İmar durumu nasıl okunur konusunu TAKS ve KAKS örnekleriyle anlatan rehber görseli

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

Guide · 20 June 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 plot; TAKS indicates the footprint ratio, KAKS the total construction ratio, the building height limit the height, and the setback distances the gaps to be left from neighboring boundaries. In this article we explain these terms with a simple example, tell you where to obtain the document, and explain what you need to watch out for as an investor.

What Is Zoning Status (Imar Çapı)?

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

To understand a plot's real value, you need to look at the zoning status before the price. Two plots of the same size can carry very different value according to their zoning rights; one may be fully open to construction while the other is allocated to a road or green area. This topic is one of the basic 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 plot 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 plot's block and parcel number; you can find this information on your title deed or on the parcel inquiry screen. The official zoning status document obtained from the municipality, unlike the informational inquiries on the internet, is binding and up to date. Before making an investment decision, you must definitely obtain this official document.

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

How Zoning Status Is Read: Basic Terms

TAKS (Ground Floor Area Coefficient / footprint ratio)

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

KAKS / FAR

KAKS (Floor Area Coefficient) is also known as Emsal, the Floor Area Ratio (FAR). It is the ratio of the total construction area of all floors to the plot area. KAKS is the most critical ratio determining the total size of the building and is the data that most affects the plot's value. For example, as the KAKS value rises, the right to build more on the same plot arises, and this directly increases the plot's value.

Building Height Limit (Gabari)

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

Setback Distances

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

Worked Example 1: A 1000 m2 Plot

To make the terms concrete, let us work a simple example. Suppose you have a 1000 m2 plot:

  • TAKS 0.30: Footprint area = 1000 x 0.30 = 300 m2. In other words, 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 footprint of 300 m2 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 building height limit, so the example is only to show the logic.

Worked Example 2: A 500 m2 Plot

Let us reinforce it with a second example. This time, suppose that on a 500 m2 plot TAKS is 0.40 and KAKS is 1.20:

  • TAKS 0.40: Footprint area = 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 footprint of 200 m2 corresponds roughly to three floors (200 x 3 = 600 m2). When you compare the two examples, you see that the TAKS and KAKS ratios determine the construction right as much as the plot size does. You can find how this calculation is reflected in valuation in detail in our article on land valuation and feasibility.

The Concept of Unplanned and Unzoned Areas

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

What can be done in unplanned areas varies according to the plot's qualification and the legislation. For this reason, on a property that has no zoning plan, every expectation regarding construction must be confirmed from an official source. To see this basic distinction between a building plot and a field in more detail, you can read our building-plot-or-field investment comparison.

Types of Zoning Plans

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

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

For the investor, the most binding data is the plot-level conditions coming from the implementation development plan. The master plan gives direction, but it is the implementation plan that grants concrete rights. A plot appearing as a residential area in the master plan does not mean that the construction rights are finalized if an implementation development plan has not yet been made. Knowing this distinction keeps you from confusing the expectation with the current right.

What Should an Investor Look at on the Zoning Document?

  • Use decision: Is the plot allocated to residential, commercial, or to a public amenity/reserved area (road, park, school)?
  • TAKS and KAKS: The construction ratios directly affect the plot's value.
  • Building 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: Do the rights rest on an implementation development plan, or only on a master plan?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between TAKS and KAKS?

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

Where can I obtain the zoning status document?

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

What does the building height limit mean?

The building 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 building height limit determines how many floors you can take this right up to. It is restricted in order to preserve the construction order and skyline of the surroundings and directly affects the project design.

Can a field have a zoning status?

On agriculturally qualified land there is often no defined TAKS or KAKS, because a field is primarily allocated to agricultural use. Places that have no zoning plan are considered unplanned areas, and construction there is subject to limited conditions. That is why, if there is a construction expectation from a field, the plot's status must definitely be confirmed from an official source.

When you learn the answer to how zoning status is read, you can assess a plot's real potential independently of its price. This skill protects you against misleading listings. To interpret the zoning status of plots in the Körfez and Sevindikli area together and for an area analysis, you can reach the Sevindikli Yatırım team on +90 532 295 17 61. When we say 'Have a place of your own', we care about you making an informed choice.