Information - Building Licence

The Building Licence in Crete is the equivalent of Planning Permission in the UK. However there are very few similarities in the process of obtaining it. Whether and what you can build is decided by the application of tried and tested formulae that the Architects and Engineers responsible for the application are aware of. Other than the submission to a panel of three architects, who need to approve the visual appeal of your building, almost nothing comes down to chance in the process.

Not only is the maximum build size / building density prescribed by the Government, the size of balconies and semi-enclosed space are also laid down. The maximum height of the building, number of storeys, maximum height of any one storey, maximum length of elevation on some plots, are all pre-determined. Whilst it is good to know from the outset what is allowable, the rules do place restrictions on what you can do and can limit architectural excellence in some cases.

The Building Licence fee covers architectural and engineering design fees, a first payment of IKA, a first payment of VAT, contributions to Technical Colleges as well as the cost of the application itself. There is a break point at 119m² with houses above that size costing nearly 50% more per m² for the Building Licence.

The application is handled by the Building Office local to your site. In East Crete these offices are located in Agios Nikolaos, Ierapetra and Sitia.