Commercial buildings
Commercial buildings are buildings used for business activity, both private and public. The term is broad: offices, shops, hotels and restaurants, warehouses and industry, but also public service buildings such as schools, kindergartens, hospitals and cultural buildings count as commercial buildings. The classification depends on the intended use, not on who owns the building.
The classification follows SSB's Standard for bygningstype (building type standard, NS 3457). Buildings are given a three-digit code in the matrikkel, managed by Kartverket. The main categories are:
- 1 Housing (falls outside commercial buildings)
- 2 Industry and warehousing
- 3 Office and retail
- 4 Transport and communications
- 5 Hotel and restaurant
- 6 Culture and research
- 7 Health
- 8 Prison, emergency services and other
Categories 2 to 8 count as commercial buildings. In buildings with mixed use, the dominant function decides the classification: if the business use makes up more than half of the usable floor area, the whole building counts as a commercial building. The subcategories give more precision: 311 office, 313 bank/post office, 322 shop, 511 hotel, 612 school, 711 hospital, and so on. These are the codes that developers and managers see in the matrikkel, in building case registers and in lease templates.
The distinction has practical consequences well beyond statistics:
- The energy performance certificate and energy standard are calculated from a different reference table, and office properties have stricter requirements than warehouse premises. Sustainability certification (BREEAM-NOR) is well established for commercial buildings, but is little used in housing.
- Requirements for fire class, escape routes and accessibility in the technical building regulations TEK17 are set higher for larger buildings with many users, following risk class 5-6.
- Universal design is mandatory in all commercial buildings that are open to the public, under the Planning and Building Act section 29-3 and TEK17 chapter 12.
- VAT does not apply automatically: letting commercial premises is as a rule exempt under the VAT Act section 3-11, but you can register voluntarily for premises where the tenant runs a VAT-liable business, with the VAT Act section 2-3 as the legal basis.
The same rules apply to public purpose buildings: the building type code, not the ownership, decides which requirements and charges apply.
A commercial building is not the same as a commercial property. The commercial building describes the building itself and its use; a commercial property is the legal and financial unit that the building stands on, registered in the matrikkel and in Grunnboken. One and the same commercial building can be split across several ownership sections or make up a single commercial property held jointly.
In Placepoint you find the building type code, UFA per building and usage unit in the building panel, and the totals for the property in the property panel.
How the dataset appears on the map
The dataset is part of the map layer Buildings as Commercial buildings:
From Placepoint's dictionary: Commercial buildings
More information: SSB: Standard for bygningstype, DiBK: TEK17 chapter 11 (fire safety), Enova: Energy Label, Lovdata: the VAT Act (merverdiavgiftsloven) section 3-11
Norwegian: næringsbygg.
Frequently asked questions
What is a commercial building?
Commercial buildings are buildings where business activity takes place, including public service buildings such as schools, kindergartens and hospitals. The term covers all types of building other than residential buildings.
Which types of commercial building are there?
Commercial buildings include office buildings, industrial and warehouse buildings, retail premises, hotels, restaurants, schools, hospitals and public administration buildings. All are defined by their intended use.
How are commercial buildings let?
Commercial buildings are normally let on a Triple Net (NNN) basis to large tenants, where the tenant covers operation and maintenance. Rental prices and contracts vary a great deal between segments and locations.
What regulates commercial buildings?
Commercial buildings are regulated through zoning plans with a business purpose. The municipality checks the land use purpose and the TEK17 requirements. Energy, fire and accessibility requirements vary with the building type.
How can Placepoint help with analysis of commercial buildings?
Placepoint helps developers and investors analyse zoning purposes, nearby business activity and demographic data for an area. This is useful when you assess commercial development.