Antibes UA Zone PLU: Setback From the Road — The Survey Expertise That Saves Your Project

URBAN PLANNING — FRENCH RIVIERA

You’ve bought a plot of land in Antibes, UA zone, with a construction project in mind. The CASA local development plan (PLU) requires a 5-metre setback from the road. You pull out the tape measure and get 5.10 metres. Good, you think you’re covered. Except your neighbour disputes the positioning, and Antibes’ planning department asks for a topographic survey. What you measured with a tape isn’t what the PLU actually requires. We regularly see a 47 cm gap between a tape-measure reading and a survey done with a Leica TS total station. 47 cm that made the difference between compliance and non-compliance. And this isn’t an isolated case: in Nice as in Cannes, I regularly see property owners caught out by a simple slope or a misread building line.

What you see — and what it’s really hiding

You see a façade aligned with the street. You assume the setback is measured from the edge of your plot to the wall. But the CASA PLU (UA zone) defines the setback relative to the road’s building line, which isn’t necessarily the property boundary. That building line can be offset by 30 cm to 1 metre because of a planned future widening or a right-of-way easement. What nobody tells you: the road itself has a slope, and the setback is measured horizontally, not along the ground. On a sloped plot in Antibes, the difference between horizontal distance and ground distance can reach 15 cm on a 10% slope. Frankly, a tape measure isn’t enough.

The calculations that change everything: slope, total station and tolerance

The CASA PLU UA zone requires a minimum 5-metre setback measured horizontally from the road’s building line. If your plot has an 8% slope (common in Antibes), the ground distance you measure with a tape is greater than the horizontal distance. Formula: D_horiz = D_ground × cos(α). With α = arctan(8/100) ≈ 4.57°, cos(4.57°) = 0.9968. If you measure 5.10 m on the ground, the horizontal distance is 5.10 × 0.9968 ≈ 5.084 m — still compliant. But with a 15% slope (α ≈ 8.53°, cos ≈ 0.989), 5.10 m on the ground gives 5.044 m horizontal: barely a 4 cm margin. And if you measured 5.00 m on the ground on a 15% slope, the horizontal distance drops to 4.945 m: non-compliant. The administrative tolerance is often 2 to 5 cm depending on the municipality. A Leica TS total station or GNSS RTK measures the horizontal distance directly with millimetre precision. I’ve even had to shift a project by 12 cm thanks to this kind of measurement.

The consequences of an approximate measurement

A refused building permit in Antibes means a 6 to 12 month delay and appeal costs that can exceed €5,000. Not to mention the loss in land value if the project stalls. Worse: if you build based on a faulty measurement, you risk a demolition order brought by the neighbour or the town hall. In Cannes, one owner had to tear down a wall because it was 30 cm over the line. The total cost exceeded €20,000. A simple topographic survey at €800 would have prevented all of it.

How to get a reliable measurement and secure your project

The solution: have a topographic survey carried out by a planning expert or an expert surveyor. The electronic total station measures the horizontal distance in seconds, with centimetre-level precision. The report includes a dimensioned plan showing the official building line, the actual setback and the slope. In Antibes, Juan-les-Pins, Nice or Cannes, I always recommend this step before filing the permit application. It saves you from bad surprises and strengthens your case if there’s a dispute. Need an opinion? Contact a surveying expert for your project in the UA zone.

Further reading

• Challenging a contradictory topographic survey in Nice: an expert’s method

📅 Updated 31 July 2026 — By Cassini Expertise, independent building expert covering the Alpes-Maritimes (06) & Var (83). Free quote: 04 22 46 06 04.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the required road setback for Antibes UA zone?

Antibes’ PLU requires a minimum 5-metre setback from the public road building line in the UA zone, unless the written regulations state otherwise. This setback can vary depending on the width of the road and the layout of the plot. Check the zoning map and regulations for your exact parcel.

How can you get an exemption from the UA zone road setback?

An exemption is possible if you can demonstrate a major topographic constraint (slope, bedrock) or a technical impossibility, backed by a soil survey or a topographic survey. The request must be justified within the building permit application, and approval from the Architecte des Bâtiments de France (heritage architect) may be required depending on the area. The mayor decides on a case-by-case basis.

What is a topographic survey for PLU compliance?

It’s a precise survey of the land (elevation, slopes, boundaries) carried out by a chartered surveyor, which verifies whether your project complies with setback and positioning rules. This expertise can reveal natural constraints that justify adjusting the mandatory distances. It’s often essential for convincing the planning department that the project is feasible.

📅 Mis à jour le 25/09/2026 — Cassini Expertise, expert bâtiment indépendant (06·83·13·40).