Coverage ratio
The maximum share of a plot that buildings may cover, measured by their footprint. At 50% coverage, buildings on a 600 m² plot may cover up to 300 m² of ground.
Updated 12 Oct 2026How it works
The coverage ratio (Ποσοστό Κάλυψης) is the share of a plot's net area covered by the horizontal projection of its buildings: their footprint as seen from above. Like building density, it is set for each planning zone in the development plan, and an order of the Minister of the Interior (currently Order 4/2026) sets how it is calculated.
Coverage and density work together. Example: on a 600 m² plot with 60% density and 40% coverage, buildings may cover up to 240 m² of the ground, while all floors together may reach 360 m². To use the full density, the house needs a second floor, if the zone's limits on floors and height allow it.
Both terms are defined in the guide to planning regulations published by the Department of Town Planning and Housing.
Why it matters when you buy
Coverage decides how much of the plot stays open for a garden, parking or a pool, and whether a single-storey house can use all the permitted floor area.
Later additions matter too. An enclosed veranda or an extra room built without approval can push a building over its permitted coverage, which can block the certificate of final approval and the title deed. Covered verandas and pergolas were among the minor deviations owners could legalise in the 2024–2025 planning amnesty, which closed on 23 June 2025.