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Construction outside the detailed plan area

Construction outside a detailed local plan area is guided by higher-level plans and the municipality’s building regulations. The conditions for construction are determined by applying for a building permit. A separate deviation permit may also be required if the proposed action deviates from the applicable regulations or provisions.

Field landscape photographed from the air, with buildings in the background

Building permit

When processing a building permit, the conditions for land use (location requirements) and essential technical requirements (implementation requirements) are examined. Building permits are processed by the municipal building control department. More detailed information on building permits can be found on the building control department’s website. 

Derogation permit

If the construction is located in a coastal area or if the construction deviates from the general plan, the law or provisions, regulations, prohibitions or other restrictions issued under the law, such as building regulations, an deregation permit is required before a building permit can be granted. Derogation permit is a separate administrative decision.

The granting of an deregation permit requires special reason, and the application must be carefully justified. The granting of an exemption must not cause harm to land use planning, the implementation of the plan or other land use planning. Nor may the granting of an exemption hinder the achievement of nature conservation or built environment protection objectives, lead to construction with significant impacts, or otherwise cause significant adverse environmental or other impacts.

However, a separate derogation permit is not required if the deviation is minor or the building is temporary. In such cases, the deviation can be dealt with the building permit. 

Applying for a licence 

Permits are applied for electronically via the Lupapiste.fi service.  

Processing of Permits and Appeals

It is advisable to allow a few months for the permit process. A carefully completed application will speed up the preparation. The application can only be processed once all documents and any additional information have been submitted.

Anyone dissatisfied with the derogation permit or placement permit may appeal the decision to the Helsinki Administrative Court. An appeal against the decision of the Administrative Court may be lodged with the Supreme Administrative Court. The appeal must be made in writing within the time limit set for lodging a request for rectification.

Costs of licence processing

A fee in accordance with the current service price list will be charged for permits. In addition, a fee in accordance with the service price list will be charged for ordering official supporting documents, such as map extracts, and for consultations with neighbours carried out by the municipality. 

The old fee based on the Land Use and Building Act applies to matters and permit applications initiated before 1 January 2025.

The file will download from the link. Maankäyttö- ja rakennuslakiin pohjautuva taksa

The new fee schedule in accordance with the Building Act will apply to matters and permit applications initiated on or after 1 January 2025.

The file will download from the link. Rakentamislain mukainen taksa

Applying for a separate placement permit or derogation permit in the Lupapiste service

  1. Register for the Lupapiste service using your online banking credentials or mobile certificate. If you do not have online banking credentials or a mobile certificate, please contact our customer service. When registering, you will create a password for the service. Your user name is your email address.  
  2. Start your application by entering, for example, the address of the property for which you are applying for a permit. The service will guide you in selecting the correct measures for your application. A draft application will be created based on your selections. You can add to your application throughout the application process, even after you have submitted it.  
  3. The authority can comment on your project when it is in the Visible to authority status. A project in draft status changes to this status when you ask the authority a question on the discussion board or when you submit an application. The authority will guide and advise you on the progress of your project on the Lupapiste service discussion board. You will receive an email notification of all comments written by the authority, which you can tu off on the Parties tab. Please note that your questions will not be forwarded to the authority by email. If the matter is urgent, please contact the permit preparer directly by email or telephone. 
  4. The section ‘Description of the construction project’ in the project description explains what is to be built, i.e. the sizes and intended uses of the buildings. It also explains what buildings may already be on the site and their sizes. If there are buildings on the site that are to be demolished, their sizes and intended uses must be stated. It also answers questions about whether the property has an official road connection or whether a new connection is needed, and how water and sewage services will be arranged. The more detailed the description of the project, the easier and faster it will be to process the application. 
  5. In the section “Deviations from regulations and justifications” of the application, the applicant must present good reasons for any deviations and an assessment of the key impacts of the project. 
  6. All owners of building property must be listed as applicants.
  7. The application must be accompanied by the following attachments:
    • Site plan drawn up by a qualified designer
      • The site plan can be based on an up-to-date base map maintained by the location information service or an enlarged version of it, which can be ordered from customer service. The site plan is drawn up on a scale of 1:200 for small plots and 1:500 or 1:1,000 for other areas. For large properties covering several hectares, if only part of the property is shown on the site plan, the entire building site (= property or its designated area) must be clearly shown on a map attachment or a separate location plan on a scale of 1:2,000 or 1:5,000.
      • The site plan must show  
        • location, floor area, number of floors, and intended use of the new building 
        • the intended uses and floor areas of existing and demolished buildings 
        • location of domestic water wells (including those belonging to neighbours located close to the boundary) 
        • planned wastewater treatment at the construction site 
        • official or planned road connection to the construction site 
        • distance from the centre line of the roadway and the boundaries of neighbouring properties 
        • a title indicating the author of the plan, scale, date, address (if known) and property number 
        • floor area calculation for the building site.
    • Official annexes
      • Certificate of title  
        • If the permit matter is handled by someone other than the property owner, a power of attorney granted to that person must be attached to the application.
        • If the applicant is a company, an extract from the Trade Register and the minutes of the company’s board meeting are also required, showing the decision to apply for an exemption or placement permit and the right to sign on behalf of the company.
      • land registry extract 
      • excerpt from the base map 
      • excerpt from the plan and plan regulations 
      • The documents attached to the application must not be more than three months old. It is advisable to request the attachments from the technical service point. The attachments are charged according to the service price list.
    • Facade images of buildings, in the case of a placement permit application
  8.  Neighbours must be consulted about the project. The preparer of the permit records the statements of the neighbors to be consulted on the designated tab. At the applicant’s request, the municipality may consult the neighbours in accordance with the service price list. The applicant may also consult the neighbours themselves. The application and site plan must be presented to the neighbours during the consultation, and written confirmation of the consultation must be obtained from the neighbours.

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