Serviceportal–Baden-Württemberg
Nachfolgend finden Sie die Verfahrensbeschreibungen der Angebote des Serviceportals BW.
Procedure descriptions
Apply for planning permission
As a general rule, a planning permission procedure must be followed before any building works are carried out or structures are demolished. The scope of the assessment depends on the nature of the project. The larger and more complex the project, the more thoroughly the building authority will examine it.
Even where building projects are not assessed by the planning authority, they must still comply with public law regulations. The developer is responsible for ensuring that their project also complies with the regulations that have not been assessed. They may entrust this task to experts and, where necessary, grant them power of attorney. For example, fire safety regulations must be observed, as must the provisions regarding clearance distances, even if these are not explicitly checked by the planning authority. It is also possible that provisions of the local development plan, regulations under the State Building Code, heritage protection regulations, water protection and landscape conservation area regulations, or other regulations may preclude the building project.
Please bear in mind that there are different building classes:
- Building Class 1:
- detached buildings up to 7 metres in height with no more than two units of use, totalling no more than 400 square metres
- detached buildings used for agricultural or forestry purposes
- Building class 2:
- Buildings (not detached) up to 7 metres in height and comprising no more than two units with a combined area of no more than 400 square metres
- Building class 3:
- other buildings with a height of up to 7 metres
- Building class 4:
- Buildings up to 13 metres in height and units of use, each not exceeding 400 square metres
- Building class 5:
- other buildings, including underground buildings
For buildings in building classes four and five, with the exception of residential buildings and special-purpose buildings, you will always require planning permission.
The simplified planning permission procedure is not available for these building projects.
Responsible authority
the lower building authority
Depending on the location of the building project, the lower building authority is either the local council or the district administration.
Details
Prerequisite
- building project requiring planning permission
- There are no public law regulations that preclude the project.
Procedure
The building application, together with all the necessary building documents and the completed questionnaire for the statistics on building activity, must be submitted electronically by the developer to the relevant building authority via the online service provided by that authority (usually ViBa-BW). Any deviations, exceptions and exemptions must be applied for separately.
Within ten working days, the planning authority checks whether the planning documents are complete and which other departments and agencies need to be involved in the process. If the planning documents are incomplete, the planning authority will specify what additional information is required. Once the planning application and supporting documents are complete, the expected date of the decision will be communicated.
The planning authority examines the planning application. It consults the local authority, if the latter is not itself the planning authority, and those bodies whose remit is affected. This includes, for example, the heritage protection authority if the project concerns a listed building or has an impact on a neighbouring listed building.
If exemptions, exceptions or exemptions are applied for which also serve to protect neighbours, the local authority, at the request of the planning authority, will notify the owners of the plots of land adjoining the building plot (adjacent owners) within five working days of receiving the complete building plans. This gives them the opportunity to raise objections to the building project within two weeks.
Once all comments have been received and the planning application has been examined, a decision is made: the planning permission is granted, granted subject to certain conditions and requirements, or the planning application is refused.
Work on the project may only commence once the planning permission has been granted and the building commencement certificate, known as the ‘red dot’, has been issued.
A public-law final inspection is carried out only if the building authority has expressly ordered it.
Deadlines
none
Required documents
- Site plan
- Construction drawings
- Building specifications
- Diagram of site drainage *
- Structural engineering certificates *
- Explanation regarding the structural stability certificate, provided that no structural engineering assessment is required (Section 18 LBOVVO)
- Name and address of the site manager, if one has been appointed *
- Survey form for statistics on building activity in the building sector
The planning documents marked with * may be submitted at a later date. Where necessary, the planning authority may, on a case-by-case basis, request further documents or waive the requirement for specific planning documents. The documents must be submitted in an archivable Portable Document Format (PDF/A) via the submission channel specified by the planning authority.
Costs
This depends on the regulations of the relevant authority. Please check with them.
Processing time
- Depending on the individual case and the number of bodies involved
Miscellaneous
The planning permission will lapse if you do not commence construction within three years of the permission being granted, or if construction has been suspended for one year following this period.
The time limit may be extended by up to three years at a time upon written application.
Legal basis
Landesbauordnung (LBO):
- § 43 Entwurfsverfasser
- § 53 Bauvorlagen und Bauantrag
- § 55 Nachbarbeteiligung
- § 58 Baugenehmigung
- § 59 Baubeginn
- § 67 Bauabnahme, Inbetriebnahme der Feuerungsanlage
Verordnung der Landesregierung, des Ministeriums für Landesentwicklung und Wohnen über das baurechtliche Verfahren (Verfahrensverordnung zur Landesbauordnung -LBOVVO):
- § 2 Bauvorlagen im Genehmigungsverfahren
- § 4 Lageplan
Release note
Machine generated, based on the German release by: Ministerium für Landesentwicklung und Wohnen Baden-Württemberg, 10.08.2026