Does a container need a building permit? Germany, Bavaria
In Germany, Bavaria the governing measure is gross volume. A container whose gross volume stays within 75 m3 falls into the simplified route and is handled as a no filing. Above that line the full building-permit procedure applies. The basis is Bayerische Bauordnung (BayBO) in der Fassung der Bekanntmachung vom 14. August 2007 (GVBl. S. 588), BayRS 2132-1-B, Art. 57 Abs. 1 Nr. 13 Buchst. a, in the version of 2007-08-14. The statute is quoted word for word further down this page, in the original language and in translation, so you can check the figure without leaving the site. The authority to contact is Untere Bauaufsichtsbehoerde.
What are the thresholds?
| Measure | Value | When this number applies | Provision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross volume, outside the Aussenbereich | 75 m3 | Applies to a building outside the Aussenbereich, that is inside the built-up area. The measure is VOLUME, not area. A 20 ft container is 38.27 m3 and stays under the line; a 40 ft container is 77.02 m3 and crosses it. | Art. 57 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 Buchst. a |
| Gross volume, in the Aussenbereich | 20 m3 | In the Aussenbereich, that is outside the built-up area, the line drops to 20 m3 and applies only to buildings without habitable rooms, toilets or fireplaces that serve neither sales nor exhibition purposes. Only a 10 ft container at 17.78 m3 fits under it. | Art. 57 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 Buchst. a |
| Minimum boundary setback | 3 m | The depth of the setback area is 0.4 H, or 0.2 H in commercial and industrial zones, but in each case at least 3 m. For a container with a wall height around 2.6 m to 2.9 m, 0.4 H is only about 1.2 m, so the 3 m floor is what governs. | Art. 6 Abs. 5 Satz 1 |
The statute, word for word
Gebäude mit einem Brutto-Rauminhalt bis zu 75 m3, außer im Außenbereich, sowie Gebäude ohne Aufenthaltsräume, Toiletten oder Feuerstätten, wenn die Gebäude weder Verkaufs- noch Ausstellungszwecken dienen, im Außenbereich bis 20 m3 Brutto-Rauminhalt
buildings with a gross volume of up to 75 m3, except in the Aussenbereich, as well as buildings without habitable rooms, toilets or fireplaces, where the buildings serve neither sales nor exhibition purposes, in the Aussenbereich up to 20 m3 gross volume
- Act
- Bayerische Bauordnung (BayBO) in der Fassung der Bekanntmachung vom 14. August 2007 (GVBl. S. 588), BayRS 2132-1-B
- Provision
- Art. 57 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 Buchst. a
- Version of the act
- In force from
- Text retrieved
Gebäude mit einem Brutto-Rauminhalt bis zu 75 m3, außer im Außenbereich, sowie Gebäude ohne Aufenthaltsräume, Toiletten oder Feuerstätten, wenn die Gebäude weder Verkaufs- noch Ausstellungszwecken dienen, im Außenbereich bis 20 m3 Brutto-Rauminhalt
buildings with a gross volume of up to 75 m3, except in the Aussenbereich, as well as buildings without habitable rooms, toilets or fireplaces, where the buildings serve neither sales nor exhibition purposes, in the Aussenbereich up to 20 m3 gross volume
- Act
- Bayerische Bauordnung (BayBO) in der Fassung der Bekanntmachung vom 14. August 2007 (GVBl. S. 588), BayRS 2132-1-B
- Provision
- Art. 57 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 Buchst. a
- Version of the act
- In force from
- Text retrieved
Die Tiefe der Abstandsflächen beträgt 0,4 H, in Gewerbe- und Industriegebieten 0,2 H, jeweils aber mindestens 3 m.
The depth of the setback areas is 0.4 H, in commercial and industrial areas 0.2 H, but in each case at least 3 m.
- Act
- Bayerische Bauordnung (BayBO) in der Fassung der Bekanntmachung vom 14. August 2007 (GVBl. S. 588), BayRS 2132-1-B
- Provision
- Art. 6 Abs. 5 Satz 1
- Version of the act
- In force from
- Text retrieved
Do you need a permit or is a notification enough?
Bavaria has no notification step for these works: a project is either verfahrensfrei, meaning no procedure at all, or it needs a full building permit. A container up to 75 m3 outside the Aussenbereich is verfahrensfrei. A container placed as a site facility is verfahrensfrei with no volume limit whatsoever.
Baustelleneinrichtungen einschließlich der Lagerhallen, Schutzhallen und Unterkünfte
construction site facilities including storage halls, protective halls and accommodation
- Act
- Bayerische Bauordnung (BayBO) in der Fassung der Bekanntmachung vom 14. August 2007 (GVBl. S. 588), BayRS 2132-1-B
- Provision
- Art. 57 Abs. 1 Nr. 13 Buchst. a
- Version of the act
- In force from
- Text retrieved
Who do you contact?
Untere Bauaufsichtsbehoerde. The building authority of the district or of a town with its own jurisdiction. The governing statute is the Bayerische Bauordnung, not a federal act.
What documents will you need?
- For a verfahrensfrei project nothing is filed with the building authority. Responsibility for complying with the substantive rules stays with the developer.
- Evidence of conformity with the local development plan (Bebauungsplan) where one exists for the plot.
- A gross-volume calculation demonstrating the 75 m3 or 20 m3 line.
- A site plan with the Art. 6 setback areas where the works sit near a boundary.
How do the neighbouring jurisdictions compare?
| Jurisdiction | Built-up area | Gross volume | Height | Boundary setback | Do you need a permit or is a notification enough? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany, Bavaria | The statute states no fixed figure | 75 m3 · 20 m3 | The statute states no fixed figure | 3 m | No filing |
| Slovakia | 50 m2 | The statute states no fixed figure | 5 m | 2 m | Notification |
| Czechia | 40 m2 | The statute states no fixed figure | 5 m | 2 m | Full permit |
| Poland | The statute states no fixed figure | The statute states no fixed figure | The statute states no fixed figure | Not yet verified | Notification |
What to watch out for
- The 75 m3 line is a VOLUME, not an area. Most secondary sources restate it as an area threshold, which changes which containers it covers. A 40 ft container is 77.02 m3 and crosses the line by about 2 m3; a 20 ft container is 38.27 m3 and sits safely under it. The arithmetic uses the external dimensions from ISO 668:2020 Table 2.
- A container on a construction site is judged under a different provision. Art. 57(1) no. 13(a) makes site facilities including storage halls, protective halls and accommodation verfahrensfrei with no volume limit at all, because they are temporarily erected installations rather than buildings. Reading only the 75 m3 limb sends a site cabin into a permit procedure it never needed.
- Art. 57(1) no. 1(a) states no height limit for buildings. That is why the table shows no height for Bavaria: it is not a gap in our research, it is the fact that this provision does not regulate height. For the same reason no fixed temporary-use period is shown, because the statute sets none for site facilities.
Please note
This is guidance, not legal advice. The thresholds are quoted verbatim from the statute in force on the date shown, but an individual plot can be subject to a zoning plan, a protection zone or heritage rules that are not reflected here. Confirm your case with the named authority before you order.