Projects exempt from building permits

On this page, you will find information about projects exempt from building permits.

You do not need a permit from the building control authority for buildings with a floor area of less than 30 square metres and canopies of less than 50 square metres, provided that you build them in accordance with the area plan and within the permitted building rights. Such buildings may include, for example, a garden sauna, carport, summer kitchen and storage shed.

A permit must always be obtained for residential buildings and holiday homes, regardless of the size of the building. The habitability of a building is assessed in accordance with the Ministry of the Environment’s ‘hella’ principle – if the building has permanent kitchen equipment with a stove, i.e. a cooker, it is interpreted as a holiday home or residential building, i.e. construction subject to a permit.

According to the Building Act, all construction work requiring a permit and construction work exempt from the permit requirement must comply with the Building Act and the regulations issued under it. The only difference between construction work requiring a permit and construction work exempt from the permit requirement is the permit process.

Before embarking on a construction project, the project initiator must determine, among other things, the following

• zoning situation in the area
• building rights available for the property
• other possible regulations conce ing planned construction.

When constructing buildings smaller than 30 square metres, it should be noted that they may have an upward effect on water charges, even if the building does not have a water connection. The project initiator must also obtain qualified designers and adequate plans.

In projects exempt from permits, the developer is responsible for acquiring sufficient expertise and ensuring that construction complies with regulations. The freedom provided by the law therefore means that the property owner is responsible for the role of developer.

Be mindful of your neighbours and safety

Construction exempt from permits often involves adding to an existing environment. It is important to consider the impact of construction on the neighbourhood. Good practice is to inform neighbours before work begins.

Fire safety and structural safety must also be ensured in construction that is exempt from permit requirements. Buildings and carports with chimneys must be located in such a way that their location complies with fire safety regulations and guidelines.

When placing buildings or carports that do not have chimneys, potential fire compartmentalisation requirements in relation to neighbours must also be taken into account. A good rule of thumb is to maintain a safety distance of eight metres from other buildings and four metres from the property boundary.

Building a chimney and fireplace in a building that doesn’t need a permit doesn’t need a building control permit. If you’re building a chimney in a residential building, you’ll need a permit. The building also has to be safe to use.

Snow loads must be taken into account sufficiently when dimensioning the strength and load-bearing capacity of structures. In addition, care must be taken to ensure the proper drainage of roof and surface water and the correct slope of the surface soil.

Notification to the tax authorities

Under current tax law, building owners must report buildings exempt from permits to the tax authorities on their property tax retu s when their total area exceeds five square metres.

Keeping the municipal property register up to date has been omitted from the legislative reform. Only information on buildings subject to a permit is transferred via building control to the digital and population information system, and in future to the built environment information system and on to the tax authorities.

The building control authority will be notified of construction projects exempt from permits when a project requiring a building permit is started on the property.

The role of building control in construction exempt from permit requirements

In accordance with the Building Act and its preparatory work, as well as the gove ment’s policy, building control resources must be allocated to the supervision of socially significant projects. For smaller construction projects, the Act specifies the responsibilities and obligations of property owners.

Building control only regulates construction that requires a permit. Building control does not therefore decide on building permits for projects that do not require a permit under the law. 

The Building Control Department offers free advice on building permits, permit processing procedures and administrative matters.

Anyone planning a construction project should find out the requirements for construction before implementation. Zoning information can be found on the municipality’s website map service, and the building control department can be asked for help in matters such as clarifying building rights.

Building control encourages responsible, sustainable construction that respects the neighbourhood. This creates a pleasant environment for everyone and avoids situations where building control has to intervene in construction that is exempt from planning permission.

This content has been translated using AI