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Building permit

All but exempted projects require a building permit. The permits are applied via the electronic Lupapiste e-service from the municipal building supervision authority.

Lupapiste (in Finnish)

New construction always requires a building permit if:

  • A residential building
  • A building with a size of at least 30 square metres or 120 cubic metres
  • A canopy with a size of at least 50 square metres
  • A public structure that can be used by at least five people simultaneously
  • A mast or chimney at least 30 metres high
  • An illuminated advertising device of at least 2 square metres
  • An energy well
  • An area to be built for a special activity that will affect the use of surrounding areas

If the work involves repairs or alterations, the need for a permit must be clarified on a case-by-case basis with the building supervision department. A building permit is required, for example, for changes in the building’s purpose of use, extensions, or when repair or alteration works affect the facade, load-bearing structures, the building’s energy efficiency, the removal of health hazards, safety, urban landscape, natural landscape, or cultural heritage.

How to proceed

If you are unsure about the need for a permit, discuss the necessity of a building permit with your area’s building inspector before applying for one.

Apply for a building permit via the lupapiste.fi e-service.

You can ask the building supervision department for more information and guidance on building permits and how to apply for them.

To be granted a building permit, the applicant must attach the following documents to the application:

  • Proof of possession of the building site (title deed or deed of sale)
  • Main drawings (site plan, floor plans, section drawings, facade drawings)
  • Other attachments may be required for a justified reason

Drilling an energy well and installing a heat collection piping system are operations that require a building permit.

Drilling heat wells and installing heat collection piping systems can create problems that are limited by the permit procedure. Potential problems may include, for example:

  • contamination of groundwater or water bodies
  • changes in water flows in soils
  • mixing of bedrock groundwater and soil layers
  • fair treatment of neighbours
  • operation of existing boreholes and ring wells
  • protection of existing or future underground structures

Regarding the heat collection piping system, the permit process examines whether the collection piping fits within the property (at least 7.5 m from the neighbour’s boundary) and does not cause harm to the environment or neighbours.

For new construction, a separate permit procedure is not required for an energy well, as the geothermal heat system is processed in conjunction with the building permit.

How to proceed

A building permit application for an energy well is submitted to the lupapiste.fi e-service. Attachments for the building permit application:

  • Expert report on deviations from the requirements as per instructions
  • Proof of possession of the building site (title deed or deed of sale)
  • Site plan at a scale of 1:200 (1:500), with property and designer information, showing and dimensioning the location of the well or collection piping.
  • Report on the depth of the heat well or the length of the collection piping, and on any measures required by potential alteration works inside the property (internal alteration works may also require a building permit application)
  • Power of attorney, if the applicant is other than the property owner/holder
  • Report on the outgoing heating system (there are separate instructions for handling decommissioned oil tanks)
  • Neighbour’s consent, if deviating from the given instructions
Last updated 19.10.2026

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