Building permit and other permits

A building permit is required for the construction a new building or extending an existing one. A building permit is also necessary when adding a new floor to an existing building, substantially changing the use of the building or carrying out a major renovation project.

A construction project also requires a building permit if the work has an impact on the safety or health of the people using the space. Examples include construction projects in attic spaces, pipe renovations and sauna construction projects.

A preliminary negotiation must always be held for a project requiring a building permit. You can request a preliminary negotiation by clicking on "Kysy neuvoa (Ask for advice)" in the Lupapiste online permit service.

Projects that involve minor repairs or modifications such as creating a new doorway or installing a fireplace and chimney are assessed on a case-by-case basis to see if a statement is sufficient or if a building permit is necessary.

When you first register as a user of the Lupapiste online permit service, you can mention that you are applying for a Z statement in your project description. Once you have filled in your registration application and saved the related attachments and plans in the service, the designer who prepared the project drawings will book an appointment with the inspection engineer responsible for the area in question. During the meeting, the inspection engineer will assess whether a statement is sufficient or if a building permit is necessary.

Apply for a building permit and statement before you start your construction project.

You can apply for an action permit instead of a building permit if the construction project involves a small outbuilding or other minor structure. An action permit is also required for some repairs and modifications, such as select facade work and combining and splitting dwellings, as long as the project does not involve demolition or changes to load-bearing structures. Action permits are also required for the construction of a geothermal well or wastewater system.

Building regulations exempt certain projects from the need to apply for an action permit. Visit the "Construction projects instructions" page to check if your project requires a permit.

Apply for a permit before you begin your construction project. To ensure that your project goes smoothly, it is always a good idea to arrange for a preliminary negotiation on the project before submitting your permit application. Preliminary negotiations are requested by clicking on "Kysy neuvoa (Ask for advice)" in the Lupapiste online permit service. In the case of smaller construction projects, the preliminary negotiation can be used to ascertain whether a statement in terms of cityscape is sufficient in lieu of an action permit.

You will need a landscape work permit for earthworks that change the landscape, such as excavation, the drilling and blasting of rock for excavation, or filling. In some cases, you will also need a permit for tree felling.

You do not always need a landscape work permit, since in many cases a landscape work statement may suffice. You will find information on which permit is necessary for your project in the Lupapiste online permit service. A landscape work statement can often be given for the preparatory work for a project, in accordance with a pending building permit application and the detailed plan governing the area.

You do not need a landscape work permit or statement if your project:

- carries out measures in accordance with a building or action permit that has already been granted, or
- carries out necessary measures to implement a master plan or detailed plan. An example is felling trees from a construction area specified in the detailed plan governing the area.

You need a permit to demolish a building in the area governed by a detailed plan or if the building is located in an area where construction is prohibited because of a detailed planning process. A demolition permit is not required if a valid building permit in effect requires a building to be demolished.

You can demolish a building without a demolition permit if the building in question is an outbuilding or other minor structure, and it is not historically significant or valuable in terms of architecture. In this case, it is enough to simply submit a demolition notice.

demolition notice must be submitted no later than 30 days before the demolition work begins. In some cases, we may require you to apply for a demolition permit before starting the demolition work.

The demolition permit must include the following attachments:

• photographs of the building to be demolished
• a detailed plan or map extract clearly presenting the building to be demolished
• proof of title to the plot
• a report on the organisation of the demolition work and utilisation of reusable building elements
• a report on the quantity, quality, sorting and processing of the building waste and its disposal location
• a report on building or demolition waste that may be harmful to general health or the environment, and how this waste will be processed if the project involves such waste
• a report on asbestos and hazardous substances
• a report on the processing of contaminated soil if there is potentially contaminated soil on the project site
• a report on possible easements to the building
• a report on the neighbour consultation if the building to be demolished is located on the plot boundary or the demolition work has an impact on the environment or the easements in the area

A demolition notice requires the following attachments:

• photographs of the building to be demolished
• a detailed plan or map extract clearly presenting the building to be demolished
• a report on the quantity and quality of building waste and how it will be sorted
• a report on building or demolition waste that may be harmful to general health or the environment and how this waste will be processed if the project involves such waste.

Most building permits and statements are subject to a fee. 
 

See all permit fees: 

City of Helsinki Building Control Price List 2024 (In Finnish, pdf). 

City of Helsinki Building Control Price List 2023 (In Finnish, pdf). 

Applications receive notification of the decision approvals in the Lupapiste online permit service.  

Permit decisions made by Building Control Services officials will be on public display for 14 days and permit decisions by the Environment and Permits Sub-committee of the Urban Environment Committee for 30 days. It is possible to lodge a claim for rectification against a permit decision by a Building Control Services official with the Environment and Permits Sub-committee of the Urban Environment Committee. Permit decisions by the Environment and Permits Sub-committee of the Urban Environment Committee can be appealed to the Helsinki Administrative Court.

You can see the public notice list of permit decisions made by Building Control Services officials under Julkipano in the Lupapiste service(Link leads to external service).

The public notice list for permit decisions by the Environment and Permits Sub-committee of the Urban Environment Committee is viewable in the lobby of Kaupunkiympäristötalo at Työpajankatu 8.

Find permits decisions on the following pages:  

• Agendas and minutes of the Environment and Permits Sub-committee of the Urban Environment Committee (In Finnish)(Link leads to external service)
• Permit decisions from the head of Building Control (In Finnish)(Link leads to external service)
• Decisions from Building Control officials (In Finnish)(Link leads to external service)

A list of public notices and decisions is also on display in the lobby of the Urban Environment House, located at street address Työpajankatu 8, Helsinki.

A permit decision becomes final when the appeal period has expired and no one has appealed the permit decision. The appeal period for a decision by the Environment and Permits Sub-committee of the Urban Environment Committee is 30 days and the appeal period for a decision by a Building Control Services official is 14 days. The date of the decision and the appeal period are indicated in the permit decision.

You may only start the construction work once the permit becomes legally valid. Projects that have been granted a building permit must begin within three (3) years and the construction work must be completed within five (5) years of the permit entering into force. In the case of action permit, demolition permit or landscape work permit, the work must be carried out within three (3) years.

Be sure to apply for an extension of your permit while it is still valid. Unless an extension is applied for during the permit’s period of validity, you will have to reapply.

In Helsinki, all applications for building permits are submitted electronically in the Lupapiste (Link leads to external service)online permit service. General and project-specific guidance and counselling are also primarily provided via Lupapiste. Documents related to the application and construction process monitoring are to be submitted in digital format to Lupapiste.

How to get started and ask for advice in Lupapiste

1.  The first time you use the service, you will be asked to register. After this, you will be able to log in with your e-mail address and password.
2. Enter the street address where your project site is located.
3. Use the “Kysy neuvoa (Ask for advice)” button in the upper right-hand corner to request guidance. 
4. Write a short description of your project and your question(s). The service will direct you to the appropriate expert who can answer your question(s). 

After the consultation, you can turn your request for guidance into a permit application.

The Lupapiste user manual (available in Finnish and Swedish only)(Link leads to external service) offers instructions for registering and logging in to the service, submitting a new application or request for guidance, turning your guidance request into a permit application, and submitting an application.

You can also submit a guidance request form (Link leads to external service)to receive technical support for using Lupapiste.