FSI vs FAR vs BAR
Three names for the one number that decides how much can be built on a plot. What each means, how Rajasthan’s 2025 rules apply it in Jaipur, and a free calculator for your own plot.
Figures from the Model Rajasthan Building Regulations, 2025 (Tables 07 and 09) and the May 2026 amendment on building height. Your plot’s own approval, scheme and road width can change what applies.
Same plot size. Very different buildings.
Two 500 square yard plots in Jaipur can sell at the same price and still be worth very different amounts, because one sits on a 30 metre road and the other on a 9 metre lane. What the land is allowed to carry, in floor area, height and units, is what really sets its value. That allowance is called FSI in Mumbai, FAR in Delhi and BAR in Rajasthan. This guide explains it in plain words, shows the actual Rajasthan numbers, and tells you what to check whether you are buying a flat, buying a plot, or offering your land to a builder.
FSI, FAR and BAR, side by side
The formula is identical. What changes is the rule book quoting it, and that rule book decides what gets counted. That last part is where buyers get misled.
| Term | Full form | Where you will see it | Written as |
|---|---|---|---|
| FSI | Floor Space Index | Maharashtra and Gujarat rules, many builder brochures | A ratio, e.g. 2.0 |
| FAR | Floor Area Ratio | Delhi Master Plan, national codes, older Rajasthan approvals | A ratio or a percentage, e.g. 2.0 or 200 |
| BAR | Built-up Area Ratio | Rajasthan building regulations and every current Jaipur sanctioned map | A ratio, e.g. 2.00 |
Where the numbers stop being interchangeable
Most guides stop at “they are the same”. In Rajasthan that is only half true. When the state moved from FAR to BAR, it ruled that an FAR approved under the earlier regulations is read as 1.5 times that figure in BAR terms. So an old approval showing FAR 1.33 corresponds to roughly BAR 2.00 today.
The reason is that each rule book counts floor area differently. Never compare an FSI from a Mumbai brochure, an old Jaipur FAR and a new Jaipur BAR as if they were the same number.
Which rules apply in Jaipur now
The Urban Development and Housing Department notified the Model Rajasthan Building Regulations, 2025 on 12 May 2025 for urban local body areas across the state, replacing the 2020 regime. BAR, setbacks, ground coverage and height for a plot now come from these regulations, read with the approved scheme the plot belongs to.
On 29 May 2026 the state also removed the fixed 70 metre height cap, allowing taller buildings that meet modern fire-safety standards.
How BAR is calculated
A Jaipur example, worked through
- A residential plot of 500 square yards, which is 4,500 sq ft or about 418 sq m.
- Standard BAR for residential use is 2.00.
- Permitted counted floor area = 4,500 × 2.00 = 9,000 sq ft.
- That 9,000 sq ft can be spread across floors in any shape the setbacks, coverage and height rules allow: wider and lower, or slimmer and taller.
- Stilt parking, lift wells and stairs are on top of the 9,000 sq ft, because BAR does not count them.
The insight most buyers miss
Because parking, lift wells, fire staircases, shafts and machine rooms are excluded from BAR, the real building is always bigger than the BAR figure. Builders then share the common parts of that building across flats as “super built-up” area.
That is why a project’s total saleable super built-up area can be well above plot area × BAR without anything illegal going on. It is also why you should compare flats on RERA carpet area, not super built-up area. See our property terms glossary for the difference.
- Basement, stilt or any floor used for parking, plus ramps and car lifts
- Lift wells, shafts, service floors, open fire staircases, fire towers, refuge areas
- Rooftop water tanks, lift machine rooms, mumty, solar and AC plant
- Gates, guard rooms, compound walls, porches without a floor above
- Chhajjas and decorative elements such as domes and chhatris
- Low open platforms, gardens, open pools and play equipment
- All rooms, kitchens, bathrooms and internal passages on every floor
- Shops, offices and any habitable or usable space
- Enclosed areas that are not on the exclusion list
- Anything that is excluded on paper but later enclosed and used as a room, which is how unauthorised area creeps in
Exclusions summarised from Table 08 of the 2025 regulations. Your architect will apply the exact wording to your drawings.
BAR calculator for a Jaipur plot
Enter your plot and see what the 2025 standard allows, what extra area would cost in betterment levy, and what a green rating or a joint venture share would mean. It runs in your browser and nothing is stored.
An estimate for orientation only, not an approval or legal advice. Achievable area also depends on setbacks, ground coverage, permitted height for the road width, parking and your scheme’s own conditions. The levy estimate uses the rates set in Schedule 2 of the 2020 Jaipur regulations, 20% of the residential reserve rate per sq m of extra area for residential, hotel and institutional use and 40% for commercial or mixed use. Confirm the current rate with the approving authority before relying on it.
Five rules that decide what actually gets built
A plot rarely uses its full BAR on paper alone. These limits work together, and whichever bites first sets the real building.
The width of the road in front decides the permitted height and the front setback. A wider road usually means more floors. Under the 2025 rules the minimum front setback is 3 m on roads under 18 m, 4.5 m from 18 to 24 m, 6 m above 24 up to 30 m, and 9 m above 30 m.
Open space you must leave on each side. For multi-storey buildings the front setback is the table figure, 6 m, or a quarter of the building’s height up to 16 m, whichever is more. Taller towers need more open space around them.
How much of the plot the building can sit on. Large commercial plots above 2,500 sq m are capped at 50% coverage. Low coverage with high BAR means a taller, slimmer building.
Still tied to road width and plot size in the regulations. The old absolute 70 m ceiling was removed in May 2026, but only for buildings meeting the newer fire-safety standards, and the airport authority’s height clearance still applies near the flight path.
Required parking must fit on the plot. Parking floors are not counted in BAR, but if the parking cannot be provided the floor area cannot be approved either.
Plots in JDA, Housing Board or society schemes can carry their own conditions. Sub-divided plots take whichever is stricter, the parent plot’s rules or the current regulations.
Four legal routes to extra BAR in Rajasthan
The 2025 regulations let maximum BAR go as far as the permitted height allows. The standard is what you get without paying for more.
| Route | How it works | What it costs |
|---|---|---|
| Betterment levy | Any BAR proposed above the standard is approved on payment of a betterment levy to the authority. | Charged per sq m of extra area, linked to the reserve rate. The cost usually flows into flat prices. |
| TDR | Transferable Development Rights earned elsewhere, for example by giving land for a public road, can be used on your plot. | 75% of the TDR area is adjusted and betterment levy is paid on the remaining 25%. |
| Surrendered land | If part of a leased plot is given free for road widening under the master plan, the same area is added back as BAR on the remaining land. | Free of betterment levy. If unused on the plot, it can be used as TDR. |
| Green building | Certified LEED, IGBC, GRIHA, GEM or EDGE buildings get incentive BAR of 4%, 7% or 10% of the total proposed BAR, by rating. | No levy. Any amount paid is refunded with the occupancy and green certificates. Buildings above 10,000 sq m must be at least Silver rated. |
Plots sold at auction that propose more than their standard BAR also pay betterment levy as per the rules.
What BAR means for each kind of client
How to verify BAR in Jaipur
A short checklist that protects you from the two worst outcomes in property: an unauthorised floor, and an overcrowded society.
Ask the builder or seller for the approved building plan with its permit number and the sanctioned BAR. A builder who will not show it is giving you an answer.
Count the floors and compare them with the map. Any floor or enclosed terrace not on the map is unauthorised and can be sealed or demolished.
For registered projects, the Rajasthan RERA portal carries the approved plans, quarterly progress and the promoter’s declarations.
If the project uses more than the standard, ask for the betterment levy or TDR receipts. A claim with no receipt is a red flag.
Confirm who approved the plan: the JDA, the municipal corporation, or the Housing Board for its schemes. Then you know where to cross-check.
A vacant plot beside your tower with a high BAR will not stay vacant. Find out what it can carry before you pay for the view.
What people get wrong about FSI
Things we hear in site visits and negotiations, and what is actually true.
“Higher FSI means a bigger flat for me.”
Higher FSI means more total floor area on the plot. It usually means more flats, not bigger ones.
“FSI 2 in Mumbai and BAR 2 in Jaipur are the same.”
The formula is the same, but each rule book counts and excludes area differently. Compare within one rule book only.
“Super built-up area can never exceed plot area times BAR.”
It often does, legally, because parking, lift wells and stairs sit outside BAR but their share is loaded into super built-up area. Compare carpet area instead.
“A high BAR plot is always worth more.”
Only if the road, height, setbacks and parking let you use it. Unusable BAR on a narrow lane is a number on paper.
“Extra floors can be regularised later, so it doesn’t matter.”
Banks, buyers and RERA all go by the sanctioned map. Unapproved area hurts loans, resale and sometimes the whole building.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between FSI and FAR?
There is no difference in meaning. Both are total floor area divided by plot area. FSI is the term in Maharashtra and Gujarat rules, FAR in Delhi and national codes, and Rajasthan uses BAR, Built-up Area Ratio.
What is the BAR for residential plots in Jaipur?
Under the Model Rajasthan Building Regulations, 2025, the standard BAR for residential and most other uses is 2.00. Extra BAR is possible on payment of betterment levy, through TDR, or as a green building incentive, within height and setback limits.
How do I calculate FSI or BAR for my plot?
Multiply the plot area by the BAR. A 300 square yard plot is 2,700 sq ft; at BAR 2.00 it allows 5,400 sq ft of counted floor area. Use the calculator above for your own plot.
Is parking counted in BAR?
No. Basements, stilts and floors used for parking, with their ramps and car lifts, are excluded. So are lift wells, shafts, open fire staircases, rooftop water tanks and machine rooms.
What is betterment levy?
A fee paid to the authority for approval of BAR above the standard. Under the 2020 Jaipur regulations it was 20% of the residential reserve rate per sq m of extra area for residential use and 40% for commercial or mixed use, payable in instalments. Check the current schedule before relying on it.
My plot’s old approval shows FAR, not BAR. What now?
The 2025 regulations read an FAR approved under earlier rules as 1.5 times that figure in BAR terms. If no FAR or BAR was mentioned in the earlier approved site plan, the current standards apply.
Is there a height limit for buildings in Jaipur now?
The fixed 70 metre cap was removed by an order of 29 May 2026 for buildings that meet the newer fire-safety standards. Height is still linked to road width and plot size, and airport clearance applies where required.
What is the difference between FSI and TDR?
FSI or BAR is the building right that comes with your plot. TDR is a certificate of development rights, usually given for land handed over for public use, that can be used on another plot or sold. In Rajasthan, 75% of TDR used is adjusted and levy is paid on the other 25%.
How do I check if a building has used more FSI than allowed?
Ask for the sanctioned map and permit, compare the floors and enclosed areas on site with the map, and check the project’s page on the Rajasthan RERA portal. Any area beyond the sanctioned plan is unauthorised.
Weighing a plot, a flat or a builder’s offer?
Send us the plot size, road width and location, or the project you are considering. We will tell you honestly what the land can carry, what to ask the builder, and whether the numbers add up.
Related guides: Jaipur property rates 2026 · Stamp duty and registration in Jaipur · Ready-to-move vs under-construction · How to sell property in Jaipur · Jaipur Metro Phase 2 and property
Sources and method: BAR, exclusions, TDR, surrendered land and green incentives are from the Model Rajasthan Building Regulations, 2025, notified by the UDH Department on 12 May 2025 (Regulations 4.12 to 4.15, Tables 05, 07, 08 and 09), read through Front Desk Architects’ English translation. The betterment levy rate is from Schedule 2 of the JDA (Jaipur Region) Building Regulations, 2020. The removal of the height cap is from The Times of India, June 2026. Checked November 2026. This guide is general information, not legal or architectural advice; your plot’s approval, scheme and authority decide what applies.
