Key:min_height

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Public-images-osm logo.svg min_height
MarekCottageOnAChickenFoot3DHeigtDefinition.jpg
Description
Height of location of bottom part of building, part of building or another objects. Show/edit corresponding data item.
Group: buildings
Used on these elements
may be used on nodesmay be used on waysmay be used on areas (and multipolygon relations)may be used on relations
Useful combination
See also
Status: in use
Explanation of building height tags

The min_height=* tag is used to indicate the height above ground at which a feature, usually a building=* or building:part=*, begins.

As a key indicating height, the default unit is meters.

Consider also adding building:levels=* and building:min_level=* as applicable.

To indicate the total height (from ground level to highest point) of a feature, use the height=* tag instead.

Take care to avoid the common mistake of setting height=* to the "effective height" (subtracting the bottom from the top). height=* is supposed to be the height at the top compared to ground level, irrespective of min_height=*. This Sophox query finds buildings that are effectively "upside-down" because of this mistake.

Minimum height restrictions

Some facilities, such as ski lifts or attractions like amusement park rides and water slides, often have "minimum height requirements" (commonly phrased as "You must be <height> m tall to ride") and the min_height=* tag has been used to indicate this restriction.

While this usage of min_height=* mirrors the format of similar popular tags such as min_age=* and max_age=*, this usage is problematic and can lead to unclear situations because an object can be some distance above ground level and require a minimum height for riders.

As of January 2025 this tag is used this way in at least 180 cases [1]; consider the more widely used alternative minimum_height_requirement=*.