Supervision of construction and the built environment

Construction oversight

The building supervision official’s job is to oversee construction activities from the public interest’s perspective and to ensure that construction complies with the law and the regulations and orders issued under it.

The person starting a construction project must make sure that the building is designed and built following the relevant regulations and the granted permit. They must also have the capabilities to carry out the project, depending on its complexity. Additionally, the designers, site managers and other professionals involved in the project have to meet the qualification requirements and possess enough expertise and professional skills.

The official supervision of the construction begins with the start of permitted construction work and ends with the final inspection. Before starting the work, a start-up notification must be submitted to building supervision. The site manager in charge must also be approved before the work can begin. Their duty is to make sure the reviews and official inspections specified in the permit are done on time and that the construction inspection document is properly maintained. Depending on the project, it may be required to have specialists in certain areas. The building permit may state the need for a start-up meeting to fulfill the obligation of care in construction. A start-up meeting is typically required with projects involving detached houses and larger buildings.

The permit decision will specify the reviews and official inspections required for the project, and any special plans to be submitted to building supervision before different stages of work. During inspections the building inspector or another official may issue orders.

The official can also order the suspension of construction work that is in violation of regulations, provisions or permits.

Deviating from approved plans during construction always requires the approval of the building inspector or a new permit, and possibly consultation with neighbors.

The building supervision official can use administrative coercion if someone takes actions contrary to the law or the regulations and provisions under it, or neglects their obligations based on these regulations.

Built environment supervision

A building and its surroundings must be kept in a condition that is healthy, safe, usable and doesn’t detract from the environment.The built environment must be used in accordance with the building permit and be kept in a clean condition. The yard must also be kept in good condition. According to the building regulations, the diversion of rain and surface water and the storage of snow in the yard must be done in a way that doesn’t cause significant inconvenience to neighbors. If the maintenance of a building or its surroundings is neglected, the officials may order the building to be repaired or its surroundings to be cleaned.

Outdoor storage has to be arranged in a way that doesn’t ruin the view from the road or other areas, or disturb the surrounding residential areas. In areas with detailed zoning plans, the restrictions on outdoor storage are more strict. Outdoor storage that causes disturbance or spoils the environment is prohibited unless the zoning plan states otherwise. This also applies to long-term or extensive outdoor storage, even if it doesn’t cause any disturbance.

Notices regarding the built environment need to be submitted in writing to the building supervision.