Renewing a Building Permit

Renewing a building permit is an online service on the Balady platform. It allows citizens and engineering offices to renew the building permit for a building, whatever its state (construction not started, building under construction, existing building). Put simply, a building permit is a legal, official document that allows new building or rebuilding.

It aims to ensure that all local zoning laws and standards are followed. It lasts for a set period and must be renewed when needed. A building permit is renewed and submitted online only, and it is requested from the government through the application channels mentioned below.

Whoever renews or obtains the permit is entitled to start new building or rebuilding on their own building in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Every citizen is required to renew the building permit when it expires, or when they wish to start site preparation works. Otherwise they face legal accountability and bear the penalty or fine for starting these works without renewing the building permit.

How to renew a building permit

Application steps

• Go to the Balady website.
• Open the service through the Balady platform.
• Select the permit you want to renew.
• Specify the state of the building at the (contract details) stage, choosing from the three options (construction not started, building under construction, existing building).
• Select the design engineering office (the accredited designer), or retrieve it from the insurance if there is insurance.
• Select the supervising engineering office, or retrieve it from the insurance.
• Select the building contractor, or retrieve them from the insurance.
• Send the application to the engineering office to complete the remaining procedures.
• You can follow the status of the application on the (My Requests and Permits) page.

Requirements (documents needed)

• A contract with a design engineering office.
• Payment of the service fee.
• An insurance policy, if construction has not started and the type of building requires insurance.

Conditions and government approvals

• Compliance with the municipal licensing conditions regulation (if applicable).
• You must review the classification regulation for Saudi Building Code violations.

Conditions for renewing a building permit

Renewing a building permit requires you to meet a number of conditions and requirements, including:

• Keeping to the deadlines: you must keep to the set dates for renewing the permit and submitting the application.
• Submitting the necessary documents: you must provide what is needed for the renewal, such as the required fees, permits and technical reports.
• Compliance with laws and regulations: you must comply with the laws and regulations in force in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which include rules and standards for building, safety, public health and the environment, and with the municipal licensing conditions regulation (if applicable). You must also review the classification regulation for Saudi Building Code violations.
• Expiry of the current permit: the current permit must have expired to be eligible for renewal.
• No violations: there must be no previous violations or other legal problems relating to the project licensed by the government authorities.

It is important to meet all of these conditions and requirements so that the building permit is renewed smoothly and without problems.

How much does renewing a building permit cost?

When you come to complete the conditions for renewing a building permit for a building in the Kingdom, you must pay the fees for this service. To avoid errors, the fees are calculated electronically and automatically from the information submitted. Their value cannot be changed or negotiated, and they are then paid. Building permit renewal fees in Saudi Arabia vary according to the type of permit and its validity period, the area of the building, the region where the building stands, and the type and size of the repairs identified by the engineering office. The fees are paid electronically, through the applicant's bank or at a cash machine. Building permit renewal fees in Saudi Arabia also vary according to the type and size of the project and the validity period of the permit being renewed. Renewal fees in Saudi Arabia usually range from 1,000 to 5,000 SAR, and fines apply if renewal is late.

What is the fine for not renewing a building permit?

The fine for not renewing a building permit ranges from 200 to 500 SAR, in addition to the set renewal fee.

How long is a building permit valid before it must be renewed?

A building permit is valid for 3 years from its date of issue, and the property must be built within these three years. If the permit expires and the building has not been built, the permit must be renewed. Likewise, if construction runs past the permit's date, the permit must be renewed. So if the permit expires during the building works, it must be renewed, because the permit will be needed later for certain official transactions relating to the property.

Sources and references

• Ministry of Municipal, Rural Affairs and Housing
• Saudi Vision 2030
• The Balady platform
• Saudi Council of Engineers
• Unified National Platform