- Purchasing land in Martinique often represents a significant life project: building a primary residence, a vacation home, or a land investment. However, not all land is automatically buildable, and urban planning rules can vary from one municipality to another, from one neighborhood to another. In particular, the major document known as the Local Urban Plan (PLU) and the zoning it defines are essential for verifying the feasibility of your project.
In this guide, we will:
decrypt the concepts of zoning, PLU and other related documents in Martinique,
provide detailed information about the zones you need to know and their concrete implications,
and outline the mandatory checks before purchasing land. By the end, you'll know exactly what to examine to secure your choice.
1. The PLU and Related Documents in Martinique: Overview
- The PLU is a municipal or inter-municipal urban planning document that defines land use rules (buildable zones, protected areas, densities, land uses, etc.). It is enforceable against third parties and applies to building permits. In Martinique, not all municipalities have a PLU yet; some are still subject to the National Urban Planning Regulations (RNU) or the Land Use Plan (POS).
Consulting urban planning documents is accessible: for example through the DEAL Martinique website (Directorate of Environment, Planning and Housing).
You must therefore systematically:
check if the municipality has a PLU or an earlier document;
consult the zoning applicable to the plot concerned;
analyze the PLU regulations (building location, height, use, density);
take into account natural risks, via the associated Natural Risk Prevention Plan (PPRN).
2. Zoning in the PLU: Understanding the Major Zone Categories
- In Martinique, as elsewhere in France, PLUs divide the territory into different zones characterized by their uses, constraints and construction possibilities. Here are the major categories to know:
U Zone (urban or to be urbanized): places for housing, activities and services. Example: zones "UA, UB, UC" in the Fort-de-France PLU. → These zones are most often buildable, but with strict guidelines (building location, height, density, parking).
A Zone (agricultural): intended to protect agricultural activity and limit individual or scattered housing. → In these zones, "standard" residential constructions are often very limited, or even prohibited except in specific cases.
N Zone (natural, forest): areas to be protected, often non-buildable or subject to strong environmental constraints. → Check the quality of zoning on your plot carefully, as land in zone N may have little or no construction potential.
AU Zone (to be urbanized): zone planned to become urban in time, but whose urbanization is planned and often subject to the creation of infrastructure. Ex: Lamentin PLU. → This land can be interesting for anticipating capital gains, but viability may take time.
3. Concrete Impacts for Land Purchase
- When visiting land, here are the main checkpoints to analyze in relation to zoning and the PLU:
Buildability: land must have access to a public road, a sewage network or authorized individual sanitation, water/electricity supply. These elements are mentioned in the zone regulations (ex: zone UA1, UA2 in the Lamentin PLU).
Authorized use: verify that the "residential" or "housing" destination is indicated. Some agricultural zones only allow agricultural use.
Density and layout: building locations, height, ground coverage, parking, vegetation to preserve: these criteria can strongly modify the feasibility of a project. Example in the Fort-de-France PLU: article UVB4 (volume) or UVB5 (urban quality).
Natural risk easements: flooding, landslides, sea level, etc. PPRN zoning may prohibit or strongly restrict construction on certain plots.
Future project compatibility: in an AU or N zone, future urbanization may be possible but not guaranteed. It's essential to check the municipality's PADD (Sustainable Development and Planning Project).
4. Martinique-Specific Points to Watch
- The coastline and the Coastal Law: many municipalities in Martinique are affected by the Coastal Law, which limits urbanization by the sea and imposes margins or non-buildable zones.
- Terrain, slope, erosion and natural constraints: steep terrain, difficult access, utility limitations can make land "buildable on paper" but complex in practice.
- Digital registration and electronic enforceability: since 2023, publication of urban planning documents (PLU, maps, zoning) on the Urban Planning Geoportal is mandatory for them to be enforceable.
- Small territories still subject to RNU or POS: some municipalities have not yet completed the revision of their PLU, which can add uncertainty.
5. Checklist for Your Land Purchase
- Before committing, check:
Does the municipality have a PLU or is it subject to RNU/POS?
What zone is assigned to the plot (U, A, N, AU...)?
Does the zone regulation allow residential construction?
Is the land served by access, networks, sanitation?
Is the land in a risk zone (PPRN modification, flooding, erosion)?
Are the municipality's PADD and future urbanization options (AU zone) compatible with your project timeline?
Are there environmental or heritage constraints (classified site, protected area)?
Is the feasible urbanization (height, footprint, parking) suitable for your budget and plans?
Conclusion
- In Martinique, choosing land is not just about glancing at the surface area or sea view: zoning and the PLU are at the heart of project feasibility. Understanding them well, verifying them, and integrating them into your approach allows you to secure your purchase and avoid unpleasant surprises. With support from Cabinet Laurent Valère agency — which has known local specificities since 1985 — you can move forward with your project confidently, equipped with the right benchmarks and reflexes.
Sources
"Consultation of Local Urban Plans – DEAL Martinique".
"PLU, cadastre and urban planning for Martinique".
"The agricultural zone of the PLU (article L 123-1 and R 123-7 of the urban planning code) – DAAF Martinique".
"You have a project – DEAL Martinique".
"Local Urban Plan – City of Schoelcher".
"PLU literal regulations Fort-de-France".
Cabinet Laurent Valère – Internal analyses, November 2025