Since 1 January 2026 Berlin has applied the Schneller-Bauen-Gesetz, the act for faster building. Under the building code, a permit in the simplified procedure counts as granted if the authority does not decide within three months of confirming that the application is complete. The clock starts with that confirmation; the date you submit does not count. We prepare permit applications ourselves as part of our architecture service in Berlin, and for us the main effect of the reform is that the quality of the application now has even more influence on how long a procedure takes.
Plenty has been written about the reform, most of it in administrative language. This article covers only what changed in 2026 and what that means for planning a real project. How a Berlin Altbau renovation works in general, which approvals matter in an existing building and where heritage and neighbourhood protection come in is explained in our foundation piece Renovating a Berlin Altbau: permits and process. It helps to read that one first.
What changed on 1 January 2026
The amendment to the Berlin building code brings four changes. Each sounds technical on its own; together they change the timing of a permit procedure.
- Deemed approval. In the simplified procedure the building code treats the permit as granted if the authority does not decide within three months of confirmed completeness. If the authority says nothing, that counts as consent.
- A deadline for the completeness check. By law the authority has at most 14 working days to check whether an application is complete. This first step used to have no time limit.
- Parallel review. The bodies involved now review at the same time rather than one after another. Previously an application could pass from desk to desk and sit waiting at each one.
- Mandatory digital submission. Applications must be filed digitally. Receipt, completeness and the running of the deadline are therefore recorded in one place where they can be traced.
The stated goal is an average processing time of three to six months, compared with the twelve to twenty-four months often quoted before. That is a political target. It guarantees nothing for your project, and we plan accordingly.
What deemed approval means in practice
Until now nobody could say with confidence how long a procedure would take, because an application without a decision could in theory sit indefinitely. Now there is an end point: a fixed period runs from confirmed completeness, and if it expires the permit counts as granted.
That helps with project planning, because the permit now falls within a predictable window. You can build a construction schedule around it, ask trades about availability for a realistic period, and plan a temporary move.
Three common misreadings of deemed approval
Some owners already read the new rule as if approval were certain after three months. It is not, for three reasons.
First, the period only runs from confirmed completeness. If an application arrives incomplete, the authority asks for the missing documents and the clock does not start. Submitting, waiting for a review and submitting again still costs months under the new rule.
Second, the rule applies to the simplified procedure. Not every project goes through it, and depending on the district and the project, further procedures, consultations or special cases may apply with rules of their own. Which of these apply to your property should be settled before filing.
Third, a building permit does not replace other approvals. Heritage consents, conservation and neighbourhood protection procedures, neighbour consents and the approval of an owners' association have their own rules and their own timelines. If one of them is missing, a fast building permit does not help much.
Which projects need a permit
The reform has not changed this. As a rough guide: as long as you do not substantially alter the fabric, increase the floor area or touch the structure, many works usually remain procedure-free. Once load-bearing elements, the facade, the building volume or the use are affected, a procedure is usually required.
We deliberately do not give a more detailed list, because the line depends on the individual case, the existing building and the district. The full picture, including heritage protection, neighbourhood protection and the typical Altbau questions, is in our foundation piece on permits and process. For a specific project we check permit viability in advance, in unclear cases through a preliminary ruling.
How much time a faster permit saves on the whole project
A faster permit only shortens the overall project in part, because it is one step among several. Survey, design and technical drawings come before it; tendering and construction come after. Full-scope projects with us typically take six to twelve months including planning and construction, and the construction phase of a complete renovation starts at four to six months and can run longer. Those are our studio's experience values and typical ranges, not a promise. Speed is also partly a budget question, since some trades become available sooner if you pay for it.
What the reform mainly improves is predictability. In practice, a window you can name is often worth more than one month less waiting. How the costs of such a project break down is covered in Berlin Altbau renovation costs: what to expect.
| Procedural step | Deadline or rule since 2026 | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| Establishing permit viability | Not regulated, sits before the application | Clarify early; in unclear cases apply for a preliminary ruling first |
| Filing the application | Digital submission is mandatory | Completeness before speed, bring in specialist engineers first |
| Completeness check | Maximum of 14 working days under the building code | Watch for the confirmation; the period starts with it |
| Request for missing documents | Delays the start of the period | Answer it completely in one round |
| Decision in the simplified procedure | Deemed approval after three months from confirmed completeness | Document the running period and build the schedule on it |
| Review by the bodies involved | Parallel instead of sequential | Provide specialist contributions at the same time, not in stages |
| Other approvals | Separate procedures, depending on district and project | Apply in parallel so that no approval is missing at the end |
How we prepare permit applications
The reform has not changed how we work; it has made it matter more. We design for permit viability from the start. The questions the authority will ask are already answered in the design, so they do not come back later as requests for documents.
We would rather file two weeks later with a complete application. Under the new rule that application gets through faster than one filed early that then gets stuck in rounds of missing documents.
Before filing we coordinate with the specialist engineers. Applications most often stall on the structural, fire safety and building services input. We make sure all of it is ready at the same time, since the authorities now review in parallel. How we organise planning and delivery overall is described under Architecture and Renovation.
Do you also own a home in Mallorca? Permits and deadlines work differently there, as we explain in building permits on Mallorca. On the island we work from our studio in Palma as your architect in Mallorca.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a building permit take in Berlin?
Since January 2026 the Berlin building code sets a period of three months in the simplified procedure, counted from confirmed completeness of the application. If it expires without a decision, the permit counts as granted. Before that comes the completeness check, for which the law allows a maximum of 14 working days. The stated policy goal is average processing of three to six months instead of the twelve to twenty-four often quoted before. How long it takes in your case depends on the district and the project, and above all on how complete the application is when it arrives.
What is Genehmigungsfiktion, or deemed approval?
Deemed approval means a building permit counts as granted if the authority does not decide within the statutory period. In Berlin it has applied since 1 January 2026 in the simplified procedure, with a period of three months from confirmed completeness. If the authority stays silent, that counts as consent. It does not replace other required approvals, though, and it does not make a design that breaks the rules permissible.
Does the three-month period apply to every application?
No. Under the building code the provision applies to the simplified permit procedure. Not every project is handled there, and depending on the district and the project, further procedures, consultations or special cases may apply with rules and timelines of their own. Whether your project runs in the simplified procedure should be established before filing, because the entire schedule depends on it.
What happens if documents are missing?
Then the three-month period does not begin. It starts only with confirmed completeness, and an incomplete application triggers a request for the missing documents instead. Every round of resubmission and renewed review costs time that no statutory deadline recovers. So the main way owners can influence the duration is through the quality of the documents. Sending the application off earlier achieves little.
Your project in Berlin
If you are building or renovating in Berlin in 2026, we plan your project so the application is complete the first time, and we stay involved from the first check through to site supervision. Get in touch: we will look at your property and tell you which procedure applies and what timeframe is realistic. Contact us.
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