (accessed 2 Nov 2026)
• UDMA: Notification No. 555/MA/O/C-4/3R-2/2022 of 27 Jul 2023, amending rules 32, 46 and 52 and adding Part XIII (accessed 2 Nov 2026)
• UDMA: Notification No. 889/UDMA-15011(24)/6/2023-LS-MA SEC of 4 Dec 2023, minor unauthorised work and regularisation fees (accessed 2 Nov 2026)
• UDMA: Notification No. 89/UDMA-15011(24)/8/2023-LS-MA SEC of 19 Feb 2024, inserting rule 20A and amending rules 21, 23 and 28 (accessed 2 Nov 2026)
• UDMA: Notification No. 137 of 11 Feb 2025, State Level Building Committee (accessed 2 Nov 2026)
• UDMA: Circulars and orders list, including Order No. 1221 of 12 Jun 2026 (NBCS 2026) and the KMC Building Rules amendment No. 597 (2025) (accessed 2 Nov 2026)
• UDMA: Construction permit procedure, documents and fees (accessed 2 Nov 2026)
• UDMA: Notification No. 876 of 26 Aug 2022, KMC Building Rules relaxations for Howrah Municipal Corporation (accessed 2 Nov 2026)
• Bureau of Indian Standards, Gazette of India: SP 7:2026 established and SP 7:2016 withdrawn, 30 Apr 2026 (accessed 2 Nov 2026)
• Kolkata Municipal Corporation: KMC Building Rules, 2009 (rules 1, 24, 28, 47, 62, 69, 70, 74) (accessed 2 Nov 2026)
• Kolkata Municipal Corporation: FAQ for EODB (accessed 2 Nov 2026)
• Kolkata Municipal Corporation: Building Department schedule of fees and charges, 2026-2027 (accessed 2 Nov 2026)
• PropNewsTime: Kolkata builders begin remobilising workers as high-rise construction looks set to resume (updated 11 Aug 2026) (accessed 2 Nov 2026)
• PropNewsTime: KMC eases building norms for small plots to curb illegal constructions (Mar 2025) (accessed 2 Nov 2026)