Guides for your planning
What dimensions, standards and regulations mean for your plans, explained clearly and backed by sources.
How to read a floor plan: symbols and dimensions
Walls, doors, windows, stairs, dimension chains and abbreviations like BRH or OKFF: how to read any German floor plan, with tables and examples.
Calculating living area under the German WoFlV
What counts in full, half or not at all: calculate living area under Germany’s WoFlV, with sloping ceilings, balcony, basement and a worked example.
Minimum dimensions at home: doors, stairs, ceilings
Stairs to DIN 18065, room heights under German state building codes, barrier-free doors and hallways to DIN 18040-2: the key minimums in tables.
Furniture clearances: how much space to leave
How much space to keep free in front of wardrobe, bed, kitchen units, dining table, sofa and WC: proven planning values with sources and an example.
Preparing floor plans for a building permit
Which documents a German building permit needs, who may submit them, and how your own floor plan helps you prepare for the talk with your architect.
Calculators
Living area calculator (WoFlV)
Calculate living area under the German WoFlV: rooms in full, sloping ceilings half, balconies a quarter. Free, no sign-up.
Stair calculator
Calculate a stair: number of steps, rise and going from the storey height, checked against the step rule and DIN 18065. Free.
Tile and paint calculator
Work out tiles with waste and wall paint for a room: number of tiles, square metres and litres. Free, no sign-up.