Construction & Renovation

To install a sewage system to which one or more water toilets will be connected, a permit from the municipality is required. A permit is also required to connect a water toilet to an existing system without a previously connected water toilet. For sewage systems without water toilets, a notification is often sufficient.The municipality processes applications and notifications for sewage systems receiving household wastewater from a maximum of 1,999 people or person equivalents. The municipality also exercises supervision over the systems.

Issued by: The Municipality

A building permit (bygglov) is an authorization from the municipality required to construct a new building, extend a building, substantially change the use of a building, fit out a new dwelling, alter a facade, or install certain types of storage facilities and signs. Building permits are also required to establish amusement parks, sports facilities, camping sites, parking lots, and similar outdoor facilities.The municipality assesses whether the project is compatible with detailed development plans, whether it is suitable with regard to landscape and cityscape, and whether it poses danger or significant inconvenience to neighbors. Building permits are issued by the municipal building committee.

Issued by: Municipality (Building Committee)

Shore protection (strandskydd) is intended to provide all people with access to shores and to preserve rich plant and animal life. In shore-protected areas, i.e., areas near the sea, watercourses, or lakes, it is prohibited to build new structures or alter a building. You may also not dig, fell trees, or take measures that significantly change living conditions for animals and plants.The protected area is normally 100 meters from the shoreline, both on land and in water. In certain sensitive areas, the protection may be extended to 300 meters. If you need to do something within a shore-protected area, you must have permission, so-called exemption (dispens). Contact your municipality for information on shore protection in a specific area. In most cases, you apply for an exemption with the municipality.

Issued by: The Municipality

Construction companies must register their construction sites with the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket). Registration is required before work begins on any construction site. You must also report changes to the site and deregister it when work is complete.As part of this obligation, you must maintain an electronic staff register (personalliggare) at every construction site. This register records who is working on site and their shift start and end times, updated daily. Registration and all changes are handled through Skatteverket's e-service.

Issued by: Swedish Tax Agency

Most building projects in Sweden require a certified independent controller (kontrollansvarig). This person helps the builder prepare the control plan, monitors that the plan is followed during construction, and reports to the municipal building committee. For demolition projects, the controller also assists with hazardous waste inventory.The controller must be independent from the builder. Certification is obtained through an accredited certification body. Applicants need relevant education and professional experience. Those with qualifications from another EEA country must first have them validated by Boverket before applying to a certification body.

Issued by: Boverket / Certification Bodies

If you plan to install a utility line or work on an existing line within a road area, you must obtain a permit from the Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket) according to the Road Act (Väglagen 1971:948). This applies to both overhead lines and underground cables.When applying for a permit to install a new line, the Swedish Transport Administration requires you as the line owner to approve the terms of Trafikverket's standard agreement, which includes general provisions for installing lines within road areas.

Issued by: Swedish Transport Administration

To use explosives for blasting in rock or stone within a detailed planning area, you need a permit from the Police Authority (Polismyndigheten). This covers construction blasting, rock splitting, and demolition work involving explosive materials in urban and planned areas.In addition to the permit, each individual blasting operation must be reported to the Police Authority before work begins, even if a general permit has already been granted. The application must include details about the location, scope, and safety measures. Outside detailed planning areas, notification to the municipality may be sufficient instead of a police permit.

Issued by: Swedish Police Authority

For all blasting work, the employer must appoint a blasting supervisor according to occupational health and safety legislation. The blasting supervisor is responsible for ensuring that the work is performed professionally, safely, and according to given instructions. When work is performed in teams, the blasting supervisor must instruct other workers based on their knowledge.To be a blasting supervisor requires documented theoretical knowledge of blasting and at least one year of practical experience from blasting work. Most commonly, the blasting supervisor has a blasting certificate class A or B issued by the Swedish Rock Engineering Association, valid for five years.

Issued by: Swedish Work Environment Authority

All ancient monuments and remains (fornlämningar) in Sweden are protected under the Heritage Conservation Act (kulturmiljölagen). This includes both known and undiscovered remains. If you are planning construction, excavation, or ground work that may affect an ancient monument or its surrounding protection area, you must apply for a permit from the County Administrative Board (Länsstyrelsen).The protection area around each monument varies and is determined by the County Administrative Board. You can check whether your site has known ancient remains using the Swedish National Heritage Board's search service Fornsök. The permit must be granted before any work begins. If you discover remains during construction, you must stop work and contact the County Administrative Board immediately.

Issued by: County Administrative Board

When you plan to build structures near a road outside a detailed development plan area, a permit from the County Administrative Board is required according to the Road Act (1971:948). This applies to constructions that may affect the road's function or traffic safety, such as dams, fences, noise barriers, or other structures.If the area has a detailed development plan and the measure requires a building permit, the application should instead be made to the municipality. The County Administrative Board charges a fee for processing the application for a permit to build near a road.

Issued by: County Administrative Board