Terrace Houses
Check the Development Control guidelines for Terrace Houses.
Last updated on 6 November 2026
Advisory Notes
The guidelines set out in this handbook for the various development control parameters will generally be applied by URA in the consideration of a development application. However, if the circumstances of a case or the planning considerations relevant to a case so warrant, URA may in its discretion decide to depart from these general guidelines. Persons intending to carry out a development are advised to take this into consideration in the conduct of their affairs and check with URA through enquiries or development applications to confirm if their proposals can be allowed.
The guidelines, principles and illustrations found in the handbook series are not exhaustive in covering all possible site conditions and building designs. In evaluating the development applications, URA reserves the right to evaluate and impose conditions not covered in the handbook in respond to the specific design of the development proposal depending on merits.
Illustration of a Terrace House
Introduction
A terrace house is a dwelling house with its own land title1 that forms part of a row of at least 3 dwelling houses abutting the common boundary party walls. Terrace houses can be built in designated mixed landed housing areas, if the development site area meets the minimum plot size and width requirements. At the individual plot level, a terrace house shall adhere to the applicable storey height and envelope control guidelines and building setback requirements. The permissible Gross Floor Area (GFA) for such landed housing is resultant of the allowable building height and permissible building envelope under the envelope control guidelines.
There are 2 types of terrace house typology - Terrace Type I and Terrace Type II. These are differentiated by their setback requirements.
For Terrace Type I houses, the setback from the road is based on standard road buffer requirements.
For Terrace Type II houses, the required setback from the road is standardised as 2m and 1m for building wall and roof eaves respectively. Terrace II houses shall also be sited within their own enclave (refer to Locational Criteria for more information).
1 Terrace houses may also be strata-titled when approved as strata terrace houses – See Strata Landed Housing for guidelines and requirements.
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