The building permit in Sweden, step by step

For many clients the building permit is the part of the project they worry about most. It is the one phase in which the decision lies with somebody else. Knowing how the process works makes it far less daunting, so here is the route most new houses in Sweden follow. The facts are drawn from Boverket, the Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning.

Who decides

A building permit, called bygglov, is granted by the building committee of the municipality where the house will stand. Each municipality has its own office and its own way of working, so the first step is always to talk to them. We usually contact the planning office early, while the design is still taking shape.

Step one, the application

The application includes drawings of the house, a site plan and a description of what is to be built. For most new houses it also names a certified control supervisor, known as kontrollansvarig, and includes a proposal for a control plan. We prepare the full set of documents and submit them on the client’s behalf once they have signed.

Step two, the decision

The building committee must decide within ten weeks. It may extend this once, by at most ten weeks. The time runs from the day the application is complete. If the municipality asks for more documents, the clock starts when the missing material has arrived.

A granted bygglov applies immediately, even before it has gained legal force. Building in that period is at the owner’s own risk, because the decision can still be appealed.

Step three, technical consultation and startbesked

A permit alone does not allow work to begin. After the bygglov follows a technical consultation, where the municipality, the client, the control supervisor and usually the architect go through how the house will be built and checked. Further documents are added at this stage.

Only when the building committee has issued a startbesked may construction begin. Starting without one is not allowed.

Step four, building and slutbesked

During construction the control plan is followed and documented. When the house is finished, the building committee issues a slutbesked. As a rule, you may only move in and use the house once you have it. Moving in without a slutbesked can lead to a fine.

What we do to keep it calm

• We read the local plan and talk to the municipality before the design is fixed

• We submit a complete application, so the ten weeks start as early as possible

• We answer questions from the planning office quickly and keep the client informed

• We prepare the documents for the technical consultation while the decision is pending

How we plan the time

Because the decision may take up to twenty weeks, we never plan construction to start the day after the application is sent. The construction drawings continue while the municipality decides, so that no time is lost once the startbesked arrives.

Every municipality is a little different

The rules come from the Planning and Building Act, but practice varies from place to place. This article is a general overview and not legal advice. For your own project, the building office of your municipality is the place to confirm what applies, and we are happy to make that call with you.