The Permis de construire maison et/ou ses annexes application form takes into account the possibility that the applicant’s principal place of residence is outside France and allows for the exchange of all correspondence with the architect or a third party in place of the applicant.
The application form includes separate boxes for swimming pools, garages, greenhouses and garden sheds, as well as a section on the demolition of existing structures, so that a separate demolition permit does not need to be filed, and also provides the possibility of sending correspondence to both the prospective buyer and the neighbors if additional work affects their plot.
Correspondence with the Department of City Planning is currently allowed via email and the submission of PDF drawings.
Providing the architect’s contact information and license numbers along with the architect’s signature is required. Severe penalties apply to architects who sign someone else’s drawings: the architect’s license is revoked for three months, the client’s permit is revoked, and a fine is imposed on the author of the drawings who received payment for them.
Board of Architecture, Urban Planning and Environmental Protection
When applying for a building permit on your own, you must contact the local branch of the Conseil d’Architecture, d’Urbanisme et d’Environnement (CAUE) before submitting it to obtain advice on the architectural content of the project. There is a box on the application to confirm this request; the review of the project may be delayed if no recommendation has been received.
What work requires a «Permit to Construct a House and/or Additions»
Extension of a building by building more than 20 square meters of floor area (surface hors œuvre brut, SHOB). Works to change the load-bearing structures/walls or façade of a building while changing the purpose of an ancillary room of the building without changing the purpose of the building itself. Work to change the volume of a building or to create new or enlarge existing openings in exterior walls. Construction of swimming pools less than 1.8 m in depth and over 100 square meters in area. All swimming pools with a depth of more than 1.8 m.
An approximate list of required documents:
- A site plan at a scale of 1:5000 or 1:10000 showing the location of the site in the county.
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A cadastral plan at a scale of 1:2000/ 1000.
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An urban plan of existing or proposed facilities at a scale of 1:500.
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Floor plan of the existing building at a scale of 1:100 (if applicable).
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Drawings of all facades of the existing building (if applicable) showing the spatial dimensions of windows and doors at a scale of 1:100.
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Drawings of all cross-sections of the existing building (if applicable) at a scale of 1:100.
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Floor plan of the projected building at a scale of 1:100 with spatial dimensions.
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Drawings of reamers of all facades of the designed building with indication of spatial dimensions of windows and doors in scale 1:100 and indication of materials.
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Drawings of cuts in scale 1:100.
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Drawings of 1:200 scale sectional drawings indicating levels of projected modifications to the facility.
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Two photographs of the existing facility and/or a photomontage/visual simulation of the projected facility.
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An explanatory note on the impact of the project on landscape integrity.
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Combined design drawings of key points including access road, landscaping, and plantings.
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A written note explaining the visual effect of the project on the surrounding area, which should include:
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The functional zoning of the entire site.
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The surrounding off-site area (houses, streets, landscaping).
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Existing building and landscaping within the site, including hedges, garden plantings, and existing materials.
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A description of the architectural concept of the project, including materials and colors (there are no longer separate boxes on the application for this information). The consultation with an architect from the local Conseil d’Architecture, d’Urbanisme et d’Environnement (CAUE) should always be mentioned in this box.
