The Local Urban Plan (LUP)
The PLU is an intercommunal document that provides valuable information on the development work in progress or planned in the municipality where the land you want to buy is located. This plan is divided into four zones: U (urban zones), AU (zones to be urbanized), A (agricultural zones) and N (natural and forest zones). In general the first two zones (U and AU) are buildable for real estate, and luxury real estate. In zone A, only the construction of buildings intended for agricultural activity is authorized. Natural and forest areas are normally unbuildable. Detailed rules for each zone are included in the PLU.
Planning certificate
The PLU gives you indications on the buildability of your land. To find out, ask the town hall to give you the town planning certificate. It is this document that will confirm whether or not you can build your house on the land you want to buy. This certificate is available in two documents.
- Certificate of town planning information: you will find there the town planning rules, all the taxes which apply to your plot and details on the right to property.
- Certificate of operational town planning: more practical than the previous one, it will allow you to know if the land is connected to the electricity and water networks, and if it is near the road.
Good to know: these two certificates are valid for 18 months. It is possible to obtain them online, on the official website of the French administration.
Cadastre
The cadastre allows you to know exactly the limits of your land. This information is very important, especially if the plot is not clearly demarcated. Each land is associated with a cadastre number. On the website www.cadastre.gouv.fr, you can access information about your plot by entering its cadastre number. You can also contact the town hall.
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