Point-specific local outline plan – what landowners must know about their building rights

In the real estate world, there are several very clear rules that do not change and determine the final price. Location is everything, timing makes the difference, and every square meter is worth gold.

Despite this, many land and homeowners settle for less and waste valuable rights that could upgrade their quality of life and property value - simply because they are certain they know exactly what and how much they are allowed to build.

How can one know more? It all starts with examining a point-specific local outline plan (Taba), as explained by Miriam Baskon, an architect with extensive experience in upgrading building rights: "Every plot has a local outline plan that defines the land's designation. This means the number of floors, building lines, building percentages, and what is allowed or forbidden to build. In most cases, this is a general plan written many years ago, when the goal was to set uniform rules for entire areas, without considering the uniqueness of each individual plot. The problem is that these plans severely limit possibilities, even when there is potential to build and develop beyond them. This is exactly where the option to submit a point-specific local outline plan comes in. It is a unique plan submitted for a specific plot only. This plan can upgrade the rights of an empty plot owner or someone living in a private house in a way that is precisely tailored to their specific land.

In other words, instead of sticking to what was once generally determined, it is possible to plan completely differently according to what suits the plot, the building, and the owner's needs today. This is the legal and effective way to increase rights, add areas, and upgrade the property's value - not just on paper but in practice, within just a few years. Another reason to check a point-specific plan is that the current policy of local committees tends to encourage the expansion of building rights, especially when a new plan is submitted that matches current policy. The result? An opportunity to get approval for expansions and additions that in many cases were not possible in the past."

This understanding becomes even more important when you consider the major change that took effect at the beginning of 2025, a change that has altered the rules of the game in Israel for anyone planning to build a new house or renovate an existing one. Previously, land and home owners could request exemptions as part of the permit, thus adding an extra floor beyond what the local plan allowed, slightly deviating from building lines, or changing the home's internal layout - all without changing the plan itself. This was a relatively fast and flexible process that allowed planning adjustments according to personal needs.

Now that this option has been canceled, the law requires full and exact compliance with the existing local plan conditions, with no shortcuts. This means if the plan allows only two floors, one cannot request to add a third floor. If the building line is set five meters away, one cannot reduce the distance, not even by a few centimeters. The result is clear: every small change requires a formal point-specific local outline plan amendment.

"While the order of operations hasn’t changed - first issuing the local outline plan and then the building permit - there is a significant difference compared to before. Previously, it was possible to request exemptions and solve planning challenges during the permit issuance without changing the plan. Now, after the near-complete cancellation of exemptions, the only way to achieve an optimal result is through a point-specific local outline plan that pre-arranges all the planning complexities," explain Miriam Baskon’s studio.

Many stakeholders should consider conducting this point-specific plan check. This includes anyone currently holding an empty plot and wishing to maximize its potential, existing homeowners unaware that they have the option to expand their home, and of course, real estate investors who understand how the gap between what is currently written in the existing plan and what can actually be achieved with a bit of daring and lots of knowledge can mean the difference between just another purchase and a once-in-a-lifetime deal. Although the process is bureaucratically complex, with the right guidance from skilled professionals, it becomes clear, gradual, and even relatively calm.

Another advantage of a point-specific local outline plan is that the plan does not oblige the plot owner to build immediately, but allows them to hold an approval that already raises the land’s value at the planning stage. Thus, it is a strategic investment, and those who don’t use it are simply missing out big time.

Miriam Baskon tells of a challenging case she managed in a settlement near Jerusalem: "We encountered a comprehensive plan that determined building rights based on a blanket calculation of the entire area in a certain part of the settlement, which significantly limited the possibilities for all landowners, including our client. At first glance, it seemed hopeless, but we didn’t give up. We submitted an appeal, conducted a professional dialogue with the committee’s engineer, and presented precise analyses. In the end, we managed to change the method. The approval we received increased our client’s rights from 23% to 30%. So, it was a critical addition and the property value increased accordingly."

In many ways, a point-specific local outline plan is a different way of thinking. It requires land and home owners to stop settling for less and start thinking like entrepreneurs, even if they have never seen themselves as such and even if they do not intend to build or renovate tomorrow morning. Because when there is a real opportunity to upgrade the property value, even if it is just by a few meters, in the real estate world this is almost like a lottery ticket - one you don’t want to ignore.