Building types

Building types are the standardised classification of buildings by function and use. In Norway, a three-digit code from NS 3457 is used, and it is recorded in the matrikkel (the Norwegian property register) for each building. The code says what the building is meant for: housing, office, warehouse, school, church, holiday home. Building type is the first field you check when you analyse a property you do not already know.

The code list covers the numbers 111 to 799, split into eleven main groups:

• 110 - Detached houses. 111 detached house, 112 detached house with bedsit/basement flat, 113 farmhouse.
• 120 - Semi-detached houses. 121 vertically divided, 122 horizontally divided, 123 semi-detached house with more than two dwellings.
• 130 - Townhouses, linked houses and other small houses. 131 townhouse, 133 linked house, 135 terraced house.
• 140 - Apartment blocks. 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146 - split by number of storeys and year of construction.
• 150 - Residential and service buildings. 151 residential and service centre, 152 student housing, 159 other.
• 160 - Holiday buildings. 161 cabin/summer house, 163 year-round dwelling used as a holiday home, 171-173 huts and mountain farm buildings.
• 210-290 - Industrial and warehouse buildings. Logistics property, production halls, cold stores.
• 310-330 - Office and commercial buildings. 311 office building, 312 pavilion, 321 superstore, 322 warehouse building used as a retail building, 330 dispatch building.
• 410-490 - Transport and communications buildings. Traffic terminals, multi-storey car parks.
• 510-590 - Hotel and restaurant buildings. Hotels, motels, canteens.
• 610-690 - Culture and research buildings. Schools, museums, sports buildings.
• 710-790 - Health buildings and prison buildings. Hospitals, nursing homes, care homes.

The full list is maintained by Kartverket as the authority for the matrikkel, and it is built on NS 3457. The code is assigned by the municipality during building application processing and is updated on change of use or completion certificate. For older buildings, the coding has often been done retrospectively, and the quality varies.

Building type has consequences at several stages:

• Taxation. Housing (codes 110-160) and commercial property (210-590, 710-790) are treated differently by Skatteetaten when it comes to taxable value, property tax and value added tax.
• The Alienation Act vs the Housing Construction Act. The consumer protection rules apply only to housing, and the building type decides whether a transaction is classified as a housing purchase or a commercial purchase.
• TEK17 requirements. Energy limits, daylight, universal design and access requirements vary between residential buildings, office buildings, schools, health buildings and so on.
• Zoning provisions. Many zoning plans allow only certain building types in an area, with a legal basis in the Planning and Building Act section 12-7.
• Rental and the Tenancy Act. Renting out a building classified as a commercial building is not regulated as housing, even if the building is in practice used as bedsits.

Differences between the registered building type and actual use are common: old farmhouses used as year-round homes, warehouse buildings used as offices, cabins used as permanent residences. A change requires an application for change of use under the Planning and Building Act section 20-1 letter d.

In Placepoint, the building type is shown in the building panel with both the code and the description, and you can filter search on building type to find, for example, all office buildings above a certain UFA in an area. Different categories have their own dictionary entries: commercial buildings, infrastructure buildings, sport, culture, religion, semi-detached house, different types of residential building.

How it looks in Placepoint

In Placepoint, you find this in the Building panel:

From Placepoint's dictionary: Building types

More information: Standard Norge: NS 3457, Kartverket: Matrikkelen, Lovdata: The Planning and Building Act section 20-1

English: Building type classification (NS 3457).

Frequently asked questions

What is a building type?

A three-digit code under NS 3457 that classifies buildings by use. The code is recorded in the matrikkel and states whether the building is a detached house, flat, office, warehouse, school and so on.

Which codes are most common for housing?

111 detached house, 121 and 122 semi-detached house, 131 townhouse, and 141-146 apartment block. The code is assigned by the municipality and updated on completion certificate.

Can I change the building type?

Only through a change of use under the Planning and Building Act section 20-1 letter d. The change requires an application and approval from the municipality, and it can trigger an upgrade to the current TEK17 requirements.

What does an incorrect building type in the matrikkel mean?

For older buildings, the coding is incomplete. Use actual use as your reference, and update the registration in the matrikkel through the municipality if the difference has tax or building technical consequences.

Where do I find the building type in Placepoint?

In the building panel for each building, with both the NS 3457 code and the description. The search page also supports filtering on building type.