This opinionated preset is designed to quickly specify the type of a building, replacing the generic building=yes, with a click from the toolbar. It includes several groups, covering the most popular building=* combinations. Many statistical applications of OSM data can benefit greatly from concrete building types.

The last option in each group is a "generic" one ("industrial", "commercial", "residential", etc), intended for the cases where you can't narrow down the tag further.

Some options are narrower than the definitions described on the OSM wiki. This is intentional. Take note:

• industrial > water tower (heavy) is intended for huge permanent water towers made of brick and similar materials. Rule of thumb: if it looks like it can have its own address, use this. It can be used on a closed way only. The option applies man_made=water_tower in addition to specifying a building. If the tower is no longer functional, remove it.
• storage tank and silo both also add accompanying man_made tags. Similar to water towers, I suggest using these for major structures that look like buildings — as such, these can only be applied to a closed way (polygon).
• chimney likewise is intended for prominent objects like cooling towers of a power station, or huge brick factory towers. Closed way only.

Don't forget to add the preset to the JOSM toolbar!

See also

• Presets/Quick-highways
• Presets/OneClick

The preset itself

<presets xmlns="http://josm.openstreetmap.de/tagging-preset-1.0"
        shortdescription="Quick-Buildings"
        description="Presets for quickly typing buildings"
        author="Kilkenni"
        version="1.4_2026-07-11"
        icon="quick.svg">

        <group name="Quick-Buildings" icon="quick.svg">
                <group name="building=*" icon="residential/unknown.svg">
                        <item name="1 apartments" icon="residential/apartments.svg" type="node,closedway">
                                <key key="building" value="apartments" />
                        </item>

                        <item name="2 house" icon="residential/house.svg" type="node,closedway">
                                <key key="building" value="house" />
                        </item>

                        <item name="3 dormitory" icon="residential/dorm.svg" type="node,closedway">
                                <key key="building" value="dormitory" />
                        </item>

                        <item name="4 terrace/townhouse" icon="residential/townhouse.svg" type="node,closedway">
                                <key key="building" value="terrace" />
                        </item>

                        <item name="5 residential" icon="residential/residential.svg" type="node,closedway">
                                <key key="building" value="residential" />
                        </item>
                </group>

                <group name="building=* automotive" icon="auto/garage.svg">
                        <item name="1 garage" icon="auto/garage.svg" type="node,closedway">
                                <key key="building" value="garage" />
                        </item>

                        <item name="2 garages" icon="auto/garages.svg" type="node,closedway">
                                <key key="building" value="garages" />
                        </item>

                        <item name="3 carport" icon="auto/carport.svg" type="node,closedway">
                                <key key="building" value="carport" />
                        </item>

                        <item name="4 parking" icon="auto/parking.svg" type="node,closedway">
                                <key key="building" value="parking" />
                        </item>
                </group>
                <group name="building=* auxiliary" icon="aux/aux.svg">
                        <item name="1 shed" icon="aux/shed.svg" type="node,closedway">
                                <key key="building" value="shed" />
                        </item>

                        <item name="2 service" icon="aux/service.svg" type="node,closedway">
                                <key key="building" value="service" />
                        </item>

                        <item name="3 tower" icon="presets/tower/tower.svg" type="node,closedway">
                                <key key="building" value="tower" />
                        </item>

                        <item name="4 roof" icon="aux/roof.svg" type="node,closedway">
                                <key key="building" value="roof" />
                        </item>

                        <item name="5 guardhouse" icon="presets/service/police_non_public.svg" type="node,closedway">
                                <key key="building" value="guardhouse" />
                        </item>

                        <item name="6 toilets" icon="presets/service/toilets.svg" type="node,closedway">
                                <key key="building" value="toilets" />
                        </item>

                        <item name="7 skywalk" icon="aux/skywalk.svg" type="node,closedway">
                                <key key="building" value="bridge" />
                        </item>

                        <item name="8 construction" icon="aux/construction.svg" type="node,closedway">
                                <key key="building" value="construction" />
                        </item>
                </group>
                <group name="building=* commercial" icon="comm/commercial.svg">
                        <item name="1 office" icon="comm/office.svg" type="node,closedway">
                                <key key="building" value="office" />
                        </item>

                        <item name="2 retail" icon="comm/retail.svg" type="node,closedway">
                                <key key="building" value="retail" />
                        </item>

                        <item name="3 kiosk" icon="comm/kiosk.svg" type="node,closedway">
                                <key key="building" value="kiosk" />
                        </item>

                        <item name="4 hotel" icon="comm/hotel.svg" type="node,closedway">
                                <key key="building" value="hotel" />
                        </item>

                        <item name="5 commercial" icon="comm/commercial.svg" type="node,closedway">
                                <key key="building" value="commercial" />
                        </item>
                </group>
                <group name="building=* industrial" icon="industrial/industrial.svg">
                        <item name="1 warehouse" icon="industrial/boxes.svg" type="node,closedway">
                                <key key="building" value="warehouse" />
                        </item>

                        <item name="2 water tower (heavy)" icon="presets/tower/water_tower.svg" type="closedway">
                                <key key="building" value="tower" />
                                <key key="man_made" value="water_tower" />
                        </item>

                        <item name="3 storage tank (liquid)" icon="industrial/tank.svg" type="closedway">
                                <key key="building" value="storage_tank" />
                                <key key="man_made" value="storage_tank" />
                        </item>

                        <item name="4 silo (solid)" icon="industrial/silo.svg" type="closedway">
                                <key key="building" value="silo" />
                                <key key="man_made" value="silo" />
                        </item>

                        <item name="5 chimney (heavy)" icon="industrial/chimney.svg" type="closedway">
                                <key key="building" value="chimney" />
                                <key key="man_made" value="chimney" />
                        </item>

                        <item name="6 industrial" icon="industrial/industrial.svg" type="node,closedway">
                                <key key="building" value="industrial" />
                        </item>
                </group>
                <group name="building=* agricultural" icon="agri/greenhouse.svg">
                        <item name="1 greenhouse" icon="agri/greenhouse.svg" type="node,closedway">
                                <key key="building" value="greenhouse" />
                        </item>

                        <item name="2 barn" icon="agri/barn.svg" type="node,closedway">
                                <key key="building" value="barn" />
                        </item>

                        <item name="3 cowshed" icon="agri/creepy-cow.svg" type="node,closedway">
                                <key key="building" value="cowshed" />
                        </item>

                        <item name="4 sty" icon="agri/pig.svg" type="node,closedway">
                                <key key="building" value="sty" />
                        </item>

                        <item name="5 livestock" icon="agri/livestock.svg" type="node,closedway">
                                <key key="building" value="livestock" />
                        </item>
                </group>
                <group name="building=* civic" icon="civic/civic.svg">
                        <item name="1 kindergarten" icon="civic/kinder.svg" type="node,closedway">
                                <key key="building" value="kindergarten" />
                        </item>

                        <item name="2 school" icon="civic/school.svg" type="node,closedway">
                                <key key="building" value="school" />
                        </item>

                        <item name="3 college" icon="civic/college.svg" type="node,closedway">
                                <key key="building" value="college" />
                        </item>
                        <item name="4 university" icon="civic/uni.svg" type="node,closedway">
                                <key key="building" value="university" />
                        </item>

                        <item name="5 hospital" icon="civic/hospital.svg" type="node,closedway">
                                <key key="building" value="hospital" />
                        </item>

                        <item name="6 fire station" icon="presets/service/firebrigade.svg" type="node,closedway">
                                <key key="building" value="fire_station" />
                        </item>

                        <item name="7 transportation" icon="civic/train.svg" type="node,closedway">
                                <key key="building" value="transportation" />
                        </item>

                        <item name="8 government" icon="presets/service/townhall.svg" type="node,closedway">
                                <key key="building" value="government" />
                        </item>

                        <item name="9 civic" icon="civic/civic.svg" type="node,closedway">
                                <key key="building" value="civic" />
                        </item>
                </group>
        </group>
</presets>

Presets_Quick-buildings-preset.xml, Presets_Quick-buildings.zip