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Building law in Vorarlberg: Baugesetz and OIB guidelines

Vorarlberg governs building in its Baugesetz, Vbg. BauG for short. On the OIB guidelines the state takes a different path from its neighbour Tyrol, according to the OIB overview: the 2023 and 2025 editions are not in force there. Piloti keeps the state in the project and cites with the edition that applies there.

OIB status per the OIB overview “Inkrafttreten der OIB-Richtlinien”: 2023 edition as of September 2025, RL 6 edition 2025 as of July 2026. Legal text from RIS.

In short

Piloti answers questions on a Vorarlberg project from the Baugesetz (Vbg. BauG) and the OIB guidelines, with a checked citation and the edition that applies in the state. According to the OIB overview, Vorarlberg has not declared the 2023 OIB guidelines binding (as of September 2025), and RL 6, edition 2025, is not in force there either (as of July 2026); the 2019 edition generally still applies.

Try it with a real questionChecked: September 2026

What applies in Vorarlberg

Piloti draws on these sources for a project in Vorarlberg.

Baugesetz (Vbg. BauG)
Vorarlberg’s counterpart to a building code: applications and permits. Cited as “Baugesetz” with the state abbreviation, so it is not confused with another Baugesetz.
OIB guidelines
According to the OIB overview, the 2023 edition is in force in Vorarlberg for no guideline, nor RL 6 in the 2025 edition. The 2019 OIB guidelines are in force.
Federal law
Trade code for commercial facilities, ASchG and the workplace ordinance for workplaces, monuments act: alongside the Baugesetz, where the project touches them.

Two neighbours, two states of play

Anyone planning on both sides of the Arlberg has had two different technical bases since 16 July 2026, according to the OIB overview: the 2023 and 2025 editions in Tyrol, the 2019 edition in Vorarlberg. A requirement an office just looked up for a Tyrolean project does not necessarily apply to the one in Vorarlberg.

Piloti keeps the state in the project and names the edition that applies there for every OIB requirement. On request Piloti sets Vorarlberg and Tyrol side by side in tabs, each with its own source.

How Piloti answers a question on a Vorarlberg project

  1. 01

    State from the project

    Piloti reads the state from the project. If it is missing, it asks once instead of assuming the office’s location.

  2. 02

    Cite like a permit

    “Baugesetz, § …” with the state reference or “OIB-RL 2, Pkt. …” with its edition, checked against the source text before it appears.

  3. 03

    Open it in RIS

    Piloti opens the passage in the Baugesetz from RIS, marked. You read the section before you take it into a file note.

Good to know

Whether you may build, the municipal building authority decides; responsibility for the design stays with the office. Piloti names every source with edition and citation and the OIB status per the OIB overview, so the office can check it in the state ordinance.

Questions

Which OIB guidelines apply in Vorarlberg?

According to the OIB overview (as of September 2025), Vorarlberg has not declared the 2023 OIB guidelines binding; RL 6, edition 2025, is not in force there either according to the overview (as of July 2026). The 2019 OIB guidelines are in force. Exceptions and transition rules are in state law.

Where can I read the Vorarlberg Baugesetz in full?

In the federal legal information system (RIS), free of charge and in its current version, under the title “Baugesetz” in Vorarlberg state law. Piloti opens a cited passage straight from RIS, marked.

Can Piloti answer questions on the Vorarlberg Baugesetz?

Yes, with a citation from the Baugesetz and the OIB guidelines, checked against the source text before it appears. For OIB requirements Piloti names the edition that applies in Vorarlberg according to the OIB overview: 2019.

Do the same OIB guidelines apply in Vorarlberg as in Tyrol?

Not any more, according to the OIB overview. Tyrol adopted guidelines 1 to 5 in the 2023 edition and RL 6 in the 2025 edition as of 16 July 2026; Vorarlberg stays with the 2019 edition. For projects on either side of the state border, the state the plot lies in counts.

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