Above-ground floor (NP)

NP (nadzemní podlaží) means an above-ground storey. Czech building plans and official records number storeys from the ground floor: 1st NP is the ground floor, 2nd NP is the first floor (second floor in US usage), 3rd NP the second floor. Storeys below ground are PP (podzemní podlaží), for example a cellar as 1st PP. If a listing says '1st floor' and the plans say '2nd NP', they mean the same storey.

Where the term is defined

Neither the Building Act nor its implementing decrees define an above-ground storey. In a 2019 reply, the Ministry for Regional Development referred to the Czech technical standard ČSN 73 4301 (Residential buildings), under which the key factor is the floor level relative to the highest point of the adjacent finished ground in a strip around the building. The decree on the RÚIAN register refers to the same standard; RÚIAN records the number of above- and below-ground storeys for buildings with a house number.

Why the number of storeys matters

• Under the Building Act, a family house may have at most two above-ground storeys, one underground storey and an attic, or instead of the attic a third storey set back at least 2 m from the wall facing the street.
• The Building Act sets no storey limit for an apartment building.
• A residential building with at most two above-ground storeys, one underground storey and an attic is a simple structure, for which the building authority decides on the permit within a shorter time limit.
• Height limits in a zoning plan may be set as a number of above-ground storeys.

Frequently asked questions

Is a basement always a below-ground storey?

Not necessarily. What people call a basement or a semi-basement may count as an above-ground storey under the standard if its floor is not deep enough below the surrounding ground. On sloping sites the split may not be obvious, and the building documentation decides.

Why does RÚIAN show a different number of storeys from the listing?

The register takes the figure from the building documentation, while listings often count floors informally. A difference can also arise after an attic conversion or an added storey.