Fireboxes in utility rooms: In this response, I explain how to classify them as utility spaces and how to distinguish between the distance between buildings and the distance from the property line.
To make it easier to read, here is a step-by-step guide: it’s not just a matter of “meters,” but above all of which criteria apply and which regulations take precedence in your case.
Table of Contents
Fireboxes in Utility Rooms: What Does It Really Mean?
Our Fireboxes are, in every respect, utility compartments. This means that their classification complies with the relevant standards.
In practice, the label “local/utility room” is not just a definition: it helps clarify how these spaces are treated in discussions that also involve restrictions and distances, especially when different criteria set forth in rules and regulations come into play.
What Are “Legal Distances” (and Why Do They Raise Questions)?
When it comes to legal distances, the Civil Code expressly refers to the distance between buildings.
The uncertainty arises because, in addition to this approach, public entities (such as municipalities or provinces) often include an additional criterion in their regulations: the legal distance from the boundary.
So there isn’t always a single parameter: it depends on what is required in the context in which it is being built.
Distance between buildings and distance from the property line: two different criteria
It is important to distinguish between the two levels:
- Distance between buildings: This is the distance specifically referred to in the Civil Code when discussing statutory distances.
- Distance from the border: This is a criterion that may be specified in regulations issued by public agencies, so it is not uncommon to find it specified at the local level.
These two criteria are not automatically mutually exclusive. In fact, they are often intended to be interpreted together, because they pertain to two different “points of reference”: the other structure and the boundary line.
When the criteria are included in the same zoning plan
These two different criteria often coexist even within the same zoning plan.
In other words: it may happen that, within the same area and for the same project, you’ll need to consider the following at the same time:
- What is the situation with regard to existing buildings?;
- What happens at the property line?
This coexistence is one of the reasons why it’s easy to get confused: people think that “one distance” is enough, but in reality, two distances may be required, applied in parallel.
What distances must they maintain: the 2 checks to perform
In this case, the builder must comply with two different distances:
- From the building closest to the other owner’s property line
- From the boundary line of the other owner’s property
These two checks must be kept separate because they are based on different principles: one concerns the presence of another structure (the building), while the other concerns the boundary line (the border).
If you are considering where to install technical fireboxes, the key question then becomes: Which local regulations apply, and how can the two criteria be reconciled?
Technical Volumes and Distances from Boundaries: What Has Changed (and What Hasn’t)
There is another concept that is often mentioned: technical volumes.
Technical structures are excluded from the calculation of distances between buildings and property lines: these are structures that serve no independent functional purpose, built to house technical systems essential for ensuring the comfort of the dwelling but that cannot be incorporated into the main building.
These technical volumes include, for example, systems related to:
- water pipe
- thermal conductivity
- electrical wiring
- elevation, such as exterior elevators
However, parts of a building that are an integral part of it—such as turrets and stairwells—are excluded from this definition.
The key point here is to determine whether, in your case, the Firebox is treated as a technical compartment or volume according to local regulations, and how this affects the issue of “distances.”
Practical steps to avoid misinterpretation
To handle this topic properly, I recommend organizing your review in a systematic way:
- Identify the main criterion: are you applying a criterion based on the distance between buildings, or on the distance from the property line?
- Check whether the criteria are met: it is possible that both are met in the same zoning plan.
- Clarify the nature of the structure: Firebox utility rooms, such as technical compartments, and—if applicable in your case—the logic behind technical spaces (structures without functional autonomy for essential systems).
- Do not confuse “integral part” with “technical volume”: certain elements (such as turrets and stairwells) are explicitly excluded from the definition cited.
This sequence reduces the most common risk: applying a single criterion when a double check (construction + boundary) is required.
Conclusion
Yes: Fireboxes can be considered utility spaces and are subject to the relevant regulations. When it comes to distances, however, there is no “single” answer that applies everywhere: the Civil Code focuses on the distance between buildings, while local regulations may also require a certain distance from the property line, and often both criteria apply.
