NRW: Exemption procedure with minor deviation from the development plan

The general contractor would basically be my lesser concern. I rather have the impression that the building regulation offices struggle extremely with this relief because they might overlook something and then have the troubles afterwards. Our application, for example, was completely compliant with the current development plan (which was only amended at the beginning of the year), yet a clearance procedure was still not accepted.

With our general contractor, we also tried the exemption procedure. But the architect immediately refused, they had no interest in it. At least that was our impression. The reason given was the roof overhang beyond the building window with the undershooting of the clearance areas, quite practical. Our assumption: the production there was already scheduled for the next few months and roughly planned for the rest of the year. If we had come with an exemption request, we would have had to be squeezed in between. End of the story: we got the approval through a simplified procedure in record time (no one knows why). And the general contractor had to push us quickly into the next free production slot.

I'm completely stuck right now. The building boundary roughly applies to exterior walls. Since when are roof overhangs not allowed to exceed this? Or am I confusing something?

Roof overhangs maybe, but canopies (with columns) probably not.

For us, it was purely roof overhangs (no columns, no function or anything else). Apparently, a special permit was required for this (in BW), at least according to our architect (of the general contractor). Whether that is true or not, I cannot judge.

For us, they were purely roof overhangs (no columns, no function or anything else). Apparently, you needed an exemption permit for this (in BW), at least according to our architect (of the general contractor). Whether that is true or not, I cannot judge.

But I have heard exactly the opposite from friends in BW. They wanted to build near Stuttgart using the notification procedure. That also didn’t work because of the roof overhangs.
So they could have gotten an exemption for a fee. But anyway, roof overhangs are not forbidden in principle. Maybe it also depends on the development plan.