A TABA (תב”ע, tokhnit binyan ir) is the local outline plan for a specific area. It is the document that says what may be built on a particular parcel: the use, the number of units, the height, the setbacks and often the conditions attached to a permit. If you are buying, the TABA, not the listing, is the first thing to read. This page shows how to check it with the Planning Administration’s own tools.
Which plan are you actually looking at?
Israeli planning runs on three levels, and they can all apply to one apartment at the same time:
- National outline plan (תמ”א, TAMA). Countrywide rules for a subject such as roads, railways, airports or coastal protection.
- District outline plan (תמ”ם, TAMAM). Rules for a district, usually strengthening or adding to the national level.
- Local outline plan (תב”ע, TABA). The plan for a neighbourhood, a street or sometimes a single plot. It is the one that decides the building rights on your parcel.
Where two plans disagree, the more specific and the more recent one usually governs, but the relationship depends on the plans themselves and on any saving provisions. That is a question for a planner or a lawyer, not for the listing agent. Our guide to zoning and planning law in Israel explains the hierarchy in more detail.
How to check the TABA before you buy
The Planning Administration publishes the tools; none of them requires a paid subscription.
- XPLAN, “what is planned in your area” (מה מתכנן באזורך). The public viewer. Search an address or zoom to the parcel, then open the plan that covers it.
- The planning information site (אתר מידע תכנוני). Plan documents, stages, protocols, provisions and annexes.
- The local committees portal (פורטל ועדות מקומיות). Agendas, decisions and the planning file for the committee that handles the property.
- Data.gov and the Administration’s geographic packages, for the underlying layers if you or your planner want to work with the data directly.
Start from the Planning Administration portal and work down from there. Confirm the plan number you are reading is the one that covers the parcel, and confirm its status.
What to read in the plan itself
- Designation (ייעוד). Residential, commercial, employment, open space or a mixture. Mixed-use plans often condition one use on the other.
- Building rights. The number of units the plan allows on the parcel, and the permitted floor area.
- Height, floors and setbacks. These decide what can actually be built, and they change how a top-floor or garden apartment is used.
- Annotations and conditions (הערות). Road widening, future expropriation, a building line, a heritage listing or a required public contribution. These are the lines that surprise buyers.
- Stage. A plan that is only deposited for objections is not the same as an approved plan. Read which stage it reached and when it was published.
Traps that cost buyers money
- Reading a plan that does not cover the parcel. Neighbouring plans and plan amendments are common; the parcel boundary matters more than the street.
- Assuming a deposited plan is final. A plan with rights that look generous in a deposit notice can change before approval.
- Missing a later plan. An older plan can still sit on the books while a newer one governs the same land.
- Treating a plan as a permit. The plan sets what is allowed; a building permit is a separate approval, and an existing building may not match the plan.
Ask for the plan number, the stage, the date and the annotations in writing, and have a planner or a real estate lawyer confirm the position for the specific parcel before you sign.
To compare current homes for sale, see our buy property in Israel page.
Have a specific requirement? Send us your details and the Semerenko Group team will get back to you.
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