Building permit

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.

Apply for a building permit from the City of Oulu’s department for the supervisory control of building preferably by using the electronic permit service or in writing (please note that a scanning fee is added to the costs of a written application).

The principal designer should prepare and complete the permit documents. This way, the principal designer becomes aware of any shortcomings in the plans. If the plan is insufficient (for example, the layout plan is lacking in the elevation of the floor and yard), the processing of the building permit application will not continue until the plan has been supplemented or corrected in that respect. At the beginning of the planning process, the principal designer acquires all the necessary basic information.

For more information and advice, use the e-service or contact the customer service for supervisory control of building. Follow the instructions and acquire all attachments.

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.

A building permit or other official approval is required for nearly all construction work. A building permit or an action 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. A minor construction project may only require an action permit or a notification to the municipal building supervisory authority. Provisions on these matters are contained in the Land Use and 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 Land Use and 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.