Building height
For the purposes of Approved Document B Volumes 1 and 2.
- The height of a building is measured as shown in Appendix D, Diagram D4.
- The height of the floor of the top storey above ground level is measured as shown in Appendix D, Diagram D6.
Ref Approved document B, Fire Safety, Volume 2, Buildings other than dwellinghouses (2019 edition).
At 828 m and 163 floors, Burj Khalifa in Dubai, UAE has been the world’s tallest building since 2010. For more information, see Tallest buildings in the world.
Classifications of building height include:
- Low rise buildings.
- Mid-rise buildings.
- High rise buildings.
- Skyscrapers.
- Supertall buildings.
- Megatall buildings.
- Groundscrapers.
- Super-slender buildings.
- Buildings of a great height.
- Buildings of a very great height.
- Multi-storey buildings.
- Small building.
- Tall buildings.
See also: Height.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- Approved documents.
- Building Regulations.
- Datum.
- Floor area.
- Gross floor area.
- Gross internal area.
- High-rise building.
- Height.
- International Property Measurement Standards.
- Medium-rise building.
- Net internal area NIA.
- Ordnance Datum.
- Storey.
- Tall building.
- Tallest buildings in the world.
- Total useful floor area.
Featured articles and news
Costs and insolvencies mount for SMEs, despite growth
Construction sector under insolvency and wage bill pressure in part linked to National Insurance, says report.
The place for vitrified clay pipes in modern infrastructure
Why vitrified clay pipes are reclaiming their role in built projects.
Research by construction PR consultancy LMC published.
Roles and responsibilities of domestic clients
ACA Safety in Construction guide for domestic clients.
Fire door compliance in UK commercial buildings
Architect and manufacturer gives their low down.
Plumbing and heating for sustainability in new properties
Technical Engineer runs through changes in regulations, innovations in materials, and product systems.
Awareness of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism
What CBAM is and what to do about it.
The new towns and strategic environmental assessments
12 locations of the New Towns Taskforce reduced to 7 within the new towns draft programme and open consultation.
Buildings that changed the future of architecture. Book review.
The Sustainability Pathfinder© Handbook
Built environment agency launches free Pathfinder© tool to help businesses progress sustainability strategies.
Government outcome to the late payment consultation, ECA reacts.
IHBC 2025 Gus Astley Student Award winners
Work on the role of hewing in UK historic conservation a win for Jack Parker of Oxford Brookes University.
Future Homes Building Standards and plug-in solar
Parts F and L amendments, the availability of solar panels and industry responses.
How later living housing can help solve the housing crisis
Unlocking homes, unlocking lives.
Preparing safety case reports for HRBs under the BSA
A new practical guide to preparing structural inputs for safety cases and safety case reports published by IStructE.
Male construction workers and prostate cancer
CIOB and Prostate Cancer UK encourage awareness of prostate cancer risks, and what to do about it.























