Permits
Building permits for your garden office — the overview.
The short answer: it depends on the federal state. Rules measure differently and several states have changed recently. Here is the complete picture across all 16 Bundesländer, and which Konvel models are permit-free where.
The range is wide.
From 10 m² floor area in Berlin up to 75 m³ gross volume in Bavaria, Brandenburg and North Rhine-Westphalia. Some states measure by gross volume (m³), others by floor area (m²). NRW combines both.
Permit-free thresholds by federal state
| Federal state | Permit-free up to | Permit-free Konvel models | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bayern | 75 m³ | Brutto-Rauminhalt | Art. 57 BayBO | All models |
| Brandenburg | 75 m³ | Brutto-Rauminhalt | § 61 BbgBO | All models |
| Nordrhein-Westfalen | 75 m³ oder 30 m² | BRI + Grundfläche | § 62 BauO NRW | All models |
| Hessen | 50 m³ | Brutto-Rauminhalt | § 63 HBO | SoloStudioWerkstattGalerie |
| Rheinland-Pfalz | 50 m³ | Brutto-Rauminhalt | § 62 LBauO | SoloStudioWerkstattGalerie |
| Sachsen | 50 m² | Grundfläche | § 61 SächsBO | All models |
| Thüringen | 50 m² | Grundfläche | § 60 ThürBO | All models |
| Baden-Württemberg | 40 m³ | Brutto-Rauminhalt | § 50 LBO-BW | SoloStudioWerkstattGalerie |
| Niedersachsen | 40 m³ | Brutto-Rauminhalt | § 60 NBauO | SoloStudioWerkstattGalerie |
| Saarland | 30 m³ | Brutto-Rauminhalt | § 61 LBO | SoloStudioWerkstattGalerie |
| Schleswig-Holstein | 30 m³ (Innenbereich) | Brutto-Rauminhalt | § 63 LBO | SoloStudioWerkstattGalerie |
| Hamburg | 30 m³ | Brutto-Rauminhalt | § 60 HBauO | SoloStudioWerkstattGalerie |
| Bremen | 30 m³ | Brutto-Rauminhalt | § 61 BremLBO | SoloStudioWerkstattGalerie |
| Mecklenburg-Vorpommern | 10 m² | Grundfläche | § 61 LBauO M-V | — |
| Sachsen-Anhalt | 10 m³ | Brutto-Rauminhalt | § 60 BauO LSA | — |
| Berlin | 10 m² | Grundfläche | § 61 BauO Bln | — |
Conditions that apply almost everywhere — even when permit-free
Even where no permit is required by the state, these constraints still apply:
- No Aufenthaltsraum (formally — see below)
- No toilet, no bathroom, no kitchen
- No fireplace: no wood stove, no chimney, no permanent stove
- No fixed connection to water mains or sewerage
- Average wall height max. 3.0 m (Schleswig-Holstein: 2.75 m)
- 3 m boundary setback for buildings over ~30 m³
- Boundary placement only for very small buildings, max. 9 m along one boundary, max. 15 m total
- A permanent concrete foundation may trigger a permit requirement — the structure must remain "removable in principle"
- Rainwater must drain on the customer's own plot
The Aufenthaltsraum trap — relevant in every Bundesland
Strictly speaking, every state's building code says the permit-free structure cannot be an Aufenthaltsraum — a room intended for more than transient human occupation. An office where someone works eight hours a day is, formally, an Aufenthaltsraum.
In practice this is rarely enforced and usually only after a neighbour's complaint. Garden offices used daily for work exist in their thousands in every state. It remains a legal grey area — buyers should know:
- Do not register a residence there.
- Do not sleep there long-term.
- Do not connect the building permanently to the water mains.
- Do not install a wood stove or fireplace.
Exception 1: Außenbereich (outside built-up areas)
If the plot lies outside contiguously developed parts of town (Außenbereich per § 35 BauGB), the rules are significantly stricter. A permit is often required regardless of size. Konvel buyers are mostly in the Innenbereich; for rural postcodes we review the case with you in advance.
Exception 2: Allotment gardens (Kleingartenanlagen)
Allotment gardens are governed by the federal Bundeskleingartengesetz, not state law. Maximum 24 m² including covered terrace, no permanent residence, no modern office use. Konvel therefore does not sell to allotment-garden customers — buildings there are legally limited to traditional Gartenlauben.
Bebauungsplan can override everything
Local development plans (Bebauungsplan) can be stricter than the state building code. Even where a structure would be permit-free under the LBauO, a Bebauungsplan can ban outbuildings entirely, limit heights, prescribe roof forms, specify cladding materials or require larger setbacks. The definitive answer comes only from the local Bauamt.
We review your specific case with you in advance.
Enter your postal code in the configurator. We come back with a first assessment of the situation, the relevant rules and a non-binding kit offer.
This overview is editorial and does not replace legal advice. Binding answers come from the current state building code, the local Bebauungsplan and the responsible Bauamt. Last updated: 11 May 2026.