Construction in Bulgaria runs on the Spatial Development Act and a thick layer of ordinances. Every stage — the plan that defines what may be built, the permit, the works, the commissioning — has its own documents, authorities and deadlines, and a defect at one stage can stall the whole project.
We work for investors, developers, contractors and owners who want a project to move through that system predictably, and who need a clear route when an authority says no.
Stages we support
Planning
Checking what the detailed development plan allows on the plot, and changing it where needed — including re-drawing plot boundaries under Art. 16 of the Spatial Development Act.
Permits
Preparing and following the application for a building permit, and challenging refusals in court.
Contracts
Design, construction and supervision contracts that allocate risk, deadlines, quality and payment sensibly.
Commissioning
The final acceptance protocol and the certificate or permit for use, without which the building cannot lawfully be occupied.
Problems
Legalisation of structures built without or outside a permit, and disputes over defects, delays and payment.
Our work includes
- Advice on obtaining building permits
- Appeals against refusals to issue construction documents
- Procedures to amend detailed development plans (PUP)
- Design, construction and supervision contracts
- Commissioning procedures
- Legalisation of unlawfully built structures
- Planning and construction disputes before the courts
Questions clients ask
How do I challenge a refusal to issue a building permit?
The refusal can be appealed to the administrative court, usually within 14 days of receiving it in writing. Typical grounds are a misreading of the Spatial Development Act, a departure from the approved detailed plan, procedural errors or insufficient reasons. If the court annuls the refusal, the authority must reconsider the application in line with the judgment.
Can a building constructed without a permit be legalised?
Only in limited cases. Buildings that could have been permitted under the rules in force when they were built and are still permissible today may in principle be legalised; structures that contravene the plan generally cannot. We review the history and documents before you buy or invest.
What is the difference between the Act 15 and the Act 16?
Act 15 records that construction is complete and the building is handed over by the contractor to the client. “Act 16” is the shorthand for the next stage: the acceptance protocol followed by the permit or certificate for use, which the authorities issue and which allows the building to be lawfully occupied. Buyers of off-plan property should know which of the two the seller is offering.
