What Can You Build on a 50 by 100 Plot?

How big is a 50 by 100 ft plot, and how many decimals is that?

An acre is 43,560 square feet, or about 4,047 square metres (source 1). A 50 by 100 ft plot is 5,000 square feet, which is 15.24 m by 30.48 m, or about 464.5 square metres, or 0.0465 hectares. A hectare figure like that is what a title or deed plan usually shows, so keep it in mind when you read the paperwork.

In Uganda land is commonly counted in decimals, where 100 decimals make one acre. One decimal is therefore about 435.6 square feet. Divide 5,000 by 435.6 and you get 11.5 decimals. That is the true arithmetic.

Many sellers use a different convention: they treat a 50 by 100 ft plot as one-eighth of an acre, which is 12.5 decimals. One-eighth of an acre is 5,445 square feet, so the convention is about 445 square feet (41 square metres) more generous than the plot you actually walk on. Our own listings reflect the trade habit: one Kira listing describes a 50 by 100 ft plot as "12 decimals". Neither figure is wrong in the market, but if you pay by the decimal, ask which one the seller means. Our decimal explainer and acres to decimals converter let you check any figure, and the Plot Size Visualiser shows how the plot looks on the ground.

Do you need plan approval before you build?

Yes. Section 34(1) of the Building Control Act, 2013 says a person shall not carry out a building operation unless they hold a valid building permit issued by a Building Committee. Breaking that rule is an offence, with a fine of up to fifty currency points or up to two years in prison, or both (source 3). The Act does not limit the rule to Kampala, and an application goes to the Building Committee for the area where you intend to build.

Under the Building Control Regulations, 2020 (regulation 21), an application for a residential building comes with documents that include a letter from the village council chairperson, a sketch plan, proof of ownership such as a copy of the certificate of title, development permission from the Physical Planning Committee, two sets of architectural drawings and a boundary opening report from a surveyor (source 4). Section 33 of the Physical Planning Act, 2010 separately requires development permission from a physical planning committee (source 5).

In Kampala, KCCA says to check first that the building is not on a road reserve, then have a registered architect draw the plans. Every building, including a residential house, needs an occupation permit, and a KCCA building inspector checks each stage of construction (source 2). Our guide to road reserves in Uganda explains how to test the first point.

Check the dates on your own permit. Section 38 of the Building Control Act says work must start within twelve months of the permit and finish within sixty months of starting. KCCA's published guidance mentions eighteen months to start and two years six months to finish for approvals in Kampala. Follow what is written on your permit.

What does plan approval cost?

KCCA publishes its fees, as of November 2026 (source 7). Architectural plans inspection is UGX 1,000 per square metre of ground floor area, structural plans inspection is UGX 30,000 per suspended slab, a boundary wall inspection is UGX 50,000 and an occupation permit is UGX 80,000. All fees carry 18% VAT unless stated otherwise. For a house with a 150 square metre ground floor, the architectural inspection fee works out at UGX 150,000 plus VAT, or UGX 177,000 in total. Planning approval for subdivisions is listed as nil. Outside Kampala, ask the district or municipal office for its own schedule, because we have not found a single national table.

These are government fees only. Architect, engineer and surveyor fees are separate and we do not publish a range because we have no source for one. For the full cost of putting up a house, see our cost of building a house in Uganda guide.

Where does the septic tank or sewer connection go?

Every building application must show how foul water leaves the site. The Building Control Regulations list "drainage plans: storm, foul and waste water" among the architectural drawings (source 4), and the application form asks whether the plot has access to a sewer connection, water, electricity and an access road. Most plots in peri-urban Wakiso and Mukono are not on a public sewer, so the usual answer is an on-site septic tank with a soakaway. The regulations define a septic tank and also a cesspool, which is a sealed tank for plots that cannot join a sewer and where ground conditions rule out on-site treatment.

On a small plot, the tank and soakaway need space away from the house, from the boundary and from any borehole. We do not state set distances because we could not verify them against the National Building Code, 2019, which the regulations refer to for technical standards. Ask your architect to quote the clause, and ask your planning office to confirm it. Before you buy, use our utilities check to find out what the street already has.

Is there space for parking and a boys' quarters?

Regulation 15(4) of the Building Control Regulations says parking for motor vehicles must be provided within the boundary of the site, in line with the Code (source 4). The application form asks how many parking spaces you propose. So parking uses your own plot and cannot spill onto the road or a neighbour's land.

Here is a simple way to test your plan on paper. The plot is 5,000 square feet. Subtract the footprint of the main house, a parking space for each car, the septic tank and soakaway, a path, and the open space you want for a garden. Whatever is left is what a boys' quarters can use. Because the setback distances are not stated here, we cannot say how many square feet remain, and anyone who quotes one without naming the rule is guessing. Many buyers settle on a single-storey three or four bedroom house with a small separate quarters at the back, or a two-storey house that keeps the footprint small. A 50 by 50 or 100 by 100 plot gives more room.

Remember that the area on the form is "actual area available". If a road line or reservation takes part of the plot, the form asks you to state the deduction. A plot that looks like 5,000 square feet on paper may offer less.

Can you build a rental block on a 50 by 100 plot?

Possibly, but the answer depends on the zoning of the area, not only the plot size. The Physical Planning Act requires development permission, and the local physical planning committee decides what use is allowed. KCCA refers applicants to the Kampala Physical Development Plan, 2013 and to staff in the five divisions for zoning (source 2). A plot in a zone planned for single family homes may not be approved for a block of flats, and changing use needs its own permission. Read our change of use guide for how that works.

Even where flats are allowed, a block needs more parking, a bigger septic arrangement or a sewer connection, and more inspection fees than a single house. Costs add up quickly, so do the sums before you buy. If the plot is for rental income, compare what you would pay for ready houses on our house listings.

Do you need plan approval outside Kampala?

Yes. The Building Control Act is national law and section 34 applies to "a person", with no exception for areas outside Kampala. What differs is who handles your file. In Kampala that is KCCA, and elsewhere it is the Building Committee for your district, municipality or town council, which will have its own forms, fees and timelines. The Physical Planning Act also requires development permission in a "planning area". Plans on land with no approved physical development plan are handled under its section 40.

A practical tip: ask the local office for its submission checklist before you pay an architect. Then use your site visit to check the access road, neighbours' buildings and drainage. If you are overseas, an escorted site visit from us lets you see the plot before you commit.

Listings available now

Live from Land & Property on 4 November 2026. Prices are the sellers' asking prices.

• 25 Decimals in Bunga at Ugx820m Buziga, Kampala · Plot UGX 820,000,000
• 1 acre for sale in Kololo at $2,500,000 Kololo, Kampala · Plot UGX 9,250,000,000
• Plot For sale in Masoli kitetika at 80m Kasangati, Wakiso · Plot UGX 80,000,000
• 33 Decimals in Bukoto Town at Ugx1.4bn Bukoto, Kampala · Plot UGX 1,400,000,000
• 53 decimals commercial Plot in Bukoto Bukoto, Kampala · Plot UGX 3,500,000,000
• 71 decimals in Kira Bulindo at Ugx500m Kira, Wakiso · Plot UGX 500,000,000

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

• 50 by 50 and 100 by 100 Plots in Uganda: Size, Cost, Use
• What Is a Decimal of Land? (Uganda Measure Explained)
• How Many Plots Are in an Acre in Uganda?
• Cost of Building a House in Uganda
• Road and Railway Reserves: How Far Back to Build
• Buy Land or Buy a House in Uganda?