Zoning plan (územní plán)

A zoning plan (územní plán, ÚP) is a Czech municipality's main document for the development of its territory. It divides the whole municipality into land-use zones (housing, public amenities, industry, greenery, farmland and others) and sets conditions for the use and spatial layout of each zone, such as building height. It also marks the built-up area, development areas for new construction and public benefit constructions. The municipal council issues it as a 'measure of a general nature' (opatření obecné povahy) and it is binding for all decisions about the territory, including those of the building authority.

How to read a zoning plan

For a buyer of a house or a plot the plan answers two questions: what can be built on the plot (an extension, an extra storey, another house) and what may be built around it in the future. The key parts are:

• the main drawing with coloured zones and their codes,
• the text part with the conditions for each zone - what a zone allows is only written in the text,
• the drawing of the basic division of the territory, showing development areas, redevelopment areas and land reserves,
• the drawing of public benefit constructions, measures and clearance areas.

The plan must respect the higher-level regional development principles. It is changed over time by amendments, and the latest consolidated version is the one to work with.

Points to watch

• Extracts and summaries on property websites are only indicative. The municipality's plan is binding and the building authority decides whether a specific project complies.
• Municipal plans approved before 1 January 2007 remain valid at the latest until 31 December 2028, unless a new plan replaces them earlier.
• Some municipalities have no zoning plan. In that case, discuss building options directly with the building authority.
• An amendment to the Building Act signed by the President in September 2026 moves the preparation of zoning plans into the municipality's own (self-governing) competence from 1 January 2027. Until then the plan is usually prepared for the municipality by the planning office at the municipality with extended powers.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I find the zoning plan?

On the website of the municipality or of the planning office, and in the National Spatial Planning Geoportal (uzemniplanovani.gov.cz), where plans and their amendments are being uploaded.

Does the plan apply to land that is not for sale?

Yes. The plan is binding for the whole municipality regardless of who owns the land. That is why it also shows what may appear on neighbouring plots.