Buying Land: Be Sure to Check What Lies Beyond Its Boundaries

Quick Overview

Before purchasing a plot of land, make sure to verify whether you’re even allowed to build on it according to the zoning plan, how access is provided, where utility lines will run, and whether the planned structure will meet the required setbacks from the property lines, neighboring houses, and roads. In 2026, you’ll need to take into account the new Building Code and the implementing regulation on construction requirements.

• Check the zoning plan and regulations for the specific area.
• Verify access from a public road or, if necessary, the need for a right-of-way.
• Check the connections to water, sewer, electricity, and gas.
• Determine whether the planned house will meet the required setbacks from property lines and neighboring structures.
• Also take a look at the surrounding area: planned roads, development projects, or your neighbors’ construction plans.

The conditions under which construction is permitted on a plot of land in 2026 are based primarily on the Building Code, the decree on construction requirements, and the zoning plan of the specific municipality. Therefore, it is not enough to know that the lot is listed in the land registry as a building lot or that it is located in a built-up area. What matters most is the specific project you intend to carry out on the land, whether it complies with the zoning plan, and whether it meets the requirements for building location, transportation access, technical infrastructure, safety, sunlight exposure, and setbacks from surrounding structures.

Are you unsure whether the property is legally and structurally sound for purchase? Have the purchase agreement, title deed, access road, and any risks in the zoning plan reviewed before signing. Our attorneys will help you with a legal review of the property even before you send a reservation deposit.

Connection to Utilities

One of the key factors for locating a building on a plot of land is connection to public utilities. Without a properly arranged connection to the necessary utility infrastructure, it may be difficult to obtain a building permit or to actually use the building once it’s completed. This includes connections to water, sewer, gas, and electricity.

Therefore, if you are purchasing a plot of land, you should check the options for connecting to these utilities. Ideally, access to the utilities should be available directly at the property line. If the public utilities are more than 50 meters away, it will be necessary to establish a new connection, which can significantly increase the cost of construction. Another complication may arise if the utility lines end, for example, at a neighbor’s property line. In that case, it would be necessary to negotiate the establishment of an easement.

In practice, we often see buyers addressing utility connections only after signing a reservation or purchase agreement. Only then do they discover that the sewer line ends dozens of meters from the property, the electrical connection requires upgrading, or that the power lines must run across someone else’s lot. Such complications can add hundreds of thousands of crowns to the construction costs and significantly delay the project.

On the other hand, it may happen that the utility lines are nearby but end before a Class I or II road that runs alongside your property. This, too, can be a major problem, because these roads cannot be dug up or cut through at your whim.

Access Road

Your new building should also be connected to the public road network. It is assumed that you want to ensure normal access to your home—to be able to arrive by car or taxi—and to allow not only your friends but, above all, delivery personnel, firefighters, or emergency medical services to reach you in case of an emergency.

For these reasons, it is necessary to consider the surrounding properties, and if there is currently no access road leading to your property, you must ensure one is established.

Here, too, it may be the case that the only possible access is through a neighbor’s property. In such a case, you’ll need to negotiate with the neighbor to establish an easement ; if an agreement cannot be reached, the matter can be resolved in court. However, the law does not guarantee the right to establish an easement.

The most common mistake buyers make is relying on the seller’s verbal assurance that “the neighbor has never had a problem with the access road.” For the buyer, however, what matters is whether access is legally secured, typically through an easement registered in the land registry. If it is not, the situation can change the moment someone else purchases the neighboring property.

If a road leading to the property crosses a neighboring parcel, have it verified before the purchase to ensure that access is truly legally secured. It is not enough that “people normally drive there.” What matters is an entry in the land registry, an easement agreement, or another legal arrangement that will remain valid even if the neighboring property changes hands.

When establishing a new access road, it is important not only to meet the technical requirements but also to resolve the legal issues regarding which properties the road will cross and whether a connection to a public road is actually feasible. For some properties, another potential issue is that while access may exist in practice, it is not legally secured for the future owner.

Distance from the Neighboring House

When building a house, it is crucial to adhere to the rule that neither the house nor any part of it may encroach on a neighboring property. Likewise, you must not restrict the possibility of construction on the neighboring property. Buildings must comply with various distance criteria, such as those related to health standards, environmental protection, fire safety, lighting and sunlight exposure, building maintenance, and the use of the space between them, etc.

Detached houses should be at least 7 meters apart, which in practice can be quite restrictive and would make it impossible to rebuild historic houses in this manner. In cases of limited space, the distance may be reduced to 4 meters. However, this requires that there be no windows opening into living spaces on the opposing walls. Therefore, if the wall in question has no windows—or if any windows open only onto a hallway—there should be no major problem with construction. Even so, you must still obtain an exemption.

The distance between structures is measured from exterior walls, balconies, and terraces; the distance of the roof covering from the neighboring property, for example, is not taken into account.

Distance from Property Lines

Regulations stipulate thatyou should locate yourstructure at least 2 meters from the property line. Here, too, an exception may be granted, and you may place your house or a garage—which is connected to the use of the house—directly on the property line. In such a case, however, there must be no openings in the wall—that is, no windows or doors. Historically, however, such a boundary did not exist, and houses were thus built directly on the street line. At the same time, it is important to emphasize that even if this condition is met, there is no automatic entitlement to an exemption. It will depend primarily on whose property lies on the other side of the boundary, whether there is a structure there as well, and, above all, whether the neighbor agrees to the exemption.

Distance from the Road

It is also necessary to maintain a minimum distance from the edge of the roadway or local road, which must be at least three meters. Exceptions are provided for buildings located in gaps between terraced houses.

I Don’t Like My Neighbor’s Construction Plans

But what if you’ve met all the technical and legal requirements yourself, yet your neighbor ignores them? Is your neighbor planning to “build right up to” the very edge of their lot and position the windows facing your property? First and foremost, you can rest assured that the building authority itself will not approve such construction, as it violates regulations . Furthermore, once your neighbor applies for a building permit, you have the status of a party to the proceedings. You can file objections as a party to the proceedings against the proposed project to the extent that your rights are affected. This may concern, for example, the size of the structure, shading, potential pollution, etc.

We know from experience of cases where a neighbor did not speak up until construction had already physically begun. This is usually more complicated procedurally than filing objections in a timely manner during the permitting process. If you receive a notice from the building authority, do not put it off. A short deadline can determine whether you will still be able to effectively intervene in the project.

The building authority will evaluate these objections and make a decision based on them. If they are not accepted or taken into account, you, as an affected party, may file an appeal. If the building authority failed to include you as a party to the proceedings, you should file a petition with the court against the planned construction site to protect your rights as a neighbor.

If a neighbor begins construction without the necessary permit, or in violation of it, the structure may be considered an unauthorized structure. The building authority may then address its removal or grant a retroactive permit, provided the legal conditions are met. Therefore, it is not automatically the case that every unauthorized structure will be immediately demolished, but at the same time, it is not advisable to rely on the authority granting retroactive approval. The new Building Act explicitly provides for proceedings regarding retroactive approval as well as the removal of the structure if the conditions are not met.

Are you dealing with a neighbor’s construction project, shading, windows facing your property, or unauthorized construction work? In these cases, it pays to act quickly. We’ll help you prepare objections, appeals, or complaints to the building authority so that your rights as a neighbor aren’t just on paper.

Proceedings concerning unauthorized construction fall entirely within the jurisdiction of the building authority with subject-matter and territorial jurisdiction. Therefore, if the building authority determines that construction is being carried out without the appropriate permit, it must, by virtue of its official authority, initiate proceedings for the demolition of the structure.

Minimum Parking Requirements

Parking minimums are established by building codes, which specify how many parking spaces a developer must provide when constructing a certain type of building. Opinions on these requirements vary widely: from demands that every medium-sized apartment be entitled to two parking spaces, to calls for the complete abolition of these standards.

Current building regulations in Prague require the provision of roughly one parking space per 80-meter apartment. The specific numbers, or coefficients, may vary by location. Typically, in the center of Prague (if new apartments were to be built there), the requirement decreases significantly, but on the outskirts of Prague, it increases to as much as 1.4 times.

These coefficients can also significantly affect the quality of housing. However, each of us assesses and understands this differently. While for one person, quality housing means being able to park their two family cars without having to drive around local roads for a quarter of an hour, another might prefer public transportation and a playground for children near their home.

Summary

When buying land in 2026, don’t just consider the price, location, and size of the lot. Above all, check the zoning plan, legally guaranteed access, connections to utilities, setbacks from property lines, distance from neighboring buildings, access to roads, and any potential construction projects in the area. Also check the title deed, any easements, and whether the purchase agreement sufficiently protects the buyer in the event that a legal or technical obstacle to construction later arises. Many problems can be identified before signing the contract, but once the reservation deposit or purchase price has been paid, resolving them tends to be significantly more expensive and complicated.