Building permit drawings for extensions, conversions and new builds

Behind Arkigroup are more than 30 years of experience in both design and building control. We know what the municipality checks in a building permit application, so we design with the aim of getting the application approved first time.

Which drawings are needed for a building permit?

A building permit application is essentially made up of four drawings, often called A-drawings or architectural drawings. The municipality may ask for further documents depending on the project.

• Site plan Shows the property with its boundaries, existing buildings and where the new building will go, usually at a scale of 1:400 or 1:500. For new builds within a detailed development plan, a new-build map from the municipality is often needed as a basis.
• Floor plan Shows each floor with rooms, walls, doors and windows, at a scale of 1:100.
• Elevation drawings Show the building from the outside from every direction, at a scale of 1:100.
• Section drawing Shows the building in cross-section with ceiling heights, floor levels and roof pitch, at a scale of 1:100.

If you want to see the house before you decide, the drawings can be supplemented with 3D visualisation.

Examples of building permit drawings

This is what a complete set looks like: site plan, floor plan, elevations, section and roof plan.

Site planFloor planElevations facing south-east and north-eastElevations facing north-west and south-westSection drawingRoof planPerspective

Does your project need a building permit?

Many building projects require a building permit, but for small houses there are several exemptions where neither a permit nor a notification is needed. The rules changed on 1 December 2025, and Attefall houses and friggebod sheds are no longer separate exemptions. Below we describe what generally applies according to the guidance from Boverket, the Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning. We always check what applies to your particular property.

Extension

An extension, meaning that the volume of the building increases, normally requires a building permit. A small house may however be extended by up to 30 square metres in total without a permit or notification, provided the extension is no higher than the ridge of the house. It must be at least 4.5 metres from the boundary and at least 30 metres from the centre of a railway, unless the neighbour or the railway's infrastructure manager has approved a closer position in writing.

The 30 square metres include what has already been built without a permit, for example an Attefall extension, Attefall dormer, canopy, deck or balcony. If the load-bearing parts or the fire protection are significantly affected, a notification and a start notice may still be required.

New build

Building a new house, or moving an existing building to a new location, requires a building permit. The exemption applies to smaller ancillary buildings and ancillary dwellings.

Smaller building on the plot

What used to be Attefall houses and friggebod sheds are now covered by the same rule. A detached ancillary building, for example a guest cottage, storage building or garage, or an ancillary dwelling can be built without a permit or notification if the rules are followed:

• within a detailed development plan, the largest building is at most 30 square metres and at most 4 metres to the ridge, and the buildings total at most 45 square metres
• outside a detailed development plan, the largest building is at most 50 square metres and at most 4.5 metres to the ridge, and the buildings total at most 65 square metres
• the building stands on the plot of your small house and is smaller than the house
• at least 4.5 metres from the boundary, or closer if the neighbour approves in writing
• at least 30 metres from the centre of a railway, or closer if the railway's infrastructure manager approves in writing

The total area includes what has already been built without a permit, for example Attefall houses and friggebod sheds. If there is already a 30 square metre Attefall house and a 15 square metre friggebod, nothing more can be built without a permit within a detailed development plan.

A building permit may still be required, for example near particularly valuable buildings or within an area for total defence. Installing ventilation, a fireplace, water or drainage requires a notification, and within a shoreline protection area a permit under the Environmental Code is needed.

Dormers

The special exemption for Attefall dormers no longer exists. A dormer increases the volume of the building and therefore counts as an extension, so the rules for extensions above apply. If the load-bearing parts are significantly affected, a notification and a start notice are required before construction begins.

Friggebod

The friggebod is no longer a separate exemption. A small detached building now follows the rules for ancillary buildings above, and an existing friggebod counts towards the total area.

Decking and canopies

Within a detailed development plan, a deck does not require a permit if it is at most 1.8 metres above the ground and within 3.6 metres of a building, or at most 1.2 metres above the ground and further away. Outside a detailed development plan there are no such measurements. A canopy on the house follows the rules for extensions. Closer to the boundary than 4.5 metres, the neighbour's written approval is needed.

Screen walls, fences and walls

An ordinary fence does not require a permit. Within a detailed development plan, a solid fence, screen wall or wall does not require a permit if it is at most 1.8 metres high and within 3.6 metres of a building, or at most 1.2 metres high and further away. Outside a detailed development plan, a permit is usually only required closer to the boundary than 4.5 metres. The neighbour's written approval can replace the permit if the distance is the only obstacle.

Garages and carports

A garage or carport normally requires a building permit. A smaller garage or carport can be built without a permit as an ancillary building if the rules for ancillary buildings are followed.

How it works

1. Initial meeting

   By video call, phone or on site, we go through your idea and the material you have, whether it is a sketch, photos or existing drawings.

2. Analysis and price proposal

   We review the conditions and the detailed development plan and prepare a price proposal based on the scope of the project.

3. Source material

   Once you have approved the price proposal, we obtain the material needed, such as a new-build site map and existing drawings from the municipality.

4. First proposal

   We prepare a first proposal in 2D and 3D for you to review at your own pace, and we adjust it together until the drawings match what you want.

5. Finished building permit drawings

   You receive complete drawings, and we help you submit the application to the municipality.

6. Additional information

   If the municipality requests additional information, we help you respond so that the case can move forward.

What happens after the building permit is granted?

1. Technical consultation

   When the project requires a certified control officer, the municipality holds a technical consultation where you go through the building's technical solutions, the inspection plan and the waste management plan.

2. Start notice

   The municipality issues a start notice once it has the documents it needs. You may not start building until you have a start notice, even if the building permit has been granted. For new houses, the municipality normally requires an energy calculation before issuing the start notice.

3. Start of construction and inspections

   Construction follows the approved drawings and the inspection plan. The independent control officer, whom you as the developer propose in the application, checks that the inspections are carried out.

4. Final consultation

   When construction is complete, the municipality may call a final consultation where you go through whether everything has been carried out in line with the building permit and the inspection plan.

5. Final clearance

   Only once the municipality has issued final clearance may you start using the building.

Bear in mind that the building permit expires if work has not started within two years and been completed within five years of the decision becoming legally binding.

More than building permit drawings

Once the building permit is in place, Arkigroup can take the project further, so you do not have to start over with a new consultant:

• Construction documents for the builder to work from
• Structural drawings, electrical drawings and HVAC drawings
• Interior architecture
• Design and build contract, where Arkigroup takes the project from drawing to finished building

Arkigroup is also a certified quality controller under the PBL, in projects where we do not design or build ourselves.

Frequently asked questions about building permit drawings

Contact us

Tell us what you want to build and we will get back to you with a free quote within 24 hours.

Read also about our certified accessibility expert, building conservation specialist and architect-designed houses.