What are 1/500 and 1/2000 plans? How they differ and why you should know

This content is for reference and is not legal advice. Regulations may change and vary by locality; for a specific case, ask the competent authority or a lawyer. Updated 24/10/2026.

The scales 1/500 and 1/2000 are shorthand for the scale of the planning map. The smaller the number (1/500), the more detailed the drawing; the larger the number (1/2000, 1/5000), the wider the area covered.

1. The two basic types of plan

Criterion	1/2000 plan	1/500 plan
Common name	Zoning plan (commonly called 1/2000, in some places 1/5000)	Detailed plan (commonly called 1/500)
Scope	An urban area or large sub-zone	One plot of land, one specific project
Main content	Land-use functions, main roads, technical infrastructure, population	Plot boundaries, building density, floor-area ratio, height, building lines
Used for	Basis for preparing the detailed plan	Basis for preparing the project, design and applying for a construction permit
Approving authority	By the delegation in the law and decrees (Decree 145/2025/NĐ-CP delegates between provincial and commune People's Committees)	By delegation; for example, a detailed plan for a rural residential area within one commune falls to the commune People's Committee

The master plan of a city or urban area is the higher level; the zoning plan details the master plan; the detailed plan details the zoning plan.

2. Legal basis

The Law on Urban and Rural Planning 2024 (No. 47/2024/QH15, passed 26/11/2024, effective 01/7/2025) divides urban planning into 3 levels: master plan, zoning plan and detailed plan (Article 3). The zoning plan details the master plan and sets land-use functions for each functional block; the detailed plan sets specific indicators such as building density, number of floors and setbacks for each plot. The Law was amended by Law No. 144/2025/QH15 (effective 01/01/2026). Decree 178/2025/NĐ-CP guides the cases in which zoning and detailed plans are prepared; Circular 16/2025/TT-BXD (amended by Circular 43/2025/TT-BXD) sets the components and format of planning dossiers. On map scales: the names 1/2000 and 1/500 are customary; HPR has not been able to verify any circular that sets the drawing scale for each type of plan, so it does not state the figure as mandatory.

3. Why buyers should care

• Density and number of floors: the 1/500 plan shows the maximum number of floors and the density the project may have; this affects population density and amenities.
• Public works: the detailed plan shows parks, schools and internal roads — check whether what the developer advertises matches the drawing.
• Plan adjustments: if a project adjusts its 1/500 plan (more floors, change of function), look at the grounds and the new approval decision.
• Legal conditions for sale: a project must meet the conditions (land, planning, construction permit, etc.) before it can be sold; see Checking a project's legal status before buying.

Illustrative example (assumed figures)

A project advertises a "30-storey tower". You check the approved detailed-plan indicator table: the maximum height of the plot is 25 floors. The two figures differ, so you ask the developer whether there is a decision adjusting the detailed plan, its issue date and the approving authority. A local adjustment must be based on a review and must not change the approved nature, function or boundaries (per the summary of Articles 45 and 46).

4. How to read a planning map quickly

1. Identify the project's boundary and the neighbouring plots.
2. Read the indicator table: land area, building density (%), floor-area ratio, maximum height, green-space area.
3. Look at the internal roads and links to the outside, and the right-of-way.
4. Check each plot's function: housing, commercial, public, green space.
5. Check the date and number of the approval decision and the latest adjustment.

5. Questions to ask the developer

• Does the project have a decision approving the 1/500 detailed plan? Number, date, issuing authority?
• Has any detailed-plan adjustment been made? What was adjusted?
• Do the advertised apartments and amenities match the approved planning map?
• Has the 1/2000 zoning plan for the area around the project (roads, parks, schools) been approved?
• When will infrastructure and parks be handed over under the plan?

6. Notes when looking up planning

Plans can be adjusted, and online maps are for reference only. For reliable information on a land parcel you need a written confirmation from the competent authority; for how, see how to look up land and project planning. Administrative boundaries in many places changed on 01/07/2025, so ward and commune names in old planning documents may differ from the new names; note both when cross-checking.

7. Planning and the developer's obligations

The approved plan is the basis for the developer to apply for a construction permit and build infrastructure. Building contrary to the plan (more floors, higher density) can lead to penalties and affect buyers. So keep a copy of the project's planning decision and construction permit (see construction permits for individual houses to understand the difference from project housing).

The pages below are all newspapers or legal news sites, not the original documents; article and clause numbers come from these pages and must be checked against the original documents before being relied on.

• Law on Urban and Rural Planning 2024 No. 47/2024/QH15 (Article 3 three levels; Articles 45, 46 local adjustment), Law 144/2025/QH15, Decree 178/2025/NĐ-CP, Decree 145/2025/NĐ-CP — Batdongsan.com.vn wiki, Luật Quy hoạch đô thị và nông thôn mới nhất, opened 24/10/2026 (summary article; does not state map scales).
• Circular 16/2025/TT-BXD dated 30/6/2025 — PDF at hue.gov.vn and cdn.lawnet.vn, seen via search 24/10/2026, not opened.