Auckland residential zones explained: Single House, Mixed Housing and Terrace Housing
Updated 10 November 2026 · Auckland Unitary Plan
Every residential section in Auckland sits in a zone under the Auckland Unitary Plan. The zone is the single biggest factor in what you can build: how tall, how much of the site you can cover, and how many homes. Here's what each of the four main residential zones allows.
Single House zone (H3)
Height limit: 8m, plus 1m for part of a pitched roof. Building coverage: up to 35% of the site. Impervious surfaces (roofs, driveways, paving): up to 60%.
Homes: one home per site. Since 15 January 2026, national rules also allow one detached minor unit (a "granny flat") of up to 70m², if it meets the national standards.
Recession plane (height in relation to boundary): starts 2.5m up at side and rear boundaries and rises at 45°.
Mixed Housing Suburban zone (H4)
Height limit: 8m, plus 1m for part of a pitched roof. Building coverage: up to 40% of the site. Impervious surfaces (roofs, driveways, paving): up to 60%.
Homes: up to 3 homes can be built without resource consent for the number of homes, as long as they meet the zone's standards. Four or more need resource consent.
Recession plane (height in relation to boundary): starts 2.5m up at side and rear boundaries and rises at 45°.
Mixed Housing Urban zone (H5)
Height limit: 11m, plus 1m for part of a pitched roof. Building coverage: up to 45% of the site. Impervious surfaces (roofs, driveways, paving): up to 60%.
Homes: up to 3 homes can be built without resource consent for the number of homes, as long as they meet the zone's standards. Four or more need resource consent.
Recession plane (height in relation to boundary): starts 3m up at side and rear boundaries and rises at 45°.
Terrace Housing & Apartments zone (H6)
Height limit: 16m. Building coverage: up to 50% of the site. Impervious surfaces (roofs, driveways, paving): up to 70%.
Homes: every new home needs resource consent, but the zone is designed for terraces and apartments, so higher numbers are expected.
Recession plane (height in relation to boundary): starts 3m up at side and rear boundaries and rises at 45°.
Overlays can change the rules
On top of the zone, some sites have overlays such as Special Character Areas, Historic Heritage, flood plains, volcanic viewshafts or Significant Ecological Areas. Some replace the zone's rules; others add consent requirements. Always check the overlays for a particular site.
See it for your own site
Type an Auckland address to get the zone, overlays, title type, 3D building envelope, homes that could fit and a land value estimate — free.
Check an address →Common questions
How do I find my property's zone?+
Type your address into the Groundwork Estimator. It looks up the zone, overlays and boundary from Auckland Council and LINZ data. You can also use the council's Unitary Plan map viewer.
Which zone allows the most homes?+
The Terrace Housing and Apartment Buildings zone (H6) has the highest height limit (16m) and is intended for the most intensive housing, although every new home there needs resource consent.
More guides
- How many houses can I build?
- Height in relation to boundary explained
- Cross leases explained
- Granny flat rules in Auckland
Looking at a particular area? Browse Auckland suburbs.
General information only — not planning, legal or valuation advice. Rules change; check the Auckland Unitary Plan or ask a planner for your site.