FSI and FAR in Bangalore: What a Home Buyer Needs to Know
FAR, the floor area ratio, caps how much can be built on a Bangalore plot based on road width and plot size. Here is what it means for a buyer and how to check it.
A buyer looking at an independent builder floor off Bannerghatta Road in 2026 noticed something the brochure skipped over. The building had four floors, but the sanctioned plan the seller eventually produced allowed for three. That extra fourth floor was not a bonus at all, it was a deviation built beyond the permitted floor area ratio, and it quietly threatened the occupancy certificate, the home loan and the building's long term legality. The gap between what was built and what was sanctioned is exactly what floor area ratio governs, and it is something every buyer should learn to read.
The short answer. Floor area ratio, written as FAR and also called floor space index or FSI, is the ratio of the total built up floor area of a building to the area of its plot, and it caps how much can legally be built on a given piece of land. In Bangalore the permitted FAR depends mainly on the width of the abutting road and the size of the plot, under the building bye laws and the master plan. The trade off a buyer must grasp is space against legality: a building that exceeds its sanctioned FAR has more saleable area, but that excess is a deviation that can jeopardise approvals, financing and the property's future.
What are FSI and FAR?
FAR and FSI are two names for the same idea, the ratio between the total built up floor area of a building and the area of the plot it stands on. A FAR of 2.0, for instance, means the total floor area across all floors can be up to twice the plot area, so on a 1,000 square foot plot you could build up to 2,000 square feet of floor space spread over however many floors the rules and setbacks allow. The term FAR is the one commonly used in Bengaluru, while FSI is more common in some other cities, but the concept is identical.
The purpose of the ratio is to control density, so that the burden a building places on roads, water, drainage and parking stays within what the area can bear. For a buyer, FAR is the rule that decides how much building was legally allowed on the land, which in turn tells you whether what has actually been built is within the law or beyond it. A building that respects its FAR is on firm ground, one that exceeds it is carrying a risk. It is worth adding that FAR counts the floor area, not the number of floors as such, so two buildings with the same FAR can look very different, one spread low and wide, the other tall on a smaller footprint. What matters to you is the total sanctioned floor area and whether the building has stayed within it, not how that area happens to be stacked.
How is FAR decided in Bangalore?
In Bangalore, FAR is decided mainly by the width of the road the plot faces and the size of the plot, under the building bye laws and the revised master plan, with the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike governing areas within its limits and the Bengaluru Development Authority governing its layouts. The system is road width based rather than purely zone based, which means a plot on a wider road is generally allowed a higher FAR than the same plot on a narrow lane, because a wider road can carry more density.
So the same sized plot can support a bigger building simply because it faces a broader road. This is why you cannot judge the permitted FAR from the locality alone, you have to tie it to the specific plot and the road in front of it. The exact figures are set in the bye laws and the master plan and are periodically revised, so the right source for the current numbers is the BBMP or BDA framework rather than a rule of thumb.
What is the indicative FAR by road width?
The baseline residential FAR rises with plot size and road width, and while the exact figures should be confirmed against the current bye laws, the pattern is what a buyer should understand. The table below shows an indicative baseline.
| Plot size and abutting road width | Indicative base FAR |
|---|---|
| Up to 240 sqm on a road under 9 m | About 1.75 |
| 240 to 500 sqm on a 9 to 12 m road | About 2.25 |
| 500 to 1,000 sqm on a 12 to 18 m road | About 2.50 |
| Over 1,000 sqm on a road wider than 18 m | Up to about 3.00 |
These figures are indicative and meant to show the direction of the rule rather than to be relied on for your specific plot, since the bye laws are detailed and revised from time to time. The takeaway is that a wider road and a larger plot allow more building, and that the permitted FAR for your exact property is a number to confirm officially rather than assume.
What is premium FAR?
Premium FAR is additional floor area ratio that the state allows a developer to buy over and above the base limit, by paying a premium, where the abutting road is wide enough to support the extra density. Karnataka introduced a premium FAR policy that lets developers purchase additional FAR above the base, subject to the road width and the payment, which is how some projects achieve a higher built up area than the base FAR alone would permit.
For a buyer, premium FAR is legitimate when it has actually been sanctioned and paid for, and recorded in the approved plan. The problem arises when extra area exists without that sanction, which is simply a deviation dressed up as density. So the question is not whether a building has a high FAR, but whether every bit of that FAR, base and premium, appears in the sanctioned plan. Our guide on how to verify a K-RERA project registration helps you reach the approvals where this should be visible.
Why does FAR matter to a home buyer?
FAR matters to a buyer because a building that exceeds its sanctioned floor area ratio is in violation, and that violation attaches to the property you are buying, not merely to the builder who created it. An over built structure can struggle to obtain its occupancy certificate, can be refused finance by cautious banks, and in serious cases can face regularisation demands or action against the excess portion. The extra floor that looks like free space can be the very thing that blocks your loan or your certificate.
This is why FAR sits alongside the other legality checks a buyer makes. A deviation beyond sanctioned FAR often travels with other irregularities, and it can push a property from a clean A Khata towards the limited B Khata category, a link explained in our guide to A Khata, B Khata and e-Khata. Reading the sanctioned plan against what stands on the ground is the single most useful FAR check a buyer can do.
How should a buyer check FAR before buying?
Checking FAR is mostly about comparing the sanctioned plan with reality. Work through the steps below before you commit.
- Ask for the sanctioned building plan and note the floor area ratio it was approved for.
- Compare the actual built floor area with the FAR sanctioned for the plot and its road width.
- Treat any extra floor or area beyond the sanctioned plan as a deviation to question closely.
- Check that the occupancy certificate was granted, which signals the building matched its plan.
- Confirm your bank will lend against the property given any deviation you find.
- For a plot purchase, verify the FAR you are actually allowed before assuming a design or size.
- Have a lawyer or architect confirm the building is within its sanctioned FAR and approvals.
If you are comparing new projects, where approved plans should be readily available, a listing such as Prestige Parklane in Devanahalli is the kind of page where the sanctioned FAR and the occupancy certificate are worth asking about directly. The buyer off Bannerghatta Road walked away from that unsanctioned fourth floor, and from the string of problems it quietly carried with it.
Frequently asked questions
What is FAR or FSI?
FAR, or floor area ratio, also called floor space index, is the ratio of the total built up floor area of a building to the area of its plot. A FAR of 2.0 means the total floor area can be up to twice the plot area. It caps how much can legally be built on a given piece of land.
How is FAR decided in Bangalore?
In Bangalore, FAR is decided mainly by the width of the abutting road and the plot size, under the building bye laws and the master plan, with BBMP governing its limits and BDA its layouts. A plot on a wider road generally gets a higher FAR. Confirm the exact figure for your plot against the current bye laws.
What is premium FAR?
Premium FAR is extra floor area ratio a developer can buy above the base limit by paying a premium, where the road width supports the added density. It is legitimate only when sanctioned, paid for and recorded in the approved plan. Extra area without that sanction is a deviation, not genuine premium FAR, and a buyer should check which it is.
Why should a buyer care about FAR?
Because a building that exceeds its sanctioned FAR is in violation, and the problem passes to the buyer. An over built property can struggle to get its occupancy certificate, be refused a loan, or face action against the excess. Comparing the sanctioned plan with what is actually built is a core legality check before buying.
Floor area ratio is the quiet rule that decides how much building the law allowed on a plot, and whether what stands there belongs. Read the sanctioned plan against the structure, confirm the permitted FAR for your exact plot through the official BBMP framework, and treat any unexplained extra area as a risk, and you will avoid inheriting the kind of deviation the Bannerghatta Road buyer spotted in time.
Last updated 2026-10-05. PropNewz Team.
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