Building permit is an official document issued by the city or municipal administration that sets out the requirements for developers to follow during the construction works. These requirements include compliance with building standards, environmental protection, architectural and engineering standards. Obtaining a building permit is a key factor in the implementation of any project related to the construction or reconstruction of real estate, as well as a guarantor of its legality and safety for others.
The process of obtaining a building permit in the Czech Republic is often more complicated and longer than in other EU countries. In Germany and Austria, these procedures are also strictly regulated, but thanks to more efficient electronic systems, the process can go faster – because most of the necessary procedures can be done online. In the Netherlands and Sweden, for example, the approval process is accelerated by the government’s emphasis on information availability and a clearly structured, transparent plan for applicants on what to do and in what order to get a building permit faster. In Poland and Hungary, the procedures for obtaining a building permit are not as strict as in the Czech Republic, they have simplified requirements for the construction of buildings, and some renovations of existing buildings can be done without approval, simply by notifying the relevant authorities.
The Czech Republic is striving to optimize the process of issuing building permits, for example, this year will come into force a law that will allow certain procedures to be carried out online, which will greatly simplify life for developers and reduce the time for obtaining the necessary documents, but still at the moment we talk about it as a possibility and can not yet predict how it will affect the construction of new facilities.
Why is it so difficult to obtain a building permit or to reconstruct a building in the Czech Republic? This is due to the numerous requirements of the Law on Construction (Stavební zákon) and due to bureaucratic phases. What you need to do in theory: collect all project documentation, i.e.: architectural plans, engineering calculations and networks, documents that confirm the ownership right (to the building plot or to the real estate, if we are talking about reconstruction). Next, it is important that the project does not affect the interests of neighboring plots, that is, it must be coordinated with the owners of neighboring plots. After that, it is necessary to obtain an environmental impact statement and fill out an application for a building permit. This is already an impressive list of steps, and now a little more about how it all happens in practice:
The developer needs to prepare and coordinate the project documentation with architects, lawyers and town planning authorities before submitting it, as well as to obtain the necessary environmental conclusions – this is done by assessing the environmental impact of the project and construction materials by the Czech Environmental Inspectorate (ČIŽP) and local environmental departments of municipalities. Next, the project must be agreed with the neighbors. If one of the neighbors does not agree with the implementation of the project, even if it is just one and all the others are not against it – the application process may be postponed until the problem is resolved. In complex cases, when negotiations involve governing authorities, the process can drag on for months.
In addition, the developer must propose a project that complies with the city’s visual design and city plans, which requires approval from the architectural and planning authorities. This is especially important in Prague, as the authorities and residents of the city are very sensitive to its image, architectural character and rich history. For the developer, this means that if the planned construction is located near protected objects or in historical zones, it is also necessary to obtain approval from cultural heritage protection authorities, including the Czech Ministry of Culture and the National Institute for the Protection of Monuments (NPÚ). All these approvals are strictly regulated and require time to prepare and handle the documents.
Another reason of delays in issuance of building permits is the limited number of employees in building departments. In the Czech Republic, the lack of specialists in this field leads to longer application processing times, often exceeding the statutory period of 60 to 180 days. It is expected that in the coming years this issue will be partially resolved by the introduction of electronic application systems.
The possibility of having to make corrections or additions to the project documentation also affects the length of time it takes to obtain a permit. To avoid mistakes and speed up the approval process, it is important to work with a team of professionals, including external lawyers, designers and other specialists. In addition, it is important to remember that following all procedures and requirements not only speeds up the process, but also ensures the legitimacy and safety of your construction. Our company follows this approach, which allows us to apply for construction permits for projects in time, and implement them on time. For example, we are currently working on the creation of houses for comfortable and cozy living in the Ondřejov Turkovice area, and we have several other projects in the preparation stage, which we will definitely tell you about in our social media and in the next articles!