Finland overhauled its entire construction permit system on 1 January 2025. If you’re planning any kind of building work -a new terrace, a facade change, a ground-source heat pump, or a full extension -you need to understand what changed and what it means for your project right now.
The Old System: Three Permit Types Under One Roof
Until the end of 2024, Finland’s construction permitting operated under the Land Use and Building Act (Maankäyttö- ja rakennuslaki 132/1999). That law created three distinct permit mechanisms:
Building permit (rakennuslupa) -required for new construction, major extensions, significant renovations comparable to new construction, and any change of building use (such as converting a loma-asunto to permanent housing). This was the full-weight permit. It demanded principal drawings (pääpiirustukset), a responsible site manager (vastaava työnjohtaja), neighbor notification, and inspections throughout the build. In Helsinki, the 2024 fee was €950 per building plus €8/m² of total floor area. (Note: Helsinki has since adopted new fee schedules for 2025 and 2026 under the Construction Act. The 2026 schedule includes discounts for energy-efficient projects and winter-season applications.)
Action permit (toimenpidelupa) -a lighter-touch permit for works that didn’t rise to the level of a building permit but still affected the streetscape, cityscape, or surrounding environment. Think facade changes, ground-source heat wells (maalämpökaivo), fences in certain zones, large advertising structures, satellite dishes and masts, movable structures like permanently moored houseboats, and rearrangement of apartments within a building. Helsinki’s 2024 action permit fee was €930 flat.
Action notification (toimenpideilmoitus) -the lightest category. A written notification to the municipal building control authority (rakennusvalvonta) for minor works like small structures in the yard of a detached house, minor interior changes with no structural implications, or temporary structures. After notification, the municipality could respond within a set period, and if no objection was raised, the work could proceed.
The boundary between these three categories was never perfectly sharp. Each municipality’s building code (rakennusjärjestys) could shift the thresholds, meaning a project that needed only a notification in Oulu might require an action permit in Helsinki. This inconsistency was one of the major criticisms of the old system.
The 2025 Reform: A Single Permit System
The new Construction Act (Rakentamislaki 751/2023), adopted by Parliament on 1 March 2023, entered into force on 1 January 2025. Its single most visible change for homeowners: the building permit, action permit, and action notification have been merged into one unified construction permit (rakentamislupa).
The old Land Use and Building Act lost its construction-related sections entirely. What remains of it has been renamed the Land Use Act (Alueidenkäyttölaki).
Under the new framework, there is no longer a separate “action permit” category. If your project requires a permit at all, you apply for a rakentamislupa -regardless of whether the old system would have called it a rakennuslupa or a toimenpidelupa.
What Always Needs a Permit
Section 42 of the Construction Act (Rakentamislaki 751/2023, 42 §) defines the permit threshold. Its first subsection (1 momentti) lists the categories of new construction that always require a construction permit in every municipality -no exceptions, and municipalities cannot lower this threshold through their building codes:
– Residential buildings and holiday homes -regardless of size. A 15 m² loma-asunto needs a permit just as much as a 200 m² house. There is no size exemption for any building intended for dwelling or holiday use.
– Other buildings (non-residential) with a floor area of at least 30 m² or a volume of at least 120 m³ -sheds, workshops, storage buildings, and similar structures above this threshold.
– Open shelters and carports (katos) of at least 50 m² -note this is a separate and higher threshold than the 30 m² limit for enclosed buildings.
– Public-access structures (yleisörakennelma) that can accommodate five or more people at once, excluding temporary event structures kept in place for no more than three months.
– Masts, chimneys, wind turbines, large-scale solar installations, and advertising devices.
– Energy wells (energiakaivo) -including geothermal heat wells.
– Special-purpose areas that affect surrounding land use -such as large parking areas, sports facilities, or storage yards.
In addition, Section 42’s third subsection (3 momentti) addresses renovation and modification work. A construction permit is also required for:
– Extensions that increase a building’s floor area.
– Significant renovations comparable to new construction.
– Changes to a building’s intended use (käyttötarkoituksen muutos) -including converting a summer cottage to year-round housing.
– Work affecting load-bearing structures, fire compartments, or building safety systems.
– Changes to heating systems, HVAC systems, or water and sewer installations.
– Facade modifications in areas with a detailed plan (asemakaava-alue).
Everything that previously fell under the action permit -masts, fences in plan areas, geothermal wells, advertising structures, movable structures -now falls under rakentamislupa if it meets any of the criteria above or if the municipality’s building code requires it.
What No Longer Needs a Permit
The permit threshold was raised significantly for certain types of structures. The headline changes:
– Non-residential buildings under 30 m² (or 120 m³) generally no longer require a construction permit. This means a typical garden shed, a small non-residential sauna building (one without kitchen or cooking facilities), or a playhouse can often be built without any permit.
– Open shelters and carports under 50 m² are generally permit-free. A standard single-car carport or a grill shelter will usually fall below this threshold.
The critical exception: all residential buildings and holiday homes always require a permit, no matter how small. If the structure is intended for living or holiday accommodation -even a 10 m² cabin with a kitchenette -you need a rakentamislupa. The distinction often comes down to whether the building has cooking facilities: a sauna building with just a changing room and sauna is typically classified as a non-residential auxiliary building (talousrakennus), but the moment you add a kitchen, stove, or food preparation area, it may be reclassified as a holiday home requiring a permit.
Under the old system, almost all buildings needed at least a notification. The removal of the notification procedure and the raised thresholds mean a genuine reduction in permit requirements for auxiliary structures.
But “no permit needed” does not mean “no rules apply.” You still must:
– Stay within your plot’s permitted building rights (rakennusoikeus)
– Respect setback distances from property boundaries
– Follow the detailed plan’s restrictions on materials, colors, and building height
– Comply with the National Building Code of Finland (Suomen rakentamismääräyskokoelma)
In its 2020 administrative survey, the Finnish Association of Municipalities (Kuntaliitto) found that municipalities estimated an average reduction of roughly 27.5% in permit fee revenue as a result of the raised permit threshold. The actual impact varies by municipality depending on local building stock and the types of projects typically submitted.
A Critical Nuance: Municipal Building Codes Still Matter
Even under the new law, municipalities retain the ability to set permit requirements through their building codes. Some municipalities may require a permit for structures under 30 m² in sensitive areas — cultural heritage zones, shoreline areas, or national urban parks.
Always check your municipality’s building code before assuming your small project is permit-free. The building code is available from the local rakennusvalvonta office or the municipality’s website.
What This Means for Projects in Practice
Ground-Source Heat Pumps (Maalämpö)
Under the old system, drilling a geothermal well required an action permit in most municipalities. Under the new system, it still requires a construction permit (rakentamislupa) because energy wells are explicitly listed in Section 42 as always requiring a permit, and the work involves changes to the building’s heating system and may affect groundwater conditions. In Helsinki, energy well permits for deep wells (over 1,000 m) carried a fee of €1,900 in 2024 under the old action permit category. Expect similar or higher fees under the new unified permit.
Facade and Exterior Changes
Changing your building’s facade -new cladding material, window replacements that alter the appearance, painting in a color that deviates from the area plan -still requires a permit in detailed plan areas. Under the old law, this was a classic action permit scenario. Now it falls under the construction permit. The documentation requirements may be lighter than a new-build permit, but you still need to apply.
Fences and Walls
In Helsinki and other cities with detailed plans, fences facing streets or public spaces above a certain height have traditionally needed an action permit. The new law doesn’t automatically change this -check your local building code. In many suburban areas outside plan zones, a normal residential fence can go up without any permit.
Interior Renovations
Most interior renovations that don’t touch load-bearing structures, fire compartments, or building systems still don’t need a permit. Replacing kitchen cabinets, laying new flooring, repainting -these are maintenance works (kunnossapito) and were never in permit territory. But the moment you move a wall that carries load, reroute plumbing, or change the layout in a way that alters fire compartments, you need a construction permit.
Advertising and Signage
Commercial signage on building facades and freestanding advertising structures in public spaces required action permits under the old system. Under the new law, the municipality’s building code determines whether a permit is needed. In most urban centers, the answer is still yes.
How to Apply: The Process in 2025–2026
All construction permits are applied for through the municipal building control authority (kunnan rakennusvalvontaviranomainen). The standard channel is Lupapiste.fi, the national electronic permit service used by most Finnish municipalities. Paper applications are technically still accepted, but in practice most municipalities report that the vast majority of applications now arrive electronically.
A typical application includes:
– The permit application form
– Principal drawings (pääpiirustukset) — site plan, floor plans, sections, facade drawings
– Proof of ownership or right to use the building site
– Neighbor notification or hearing documentation
– Appointment of a responsible site manager (vastaava työnjohtaja), where required
– Statistical forms (RH-lomakkeet)
– The permit fee
From 2026, applications must be submitted as building information models (tietomalli) in machine-readable format. This requirement was originally part of the 2025 rollout but was postponed to give municipalities and applicants more time to prepare.
Processing times vary widely depending on the municipality and the complexity of the project. The 2024 amendment package (HE 101/2024) to the Construction Act introduced a mandatory three-month processing deadline (Rakentamislaki 68 a §), which enters into force on 1 January 2026. For particularly complex or exceptionally demanding projects, the deadline is six months. If the municipality exceeds the deadline through no fault of the applicant, the permit fee must be reduced by 20% for each month of delay.
Transitional Rules: Old Applications, Old Law
If your permit application was filed before 1 January 2025, it will be processed under the old Land Use and Building Act. This means existing action permit applications submitted in 2024 will be handled as action permits, not reclassified under the new system. Section 194 of the Construction Act (Rakentamislaki 194 §) explicitly provides for this.
If you received an action permit or building permit under the old system and the work is still within its validity period, that permit remains valid. Building permits under the old law were valid for three years (start of work) and five years (completion). Action permits were valid for three years.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Thinking the 30 m² exemption applies to all buildings. The most common misunderstanding of the new law. Residential buildings and holiday homes always need a permit regardless of size. The 30 m² exemption only covers non-residential auxiliary buildings like sheds and workshops. And for open shelters and carports, the threshold is 50 m², not 30 m².
Assuming “under 30 m²” means no rules. Even where the permit exemption applies, it removes the permit requirement – not the obligation to build properly. Your shed still needs to comply with the local plan and building code. Building inspectors can – and do – order the removal of unpermitted structures that violate the plan.
Not checking the municipal building code. Every municipality in Finland is updating its building code to align with the new Construction Act. These updates define exactly what requires a permit in that municipality. The building code for Helsinki may differ significantly from Tampere’s or Oulu’s. This was true under the old system and remains true now.
Skipping neighbor notification. The construction permit process still requires notifying neighbors of adjacent and opposing properties. Failing to do this can invalidate your permit.
Starting work before the permit is final. You cannot begin construction until the permit decision is legally binding and the appeal period has passed. Starting early risks an enforcement order and fines.
Confusing maintenance with renovation. Replacing a broken window with an identical one is maintenance. Replacing all windows with a different style is a facade change that may need a permit. The line between kunnossapito (maintenance) and muutostyö (renovation) determines whether you need to involve building control.
Where Things Stand Now
The old distinction between toimenpidelupa and rakennuslupa is gone. Since 1 January 2025, Finland has one construction permit -rakentamislupa -and raised thresholds below which certain non-residential structures no longer need a permit at all. But the substance of the rules hasn’t changed as much as the terminology. Residential and holiday buildings of any size still need a permit. Work that affects safety, building systems, or the built environment still needs permission. Work that’s purely cosmetic or small-scale generally doesn’t.
Your first stop for any project should always be your municipality’s building control office (rakennusvalvonta). They provide free guidance, and a single pre-project consultation -confirming whether your work triggers a permit, which documents you’ll need, and whether your local building code has any zone-specific rules -can prevent rejected applications, enforcement orders, and costly redesigns later.
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Disclaimer: This article was put together by the FindaPro.fi team for general informational purposes only. It does not constitute professional, legal, or financial advice. Always consult a qualified professional for decisions specific to your situation.
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Sources
– Finnish Construction Act (Rakentamislaki 751/2023) -Full text of the new Construction Act that entered into force 1 January 2025 – https://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/alkup/2023/20230751
– Ministry of the Environment -Construction Act -Official summary of the Construction Act reform, key changes, and related decrees – https://ym.fi/en/construction-act
– Helsinki Building Control – Permit Fee Schedule (Rakennusvalvontataksa 2024) -Fee structure for building permits and action permits in Helsinki under the old law –https://www.hel.fi/static/liitteet/kaupunkiymparisto/julkaisut/ilmoitukset/rakennusvalvontataksa-2024.pdf
– Finnish Association of Municipalities (Kuntaliitto) -Construction Permit System -Detailed explanation of the permit system under the new Construction Act, including interpretation of Section 42 –https://www.kuntaliitto.fi/julkaisut/rakentamislaki-ja-rakennusvalvonta/2-1-rakentamisen-lupajarjestelma
– Finnish Government Press Release (1 March 2023) -Parliament’s adoption of the Construction Act and related legislation – https://valtioneuvosto.fi/en/-/1410903/parliament-adopted-acts-that-will-reduce-emissions-from-building-and-promote-digitalisation
– Government Proposal HE 101/2024 — Amendment package to the Construction Act, including the three-month processing deadline and other corrections enacted by Parliament in December 2024 — https://www.eduskunta.fi/FI/vaski/HallituksenEsitys/Sivut/HE_101+2024.aspx
– Ministry of the Environment (ymparisto.fi) -Applying for a Construction Permit -Official guidance on the permit application process –https://www.ymparisto.fi/fi/luvat-ja-velvoitteet/rakentamisluvan-hakeminen
– Finnish Association of Municipalities (Kuntaliitto) -Processing Deadline Guidance (RakL 68 a §) -Circular on the three-month processing deadline entering into force 1 January 2026 –https://www.kuntaliitto.fi/yleiskirjeet/2025/rakentamislupahakemuksen-kasittelymaaraaika-rakl-68-ss