Building permit
- Permit or other obligation
- Pielavesi
- Public service
A building permit consists of an assessment of land-use requirements (conditions for placement) and essential technical requirements (conditions for implementation). Upon request from the permit applicant, the building supervision authority may resolve the existence of placement conditions through a separate decision (placement permit).
The building supervision authority grants the building permi ...
Do the following
Applications for a building permit must be submitted to the municipal building supervisory authority, which also provides advice in the matter.
The application for the building permit may be submitted by the titleholder of the building site (the owner, the person authorised by the owner, or the person controlling the building site on the basis of a lease or other agreement).
In most cases, neighbours must be notified when an application for a building permit is submitted. 'Neighbour' refers to owners and titleholders of adjacent or opposite properties or other areas. The fact that the application has been submitted must at the same time be publicised on the building site by suitable means. The notification is not required when the project is of minor nature, or the impact of the project is not relevant to the neighbours' interests. The need to hear the neighbours is determined by the building supervisory authority.
A building permit is required for the construction of buildings and construction projects, but some smaller construction projects do not require a permit process.
A residential building and a holiday home (e.g., a sauna cabin) always require a building permit. A building permit is required for the construction of buildings of 30 square meters or more and for building a canopy over 50 square meters.
The construction of a new building project requires a building permit, for example, if the project is:
- A residential building or holiday home
- A building of at least 30 m² or 120 m³ that is not a residential building
- A canopy of at least 50 m²
- An energy well (geothermal well)
- An area built for specific activities that has an impact on the use of surrounding areas, as well as masts and public structures.
A building permit is also required if the construction project (even if it is not for a building) has a significant impact on land use, urban appearance, landscape, cultural heritage, or environmental aspects, or if the project requires governmental oversight due to technical requirements or public interest.
Building a sewage treatment system generally requires a building permit, even if the building itself does not require one (e.g., a sewage system for a lakeside sauna).
A building permit is also required for repair and modification work that is comparable to new construction, as well as for expanding a building or adding floor area. Below are some examples of such actions:
- Increasing the floor area of a building, removing health hazards, or changing the purpose of use.
- Fully glazing a terrace and adding a roof.
- Repair and modification work depending on its quality and value. For example, changing the use of a sauna building to a holiday home requires a permit.
- Line renovation (e.g., replacing a building's water pipes).
- For protected buildings, a permit is always required for repairs.
A building permit is generally not required for buildings that are not residential or holiday homes and are smaller than 30 square meters or 120 cubic meters.
To whom and on what terms
The permit is granted if all requirements for the permit have been met. If the project deviates from the provisions and regulations, a permit for an exception to the restrictions may be required before the building permission is granted.
If the entrepreneur has established itself in another country in the European Economic Area and temporarily offers services in Finland, the same permits are required as from entrepreneurs established in Finland.
Processing time
Building permits are primarily processed on Thursdays of the second and fourth week of each month. Permit applications must be submitted to the building supervision authority by Tuesday of the previous week.
Period of validity
A building permit-related construction activity must be started within three years and completed within five years. The validity period can be extended upon request if there are special reasons. The validity period can be extended by two years from the start and, for completion, by up to three years at a time based on the authority's discretion.
Background information
A building permit or other official approval is required for the construction of residential buildings and other construction that exceeds certain limits. A building permit is also required for extending a building or for substantial repair and alteration work or for work aimed at altering the intended use of a building. Provisions on these matters are contained in the Building Act. A municipality may also, in its building code, determine which measures require a building permit and an action permit.
In addition to provisions on the permits and the preconditions for granting a permit, the Building Act also contains provisions on the documents used in permit applications, designers’ competence requirements, the construction work and the persons responsible for the construction project.