Building application
A byggesøknad (building application) is a formal application to the municipality for permission to erect, alter, demolish or change the use of a building, or to carry out other work. The application is processed under plan- og bygningsloven (the Planning and Building Act) and must be granted before the work can lawfully start. The outcome is either a byggetillatelse (building permit), a refusal, or an order to adjust the plans.
The act sets out two main tracks for work that requires an application. Plan- og bygningsloven § 20-3 covers work that requires an application and a permit with ansvarsrett (formal responsibility for the work), that is, larger projects where professional parties must take responsibility for design, execution and control. Plan- og bygningsloven § 20-4 covers smaller work that can be applied for without ansvarsrett, typically small extensions, a detached garage under 70 m² and simple changes of use; here the tiltakshaver (the party behind the project) can act as applicant. In addition, some very small works are exempt from the application requirement under plan- og bygningsloven § 20-5 and byggesaksforskriften (SAK10) § 4-1, for example a detached building under 50 m² on your own plot and a terrace below a certain height.
The application package contains a site plan, drawings (plans, sections, elevations), an account of how the work complies with the reguleringsplan (zoning plan), arealformål (land use purpose), byggegrense (building line) and utnyttelsesgrad (degree of utilisation), together with documentation that the requirements in TEK17 are met in the design. The tiltakshaver is the party that wants the work carried out, typically the landowner or the byggherre (client). For work under § 20-3, an ansvarlig søker (responsible applicant), normally an architect or building case consultant, acts as the municipality's point of contact and coordinates the parties responsible for design, execution and control. Before submission, neighbours must be notified under plan- og bygningsloven § 21-3 with at least 14 days to comment; any comments are submitted to the municipality with the application.
The processing deadline is 12 weeks for work that requires ansvarsrett and 3 weeks for simple work with no comments, see plan- og bygningsloven § 21-7. If the deadline is exceeded, the building case fee is reduced automatically. If the work requires a dispensasjon (exemption) from a plan or regulation, separate grounds must be documented under plan- og bygningsloven chapter 19, and there is no deadline for that assessment. If the work requires a konsekvensutredning (impact assessment), the case can take considerably longer.
For larger projects, the permit is often split into two stages: a rammetillatelse (framework permit) that approves the overall form, siting and use, and an igangsettingstillatelse (permit to start work) that clears the construction work itself once the detailed design has been approved. The building cannot be taken into use before a ferdigattest (completion certificate) or a midlertidig brukstillatelse (temporary permission to occupy) is in place, see plan- og bygningsloven § 21-10.
As a rule, submission goes through the shared ByggSøk solution from Direktoratet for byggkvalitet or through private shared solutions such as Bsys and e-Byggesak, and the fee follows the municipality's fee schedule. If the application lacks essential information, it is returned for completion before processing starts, and the deadline only begins to run once the application is complete.
In Placepoint you can follow a property's active building cases, decisions, documents and comments in Saksinnsyn, which draws data from the municipalities' eByggesak solutions and links it to the correct matrikkelenhet. That is useful both for tracking an ongoing application and for seeing what has previously been applied for and approved on a property you are considering.
How this looks in Placepoint
In Placepoint you find this in Saksinnsyn:
From Placepoint's dictionary: Building application
More information: Lovdata: Plan- og bygningsloven chapter 20, DiBK: Byggesaksveileder, Lovdata: Byggesaksforskriften (SAK10)
English: Building application (per Plan- og bygningsloven).
Frequently asked questions
What is a building application?
An application to the municipality for permission to erect, alter, demolish or change the use of a building or carry out other work. The application is processed under plan- og bygningsloven chapter 20.
When do I need an ansvarlig søker?
For work under plan- og bygningsloven § 20-3 (larger projects with ansvarsrett). For smaller work under § 20-4, the tiltakshaver can act as applicant.
Which works are exempt from the application requirement?
Very small works such as a detached building under 50 m² on your own plot, small terraces and some internal work, see SAK10 § 4-1 and plan- og bygningsloven § 20-5. Always check the municipality's zoning before you build.
How long does processing take?
12 weeks for work with ansvarsrett, 3 weeks for simple work with no comments. If the work requires a dispensasjon or a konsekvensutredning, the deadline does not apply.
What is the difference between a building application and a building permit?
The building application is what you submit to the municipality. The byggetillatelse is the municipality's decision approving the work, and it can be given as a rammetillatelse, an igangsettingstillatelse or as one combined permit.