Building control services

A building permit is required for the construction a new building or extending an existing one. A building permit is also necessary when adding a new floor to an existing building, substantially changing the use of the building or carrying out a major renovation project.

A construction project also requires a building permit if the work has an impact on the safety or health of the people using the space. Examples include construction projects in attic spaces, pipe renovations and sauna/bathroom construction projects.

Before applying the permit you can ask questions or show preliminary plans by clicking on “Kysy neuvoa (Ask for advice)” in the Lupapiste online permit service.

Apply for a building permit before you start your construction project.

You will need a landscape work permit for works that change the landscape, such as excavation, the drilling and blasting of rock for excavation, or filling. In some cases, you will also need a permit for tree felling.

You do not always need a landscape work permit, since in many cases a landscape work statement may suffice. You can ask which permit is necessary for your project in the Lupapiste online permit service (“kysy neuvoa”).

You do not need a landscape work permit if your project:

– carries out measures in accordance with a building permit that has already been granted, or
– carries out necessary measures to implement a master plan or detailed plan. An example is felling trees from a construction area specified in the detailed plan governing the area.

You need a permit to demolish a building that has permanent building number. A demolition permit is not required if a valid building permit in effect requires a building to be demolished.

You can demolish a building without a demolition permit if the building in question is an outbuilding or other minor structure, and it is not historically significant or valuable in terms of architecture. In this case, it is enough to simply submit a demolition notice.

Demolition notice must be submitted no later than 30 days before the demolition work begins. In some cases, we may require you to apply for a demolition permit before starting the demolition work.

According to the Building Act, buildings under 30 m² / 120 m³ and shelters under 50 m² do not require a building permit. However, please note the following:

• There must be remaining building rights.
• Zoning regulations must be followed. In areas without a zoning plan, the distance to property boundaries must be at least 4 meters.
• The provisions of the building ordinance must be followed.
• All requirements and other regulations related to construction must be observed.
• A qualified designer and, if necessary, a site manager are still required.
• Plans and other necessary documentation for the building must be available and kept on the property.
• Buildings over 5 m² must be reported to the tax authority.

If you cannot carry out your construction project in accordance with zoning or building ordinance regulations, you will need a deviation permit to proceed with the project, even if a formal building permit is not required. A deviation permit is required, for example, if your property lacks sufficient building rights or building area, or if you wish to build closer to the boundary. All deviation permits must be applied for through the Lupapiste.fi service, and a fee will be charged according to the tariff.

If you neglect the above obligations, the building control authority may require modifications to the construction site or even demand the demolition of the structure.

For more information about the regulations, contact the building control services. You can submit a consultation request via the Lupapiste.fi service.

Construction project often requires hearing the neighbours.

In a hearing, the neighbour is presented with the project’s plans and possible deviations and their justifications. The neighbour signs the form and confirms that they have been heard concerning the matter. In the hearing, the neighbour can present justified opinions of the project.

You can arrange a hearing of the neighbours yourself. Neighbours must be heard or their consent must be acquired using a separate form and the form must be saved in the project information in the Lupapiste service.

Hearing of the neighbours can be done through Lupapiste if you have your neighbour´s e-mail address.

Record the hearing of a neighbour in your project information on Lupapiste.

The municipality hears the neighbours

The city can take care of hearing the neighbours.

In Lupapiste, select the section “Kunta kuulee kaikki naapurit” (“The municipality hears all the neighbours”) of the building permit application if you want the city to take care of the hearing.

Or if you have already application in Lupapiste, you can write a message that you want city to take care of all the neighbour hearings / part of the neighbours.

The service will be charged according to building service fee (“Rakennusvalvonnan taksa”).

The consent of a neighbour is needed if the construction project is located close to the border of the neighbour’s plot or it affects the neighbour’s property in some other way.

A construction project requires the consent of a neighbour if the building or structure will be located closer to the border of the neighbouring plot than the local detailed plan or the City of Kangasala building regulation allow. Constructing a geothermal heat well requires obtaining the neighbour’s consent is necessary if the well is less than 7.5 metres away from the border of the plot.

Record the consent of a neighbour in your project information on Lupapiste.