Building Permit
As of 2025, instead of a building permit, an action permit and an action notification, a permit may be applied for only in a single form of permit – the building permit – under the Construction Act.
The Construction Act lists the new building projects that require a building permit. For example, the construction of a residential building and of a building with a floor area of at least 30 square meters or a volume of at least 120 cubic meters is always subject to a permit. The municipality cannot deviate from the permit requirement for such building projects by way of its building ordinance.
The above list in the Construction Act of building projects requiring a permit is not exhaustive. A building permit may also be required under a provision in the municipality's building ordinance, if the building has more than a minor effect on, among other things, land use or environmental considerations, or if the building requires official supervision to ensure that essential technical requirements are met, or if it is necessary for the building supervision authority to supervise the construction of the building project in the public interest. A building permit is, however, not required where the project is based on a street, road or rail plan under the law.
Even if a building project does not require a permit under the building projects listed in the Construction Act or a building ordinance provision, other applicable regulation applies to the building project without limitation. For example, plan provisions must be complied with as usual in building, and compliance with essential technical requirements must be ensured.
A building permit does not only concern new building projects; a permit is also required for repair and alteration work on an existing building that is comparable to constructing the building, as well as for extending a building or increasing the floor area counted towards it. Permit-requiring repair measures are laid down in more detail in the Construction Act.
construction meets the requirements laid down in section 117 and other requirements prescribed in or under this Act;
the building is appropriate for the location concerned;
a serviceable access road to the building site exists or can be arranged;
water supply and waste water management can be organized satisfactorily and without causing environmental harm; and
the building will not be located or constructed in a way that causes unwarranted harm to neighbors or hinders appropriate building on a neighboring property.
The owner or possessor of the building site who undertakes the building project must apply to the municipality in writing for a building permit. As of 1 January 2026, a building permit application must be submitted either in building information model format or in another machine-readable format. The municipal building supervision authority grants the building permit, which may cover one or more buildings or other building projects. The granting of a building permit is based on an assessment of the land-use preconditions and the essential technical requirements. The municipality may resolve the existence of the siting preconditions by a separate decision if the applicant specifically so requests. Construction must be commenced within three years and completed within five years of the granting of the permit.