The municipality and your home: BBR, local plan and building permit

The most important thing is to know the difference between registration and permission. The fact that a shed appears in BBR does not necessarily mean that all the necessary approvals exist. And a building permit does not override a local plan or an easement (servitut).

In brief

As a homeowner, you can use the municipality to:

• Check and correct BBR information
• Apply for a building permit
• Find local plans
• Clarify building and environmental rules
• See waste collection schemes and collection days
• Find information about sewers, rainwater and roads

The municipality can guide you on the process, but it is the building owner who is responsible for complying with the relevant rules.^[1]

What is BBR?

BBR is the Danish Building and Housing Register (Bygnings- og Boligregistret).

Among other things, it contains information about:

• The building's floor area
• Use
• Year of construction
• Heating installation
• Roofing material
• Bathroom and toilet
• Outbuildings, carports and other buildings
• Technical installations

As the owner, you are responsible for checking that the information is correct.^[2]

When does BBR need to be corrected?

Borger.dk mentions, among other things, a change of heating installation and building a new tool shed as examples of changes that must be followed up in BBR.^[2]

It can also be relevant in the case of:

• An extension
• Demolition
• A change of use
• A new bathroom or toilet, if it changes registered details
• Solar panels or technical installations

You can use the Ret BBR (correct BBR) service or contact the municipality. The municipality maintains and updates the register.^[3]

BBR is not the same as legality

BBR records the physical conditions as they have been registered. The registration is not in itself documentation that a building or extension has been approved or is legal.

If you want to check an existing shed, an extension or a change of use, you may need:

• The building case archive (byggesagsarkiv)
• The building permit
• The completion notice (færdigmelding)
• The local plan
• Easements
• Documentation of previous work

The municipality can guide you on which documents are relevant.

Building permit

Some building work requires a permit, while other work can be carried out without a building permit in advance. Whatever the process, the relevant rules must still be complied with.

Before a project, you can look into:

1. What do you want to build or change?
2. Does the project require a permit?
3. What does the local plan say?
4. Are there any easements?
5. Is approval from an owners' association (ejerforening) or homeowners' association (grundejerforening) required?
6. Does BBR need to be updated?

Applications and notifications are normally handled via Byg og Miljø (the national building and environment portal).^[1]

Local plan

A local plan (lokalplan) applies to a specific area and can regulate, among other things:

• Use
• Siting of buildings
• Height and extent
• Materials and colours
• Preservation
• Fences and undeveloped areas

The Danish Agency for Planning and Rural Development (Plan- og Landdistriktsstyrelsen) explains that, as a general rule, the provisions must be worded so that you can read directly what is and is not permitted on the properties covered.^[4]

Read the map, the provisions and the appendices. A single heading does not tell you the whole content.

A local plan and an easement are not the same

A local plan is municipal planning.

An easement is a registered right or restriction on the property.

Both can affect a project. An easement may, for example, regulate access, utility lines, fences or building. So do not settle for checking only the local plan.

Also read the guide on local plans and building regulations.

Waste and refuse collection

The municipality sets the local waste schemes.

Find out about:

• Bins
• Sorting
• Collection days
• Bulky waste
• Garden waste
• Recycling centre
• Hazardous waste
• Construction waste

Schemes vary. So look up your address on the municipality's website or waste service.^[5]

Construction waste is subject to special rules. Read them before you tear out a kitchen, bathroom or walls.

Sewers, rainwater and water

Municipal plans can affect:

• Sewer separation
• Connection
• Rainwater on your own land
• High groundwater level
• Flood risk
• Orders or projects in the area

The utility company and the municipality may have different roles. So ask who owns the pipe and who makes the decisions.

Avoid relying on a general price estimate. The cost depends on the project, the plot, the pipes and local requirements.

Roads, pavements and snow clearance

Your obligations depend, among other things, on whether the home is on a public road or a private shared road.

Borger.dk describes rules on access, snow clearance and gritting in connection with waste collection and road conditions.^[5]

Find the municipality's current regulations, because details and practice can vary.

Property tax

Property value tax (ejendomsværdiskat) and land tax (grundskyld) follow the current state property tax rules. So you should not expect all property taxes to arrive as a separate quarterly bill from the municipality.

Check your preliminary income assessment (forskudsopgørelse) and the information from Vurderingsportalen (the property valuation portal) once the change of ownership has been registered.

Owner-occupied flat

In an owner-occupied flat (ejerlejlighed), the owners' association often handles contact about shared building work, the facade, roof, sewers and waste.

You may still be responsible yourself for:

• BBR information linked to the unit
• A change of use
• Building work inside the flat
• Approval under the articles of association

Clarify the requirements of both the municipality and the owners' association before work starts.

Your checklist

• The BBR information has been reviewed
• Errors have been corrected or sent to the municipality
• The local plan has been found
• Relevant easements have been read
• The building case archive has been checked where needed
• Whether a building permit is required has been clarified
• The association's approval has been clarified
• The waste scheme and collection days are known
• Sewer and rainwater conditions have been looked into
• The preliminary income assessment has been checked

Common misunderstandings

If it is in BBR, it is approved

Not necessarily. BBR registers factual information, but is not on its own proof of legality.

All building work requires a building permit

No. The process depends on the project. The rules must still be complied with.

A building permit overrides the local plan

No. The local plan, easements and other rules may still apply.

The municipality automatically registers all changes

Not necessarily. As the owner, you are responsible for following up on BBR.

The municipality handles all utilities

Not always. Utility companies can be separate operators.

In short

BBR tells you what is registered. The local plan tells you what the area regulates. The building permit concerns the specific project. Easements can set further limits.

If you are planning changes, also read the guide on renovating after buying a home and the maintenance plan.

BoligKlar gives you a second pair of eyes and an overview. The municipality and relevant professionals decide the specific case.

Frequently asked questions