Guide visual explaining how zoning status is read with TAKS and KAKS examples

What Is Zoning Status and How Is It Read? (TAKS/KAKS)

Guide · 26 May 2026 · 6 min read

The short answer to the question of how zoning status is read is this: the zoning status document is an official summary showing how much and how you can build on a parcel; TAKS indicates the footprint ratio, KAKS the total construction ratio, the height limit indicates the height, and setback distances indicate the gaps to be left from the neighboring boundaries. In this article, we explain these terms with a simple example, and we describe where to obtain the document and what you, as an investor, need to pay attention to.

What Is Zoning Status (the Zoning Permit Sheet)?

Zoning status, sometimes also referred to as the zoning permit sheet, is the document showing a parcel's position in the zoning plan and its construction conditions. This document includes the use to which the parcel is allocated (residential, commercial, industrial, etc.), the construction ratios, the floor and height limit, and the setback distances. In short, it is the 'identity card' of the building plot and directly determines its value.

To understand the real value of a building plot, you need to look at its zoning status before its price. Two parcels of the same size can carry very different values depending on their zoning rights; one may be fully open to construction while the other has been allocated to a road or a green area. This is one of the fundamental principles we also emphasize in our Sevindikli land investment guide.

Where Is Zoning Status Obtained?

The zoning status document is requested from the municipality to which the parcel belongs. Many municipalities also offer this service online. For preliminary information, you can use the following official channels:

When requesting the document, you need to know the parcel's block and parcel numbers; you can find this information on your title deed or on the parcel query screen. Unlike the informational queries on the internet, the official zoning status document obtained from the municipality is binding and current. Before making an investment decision, you must definitely obtain this official document.

Important: Queries on the internet are for informational purposes. For an investment decision, the official and current zoning status obtained from the municipality is what counts.

How to Read Zoning Status: Basic Terms

TAKS (Floor Area Ratio)

TAKS is the ratio of the building's footprint at ground level to the parcel area. In other words, it shows how much of the building plot you can place a building on. If the TAKS is 0.30, you can put a footprint on at most 30 percent of the parcel; the remaining area is allocated to garden, parking and setback distances.

KAKS / Floor Area Coefficient

KAKS (Total Floor Area Ratio) is also known as the floor area coefficient. It is the ratio of the total construction area of all floors to the parcel area. KAKS is the most critical ratio determining the total size of the building, and it is the data that most affects the value of the building plot. For example, as the KAKS value increases, the right to build more on the same parcel arises, which directly increases the value of the parcel.

Height Limit

The height limit is the maximum permitted height of the structure. It can be specified in meters or as a number of floors. It is limited in order to preserve the surrounding building order and skyline. It is evaluated together with TAKS and KAKS; because even if your total construction right is fixed, the height limit determines up to how many floors you can go.

Setback Distances

Setback distances are the gaps that the building must leave from the parcel boundaries (front, side, rear). These distances narrow the area in which the building can be positioned and affect the usable footprint in practice. Especially on small parcels, setback distances can lead to the entire footprint calculated in theory not being usable.

Sample Calculation 1: A 1000 m2 Parcel

Let us make a simple example to put the terms into concrete form. Suppose you have a 1000 m2 parcel:

  • TAKS 0.30: Footprint = 1000 x 0.30 = 300 m2. That is, the building can occupy at most 300 m2 at ground level.
  • KAKS 0.90: Total construction area = 1000 x 0.90 = 900 m2. The total of all floors can be at most 900 m2.

In this example, a building with a 300 m2 footprint has a construction right corresponding roughly to three floors (300 x 3 = 900 m2). The actual design varies according to the setback distances and the height limit, so the example is only meant to show the logic.

Sample Calculation 2: A 500 m2 Parcel

Let us reinforce this with a second example. This time, let us assume a TAKS of 0.40 and a KAKS of 1.20 on a 500 m2 parcel:

  • TAKS 0.40: Footprint = 500 x 0.40 = 200 m2. The building can sit on at most 200 m2 at ground level.
  • KAKS 1.20: Total construction area = 500 x 1.20 = 600 m2. The total of all floors can be at most 600 m2.

Here, a structure with a 200 m2 footprint corresponds roughly to three floors (200 x 3 = 600 m2). When you compare the two examples, you will see that the TAKS and KAKS ratios, as much as the parcel size, determine the construction right. You can find a detailed account of how this calculation is reflected in valuation in our land valuation and feasibility article.

The Concept of Unplanned and Unzoned Areas

Not every property has a defined zoning status. Places where there is no zoning plan are called unplanned areas. In these areas, construction is possible under limited conditions according to the regulations on unplanned areas. On land classified as farmland, there is often no defined TAKS or KAKS; this is one of the most important differences between farmland and a building plot, and it directly affects the investment decision.

What can be built in unplanned areas varies according to the nature of the parcel and the regulations. For this reason, on a property without a zoning plan, any expectation regarding construction must be confirmed from an official source. To see this fundamental distinction between a building plot and farmland in more detail, you can read our building plot versus farmland comparison.

Types of Zoning Plans

The zoning status document also shows on which scale of plan it is based. In a simple summary, there are two main levels:

  • Master zoning plan: Determines the general land use and large-scale decisions.
  • Implementation zoning plan: Details the construction conditions at the parcel level (TAKS, KAKS, height limit).

For the investor, the most binding data is the parcel-level conditions coming from the implementation zoning plan. The master plan gives direction, but the implementation plan grants concrete rights. A parcel appearing in a residential area on the master plan does not mean that the construction rights have been finalized if an implementation zoning plan has not yet been made. Knowing this distinction helps you avoid confusing an expectation with an existing right.

What Should an Investor Look at in the Zoning Document?

  • Use decision: Is the parcel residential, commercial, or has it been allocated to public-amenity areas (road, park, school)?
  • TAKS and KAKS: The construction ratios directly affect the value of the building plot.
  • Height limit: How many floors are permitted determines the size of the project.
  • Setback distances: To what extent do they narrow the usable area?
  • Currency: Is the document date recent? Is there an expectation of a change in the plan?
  • Plan type: Are the rights based on the implementation zoning plan, or only on the master plan?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between TAKS and KAKS?

TAKS determines the footprint that the building can occupy at ground level; KAKS determines the total construction area of all floors. For example, on a 1000 m2 parcel, with a TAKS of 0.30 the footprint is 300 m2, and with a KAKS of 0.90 the total construction is 900 m2. TAKS shows the building's spread at ground level, and KAKS its total size; the two are evaluated together.

Where can I obtain the zoning status document?

The zoning status document is obtained from the zoning department of the district municipality to which the parcel belongs. Some municipalities also offer this service online or via e-Government. Queries on the internet are for informational purposes; for an investment decision, the official and current document obtained from the municipality is what counts. When requesting it, you need to know the block and parcel numbers.

What does the height limit mean?

The height limit is the maximum permitted height in a structure; it is specified in meters or as a number of floors. Even if your total construction right (KAKS) is fixed, the height limit determines up to how many floors you can take this right. It is limited in order to preserve the surrounding building order and skyline, and it directly affects the project design.

Can farmland have a zoning status?

On land classified as agricultural, there is often no defined TAKS or KAKS, because farmland is primarily allocated to agricultural use. Places without a zoning plan are considered unplanned areas, and there construction is subject to limited conditions. That is why, if there is an expectation of construction from a plot of farmland, the parcel's status must definitely be confirmed from an official source.

Once you learn the answer to how zoning status is read, you can evaluate a building plot's real potential independently of its price. This skill protects you against misleading listings. To interpret the zoning status of parcels in the Körfez and Sevindikli region together and for a regional analysis, you can reach the Sevindikli Yatırım team at +90 532 295 17 61. When we say 'May You Have a Place of Your Own', we care that you make a conscious choice.