The Building Register, or EHR, is where all building paperwork is handled. The form itself is not complicated, but the procedure often stalls on small details: the wrong use classification, a missing consent, or a site plan you cannot measure distances from. In this guide we go through the whole journey – from building notice to permit of use.
Two separate stages, not two alternatives
The most common misunderstanding is the question "do I need a building notice or a permit of use?". These are not options but two different ends of the process:
| When | What you submit | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Before construction | Building notice or building permit | Permission to start work |
| After completion | Notice of use or application for a permit of use | Permission to use the building |
So the typical path for a private house is: building notice → construction → notice of use. For a larger or more complex building: building permit → construction → permit of use.
Notice or permit: which applies to you
The golden rule is simple: go by the end result, not by what the work is called. It does not matter whether you call it repair or renovation – what matters is what the building will be like afterwards: does the floor area change, are load-bearing structures altered, does the use change.
| Building notice | Building permit | |
|---|---|---|
| Nature | Notification to the local authority | Administrative act, i.e. a decision of the local authority |
| State fee | none | yes |
| Deadline | If the local authority does not require an inspection within 10 days, you may start | You must wait for a decision (in practice up to 30 days) |
| Typical use | Ancillary buildings, smaller extensions, many structures | New homes, larger and more complex buildings |
Since 1 August 2026 some important changes apply: to start using a new detached house or two-flat house, a notice of use is generally enough rather than a permit of use, and the state fee for a building permit for an ancillary building serving a home has dropped from 250 to 150 euros.
Before you log in to the EHR: what to have ready
- ID card, Mobiil-ID or Smart-ID – to log in.
- Cadastral number and property address.
- Authorisation if you are filing on someone else's behalf; for co-owned property, the co-owners' consent.
- Building dimensions and areas: building footprint area, enclosed net area, height, number of storeys.
- Use classification according to the classifier – for example 11101 detached house.
- Site plan from which distances to boundaries and neighbouring buildings can be measured.
- Preliminary design, if required.
- Details of structures and materials: foundation, walls, roof, heating, water, sewerage.
asendiplaan_Kase_tee_5.pdf. An unnamed scan_001.pdf slows down processing, because the official has to open each file separately.Filing a building notice: 12 steps
- 1.Log in at ehr.ee with your ID card, Mobiil-ID or Smart-ID.
- 2.Use the Ehitusgiid tool if you are unsure whether you need a notice or a permit – it gives a recommendation based on your situation.
- 3.Start a new application and choose building notice as the procedure type.
- 4.Add the parties involved: owner, applicant, designer, builder.
- 5.Select the building – an existing one from the register, or create a new one.
- 6.Fill in the general details: name, year of construction, building type.
- 7.Use classification and areas – double-check the code in the classifier.
- 8.Location and spatial shape: mark the building on the map.
- 9.Structures, materials and technical data.
- 10.Attach the files: site plan, design, consents, power of attorney.
- 11.Check the processing authority – it must be your own municipality or city.
- 12.Submit and save the confirmation. Mark the submission date + 10 days and + 30 days in your calendar.
A building notice is free of state fees. Before pressing "Submit", read through the summary – after submission, details can only be changed through the processing official.
What happens after submission
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| Up to 10 days | The local authority checks the notice. It may accept it without comments, request additional documents, set secondary conditions (e.g. fire safety measures or the colour of the exterior finish), say that a building permit is needed, or prohibit construction. |
| After 10 days | If the local authority has not notified a need for further checks or set any requirements, you may start building. |
| Up to 30 days | If the local authority has notified a need for further checks, the procedure takes longer. You must not start building before the decision. |
If the local authority asks for additions
Reply in writing, point by point: for each requirement, state what you did and which file you added. Add corrected files as new versions and do not delete the old ones – the official needs to see how things changed. If the deadline is too short, ask for an extension in writing before it expires, not after.
Notice of use and permit of use
Once the building is finished, a second procedure follows. Here the local authority checks whether the building is safe and complies with the design and the requirements.
| Notice of use (kasutusteatis) | Permit of use (kasutusluba) | |
|---|---|---|
| When to submit | At least 10 days before you start using it | Before you start using it |
| Deadline | If the local authority does not require an inspection within 10 days, you may start using it | You must wait for a decision (in practice up to 30 days) |
| State fee | none | yes |
| Typical use | Detached and two-flat houses, ancillary buildings, many structures | Larger and more complex buildings, blocks of flats, non-residential buildings |
What is usually submitted with a notice of use
- Construction diary, hidden works certificates and as-built drawings (or documents replacing them).
- Geodetic as-built survey.
- Electrical installation audit or written confirmation from the electrical contractor with measurement reports.
- Heating system and chimney documents, chimney sweep's certificate.
- Gas installation audit, if the building has gas.
- Water and sewerage documents, details of the borehole well or holding tank.
- Energy performance certificate, if required.
- Fire safety documents, including, where needed, a test certificate for the firefighting water point.
The exact list depends on the building and the local authority. The most sensible approach is to ask your local authority for the list before submitting the application – it saves one full round of the procedure.
What the local authority most often asks for
| Document | When |
|---|---|
| Co-owners' consent | If the property is co-owned |
| Consent of the neighbouring property owner | If the building or its access affects a neighbour or is close to the boundary |
| Resolution of the apartment association's general meeting | For a block of flats |
| Power of attorney | If a representative is filing |
| Geodetic base plan | For new construction and larger extensions |
| Preliminary design | If a building design is required with the building notice |
| Measured drawings project | If there is no design or the building differs from it |
| Building audit | When legalising, and when construction-time documents are missing – see the guide to unauthorised construction |
Ten common mistakes
- 1.Wrong use classification code. Check it in the classifier, not from memory.
- 2.Areas do not match. The building footprint area, enclosed net area and dimensions in the design must be consistent.
- 3.Distances cannot be measured from the site plan. The scale and distances to boundaries must be legible.
- 4.Co-owner's consent is missing. For co-owned property it is almost always needed.
- 5.Wrong processing authority. Check that the addressee is your own municipality or city.
- 6.The extension is calculated from the latest volume, not the original. The 33% is counted from the original.
- 7.Files are unnamed or too large. Give them meaningful names and keep them a reasonable size.
- 8.Construction starts too early. Wait 10 days or for the local authority's reply.
- 9.The notice of use is filed without audits and certificates. Collect them during construction.
- 10.Changes are not recorded. If you build differently from the design, this must be documented by the time of the notice of use.
Back to all guides, or see the ready-made document kits and personal services.