Laws, regulations, ordinances & plans

In a building project, you must take into account numerous specifications, ordinances and planning principles. Here you will find an overview with the respective contact persons:

Urban Planning & Spatial Planning

For urban planning questions about your building project in Innsbruck, the City Department Urban planning, mobility and integration is responsible.

The areas of responsibility of urban planning include

• Zoning
• Development plan
• the requirements of the local spatial planning concept(ÖROKO 2.0)
• Protection zones for historic areas
• Contents of specific urban planning studies
• urban planning boundary conditions for competitions
• Submissions to the expert advisory board or the Innsbruck Design Advisory Board (IGB)
• Preparation of integrated mobility concepts
• Securing the mobility objectives

Planning procedures currently underway (amendments to ÖROKO, zoning plan and development plan) can be found on the official notice board.

Building regulations & ordinances

If you want to build in Innsbruck, there are a number of regulations and ordinances to comply with, including

• Tyrolean Spatial Planning Act (TROG)
• Tyrolean Building Regulations (TBO)
• Tyrolean City and Townscape Protection Act: if you are building in protected zones
• Technical building regulations (TBV)
• OIB guidelines 1 - 6 edition
• Technical Guidelines for Preventive Fire Protection (TRVB) (list of currently valid guidelines)
• Building Documents Ordinance
• Energy Performance Certificate Submission Act (EAVG)
• Tyrolean Gas, Heating and Air Conditioning Systems Act (TGHKG)
• Austrian standards (subject to a fee)
• Car parking space directive
• Bicycle parking space ordinance
• Calculation form for bicycle parking space ordinance
• Guidelines for property access roads on municipal roads (garages and parking spaces)
• Local spatial planning concept 2.0
• Zoning plan
• Development plan
• AGWR II Act
• Information sheet on children's playgrounds, ancillary facilities

Possible further requirements:

• Monument protection
• Hazard register (torrent and avalanche control, landslide areas, ...)
• GIPSKARST areas
• Flood protection, spring and well protection, ...
• Nature conservation (protected landscape areas, ...)
• other restrictions on use

Principles of building law

As a matter of principle, building structures may only be erected on plots of land which are suitable for the intended development in terms of their dedication, location, shape, size and soil conditions and which have a legally secured connection to a public traffic area in accordance with the intended use - see the Guide to Plot Accesses on Municipal Roads (Garages and Parking Lots).

Buildings and structures shall be located on lots to provide safe access and to ensure effective use of firefighting and rescue equipment.

The properties must also have a water and energy supply and disposal of wastewater and precipitation water appropriate to the intended use - see Water Law Permit.

Water law

Who is responsible for the enforcement of water law in the provincial capital of Innsbruck?

In addition to the Federal Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management and the Governor of Tyrol, the Service Unit Building, water and plant law is responsible in the first instance for the enforcement of water law in the provincial capital of Innsbruck. In official proceedings, the department therefore deals in particular with subsoil drainage (infiltration of precipitation water), groundwater use, construction water retention, installations in the bank or flood discharge area and flood protection measures. The department also conducts remediation procedures following contamination.

What legal framework conditions must be observed?

The basic objectives of water management are set out in the EU Water Framework Directive. The Water Framework Directive is implemented at national level in the Water Act (WRG), which is regulated uniformly throughout Austria, and in the ordinances based on it. In addition to the ordinances on quality objectives for groundwater and surface waters, these primarily include the accompanying ordinance to the National Water Management Plan (NGP) and the ordinance on the remediation of watercourses. In addition to the legal requirements, guidelines and information sheets provide important recommendations.

What is the aim of the water legislation?

All bodies of water must be kept so clean that the health of humans and animals is not endangered. Groundwater and spring water should be usable as drinking water. It should be possible to use surface waters for public and commercial purposes. Fishing waters must be preserved. Everyone is obliged to construct, maintain and operate facilities or to behave in such a way that water pollution is avoided.

Building construction and fire protection (building and fire police)

• Mechanical strength and stability (statics):
  OIB Guideline 1: Structures must have sufficient load-bearing capacity, serviceability and durability to absorb the actions to which the structure is subjected and to transfer them to the ground.
• Fire protection:
  OIB Guideline 2: This OIB Guideline specifies requirements for the fire behaviour and fire resistance of construction products according to European standardized classes.
• Hygiene, health and environmental protection:
  OIB Guideline 3: The requirements for hygiene, health and environmental protection must be complied with.
• Safety in use and accessibility:
  OIB Guideline 4: The requirements for safety in use and accessibility must be complied with during the construction of certain building projects.
• Sound insulation:
  OIB Guideline 5: Buildings and parts of buildings that are used for prolonged occupancy by people and whose use in accordance with their intended purpose results in a requirement for quiet must comply with the guideline. This includes in particular residential buildings, hostels, office buildings, accommodation facilities, schools, kindergartens, hospitals, buildings for religious purposes, etc.
• Energy saving and thermal insulation:
  In addition to OIB Guideline 6 on requirements for the thermal-energetic quality of buildings, the Tyrolean Building Code (TBO) and the Technical Building Regulations (TBV) must be complied with. They generally regulate the energy performance of the various construction measures. In the construction process, the requirements must be verified by the energy performance certificate (EPC) or the U-value of individual components. An overview of when an energy performance certificate is required and which energy parameters must be met can be found in the table overview on overall energy efficiency and the requirement for an energy performance certificate published by the state's general construction department.
• Use of highly efficient alternative heating systems:
  According to the Tyrolean Building Regulations (TBO), new buildings must be checked to see whether a high-efficiency alternative heating system can be used sensibly. The test must be enclosed with the building documents. Energie Tirol provides its own form for checking alternatives. If a system with non-renewable energy sources is selected despite the existence of sensible alternatives, this can lead to the building application being rejected. Alternative heating systems include
  1. Systems based on renewable sources (pellets, etc.)
  2. Combined heat and power plants (use and utilization of heat generated during production processes)
  3. District or local heating systems or district or local cooling systems from renewable sources
  4. Heat pumps (heat source: groundwater, grounddreor air)
• Event venues:
  The construction, modification or conversion of an event venue is subject to special requirements with regard to the currently applicable OIB guidelines such as fire protection, safety of use, accessibility or sound insulation. Events in buildings are therefore only permitted if certain requirements are met.
• Building and Housing Register (AGWR):
  Once the building permit has been issued, certain data is determined in accordance with the AGWR II Act and recorded in GWR-Online. The data must be provided by the building applicant. Here you will find the relevant form for the construction of a new building.

Business & Operating Facilities

If you regularly conduct business or commercial activities in a facility, such as a building, you may need to apply for a business facility permit for that facility. A business facility permit or business facility alteration permit may also be required if you are constructing, altering or adding to a new building.

Road traffic & road law

• Permission for construction on or next to the road
• Traffic routing for construction sites

Civil Engineering

• For the construction of property access roads, garages and parking lots with connection to the public road network, the approval of the road administrator is required: Guide to property access roads (garages & parking lots)

Excavation work

Excavation work within the city of Innsbruck must be reported to the Office for Road Operations. The Office then carries out inspections and, after completion, acceptance. In most cases, excavation work also involves municipal land. Therefore, you also need the consent of the city of Innsbruck that you may carry out work. This is the responsibility of Service Unit Real estate matters .. is responsible.

Real estate matters

In the case of construction water stops, excavation work, pipe laying work and additional property access roads in the area of influence of the public road network, you need the approval of the road keeper and the landowner. This is usually the city of Innsbruck. Please apply in good time, as the departments concerned have to be involved and conditions for the permission have to be obtained. You can find more information on civil law permits under"Contracts with the City of Innsbruck".

As-built plans and nature status map

As-built plans

• Building plans: When planning conversions in existing buildings, as-built plans are usually required. In the City Adminstrative Group MA III - Planning, Building Law and Technical Infrastructure Management - Coordination office for building applications and guest gardens most of the as-built plans of buildings are available on film or scanned. To obtain copies of plans (e.g. Grundriss), you need the written consent of the owner.
• Cable routing plans can be obtained from the respective companies, e.g. Innsbrucker Kommunalbetriebe, Telekom Austria, TIGAS, etc.

Natural state map

The nature status map is an exact digital image of Innsbruck's buildings, adresses and place names. It is created by Service Unit Surveying and geoinformation through terrestrial surveys.

The nature status map is the basis for a wide range of planning activities and is available in the scales 1:1,000, 1:10,000 and 1:25,000. You can purchase the nature status map or view it publicly. Responsible is the Service Unit Surveying and geoinformation

Resident charges

When do I pay residents' charges?

The City of Innsbruck levies a contribution to the costs of the new construction or extension of a building:

• traffic development(development contribution) and
• the construction of sidewalks(sidewalk contribution).

If a building applicant is also exempted from the construction of a children's playground or parking spaces, the City of Innsbruck levies a compensatory levy.

To calculate the amount of this levy, Service Unit Municipal levies - advance payment receives the necessary data from Service Unit Building inspection and building physics The Service Unit Municipal levies - advance payment checks this data and uses it to prepare the assessment notice.

How high are the residents' charges?

The rates from January 2025 are:

• Development charge rate: 21.30 euros
• Sidewalk contribution rate: 3.80 euros
• Compensatory levy for the allowance of an above-ground parking space: 7,100 euros
• Compensatory levy for an underground or surface parking space: 21,300 euros

Leisure residence tax

Information about the leisure residence tax can be found here: Leisure Residence Levy

Vacancy tax

Information on the vacancy tax can be found here: Vacancy Levy

Land transfer

The Tyrolean Land Transfer Act (TGVG) regulates the acquisition of rights

• to agricultural and forestry land,
• undeveloped building plots and
• additionally to developed properties and other properties if the acquirer of rights is a foreigner.

Please note: The Tyrolean provincial government declared Innsbruck, among other places, to be a reserved municipality pursuant to Section 14 (1) of the Tyrolean Land Transfer Act 1996 by ordinance dated 20.07.2022, LGBl. no. 71/2022. This means that with the entry into force of the ordinance, legal transactions on developed properties (including all properties with residential property) must be declared to the land transfer authority in accordance with § 14a TGVG 1996 or notified in accordance with § 23 TGVG.

Please submit notifications in accordance with the Tyrolean Land Transfer Act or applications in accordance with the Tyrolean Farming Act in the district of Innsbruck-Stadt using the online form "Grundverkehrseingabe". A simplified online form is available for processing contracts for properties with condominium ownership (§ 14a declarations).

Default settings can be saved as a template. This means that data fields such as the name, address and telephone number of a law firm do not have to be entered for each advertisement. Please attach the required enclosures such as contract certificate, proof of citizenship, etc. (preferably as a PDF file). (preferably as a PDF file) to the form in the attachment.

To submit missing documents, please use the form Subsequent submission of land transfer application.

Information on how to fill out the form can be found in the completion guide. For further information, please refer to the numerous info buttons [i] marked on the form.

Zoning confirmations

You can find more information on zoning confirmations here.