The Punjab government has revised its building regulations, introducing new provisions covering fire safety, construction near overhead power lines, shops, rooftop structures, elevators, parking and common facilities.
The changes have been introduced through the Punjab Urban Planning and Building (Amendment) Rules, 2026.
Under the amended rules, buildings exceeding 21 metres in height will have to ensure that all staircases used for vertical movement are designed to function as fire exits and the provision is aimed at ensuring that staircases can be used for emergency evacuation in case of a fire or other emergency.
The amended regulations also prohibit construction beneath overhead power lines. Buildings constructed near such lines will have to maintain the prescribed safety distances, whereas, for commercial properties, the rules have fixed a maximum floor-to-ceiling height of five metres for booths, general shops and Shop-cum-Offices (SCOs).
The rules also specify how mezzanine floors in booths can be used.
A mezzanine will be permitted only for storage purposes and cannot be used for business operations or customer seating and its area cannot exceed two-thirds of the total booth area, excluding the corridor space. The permitted mezzanine area will not be counted towards the Floor Area Ratio (FAR).
The government has also introduced provisions related to rooftop solar panels.
A clear space of up to 2.4 metres can be maintained below rooftop solar panels, the solar panels and their supporting structures will not be counted towards the building's total height or FAR.
Rooftop toilets have also been permitted under the revised regulations.
Such toilets can have a maximum area of six square metres and a maximum height of 2.75 metres, and these structures will not be included in the calculation of the building's total height or FAR.
The amended rules further allow elevators to extend directly to the rooftop in all types of buildings, including residential and commercial buildings and such construction will have to comply with the National Building Code (NBC) 2016 and applicable elevator regulations.
The inspection and certification of these elevator installations will have to be carried out by a person holding a competency certificate issued by the Chief Electrical Inspector of Punjab.
The revised regulations also introduce provisions concerning car parking, including parking arrangements related to elevators, clubhouses and stilt areas.
Another change relates to common recreational facilities.
For common gyms and indoor game areas located on podiums, only 50 per cent of the area will be counted towards FAR.
The revised rules therefore cover multiple aspects of building construction and use, including emergency exits, electrical safety, commercial building dimensions, rooftop structures, elevators, parking and the calculation of FAR.
