Flat re-planning: when a design and permit are needed

Published 2026-10-21. Rates from VP statyba estimates, excluding VAT.

Three groups of works

Without a permit (simple repairs). Changing finishes, floor coverings, replacing doors in the same location, removing or relocating non-load-bearing partition walls, moving sockets and light fittings, replacing plumbing fixtures in the same location.

With a design and permit (major renovation). An opening in or demolition of a load-bearing wall, replacing a floor slab, joining a balcony to a room, altering ventilation or chimney ducts, changing the flat's boundaries or floor area, installing stairs between floors.

Additional approvals are needed. Joining a kitchen with a gas hob to a room (gas supply requirements), moving a bathroom or kitchen above the neighbours' living rooms, and anything that affects shared structures or engineering services in an apartment building.

How to tell what is allowed

• Check the flat's cadastral file or the building design: load-bearing walls are marked there with thicker lines.
• In panel-block buildings the load-bearing walls are usually those on which the floor slabs rest, and the external walls.
• If in doubt, we will come and assess it free of charge. A mistake here is costly: if a load-bearing wall is demolished without a design, it will have to be rebuilt or legalised through the courts.

Steps when a permit is needed

1. Site visit and structural assessment. The structural engineer says whether the solution is feasible and what reinforcement is needed.
2. Design. A major renovation (re-planning) design is prepared with calculations for the beam or frame.
3. Consents. In an apartment building, the consent of the flat owners or the owners' association is usually required, because load-bearing structures are common property.
4. Building permit. The design is submitted to the municipality via “Infostatyba”; the timeframe depends on the municipality and any comments.
5. Work according to the design and handover.
6. Updating the cadastral data, so that the re-planning is legalised and does not cause problems when selling.

This whole path, from assessment to permit and works, we walk for you: one contract, one person responsible.

How long it takes and how much it costs

Simple renovation starts straight away. When a design and a permit are needed, the paperwork usually takes from a few weeks to a few months, so it is worth starting it as early as possible, and while waiting we carry out the works that need no permit. We quote the price of the design and permit after an inspection, while the demolition rates are known in advance: partition wall removal from 15–20 €/m², diamond cutting from 85 €/m.

Related services

• Designs and permits
• Load-bearing wall demolition
• Turnkey renovation