Quick answer Punjab’s 2025 “stilt + 4 floors” building rules were withdrawn in April 2026. The older Punjab Municipal Building Bylaws, 2018 (municipal towns) and PUDA Building Rules, 2021 (PUDA/GMADA sectors) apply again. Maps are approved online — on e-Naksha for municipal areas — through a registered architect.
Few rules swung as much in 2025–26 as Punjab’s building rules. Owners rushed to plan an extra floor, then the High Court stepped in, and in April 2026 the government pulled the new rules altogether. If you are building a house, buying a builder floor or comparing new launches, here is what applies now.
What happened to the stilt + 4 floors rules
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| 28 October 2025 | Punjab Cabinet approves the Punjab Unified Building Rules, 2025: stilt + 4 floors on plots of 250 sq yd+ in new areas (height up to 21 m); stilt + 3 floors and 13 m in older areas; faster architect approvals for small homes |
| 15 December 2025 | Rules notified |
| December 2025 | Punjab and Haryana High Court puts provisions that clash with the earlier rules in abeyance; approvals slow almost to a halt |
| April 2026 | Government withdraws the 2025 rules and restores the earlier framework |
The rules were challenged over haphazard construction, fire safety, traffic and pressure on water and sewerage. With the withdrawal, the permitted floors, height and coverage for your plot are again set by the earlier bylaws and your plot’s own zoning terms.
Which rules apply to your plot
| Where your plot is | Rules | Where to apply |
|---|---|---|
| Municipal towns — Zirakpur, Kharar, Dera Bassi, Lalru, Banur and other ULBs | Punjab Municipal Building Bylaws, 2018 | e-Naksha (enaksha.lgpunjab.gov.in) |
| GMADA/PUDA sectors — Mohali sectors, Aerocity, IT City, Eco City | PUDA Building Rules, 2021 + allotment terms | GMADA/PUDA online building plan system |
| Licensed private colonies | Rules of the area + the colony’s approved layout and zoning | As above, by location |
How map (building plan) approval works
- Get your papers ready: registry or allotment letter, mutation/ownership proof, approved layout of the colony, NOCs where needed, and ID.
- Appoint a registered architect. Only an architect registered with the Council of Architecture can file the plan.
- File online. The architect uploads the drawings and documents and you pay the fees online.
- Scrutiny and sanction. The authority checks setbacks, coverage, height, parking and floors against the rules, raises objections if any, then issues the sanction.
- Build as per the sanction, then apply for the completion / occupation certificate.
Self-certification: for set categories of buildings, the registered architect certifies that the plan follows the rules, which speeds up approval. The architect can be penalised if the plan is wrong, so pick a careful one. For factories, Punjab approved self/third-party certification in April 2025 and cut the approval time from 45 to 30 days — useful if you are buying an industrial plot in Lalru or Dera Bassi.
CLU, EDC and licence fees: why new projects cost more
Developers pay external development charges (EDC), change of land use (CLU) charges and licence fees to get a colony or group housing project approved. In 2025 Punjab raised these by 50% to 100% depending on the area — with the Mohali region among the steepest — applied them across the state’s civic bodies, and set a 10% yearly compounded increase from April 2026. Punjab also tightened rules so that a developer must hold clear title to the land before CLU approval.
For you as a buyer, this means new launches carry higher approval costs, ready and under-construction flats already approved at old rates can look better value, and you should ask whether EDC is included in the price. See hidden charges in a flat price.
Buyer checklist after the rule change
- Ask for the sanctioned building plan and match the number of floors and the height on site.
- For a floor in a stilt + 4 building, check when and under which rules it was sanctioned, and get legal advice before paying.
- Insist on a completion / occupation certificate for ready property.
- Check the colony is licensed or approved — read unauthorised colonies and NOC rules.
- For new projects, verify RERA registration — see how to verify RERA in Punjab, or run the property risk checker.
