Free guides
Practical articles on the building notice, notice of use and legalising a building – under the 2026 rules, in plain language.
Three long guides that take you through the topic from start to finish – with deadlines, requirements and document lists.
Fire safety · 9 min
Rescue Board requirements in plain language: when you need a dry hydrant or a tank, how much water, what distances apply and what the test certificate must contain.
Read the guideEHR · 10 min
Submitting a building notice in 12 steps, the 10- and 30-day deadlines, the document package for a notice of use and ten mistakes that stall the proceedings.
Read the guideLegalisation · 9 min
Situations A–E by construction date, risks in a sale and with a mortgage, and seven steps to start legalisation.
Read the guidePrices · 8 min
State fees 2026, all cost items in one table, three typical situations and five places where you can genuinely save.
Read the guideAncillary buildings · 7 min
A quick table by area and height, six real-life examples and the rules that apply even without any documents.
Read the guideProcedure · 8 min
How to tell a justified, unclear and unjustified requirement apart, how to reply point by point and what deadline applies to challenging a refusal.
Read the guideConstruction diary · 9 min
Eleven mandatory fields in the diary, timing and content of hidden works certificates, signature rules and an action plan if the diary was not kept.
Read the guideNotice of use · 8 min
A new table by building type and size, the contents of a notice of use and a permit of use, the 10- and 30-day deadlines and state fees.
Read the guideTransaction · 8 min
What the notary and the bank check, six typical register problems, the steps to fix them and the timeline.
Read the guideLegalising · 6 min
From 1 August 2026, a building built before 22.07.1995 is considered lawful without a safety audit, and the 500 € state fee has been abolished. In practice you only need to prove when it was built and enter the data in the Building Register.
Read the guideNotice of use · 5 min
Missing construction-stage documents are not a lost cause. Compliance can be shown with photos, invoices, a summary sheet, certificates drawn up afterwards and, if needed, a building audit.
Read the guideBasics · 5 min
These are not alternatives but different stages of the process: a building notice or building permit before you build, a notice of use or permit of use afterwards. We explain what applies when.
Read the guideEHR · 6 min
Seven steps in the Building Register and what to have to hand before you start.
Read the guideExtension · 5 min
When a notice is enough for an extension and when you need a building permit – formula, examples and a quick table.
Read the guideConsents · 5 min
When you need consent from a neighbour, co-owners or the apartment association, and what it does not replace.
Read the guideLegalisation · 6 min ·
From 1 August 2026, a building built before 22.07.1995 is considered lawful without a safety audit, and the 500 € state fee has been abolished. In practice you only need to prove when it was built and enter the data in the Building Register.
Previously, even an old building's safety had to be proven with an audit, and legalisation cost a 500-euro state fee. Now a building built before 22 July 1995 is deemed lawful and the 500-euro state fee has been abolished. Buildings on unregistered land may be an exception – check your situation with the municipality. If you would like someone else to handle the paperwork, see the full building legalisation service.
For a building built without a permit in 1995–2015, you must prove compliance with the safety requirements in force at the time of construction (from 2003 also with the spatial plan). Usually a building audit and documents for the electrical, heating and, where relevant, gas installations are needed. Here too the 500-euro state fee was abolished from 01.08.2026.
See the notice of use and legalisation kit – a cover letter for different situations, a 100-point checklist and a cheat sheet for surveys and audits.
Notice of use · 5 min ·
Missing construction-stage documents are not a lost cause. Compliance can be shown with photos, invoices, a summary sheet, certificates drawn up afterwards and, if needed, a building audit.
The documentation requirements for construction call for a construction diary, hidden works certificates and as-built drawings. If these are lost or were never made, the municipality will often ask, with the notice of use or permit of use, how you will prove the building complies. The good news: this can be done in other ways.
| Missing document | What to replace it with |
|---|---|
| Construction diary | Summary sheet + invoices + dated photos + builder's confirmation |
| Hidden works certificates | Photos from construction + retrospective certificate + audit |
| As-built drawings | Measured drawings project |
| Electrical work documents | Electrical installation audit |
| Heating appliance documents | Chimney sweep's report + heating system assessment |
| Geodetic location | Geodetic as-built survey |
The Legalisation kit includes ready-made Word templates for the summary sheet, hidden works certificate and inspection report.
Basics · 5 min ·
These are not alternatives but different stages of the process: a building notice or building permit before you build, a notice of use or permit of use afterwards. We explain what applies when.
Many people look for an answer to "notice or permit?" – but in fact construction has two separate stages, each with its own document. Before building, the building notice kit helps; after completion, the notice of use and legalisation kit.
| Stage | Simpler document | Stricter document |
|---|---|---|
| Before construction | Building notice (+ design if needed) | Building permit |
| After building | Notice of use (kasutusteatis) | Permit of use (kasutusluba) |
For a detached house and its ancillary buildings (2026 rules):
From 1 August 2026, a notice of use is generally enough to start using a detached house, a two-apartment house and their ancillary buildings – even if the house was built under a building permit. You may start using it if the municipality does not notify you of the need for further checks within 10 days. A permit of use is needed mainly for apartment buildings and larger non-residential buildings (over 60 m² or over 5 m high).
| Notice of use (kasutusteatis) | Permit of use (kasutusluba) | |
|---|---|---|
| Procedure | You may start using it if there are no requirements within 10 days | Document check, often a site inspection |
| State fee | None | Residential 30 €, non-residential 60 € |
| Typical use | Detached house, sauna, garage, shed | Apartment building, commercial building |
EHR · step by step
A building notice is submitted in the Building Register at ehr.ee. You log in with an ID card, Mobiil-ID or Smart-ID. There is no state fee for a building notice, and the case is usually handled by your rural municipality or city.
Before you start, have to hand: the cadastral number, the EHR code of the existing building (for an extension), the building's dimensions (footprint area, height, volume), the corner coordinates of the building and the digitally signed building design as a PDF.
Extension
When extending a detached house or two-apartment house, the key question is whether the extension is below or above 33% of the original building footprint area or volume. The basis is the lawfully built existing situation recorded in the Building Register.
Example 1 · area
House 120 m², extension 35 m²
35 ÷ 120 × 100 = 29%
Below 33% → building notice + building design
Example 2 · volume
Volume 480 m³, attic storey +200 m³
200 ÷ 480 × 100 = 42%
Over 33% → building permit
| Building size | New construction | Extension up to 33% | Extension over 33% |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–20 m², up to 5 m | Not needed | Not needed | Not needed |
| 20–60 m², up to 5 m | Notice + design | Notice | Notice + design |
| 0–60 m², over 5 m | Building permit | Notice + design | Building permit |
| Over 60 m² | Building permit | Notice + design | Building permit |
Source: Annex 1 to the Building Code (version of 01.08.2026), simplified. When choosing the type of procedure, go by the end result of the work. Check the current text in Riigi Teataja.
The most common trap: only the area is checked. Adding a storey doesn't change the house's footprint but can increase the volume by more than 33%. Always check both figures.
Consents
Many municipalities' building regulations require a set distance from the neighbouring property boundary (often 4 m). If you want to build closer to the boundary, you need the neighbour's written consent. Always attach a site plan with distances to the consent – the consent must relate to a specific solution.
If the property is in co-ownership (e.g. after inheritance), building a new building or an extension generally requires the consent of all co-owners, unless a different arrangement of use is entered in the land register.
In an apartment building, work affecting common parts (facade, roof, load-bearing structures) is decided by the apartment owners. For more significant changes, the consent of all apartment owners may be needed – also check the association's articles.
Both kits include ready-made forms for consent from the neighbour, co-owners and apartment association.
See the kitsThe guides give an overview. If you want ready-made document templates and a checklist, choose the kit that fits your situation.
Ancillary building and sauna legalisation kit (19 €)
Sauna, garage or shed up to 60 m² – action plan, Excel checklist and two Word templates.
Building notice and permit of use document kit (29 €)
Before you build: building notice or building permit, 13 document templates and a 120-point checklist.
Dry hydrant and firefighting water point kit (29 €)
If the municipality asks for a firefighting water point: six standard drawings and two design explanatory notes.
Notice of use and legalisation kit (39 €)
Finished building: notice of use, permit of use and legalisation, 7 fillable Word templates.
If construction is still under way
Siteo – construction diary and hidden works certificates on your phone
The diary and certificates are the documents that are hardest to piece together afterwards. Siteo fills in the diary from speech, keeps the certificates in order with photos and assembles the handover package for the Building Register. 14 days free.
See what Siteo doesDon't want to do it yourself? Order EHR procedure handling, restoration of construction documents or a full solution for legalising a building.