# Building Code Requirements in Delhi Delhi's UBBL 2016 grades habitable-room minimum area and low-rise staircase width by dwelling-unit size, rather than following NBC 2016's flat national figures. - Canonical HTML: https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/in/dl/ - Publisher: Chippy Tools - Language: en - Updated: 2026-09-13 [Browse all topics](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/topics/)[Free web tools](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/tools/)[Printable references](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/printables/) [All countries](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/) [India](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/in/) Topics Stairs - [Indian Stair Rules: Riser, Going, Width & Headroom (NBC 2016)](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/in/stairs/stair-and-barrier-requirements/) Footings - [Indian Foundation Rules: Depth, Thickness & Concrete Grade (NBC 2016)](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/in/footings/footing-sizes-and-depth/) Room heights - [Delhi Room and Stair Rules Under UBBL 2016](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/in/dl/ubbl-room-and-stair-rules/) - [Maharashtra Room & Stair Sizes: The UDCPR 2020 Rules](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/in/mh/udcpr-room-and-stair-rules/) - [Indian Room Height & Area Rules: The NBC 2016 Numbers](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/in/rooms/minimum-room-heights/) Ramps - [Indian Ramp Guidance: NBC 2016 Scope and Gradients](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/in/ramps/ramp-gradients/) Wet areas - [India Wet-Area Waterproofing: Check the Project Specification](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/in/wet-areas/waterproofing-requirements/) By state - [Delhi](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/in/dl/) - [Maharashtra](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/in/mh/) Calculation guides - [Concrete Calculations: The Complete On-Site Guide](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/concrete-calculations-guide/) - [How to Calculate Concrete Volume for a Slab](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/concrete-volume-slab/) - [How Many Bags of Concrete Per m³? (20kg, 25kg, 40kg)](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/bags-of-concrete-per-m3/) - [Concrete for Post Holes: Volume Per Hole & Bags Needed](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/concrete-post-holes/) - [Concrete Mix Ratios Explained: 1:2:3, 1:2:4 & Water-Cement Ratio](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/concrete-mix-ratios/) - [Roof Pitch to Angle: Convert Rise/Run to Degrees & Grade](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/roof-pitch-to-angle/) - [Rafter Length Calculation: Run, Rise & Overhang](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/rafter-length/) - [Stair Rise & Run Setout: Riser, Going & the 2R+G Formula](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/stair-rise-and-run-setout/) - [How to Convert a Fall or Gradient: Ratio, Percentage & Degrees](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/fall-and-gradient-conversion/) - [Stud & Joist Spacing Takeoff: How Many at 400, 450 & 600 mm Centres](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/stud-and-joist-spacing-takeoff/) - [Gravel & Base Volume: Compacted Depth vs Loose-Fill Order Quantity](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/gravel-and-base-volume/) In this section [Browse all topics](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/topics/)[Free web tools](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/tools/)[Printable references](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/printables/) [All countries](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/) [India](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/in/) Topics Stairs - [Indian Stair Rules: Riser, Going, Width & Headroom (NBC 2016)](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/in/stairs/stair-and-barrier-requirements/) Footings - [Indian Foundation Rules: Depth, Thickness & Concrete Grade (NBC 2016)](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/in/footings/footing-sizes-and-depth/) Room heights - [Delhi Room and Stair Rules Under UBBL 2016](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/in/dl/ubbl-room-and-stair-rules/) - [Maharashtra Room & Stair Sizes: The UDCPR 2020 Rules](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/in/mh/udcpr-room-and-stair-rules/) - [Indian Room Height & Area Rules: The NBC 2016 Numbers](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/in/rooms/minimum-room-heights/) Ramps - [Indian Ramp Guidance: NBC 2016 Scope and Gradients](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/in/ramps/ramp-gradients/) Wet areas - [India Wet-Area Waterproofing: Check the Project Specification](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/in/wet-areas/waterproofing-requirements/) By state - [Delhi](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/in/dl/) - [Maharashtra](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/in/mh/) Calculation guides - [Concrete Calculations: The Complete On-Site Guide](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/concrete-calculations-guide/) - [How to Calculate Concrete Volume for a Slab](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/concrete-volume-slab/) - [How Many Bags of Concrete Per m³? (20kg, 25kg, 40kg)](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/bags-of-concrete-per-m3/) - [Concrete for Post Holes: Volume Per Hole & Bags Needed](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/concrete-post-holes/) - [Concrete Mix Ratios Explained: 1:2:3, 1:2:4 & Water-Cement Ratio](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/concrete-mix-ratios/) - [Roof Pitch to Angle: Convert Rise/Run to Degrees & Grade](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/roof-pitch-to-angle/) - [Rafter Length Calculation: Run, Rise & Overhang](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/rafter-length/) - [Stair Rise & Run Setout: Riser, Going & the 2R+G Formula](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/stair-rise-and-run-setout/) - [How to Convert a Fall or Gradient: Ratio, Percentage & Degrees](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/fall-and-gradient-conversion/) - [Stud & Joist Spacing Takeoff: How Many at 400, 450 & 600 mm Centres](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/stud-and-joist-spacing-takeoff/) - [Gravel & Base Volume: Compacted Depth vs Loose-Fill Order Quantity](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/gravel-and-base-volume/) [Building Codes](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/) [India](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/in/) Delhi # Building Code Requirements in Delhi Delhi's UBBL 2016 grades habitable-room minimum area and low-rise staircase width by dwelling-unit size, rather than following NBC 2016's flat national figures. Delhi builds to its own **Unified Building Bye-Laws 2016 (UBBL-2016)**, notified by the Delhi Development Authority and incorporating NBC 2016. Where NBC sets one flat national figure, UBBL sometimes grades it by the **size of the dwelling unit** instead. **Habitable-room area is graded by unit size.** NBC 2016 sets one flat national rule — 9.5 m² for a single-room dwelling, or 9.5 m² plus a 7.5 m² second room. UBBL’s Table 7.1 (§7.1.3) grades that instead: | Dwelling-unit size | Habitable room min. area | Min. width | |--------------------|---------------------------------|------------| | Up to **50 m²** | **7.5 m²** | 2.1 m | | Above **50 m²** | **9.5 m²** (second room 7.5 m²) | 2.4 m | That’s a genuinely more permissive rule for smaller Delhi flats than NBC’s single national figure allows. **Low-rise staircase width is graded the same way.** NBC’s residential stair-width default is a flat 1.00 m. UBBL’s Table 7.1 (item 12) grades a **low-rise** staircase by the same dwelling-unit-size bands: **0.9 m** for units up to 50 m², **1.0 m** for units above 50 m² — narrower than the national default for the smaller-unit band. Get the basics right and check the current UBBL text for anything not covered here — our [stair calculator](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/in/stairs/stair-and-barrier-requirements/) and [concrete calculations guide](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/concrete/concrete-calculations-guide/) handle the day-to-day maths either way. ## Related - [**India’s building code hub**](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/in/) — how NBC 2016 and state bye-law adoption work together. - [**Indian stair rules**](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/in/stairs/stair-and-barrier-requirements/) — the NBC 2016 national figures this page’s deltas sit against. - [**Indian room height & area rules**](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/in/rooms/minimum-room-heights/) — the national 9.5/7.5 m² rule UBBL’s grading replaces. **Read this first.** Delhi’s Unified Building Bye-Laws (UBBL) 2016 still names and incorporates **NBC 2016** specifically, so it remains the practical, enforced reference for Delhi today — even though BIS has **withdrawn** NBC 2016 nationally and replaced it with **SP 7:2026** (“National Building Construction Standards 2026”), gazette-notified in 2026 (reported 30 April 2026). That’s a change to the national standard only; it doesn’t take effect here until UBBL itself is updated to reference it. Confirm which edition your current UBBL/NBC reference actually adopts before you rely on any figure above. ## Adoption status Adopted Current code in force NBC 2016 (via Delhi Unified Building Bye-Laws 2016) Next edition Not announced Adoption / transition Delhi's Unified Building Bye-Laws (UBBL) 2016 grades habitable-room minimum area and low-rise staircase width by dwelling-unit size (7.5 m² / 0.9 m for units up to 50 m²; 9.5 m² / 1.0 m above), rather than following NBC 2016's flat national figures. [Official source →](https://dda.gov.in/sites/default/files/public-notice/COMPENDIUM_OF_UBBL_201605082020_0.pdf) Last verified 2026-07-29 ## State variations - IN DL UBBL Delhi's UBBL 2016 grades habitable-room minimum area and low-rise staircase width by dwelling-unit size (7.5 m² / 0.9 m for units up to 50 m²; 9.5 m² / 1.0 m above), rather than NBC 2016's flat national 9.5/7.5 m² room rule and single 1.00 m stair-width figure. [Source →](https://dda.gov.in/sites/default/files/public-notice/COMPENDIUM_OF_UBBL_201605082020_0.pdf) Related: [Indian Room Height & Area Rules: The NBC 2016 Numbers](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/in/rooms/minimum-room-heights/), [Indian Stair Rules: Riser, Going, Width & Headroom (NBC 2016)](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/in/stairs/stair-and-barrier-requirements/) Verified 2026-07-29 ## Guides for this jurisdiction - [Delhi Room and Stair Rules Under UBBL 2016](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/in/dl/ubbl-room-and-stair-rules/) Delhi grades room area and low-rise stair width by the size of the flat: 7.5 m² and 0.9 m up to 50 m², 9.5 m² and 1.0 m above. Plus treads, headroom, handrails and parapets. This page is general information for tradespeople and is not compliance, engineering or legal advice. Requirements are subject to state and territory variations and adoption timing. Always confirm requirements with your building certifier and relevant state authority. ## Page directory - [Delhi Room and Stair Rules Under UBBL 2016](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/in/dl/ubbl-room-and-stair-rules/index.md): Delhi grades room area and low-rise stair width by the size of the flat: 7.5 m² and 0.9 m up to 50 m², 9.5 m² and 1.0 m above. Plus treads, headroom, handrails and parapets.