Design Rules📏 Heights & Clearances

Loft — Maximum Height & Coverage

Loft (tand) height and area limits
See also📖 NBC 2016🔗 IS 456🧮 RCC Design📒 Handbook
1.50
m
1.50 m ceiling height — Loft (tand) maxROOM1.50mLOFT (TAND) MAX — SECTION VIEW
Primary value1.50 m
Applies toStorage lofts in residences · Tand above kitchens, bathrooms, passages
ExceptionsMax area as % of room below25%
Min headroom under loft2.20 m
Measured asMaximum vertical height of loft itself = 1.5 m. Loft area must not exceed 25% of the room floor area below it.
SourceNBC 2016Part 4
📚 Cross-referenced
Why this matters

Lofts are storage spaces — not habitable rooms — and the 1.5 m height limit + 25% area cap prevents builders from creating illegal mezzanines (which would otherwise violate FAR). The headroom-under-loft rule keeps the room below usable.

Typical practice

Common above kitchens, bathrooms, and entry passages in older Indian homes. Modern apartments rarely use them due to FAR restrictions and accessibility concerns.

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