Dealing with Construction Permits in
Germany
Listed below is detailed summary of the procedures, time and costs to build a warehouse —including obtaining necessary licenses and permits, completing required notifications and inspections and obtaining utility connections.
The information appearing on this page was collected as part of the Doing Business project, which measures and compares regulations relevant to the life cycle of a small- to medium-sized domestic business in 183 economies. The most recent round of data collection for the project was completed in June 2011.
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Building a warehouse
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Estimated Warehouse Value:
EUR 1,000,000
- City: Berlin
| No. |
Procedure |
Time to Complete |
Associated Costs |
| 1 |
Obtain building permit
The building permit grants the right to build on a plot and authorizes construction as well.
To obtain a construction permit, BuildCo shall provide the building authority with, among other documents, project design drawings, a building specification including a detailed description of the future use of the building, proof of stability, and other necessary proofs (e.g., heat insulation, sound insulation). The architect needs to sign the application for the building permit, and must attach the design drawings, usually scaled at 1:100. Static calculations must be added. The building authority will produce static expert double-check calculations (carried out by a "Pruefstatiker"). The building authority will then forward the application to other relevant departments (e.g., the fire department, planning department).
Under a revised Berlin state law (effective February 1, 2006, amended by Decree from January 12, 2010 ), certain constructions require only a simple building permit (Section 64 BauO BlN) or a waiver (Section 63 BauO BlN, maximum value EUR3,000). In the case of a simplified building permit under § 64 BauO BlN, the application will be deemed to be complete and sufficient unless the building department notifies the applicant to the contrary within 3 weeks of receiving the application. If the building department remains silent for 4 weeks, the application will be deemed to be granted and construction may commence (Sections 70 Sect. 3 and 4, 71 Section 7 No. 1 BauOBln). It is the duty of the architect or the engineer to supervise compliance of the construction project with the applicable state law.
In addition, upon receiving the application for a normal building permit, the building department has to notify the applicant within 14 days if the application is complete or if additional documents or plans are required (Section 70 Sect. 1 and 2 BauBln). If the applicant fails to amend the application within a period determined by the building authority, the application will be deemed abandoned. If the application is complete, the building authority will contact other departments involved (for example, the fire safety and public street supervision departments.) If the other departments fail to make a decision within a month, they will be deemed to have consented to the issuance of the permit. If the application is not complete for the purposes of these other departments, then this period of a month is interrupted until the application is completed by the applicant. Upon receiving consent from the other departments, the building department again has a month to decide on the application for a building permit.
Agency: Building Department
|
25 days
|
EUR 3,500
|
| 2 |
Application for approval of static calculation
The building authority appoints an independent engineer (either from a private company or from within the authority), responsible for verifying the static calculations before and during construction (the "Pruefstatiker").
The cost for an independent engineer to double-check the static calculations in the warehouse case considered here is EUR 19,119.95, or 0.49 percent of the construction costs of the outside works (see No. 3000 of the Appendix to the BauGebO). If no independent expert is required, the administrative fee for the building department is EUR 5,853.05, or 0.15 percent of the construction costs of the outside works (see No. 2005 of the Appendix to the BauGebO).
Agency: Independent Engineer
|
21 days
|
EUR 1,500
|
| 3 |
Receive inspection from District Chimney Sweeper
Before completion of the building shell, BuildCo shall provide the building authority with a certificate confirming the suitability of the chimneys. Such a certificate by the District Chimney Sweeper is mentioned in §81 Section 4 BauOBln The cost is EUR 31.20 per hour (see §-§ 1 Sect. 3 No. 2a and 12 of the applicable city ordinance: Verordnung über die Kosten für Kehr- und Überprüfungsarbeiten und Messungen durch Bezirksschonsteinfegermeister in Berlin [KÜGebO] promulgated January 14, 1999, amended January 20, 2004). The inspection may take more than an hour, but it will not take more than a day. An appointment can be made on short notice, probably 1–2 weeks before the day of inspection.
Agency: District Chimney Sweeper
|
1 day
|
EUR 31
|
| 4 |
Receive inspection of the building shell
The notification shall be made 2 weeks before the completion of the building shell; the building authority may then decide in its own discretion whether it will inspect the site (the likelihood is 10%); 2 weeks after the notification, BuildCo may start with interior fittings.
Agency: Building Department
|
1 day
|
EUR 2,600
|
| 5 |
Receive inspection after completion of the building ("Foermliche Bauabnahme")
Notification shall be made 2 weeks before the completion of the building; the building authority may then decide in its own discretion whether it will inspect the site (the likelihood is 10%); 2 weeks after the notification, BuildCo may start to use the building.
Agency: Building Department
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| * 6 |
Apply for water connection
Agency: Stadtwerke
|
1 day
|
EUR 7,500
|
| 7 |
Receive inspection by water company
Agency: Stadtwerke
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| 8 |
Obtain water connection
Agency: Stadtwerke
|
45 days
|
no charge
|
| * 9 |
Obtain telephone line
Agency: Deutsche Telekom
|
45 days
|
EUR 300
|
* Takes place simultaneously with another procedure.