5-Step Guide to get Building Plan Approval in Lagos State

Obtaining a development permit or getting your building plan approved is a fundamental part of construction in states across Nigeria, especially in Lagos State. One of the biggest mistakes one can make during a house construction in Lagos is to commence without a building plan approval or construction permit from the government. Such a mistake could lead to unnecessary interruptions or halting of the construction project by government officials and some fines. 

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This article provides a 5-step guide to getting your building plan approved in Lagos State. You'll also get tips on avoiding bottlenecks in the building approval process.

How to Get Building Plan Approval in Lagos State

The Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA), a parastatal under the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, is in charge of Development Permits in Lagos State. You must have a Certificate of Occupancy (CofO) for your building to be assessed by the appropriate authorities.

Step One: Get Architectural Drawings, Building Plan and Survey Plan

Contact a certified architect who is aware of Lagos State building plan approval peculiarities to prepare a design and plan for you.

Tips:

• Ensure that the rooms are cross-ventilated.
• Room sizes must not be less than 3m x 3.6m.
• Ensure that the scaling is correct.
• Use legible lines.

Step Two: Get Demand Notice from the District Officer and Make Payment

Send your architectural drawings, building plan, title documents and survey plan to the district office for assessment and vetting, after which they will be in line for approval. After getting an official government assessment and endorsement of your design, you'll pay a fee based on your proposed building design. Make the payment at the bank. Carefully read and follow the instructions on the Payment Advice.

Tips:

• The Payment Advice contains the Revenue Code and Agency Code that you will use to fill the bank teller
• Avoid paying into the wrong account or using an incorrect code
• Avoid time wastage due to the issuance of a receipt
• Paying cash is faster than paying with cheques
• Use any bank with fast internet connectivity

Step Three: Confirmation of Receipt at the Accounts Department of the District Office

The accountant at the Physical Planning office will log on to the Lagos State government system to confirm your payment.

Tip:

Do not wait until the last minute to confirm your receipt because the internet connection might be slow or unavailable.

Step Four: Inspection by the District Office

A team from the District office will visit your site for inspection. They only want to ensure that the details of your building site match what your documents say. The Site Inspector, Charting officer, Architect and Site Engineer will write their reports. Problems could arise if the land size or other land attributes on the plan is different from the actual data.

Tips:

• Indicate the beacon numbers as shown on the survey plan on block work on the site.
• Monitor them so that they do not visit the wrong site.

Step Five: Submission of Documents

The following documents you need for building plan approval in Lagos State:

• Five (5) sets of Architectural Drawing
• Five (5) sets of Mechanical and Electrical Drawings (If applicable)
• Five (5) sets of Structural Drawing and Calculation Sheets
• Five (5) Copies of the Survey Plan and one (1) original
• A certified copy of the Certificate of Occupancy/Consent (Title Document)
• Confirmation Letter from Lands in lieu of Consent (if applicable)
• Letter of supervision from COREN-registered engineers for the structural drawings
• Environmental Impact Analysis Report (if applicable)
• Soil Test report (if applicable)
• Site Photographs
• Development Levy receipt
• Evidence of payment of assessment fees
• Land Use charge, Tenement Rate receipt or an affidavit of tenement rate
• Evidence of payment of ground rent (if Applicable)
• Copy of Demand Notice for current year ground rent (if applicable)
• Clearance Letter from Land Use and Allocation Committee (LUAC) (if applicable)
• Clearance letter from Housing, Fire, Transportation, and Drainage (if Applicable
• Copy of Confirmation letter from New Towns Development Authority (NTDA) (if applicable)
• 2 Passport Photograph of Applicant(s)
• Electronic tax clearance of applicant (with a copy of last payment receipt for tax)
• Copy of certificate of incorporation (if the applicant is a company).
• Two directors tax clearance (if the applicant is a company name)
• Evidence of Pay as You Earn of the company.
• Copy of most recent company tax clearance.

Tips:

• Ensure that you have all the necessary documents, especially tax and structural drawing papers, to avoid unnecessary delays in the approval process.
• Ensure that your tax papers are up-to-date as Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) will do a tax verification. 

Generally, building plans for bungalows or one-storey buildings get approval within six (6) weeks if you have complete documents. Furthermore, you can discuss with your Architect, Surveyor or any other knowledgeable member of your building team about helping you get your building plan approved.