A U, AU, A or N label is a starting point. Understanding a site means finding the planning document, its rules and the other constraints affecting it.
Prepared by Carteparcelle · OPL Consulting Oy · Sources checked on
Start with the zone and its document
A PLU is a local land-use plan; a PLUi covers several communes. Record the full code, such as UBc, and the document identifier. Letters added to the general code describe local sectors: do not assume they mean the same thing in another commune.
The U, AU, A and N families refer to urban, future urbanisation, agricultural, and natural or forest zones respectively. They guide your reading but do not answer every question about a proposal.
Read the documents, not just the colour
The parcel page compares the parcel with the published zoning. The displayed percentage describes overlap between two geometries and is rounded. A value of 100% does not mean that the whole area can be built on.
Open the document on the Géoportail de l’Urbanisme. Read the plan and written provisions for the sector, alongside prescriptions and public-utility easements. Ask the mairie or intercommunal authority about a missing document or uncertain version: absence from the portal does not establish an absence of rules.
Géoportail de l’Urbanisme — Consulter les documents et données manquantes
Turn the map finding into a specific question
Fictional example: an 800 m² parcel lies entirely in an urban zone and you want an extension. The page identifies the sector; it does not calculate what your project can achieve. Prepare a sketch and questions about siting, height, access and displayed constraints, then check them against the applicable rules.
Two plots with the same map colour do not necessarily have equivalent possibilities. Check the information overlapping the zone as well as its legend.
Use a planning certificate for the next step
An information certificat d’urbanisme explains rules, taxes and easements. An operational certificate addresses whether a described proposal is feasible. Service Public stresses that neither certificate is planning permission.
Before committing expenditure based on the map, take your cadastral reference and proposal to the planning department. The official guide explains the application and supporting documents. Keep our source date separate from the date of the applicable document confirmed by the authority.
These guides provide general information. Before making a decision about a property, confirm the relevant details with the responsible authority or professional.
Official sources
The links below lead to official sources in French.