Bundesportal | Construction Project; Applying for a Building Permit

More Information

Publisher

Bavaria

Last update or date of publication

August 6, 2026

For projects requiring a building permit, a building permit grants you the right to construct a structure, make changes to it, or change its use. It is a declaration by the state that the project does not conflict with public law, which must be reviewed during the building permit process. However, this applies only as of the date of the decision.

Projects Not Subject to Permitting

A project is not subject to a building permit if it is exempt from the permitting process or is exempted from the requirement for a permit. Projects that have minimal relevance under building law are exempt from the permitting process. Projects may be exempt from approval if, in particular, they are not special structures and comply with a qualified zoning plan. However, this depends on the municipality. If the municipality wishes to conduct an approval process, the construction project is not exempt from approval.

If the project is not subject to a building permit, you do not need to apply for one. Such a permit would not be granted to you anyway.

Consequences of Lacking a Required Building Permit

If you construct or alter a structure, or change its use, without the required building permit, the competent local building authority may intervene and take appropriate measures. This may even lead to an order to remove the structure.

current cadastral map extract
Site plan, if applicable
Not required, provided only the alteration of structures is requested where exterior walls and roofs and use are not changed.
Construction drawings
if applicable, declaration of compliance with the catalogue of criteria (for form, see "Forms")
Only for special buildings, provided that the structural engineer submits such a declaration.

If the building application is submitted digitally, the structural engineer can also submit the declaration digitally using the online wizard (see service "Building project; online submission of the declaration of compliance with the catalogue of criteria" under "Related topics").
Fire protection certificate, if applicable
Required only to the extent that it is subject to building inspection and is not already included in the other building submittals.
If necessary, proof of stability
Only for special constructions, as far as the stability is checked by the building authorities.
If necessary, information on the secured development with regard to the supply of water and energy as well as the disposal of waste water and the traffic development.
Required only if the construction project cannot be connected to a public water or power supply or to a public sewage disposal system. Also required if the building project is not located in sufficient width on a public traffic area.
if applicable, calculation of the permissible and planned extent of building use
Only required within the scope of a development plan that contains provisions on this.
If necessary, consent to the transfer of distance areas (for form, see "Forms")
any requests for derogation
any supporting documentation
Depending on the building project, further documents may be required, for example a tree inventory declaration. However, this is only required if requested by the municipality.

Label

Preconditions

The requested building permit will be granted only if the project is subject to approval. Furthermore, the project must not conflict with any public law regulations.

Hints

Under no circumstances should you begin work on a project that requires a permit without first applying for and obtaining the necessary building permit.

The fees for a building permit range from 1 per thousand to 4 per thousand of the construction costs, depending on the type of construction project and the type of approval process. You must pay the fees even if your building permit application is denied or withdrawn. In that case, however, the fees are reduced.

If a building permit is granted for a change in the use of a structure, the fee ranges from 40 to 5,000 EUR, depending on the administrative costs incurred.

Basis for legal action

Art. 55 Bayerische Bauordnung (BayBO) Grundsatz der Genehmigungspflicht

Art. 61 Bayerische Bauordnung (BayBO) Bauvorlageberechtigung

Art. 62 Bayerische Bauordnung (BayBO) Bautechnische Nachweise

Art. 64 Bayerische Bauordnung (BayBO) Bauantrag, Bauvorlagen

Art. 68 Bayerische Bauordnung (BayBO) Baugenehmigung und Baubeginn

Verordnung über Bauvorlagen und bauaufsichtliche Anzeigen (Bauvorlagenverordnung - BauVorlV)

Verordnung über die digitale Einreichung bauaufsichtlicher Anträge und Anzeigen (Digitale Bauantragsverordnung - DBauV)

Legal Remedies

If you do not receive the building permit you applied for, you may file a lawsuit in administrative court. This lawsuit must seek the issuance of the requested building permit.

An appeal is not possible.

Procedure

Written Submission

Please note first of all that for building permit applications involving the construction or alteration of buildings, the construction documents must be prepared by a design professional authorized to submit such documents (architect, civil engineer; for smaller construction projects, particularly single-family and two-family homes, master craftsmen in the fields of construction and carpentry, as well as state-certified technicians specializing in construction engineering) must prepare the construction documents.

If you have any questions regarding the permissibility of your project, please contact the municipality in whose jurisdiction the building lot is located, even before submitting your application.
Involve your neighbors by submitting the site plan and construction drawings to them for approval. Any approval must be in writing.
Then submit the building permit application along with the required documents to the competent lower-level building authority ( district offices, independent cities, major county seats, and certain larger municipalities).
Submit the building permit application in triplicate using the prescribed forms. If the lower building authority is also the municipality, two copies are sufficient.
Verbal applications are not permitted.
The application must be signed by the building owner and the designer authorized to submit the plans.
The lower building authority reviews the application and makes a decision on it.
If the lower building authority is not itself a municipality, it involves the municipality in the decision regarding municipal consent.
Before making a decision, the lower building authority must involve those agencies whose participation or consultation is required by law for the decision on the building application, or without whose comments the eligibility of the building application for approval cannot be assessed (for example, the lower environmental protection authority, the lower water rights authority, or the road traffic authority).

Digital Submission

Digital submission of building permit applications is not yet possible throughout all of Bavaria. When a location is selected, the link to the online procedure will appear, provided it is already available.

After consulting with neighbors, the building permit application can be submitted digitally using the online wizard.
The standard forms for the building permit application and building description are replaced by the prompts in the online wizard.
The building documents are uploaded to the online wizard in electronic form (PDF files).
The signatures of the building owner and the designer authorized to submit the plans are replaced by authentication via a “BayernID” or “Mein Unternehmenskonto” user account.
In particular, the (large-format) construction drawings do not need to be signed. They can therefore be generated directly as files in the designer’s CAD system.
For building permit applications where the construction documents must be prepared by a design architect authorized to submit building plans, the design architect must authenticate themselves and submit the building permit application on behalf of the building owner.

Deadlines

none

Processing time

The processing time depends on the scope and complexity of the application, the number of agencies involved, and the agency's current workload.