Why should a buyer check the construction permit?
Every new building in Georgia rests on a construction permit, and the permit decides what may legally stand on the plot: how many floors, how much floor area and what kind of building. A flat on a floor the permit does not allow, or in a building that never reaches commissioning, can be hard to register, cannot receive permanent electricity or gas, and may face fines or a demolition order. Checking the permit is therefore one of the first things to do before paying a developer, and it takes far less time than most buyers expect.
This guide explains how permits work under the Spatial Planning, Architectural and Construction Activities Code, what the building classes mean, and how to compare a permit with the building you are offered.
What are the building classes?
The Code sorts buildings into five classes by the risk they carry. The class depends on the building's purpose and parameters, a building takes the class of its highest parameter, and a mixed-use building takes the highest class among its parts. The Government sets the detailed criteria, such as area, height, foundation depth and span.
| Class | Risk level | What it means for a buyer |
|---|---|---|
| I | Minor | Small structures; no commissioning act is required |
| II | Low | Smaller buildings; permit and commissioning apply |
| III | Medium | Medium-risk buildings; full permit procedure |
| IV | High | High-risk buildings, for example on pile foundations |
| V | Increased technical risk | Handled outside the general permit resolution |
The class appears on the permit itself. For a buyer it matters mainly because the fines for building without a permit, or beyond it, rise steeply for Classes III and IV.
Who issues a permit, and how long does it take?
Permits are issued by the municipality, or a body it has set up; in Tbilisi that is the Architecture Service of City Hall. The usual route has two stages: first the approval of the land-use terms for the plot, then the construction permit itself. A three-stage route adds the approval of the architectural design in between, and the first stage is skipped where a detailed development plan already covers the plot.
- Land-use terms: decided within 10 working days, valid for 3 years.
- Architectural design: decided within 17 working days, valid for 5 years.
- Construction permit: issued within 20 working days, or 5 in the three-stage route, extendable by up to 20 working days, or 30 in cultural heritage zones.
- Silence: if the authority does not decide in time, the application counts as approved.
To be added by the team: the partner lawyer to confirm which body issues permits for Class V buildings.
How long does a permit stay valid?
The permit runs for a reasonable term set in the construction organisation project. The developer must ask for an extension before it expires, with a work schedule, and only if no works needing a new permit were done; unfinished works can also continue under a new permit. A site may be conserved for up to 3 years, or 1 year in special zones, and conservation pauses the permit term. After the permit term ends, the building must be presented for commissioning within 6 months. For a buyer, an expired permit with no extension or new permit is a reason to stop and ask questions.
What is the K-2 coefficient?
K-2 is the ratio between the total floor area of a building and the area of its plot. It is the number that most often explains why a building is taller than its neighbours: a developer can raise it for a fee through a special zonal agreement with the municipality. Tbilisi suspended K-2 increases in its central and historic areas in May 2016, and between 2009 and mid-2016 the Architecture Service granted around 3,000 increases. The permit fee itself is capped at GEL 10 per square metre of K-2 area for most projects, and GEL 4 for an individual house.
For a buyer, the point is simple: the floors you are offered must fit within the K-2 and the number of floors written in the permit and in any zonal agreement. Floors above that are unauthorised construction, which our guide to unauthorised floors explains.
How to check a permit, step by step
Ask the developer for the permit
Its number, date and issuing body, the approved drawings and any zonal agreement, in writing.
Look it up at the source
In Tbilisi, use the Architecture Service's document search and interactive map on tas.ge.
Compare floors and area
The number of floors, the total area and the K-2 on the permit against the building you are shown.
Check the project's status
Tbilisi City Hall's map shows buildings accepted into operation and sites where work is suspended.
Check the dates
Whether the permit is still valid, extended or replaced, and whether conservation was registered.
Read the registry extract
The plot and the building under construction, with any mortgage or seizure on them.
To be added by the team: AVI Estates to add the online lookup used for permits in Batumi and a short screen guide to the tas.ge search fields.
What to compare between the permit and the building
Red flags
- The developer will not give the permit number in writing.
- The building has more floors than the permit allows, or the sales plan shows floors the drawings do not.
- The permit was issued to a different company with no documented link to the seller.
- The site appears on the City Hall map as suspended.
- The permit expired long ago and nobody can show an extension.
Any of these deserves a lawyer's look before a deposit. Our guide on how to check a developer covers the company side.
From permit to commissioning
A permit allows a building to be built; the commissioning act confirms that it was built as allowed and may be used. Until the act is issued, the building may not be operated and may not receive electricity or natural gas, except for supply during construction. To obtain the act, the developer files, among other things, protocols of the construction stages, an as-built survey, photos, a cadastral survey drawing and test protocols for equipment, lifts and fire-safety systems. The authority decides within 15 working days for a Class III building up to 1,500 m², 20 working days for a larger Class III building and 30 working days for Class IV. For a buyer of a new flat, the permit and the commissioning act are two halves of the same check.
When the developer changes the project
Projects change during construction: a layout is redesigned, a floor is added, the purpose of the ground floor changes. Any change beyond what the permit allows needs the permit to be changed or a new one issued; works carried out without it are unauthorised construction. Ask the developer for the current version of the permit and drawings, not the one from the sales brochure, and check that your contract describes your unit as it appears in the current drawings.
Special zones and historic districts
Rules are stricter in cultural heritage zones and other special areas. Permit decisions there can take longer, by up to 30 extra working days, and the fines for building without a permit or beyond it are far higher than elsewhere: in Tbilisi's cultural heritage zones they reach GEL 200,000 for a large building on private land. Tbilisi also stopped K-2 increases in its central and historic areas in 2016. If the flat you are considering is in an old district, expect closer scrutiny of the permit and more reason to check it carefully.
Fees the developer pays
The permit fee and any zonal agreement fee are paid by the developer, not the buyer. The permit fee is capped at GEL 10 per square metre of K-2 area for most projects. A zonal agreement to raise K-2 carries its own fee, which some developers have been allowed to pay in instalments, with the law linking those arrangements to the building's commissioning application. You do not need to check the fee receipts yourself, but you can ask the developer to confirm in writing that all permit and zonal fees for the building have been paid.
Documents to keep from the developer
Ask for, and keep, copies of the construction permit with its number and date, the approved drawings showing your floor and unit, any zonal agreement raising K-2, any extension or new permit, and, when the building is finished, the commissioning act. You will need them again when you register your ownership, apply for a residence permit, take out a mortgage or sell the flat, and they are much easier to collect while the developer is still selling than years later.
Frequently asked questions
How many building classes are there in Georgia?
Five, from Class I (minor risk) to Class V (increased technical risk).
Who issues construction permits in Tbilisi?
The Architecture Service of Tbilisi City Hall.
How long does a permit take?
Usually 20 working days for the permit after the land-use terms, with possible extensions.
Can I check a permit online?
In Tbilisi, through the Architecture Service's search and map; elsewhere ask the municipality.
What is K-2?
The ratio of a building's total floor area to its plot area; raising it requires a paid zonal agreement.
What if my floor is above the permitted number?
It is unauthorised construction; do not pay until a lawyer has checked whether it can be legalised and registered.
Does a permit mean the building is finished legally?
No; the commissioning act confirms that, and only then may the building be used.
Does a Class I building need commissioning?
No, Class I buildings are not subject to commissioning.
Sources
- Spatial Planning, Architectural and Construction Activities Code of Georgia (Articles 96, 100-112, 139, 139.1), Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Government Resolution No 255 on construction permits and commissioning, Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Law of Georgia on Local Fees (Article 6), Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Document search, Tbilisi City Hall Architecture Service (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Tbilisi launches map to verify construction project status, Georgia Today, 27 November 2025 (accessed 18 October 2026)
- K-2 coefficient increases in Tbilisi, FactCheck Georgia, 8 July 2016 (accessed 18 October 2026)
Change log
- - Guide published from the Spatial Planning Code, Resolution No 255, the Law on Local Fees and Tbilisi City Hall sources.