Building applications and building advice

Demolition

Demolition is the complete or partial removal of a structure. Due to the potential risks involved, the demolition of buildings with a volume of more than 300 cubic meters is subject to approval. If it is an attached or built-in building or part of a building that is to be demolished, a structural engineer may be required to certify that the measure is safe for the adjacent components.

Form for the removal of installations
Specialist information on demolition notices

Completion certificate/ partial ownership/ condominium ownership

Ownership of buildings or land does not always have to relate to their entirety, but can also only relate to certain shares. Part owners of buildings (e.g. apartment owners) are entered in the land register. The prerequisite for this entry in the land register is a certificate from the building inspectorate, including verified construction drawings, confirming that the respective apartment is self-contained. A self-contained apartment must function independently (have a bathroom and kitchen) and have its own access (apartment door). The certificate of self-contained status can be applied for informally.

Contact / leaflet

Replacement contracts for parking spaces

If necessary parking spaces cannot be created, e.g. due to the specific property conditions, this obligation can be waived in certain cases by paying a redemption fee to the city. The requirements and the redemption amounts to be paid in each case are regulated in the parking space statutes of the City of Aachen. A building permit can only be issued after a transfer agreement has been concluded and the corresponding funds have been paid. The amounts received are used, for example, for local public transport or for the creation of public parking spaces.

Spacing areas / boundary distances

Distances between buildings and to property boundaries are not only necessary for urban planning reasons, but also serve in particular to ensure adequate lighting and ventilation of rooms, fire protection and privacy. For this reason, the NRW state building regulations stipulate that areas in front of the outer walls of buildings must be kept clear of buildings. The depth of the areas to be kept clear is determined according to the respective height and length of the exterior wall concerned.

Deviation

If there is a special atypical property situation or a special individual case, the building inspectorate may allow deviations from the requirements of the NRW state building regulations. However, the granting of a deviation will only be approved if the meaning of the respective law is complied with in another way; if necessary, compensation measures must be taken. Neighboring interests and public concerns must always be taken into account. The granting of a deviation is subject to a fee.

Adjacent owner

Owners of land adjacent to a building plot are considered adjoining owners. In the case of residential buildings, garages and parking spaces that do not require approval, the building owners must inform the adjoining owners of the building project before construction begins. If exemptions or deviations are required that affect neighboring interests, the adjoining owners must be involved on a regular basis. (see also Neighbors and deviations)

View

The appearance of a building, the exact design of the structure and possibly its connection to existing neighboring buildings are illustrated by the architect in the so-called "views". The building application drawings are usually created on a scale of 1:100 and also show the section of the planned and existing ground surface. These elevations are also relevant for calculating the clearance areas.

Application forms

For all procedures requiring approval, the Building Inspection Department of the City of Aachen provides you with special application forms. All necessary forms can be obtained directly from the Building Inspection Department of the City of Aachen, Lagerhausstr. 20 Room 201 or downloaded from the service portal.

Architects / designers

Architects and drafters prepare the respective building project. They prepare a complete design, individual drawings and individual calculations and ensure that the project complies with public law regulations. The architects or drafters are responsible for coordinating the various specialist plans. As a rule, building applications must be submitted by a designer.

Preparation decision

Although the urban land-use planning process often begins with the decision to draw up the plan, this decision is usually preceded by a preliminary phase with initial suggestions and considerations regarding the planning. The decision to draw up the plan is published in the usual local manner. From this point onwards, the municipality can postpone building applications for up to one year or issue a change ban to safeguard the planning objectives.

Outdoor area

Federal legislation divides the available land into three different areas:

1. Areas for which the city has issued a development plan.
2. Areas that are "unplanned" but still have an established urban building structure (unplanned inner area)
3. the "open countryside", which is mainly used for agricultural and forestry operations and as a recreational area for the entire population, the so-called outdoor area.

According to the German Building Code (BauGB), the "outdoor area" should be kept free of development as far as possible. However, certain building projects, e.g. for agricultural and forestry operations, are "privileged" and may be erected. All other building projects must comply with the strict legal requirements regarding the permissibility of building in the outdoor area.

Information / Building advice

You can obtain comprehensive information from the City of Aachen's Building Service, Lagerhausstraße 20, Room 242, where, in addition to the Department of Building Inspection, the Department of Urban Development and Planning, the Department of the Environment and, on Wednesdays only, the municipal fire protection department (fire department) are represented from 8.30 am to 12.00 pm. Direct discussions with the various departments involved play a decisive role in speeding up the planning permission process.

Building application

A formal application must be submitted to the Building Inspection Department to check whether a building project is eligible for approval. The required application forms can be obtained from the Building Inspection Department of the City of Aachen, Lagerhausstrasse 20, Room 201 or in the service portal. In the so-called "building application", the project must be presented completely and verifiably in terms of building law. The following building documents must therefore generally be enclosed:

• Building application form,
• Building description (application form),
• Description of the business (application form, only for commercial or agricultural projects),
• Site plan scale 1:500,
• Distance area calculation,
• Extract from the real estate map / parcel map, scale 1:500,
• Extract from the German base map (for projects that are not located in the area of a development plan),
• Construction drawings scale 1:100,
• Calculation of enclosed space,
• Calculation m² usable area,
• Calculation of the building use GRZ/ GFZ (only in the area of a development plan),
• Proof of the height of the highest occupied space above ground level,
• Production costs for the construction measure applied for,
• Proof of stability (statics) and other constructional proofs, such as thermal and sound insulation (in the simplified procedure only to be submitted at the start of construction, in the full procedure already at the time of application).

Start of construction

If the client wishes to start building after building permission has been granted, he must notify the building supervision department at least 1 week before the start of construction. This notification is also required for buildings that do not require a permit in accordance with §67 BauO NRW. You will receive the form "Notification of start of construction" as an attachment to the building permit notice.

Building plot

A building plot is the plot of land on which an applied-for building is to be erected or already exists. Not every plot of land in the urban area is automatically a building plot on which buildings or structures may be erected. What, where and in what size may be built on a building plot is determined by the regulations in the development plan, in the Building Code, in the Land Use Ordinance and in the NRW Building Code.

Client

The applicant for a building application is also known as the building owner. The building owner does not necessarily have to be the landowner. A building owner can be anyone who requests a decision on the permissibility of a specific building project. The building owners are the contact persons for the building permit authority and are sent correspondence, approval and fee notices. Someone can also be authorized to handle the building permit procedure (e.g. the author of the design). For the implementation of the building project, the client usually commissions designers, site managers and contractors who have the necessary expertise and experience. They must ensure compliance with public law regulations.

Building load

In many cases, it is not possible for the building applicant/property owner to comply with public law regulations on their property due to the unfavorable location or poor layout of their property. For example, it may be impossible to create parking spaces, there may be a lack of secure access or the required distance cannot be demonstrated on the owner's own property. In many cases, however, it is possible to ensure compliance with building regulations in the long term by assuming obligations under public law on neighboring properties. This is then done by registering a building obligation. However, this requires the consent of the owner of the neighboring property, but there is no entitlement to the registration of a building obligation. The building obligation is submitted to the building supervisory authority and is entered in the register of building obligations.

Site manager

Building owners must appoint site managers to carry out construction projects that require approval. The site managers must ensure that the construction work is carried out in accordance with public building law and the building documents. They must ensure the safe operation of the construction site, the coordination of the work and compliance with health and safety regulations.

Buildings

Structures are all structures that represent something built in the broadest sense, i.e. are artificially connected to the ground in a permanent manner or rest on the ground by their own weight. The following are also considered to be structural installations: embankments and excavations, storage, parking and exhibition areas, camping and weekend sites, sports and play areas, parking spaces, scaffolding and auxiliary facilities for the static securing of building conditions.

Building site

Anyone setting up construction sites must ensure that structures can be erected, modified or demolished properly and that hazards and avoidable nuisances are avoided. If necessary, the construction site must be demarcated by a construction fence, marked by warning signs and illuminated. Trees and shrubs that need to be preserved must be protected accordingly during the construction period. Construction waste and excavated soil should be kept to a minimum.

Building permit

In principle, a building permit is required for the construction, modification, change of use or demolition of structural facilities. The building permit is granted if the project does not conflict with any public law regulations, but may contain conditions, requirements and ancillary provisions. Construction work may only begin after the building permit has been received. The building permit is issued without prejudice to the private rights of third parties. If the building project is not commenced within three years, the building permit loses its validity, but can be extended by one year at a time upon application.

Construction site sign

In the case of construction work requiring a permit and exempt construction work, a construction site sign must be affixed to the construction site, which must be visible from the public traffic area. It must contain the name of the construction project, the name and address of the designer, the contractor and the site manager.

Structural verification

Structural engineering verifications are calculations and plans for stability (statics), structural fire protection and sound and heat insulation. Except for residential buildings of low height and single-storey buildings of low height, the verifications must be prepared or checked by a state-approved expert.

Construction supervision

During the execution of a construction project, the building supervisory authority carries out spot checks to ensure that the project is being executed in accordance with the approved documents. It also checks whether public law regulations are being complied with and whether those involved in the construction are fulfilling their obligations, including those relating to public safety and occupational health and safety.

Local building regulations / statutes

Cities and municipalities can issue bylaws on certain issues as local building regulations. The city council of Aachen has passed a cityscape statute, a parking space statute, a tree protection statute and a playground statute.

Construction drawings

The construction drawings (floor plans, elevations, sections) are an important part of the building documents. As a rule, they are prepared by the drafters at a scale of 1:100 for the building inspection. The requirements for the construction drawings are set out in the ordinance on building inspections.

Inspection of the state of construction for completion of the building shell / acceptance of the building shell

The building inspection for the completion of the building shell is carried out by the building supervisory authority. The building supervisory authority must be notified of the completion of the building shell one week in advance in order to enable the building supervisory authority to inspect the condition of the building. Work may only be continued after the period specified in the notification. The building shell is completed when the load-bearing parts, chimneys, fire walls and the roof structure have been completed. In order to inspect the building shell, the components that are essential for stability and, as far as possible, the components that are essential for fire and noise protection must be kept open in such a way that the dimensions and type of construction can be checked.

Building condition inspection for final completion / final acceptance

During the final inspection, the building inspection department checks whether the project has essentially been built in accordance with the building permit and in compliance with the building regulations. The building inspectorate must be notified of final completion one week in advance. The certificates or monitoring reports from the state-approved experts must be submitted with the notification, and the building may only be used once the final inspection has been successfully carried out, but at the earliest one week after notification of completion.

Development plan

The development plan is a municipal statute that regulates how a certain part of the urban area may be built on (binding urban land-use planning). The so-called qualified development plan specifies the type and extent of building use, the area of land that can be built on, the construction method and traffic areas, as well as any design requirements. On the other hand, there is the simple development plan, which must be considered in particular in connection with other provisions of the German Building Code on inner (§34) and outer areas (§35).

Exemptions

An exemption from the provisions of a development plan can be granted if the basic principles of the planning are not affected and either reasons of public welfare require the exemption or the deviation is justifiable in terms of urban development or the implementation of the development plan would lead to an obviously unintended hardship. In addition, proof must be provided that the deviation is compatible with public interests, taking into account neighboring interests.

Building for the disabled

Buildings that serve general visitor traffic must be constructed in such a way that they can also be used appropriately and accessed barrier-free by people with disabilities, elderly people and people with small children without assistance. Even in buildings with more than two apartments, the apartments on one floor must be accessible and meet the needs of wheelchair users.

Fire protection

Buildings must be constructed in such a way that the development of a fire and the spread of fire and smoke are prevented. In addition, it must be possible to rescue people and carry out effective extinguishing work in the event of a fire. The main requirements for fire protection are set out in the NRW Building Regulations; further requirements may result from the Special Building Regulations. Fire protection concepts must be drawn up by experts for special buildings.

Fine

Anyone who acts in breach of regulations (for example, building without planning permission), whether intentionally or negligently, can be fined up to €250,000.

Monument protection

Monuments are, in particular, historically significant buildings that are entered in the list of monuments. Changes to a monument are subject to special approval by the Lower Monument Authority. Your contact for these questions is the Monument Preservation Department of the City of Aachen's Urban Development and Traffic Facilities Department.
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Enclosures / hedges

Walls, fences and gratings up to a height of two meters, up to a height of one meter towards the public traffic area, are not subject to approval, above this height a (building) permit is required. The type and dimensions of hedges and enclosures may be regulated further in development plans.

Calibration

Newly constructed buildings or those whose footprints have been changed must be surveyed after completion. A publicly appointed surveyor must be commissioned to carry out the survey. You can find the relevant addresses and telephone numbers in the "Yellow Pages".

Move-in

A building may only be occupied once it has been properly completed and is safe to use. The final inspection by the building supervisory authority must also have been carried out beforehand.

Author of the design

The designer or architect prepares the construction project. He*she prepares a complete draft as well as the individual drawings and calculations required for execution. He*she must ensure that these documents comply with public law regulations.

Renewable energies

Applications, certificates, information sheets and contact persons can be found in the service portal.

Development

Collective term for all measures that have to be taken before a plot of land can be built on. This includes the construction of roads and the laying of pipes for water, electricity, gas and sewerage.

Fire department access road

To ensure that people and animals can be rescued and effective extinguishing work can be carried out in the event of a fire, the necessary set-up and movement area, including access for the fire department, must be guaranteed on the building site. The access and passageways must be marked and kept clear at all times.

Land use plan

The land use plan outlines the intended land use for the entire urban area (preparatory land-use planning). The municipality can then develop development plans on the basis of the land use plan. The land use plan must be continuously updated. Responsibility for this lies with the preparatory urban land-use planning department in the Urban Development and Transportation Facilities department.

Flying buildings

These are structures that are repeatedly erected and dismantled at different locations, e.g. roundabouts and tents. However, construction site scaffolding and construction site facilities are not included.

Parcel map

This is a map issued by the Department of Geoinformation and Land Regulation with the most accurate possible representation of the building and ownership conditions as well as the land division. It contains boundary points, boundaries and numbers of the parcels, building outlines, names and often also the land use. In most cases, an extract from the cadastral map must be attached to the planning application.

Forms

The official forms required for the building application, e.g. building application form, building description or operating description are available in stationery shops. They are also available to download from the Building Inspection Department at the "Info Point" (Room 201) and on the service portal.

Garages

A building permit is also generally required for the construction of garages, and from a certain size or number of parking spaces, special requirements from the Special Building Regulations apply to garages. For garages in the area of a development plan, see also Permit-free residential buildings, parking spaces and garages.

Garden shed

A garden shed is a project that does not require a permit if it does not exceed 30 m³ of enclosed space (this corresponds to an area of 12 m² with a height of 2.50 m, for example) and is not to be erected in an outdoor area. Unless otherwise stipulated in the development plan, garden sheds are ancillary facilities that are also permitted outside the buildable plot area.

House number

The assignment of house numbers, together with the naming of streets, serves to clearly identify the location of buildings. It is particularly important for emergency and rescue services to be able to locate buildings quickly in order to avoid unnecessary loss of time.
The determination of the house numbering must be requested from the City of Aachen, Department of Geoinformation and Land Use Planning (FB62), Department of Local Building Law (FB62/200), at the start of the building project or allocation of the building permit by telephone (contact: Ms. Chantré, Tel. 432-6263 or Mr. Prescher, Tel: 432-6260), in writing by email(ortsbaurecht@mail.aachen.de) or in the service portal of the City of Aachen - apply for house numbers online.
The binding determination of house numbers is carried out exclusively by the Department of Geoinformation and Land Use Planning.

Building services systems

No building permit is required for building services installations such as heating systems, water supply systems, waste water systems, oil and gas tanks.

Restaurant law

For the operation of a restaurant - this includes not only the "pub on the corner", but also a fast food restaurant or a hotel - building regulations must be observed in addition to commercial law. Special requirements are placed on a restaurant, e.g. with regard to guest rooms, toilet facilities, escape routes or fire protection. If rooms that were previously used for other purposes are to be converted into a restaurant, a building permit is also required for this change of use. You can obtain more detailed information on this topic from the Building Inspection Department.

Dormer windows

A dormer is a structure on a sloping roof truss for the installation of a vertical window. A building permit is generally required for the subsequent installation of dormers, e.g. in the course of a loft conversion, unless it is a residential building that does not require a permit.

Fees

Fees are charged for the official acts carried out by the Building Inspection Department. The amount of these fees is standardized for the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is based on the economic value of the property and the administrative costs.

Emergency response

The tasks of the building supervisory authority are considered to be those of averting danger. The prevention of dangers to public safety and order already takes place preventively during the examination of the building application. The building supervisory authority must also ensure during and after construction that a building does not pose any danger. Otherwise, it must take the necessary measures to eliminate this danger.

Period of validity of the building permit

The building permit is valid for three years. The building project must be started within this period. If the start of construction is delayed, the building permit can be extended by one year. An informal application is sufficient for this.

Installations not requiring a permit

No building permit is required for building services installations such as heating systems, water supply systems, waste water systems, oil and gas tanks.

Projects not requiring approval

For various projects, such as buildings with up to 30 cubic meters of enclosed space, uncovered parking spaces of up to 100 square meters or a pergola, no building permit is required. However, the other building regulations, such as boundary distances, must also be observed here. Other regulations apply in outdoor areas.

Permit-free residential buildings, parking spaces and garages

Within urban areas where there is a development plan, residential buildings (except high-rise buildings), including outbuildings and ancillary facilities, can be erected without planning permission. The project must comply with the provisions of the development plan and the development must be secured. Even if these requirements are met, either the building owner or the building supervisory authority can still declare that an approval procedure should be carried out. Building documents must be submitted to the City of Aachen for these permit-free residential buildings, but only in a single copy. These documents correspond to those of a building application. They are only checked to see whether the building project is exempt from approval. If no declaration has been made by the authorities within one month of receipt of the documents, the building project can begin.

Approval procedure

The approval procedure checks whether the building project complies with building regulations. As a rule, other authorities/departments are also involved. If the building plot is located in a water protection area, the lower water authority is consulted. If, for example, the building is a listed building, the Lower Monument Authority will be consulted. It is therefore advisable to submit multiple copies of the building documents so that these participations can take place at the same time. A building project often also requires the entry of a building charge, the approval of a deviation or exemption or the consent of neighbors. The building permit can only be issued once all these matters have been settled and the inspection has been completed.

Geographic Information System (GIS)

The City of Aachen's online geoinformation system is designed to provide interested parties with a simple overview of existing planning and environmental protection legislation as well as access to aerial images and city maps.
Geoinformation system

Design statutes

Building projects should be constructed in such a way that they do not disfigure the streetscape, townscape or landscape. For this reason, design issues are also examined during the planning permission process. There are several statutes in the city of Aachen that regulate design issues, such as the townscape statutes for the preservation and maintenance of the townscape and streetscape. If the requirements of such design statutes are not met, planning permission cannot be granted.

Boundary distances

Areas in front of the outer walls of buildings must be kept free of development in order to ensure an appropriate distance between the buildings and the neighboring boundaries. These boundary distances also serve to ensure adequate lighting and ventilation of rooms, fire protection and privacy.

Floor plan

A floor plan is a horizontal section through a building or its storeys. It shows the room layout and utilization and is a necessary part of the construction drawings.

Division of developed land

The division of a developed property must be approved by the building supervisory authority, which checks whether the division would create conditions that do not meet the requirements of the building regulations.

Immission control

Immission control is protection against the significant effects of pollutants, e.g. exhaust fumes, noise, vibrations, odors, heat and radiation on humans, animals, plants and buildings. The planning permission procedure may also involve checking whether harmful or disruptive emissions emanate from a project or whether appropriate protective measures are required for the planned project.

Fireplaces / chimneys

No building permit is required for fireplaces and chimneys. However, they must be inspected or approved by the responsible district chimney sweep.

Site plan

The site plan is part of the building documents. It must be submitted at a scale of 1:500 and, in addition to the planned building project, contains e.g. planning regulations, ground heights, neighboring buildings, distance areas, supply and disposal lines and details of adjacent public traffic and green areas. In special cases, the site plan must be prepared by publicly appointed surveyors. The required contents of the site plan are set out in the Ordinance on Structural Inspections of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (BauPrüfVO)

Advertising

see "Advertising systems"

Escape routes

These are the routes out of buildings that lead safely outside in the event of danger. An escape route can lead via stairs and corridors, but also via windows and the fire department's rescue equipment. Each usage unit with recreation rooms must be accessible via two independent escape routes on each floor. The first escape route must be via a necessary staircase for units of use that are not at ground level. The second escape route in residential buildings is generally a window that can be reached by the fire department.

Structural acceptance

The building inspection for the completion of the building shell is carried out by the building supervisory authority. The building supervisory authority must be notified of the completion of the building shell one week in advance to enable the building supervisory authority to inspect the condition of the building. Work may only begin after the period specified in the notification. The building shell is completed when the load-bearing parts, chimneys, fire walls and the roof structure have been completed. In order to inspect the building shell, the components that are essential for stability and, as far as possible, the components that are essential for fire and noise protection must be kept open in such a way that the dimensions and type of construction can be checked.

Experts

The building supervisory authorities may call in experts and expert bodies to carry out their tasks (e.g. state-approved experts for testing sound and heat insulation, fire protection or stability).

Statutes

The Aachen City Council adopts local building regulations (bylaws, development plans). Among other things, they can contain regulations on the development of properties, the design of buildings, areas in which buildings or their design must be maintained, the type and design of children's play areas or advertising structures.

Sound insulation

serves to reduce the impact of sound transmission within the building and noise from outside. Compliance with sound insulation regulations must be verified by experts.

Final acceptance

During the final inspection, the building inspection department checks whether the project has essentially been built in accordance with the building permit and in compliance with the building regulations. The building inspectorate must be notified of final completion one week in advance. The certificates or monitoring reports from the state-approved experts must be submitted with the notification, and the building may only be used once the final inspection has been successfully carried out, but at the earliest one week after notification of completion.

Cut

The section is part of the construction drawings. With its dimensions, it enables the calculation of the enclosed space and the distance areas. It must also show the height of the first floor above sea level and the height of the floor of the highest occupied room above ground level. In addition, the section must in particular contain information on storey heights and clear room heights, the section of the existing and planned ground surface as well as roof heights and roof pitches.

Chimneys

Fireplaces and chimneys do not require a permit. Nevertheless, the building regulations stipulate certain requirements and they must therefore be approved by the responsible district chimney sweep.

Special buildings

The requirements of the building regulations refer to the imaginary normal case of a residential building on a rectangular floor plan or comparable uses. For buildings that do not correspond to this normal case - so-called special buildings - special requirements may be imposed or, under certain circumstances, exemptions may be granted. Special buildings include, in particular, high-rise buildings, retail outlets, places of assembly, office buildings, hospitals, schools, restaurants and larger garages. Above certain sizes, these buildings are no longer subject to the simplified approval procedure, making it necessary to include a fire protection report with the building application, among other things.

Playground statutes

The building regulations stipulate that buildings with several apartments may only be erected if sufficient play areas are available. The size, location, condition and maintenance of these playgrounds is regulated in Aachen by the playground statutes.

Stability / statics

Every building and parts of buildings must be stable. Proof of structural stability must be submitted to the building supervision department at the latest at the start of construction. The structural analysis must be drawn up by a specialist planner and generally checked by a state-approved expert (test engineer). See also structural verification.

Pitches

Buildings and their use generally trigger a need for parking spaces. The parking spaces or garages must be created or verified on the building plot or in the immediate vicinity of it. The number of parking spaces depends on the type of use and accessibility by public transport. If it is not possible to provide proof of the parking spaces, the parking spaces can be waived by concluding a redemption agreement and paying a redemption amount, which is determined on the basis of the parking space statutes of the City of Aachen.

Parking space statutes / transfer agreement

If it is not otherwise possible to provide proof of the necessary parking spaces for a building project, the City of Aachen can waive the creation of the parking spaces after concluding a redemption agreement. The parking space statutes of the City of Aachen regulate the redemption amounts to be paid by an applicant. The accessibility by public transport is taken into account in the rates of the statutes.

Partial building permit

If a building application has been submitted, a partial building permit can be issued upon written application, which relates to certain construction phases or individual components, e.g. the construction of the excavation pit.

Extent of building use

The degree of building use determines the extent to which a plot of land may be used for buildings. In addition to the building height and the number of storeys, the floor area ratio (ratio of the area occupied by buildings, parking spaces and access roads to the size of the plot) and the floor area ratio (ratio of the sums of the individual storeys to the size of the plot) are also decisive.

Neighbor

Neighbors are owners and leaseholders of surrounding properties. Tenants are not neighbors within the meaning of public building law. When constructing residential buildings, garages or parking spaces that do not require a permit, the building owner must inform the neighbors of the project before construction begins.

Neighbor protection

Neighborly concerns are taken into account when examining building applications. These are essentially compliance with the boundary distances (clearance areas), the permissibility of the project with regard to the type of use and compliance with the principle of consideration.

Neighbor approval

In certain constellations, it may be required by the building supervisory authority for the approval of a project (e.g. for the approval of deviations and exemptions).

Ancillary facilities

Ancillary facilities are those facilities that are ancillary or subordinate to a residential building, e.g. entrances and driveways, children's play areas, enclosures, water supply and sewage systems on the property, waste garbage can stands, bicycle parking spaces.

Outbuilding

Outbuildings are ancillary facilities that are erected in the form of buildings, e.g. equipment and storage sheds, covered outdoor seating areas and indoor swimming pools.

Change of use

is the change in the type of use approved by the building authorities, which is subject to public law requirements; the change of use generally requires approval from the building supervisory authority.

Regulatory procedure

As a special regulatory authority, the building supervisory authority is responsible for averting danger in relation to buildings. In the event of conditions that violate building regulations, it must take the measures that appear necessary and appropriate to remedy the respective defect. To this end, it can order measures to be taken against the persons responsible (persons subject to regulatory obligations) that are suitable for remedying the deficiency or impose fines.

Parking lots / parking spaces

Areas that lie outside the public traffic area and are used for parking motor vehicles. Uncovered parking spaces for cars and motorcycles up to a total of 100 square meters do not require planning permission.

Planning law information

see "Construction service"

PV systems

Applications, certificates, information sheets and contact persons can be found in the service portal.

Entrepreneurs

The contractor is one of the parties involved in the construction. He*she is responsible for ensuring that the construction is carried out in accordance with the construction documents and the generally recognized rules of technology. They are also responsible for the safe operation of the construction site and compliance with occupational health and safety requirements.

Simplified procedure

The simplified approval procedure is carried out for the construction, modification or change of use of building structures, unless they are large special buildings or residential buildings, parking spaces or garages that do not require approval. As part of a simplified procedure, the building inspection department only examines some of the building regulations.

Preliminary inquiry / preliminary decision

Before a building application is submitted, a preliminary inquiry can be made on individual questions relating to a building project, after which the building supervision department issues a preliminary decision. In particular, it is possible to check in advance whether a project is permitted under planning law. Only the documents required to answer the question must be submitted for a preliminary inquiry.

Premature utilization

Often, buildings are to be put into use that are not yet fully completed or where not all structural engineering certificates are available without defects. In these cases, the building inspectorate can allow the building to be used early under certain conditions. This permission may be limited in time, exclude certain parts of the building or be subject to requirements and conditions.

Heat pumps

Applications, certificates, information sheets and contact persons can be found in the service portal.

Thermal insulation

Buildings must be designed in such a way that their energy consumption for heating and hot water does not exceed certain limits. The energy requirement and compliance with the regulations must be verified by an expert through calculations. The Energy Saving Ordinance forms the basis for the requirements and calculations. The proof is part of the building documents and must be submitted to the building inspectorate no later than the start of construction.

Advertising system

Outdoor advertising installations (advertising systems) are all fixed installations that serve to announce or advertise, or as a reference to a trade or profession, and are visible from the public thoroughfare. These include, in particular, signs, lettering, painting, illuminated advertising, showcases as well as columns, boards and surfaces intended for posting notices and sheets or illuminated advertising. Advertising structures are generally not permitted outside of built-up areas. In some areas of the city of Aachen, statutes regulating advertising structures apply.

Opposition proceedings

In the past, an appeal could be lodged against any decision issued by the building inspectorate. The objection procedure has since been abolished by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Building owners or affected neighbors now have the option of appealing to the Aachen Administrative Court.

Conservatory

Conservatories are glazed rooms that form a temperature-related intermediate zone between the living spaces and the outside area. They must not be extensions of living space, i.e. they must be independent rooms separated from the rest of the building by windows or doors without their own radiators.

Residential property

Condominiums can only be created if the apartments are self-contained, i.e. have their own lockable entrance, a kitchen or kitchenette and the necessary sanitary facilities. For entry in the land register, a certificate of completion from the building inspectorate is therefore required after submission of verifiable drawings.

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Deferral

As part of a development plan procedure, the decision on building projects that conflict with future planning objectives can be postponed for up to 12 months.

Rejection

The building inspection department should reject the building application if the building documents are incomplete or have significant deficiencies, making it impossible to review the building application. The rejection of building applications is subject to a fee.