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 house construction in Lagos is to commence without a building plan approval or construction permit from the government. That's because the government could stop your project and fine you.

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This article provides a 5-step guide to getting your planning permit or 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 responsible for 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: Planning Information and Document Screening

Contact a certified architect who is aware of Lagos State building plan approval peculiarities to prepare a design and survey plan for you. Visit the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development (MPP&UD) or a LASPPPA District Office to confirm the zoning of the land and whether the land is free from government acquisition. Check that your planned construction complies with the permissible land use (that is, what you can build on the land) and important construction restrictions like height restrictions. You need a survey plan and the land documents for this check.

Prepare the following documents for screening

• Proof of Land Ownership: Certificate of Occupancy, registered deed of assignment, or other title documents.
• Survey Plan: A duly signed and sealed survey plan of the property.
• Technical Drawings and Reports: Architectural, structural, mechanical, and electrical drawings, all prepared and signed by registered professionals. Land Use Planning and Analysis Report (LUPAR) and Physical Planning Technical Report (PPTR), if applicable.
• Tax Clearance: A current e-tax clearance certificate for individuals or company tax for businesses, including evidence of PAYE returns if applicable.
• Agency Clearances: Depending on the land's status, clearance letters from relevant Lagos State agencies, such as
• letter from the Lagos State Surveyor General's Office for land in acquisition/revocation areas
• letter from the New Towns Development Authority (NTDA) for confirmation of allocation
• letter from the Ministry of Environment for environmental impact clearance, if required

Submit your architectural drawings, building plan, title documents and survey plan to the LASPPPA district office for assessment and vetting. District officials will review your documents for compliance, and, where necessary, the district office will contact you via email or telephone for additional information or corrections.

Tips:

• Ensure that the rooms are cross-ventilated.
• Room sizes must be at least 3m x 3.6m.
• Ensure that the scaling is correct.
• Use legible lines.

Step Two: Site Inspection and Charting 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 claim. 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:

• Ensure that the beacon numbers as shown on the survey plan are clearly visible on the site.
• Monitor the LASPPPA officials so that they do not visit the wrong site

Step Three: Payment and Building Permit Application 

After the document screening and site inspection, the district office calculates the permit processing fee based on your proposed building plan. You can pay the fee online via the Lagos State Payment Portal (lasg-ebs-rcm.com) or at the designated bank with a generated Payment Advice. Carefully read and follow the instructions on the Payment Advice. LASPPPA will verify your payment receipt through the account department and the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service.

Tips:

• The Payment Advice contains the Revenue Code and Agency Code that you will use to fill out 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

Submit your application online through the Lagos State e-Planning Permit portal (epp.lagosstate.gov.ng) or at the LASPPPA District Office. The authorities require the following documents for building plan approval in Lagos State:

1. A duly completed application form
2. Five (5) sets of screened architectural drawings of the proposed development prepared, signed, sealed and stamped by a registered architect
3. Five (5) sets of mechanical drawing for all buildings (optional for two (2) floor residential) prepared, signed, sealed by a registered Mechanical Engineer
4. Five (5) sets of electrical drawing for all buildings prepared, signed, sealed by an Electrical Engineer registered
5. Five (5) sets of structural drawing and calculation sheets, signed, sealed by a registered Civil/Structural Engineer
6. Five (5) Copies of the Survey Plan and one (1) original
7. Drawings, Scales and Sheet Sizes
8. Two (2) copies of a Physical Planning Technical Report (PPTR) or Physical Planning Audit Report (PPAR) (for existing development) prepared, signed, sealed and stamped by a registered Town Planner
9. One (1) copy of the Environmental Impact Assessment Report (E.I.A.R) and clearance (if applicable)
10. Clearance from Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency (LASURA) in urban renewal scheme areas
11. Clearance letters from Housing, Fire, Transportation, and Drainage if Applicable
12. One (1) copy of the Traffic Impact Analysis Report (TIAR) and clearance letter from the Ministry of Transportation
13. Clearance from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) regarding flight path and height limit within the Airport area.
14. Evidence of title documents.
15. Evidence of payment of applicable fees
16. Clearance Letter from Land Use and Allocation Committee (LUAC) if applicable
17. Copy of Confirmation letter from New Towns Development Authority (NTDA) (if applicable)
18. 2 Passport Photograph of Applicant(s)
19. Electronic tax clearance of the applicant (with a copy of the last payment receipt for tax)
20. Copy of certificate of incorporation (if the applicant is a company).
21. Two directors tax clearance (if the applicant is a company name)
22. Evidence of Pay as You Earn of the company.
23. Copy of most recent company tax clearance.

Tips:

• Ensure that you have all documents required for building permit approval, 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.

Step Four: Final Review and Development Permit Approval

Authorities endorse permits if they comply with the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law. Approving authorities responsible for building permit approvals are:

• District Officer — only residential buildings with one or two floors limit
• Supervising Directors — only residential buildings with three to four floors
• General Manager — development with five to six floors
• Permanent Secretary — development with seven to eight floors
• Commissioner — buildings with nine to ten floors
• The Governor — eleven floors and above

Processing of building permit takes 10 working days from the date of registration depending on certain conditions. You can discuss with your Architect, Surveyor or any other knowledgeable member of your building team about helping you get your building plan approved.

Step Five: Collection of Planning Permit and Post-Approval Requirements

You'll receive notification from LASPPPA once your permit is ready. Submit five sets of the final screened drawings (signed and sealed by professionals) to LASPPPA for endorsement. Collect your planning permit, which includes a unique approval number. The project site board should display this unique approval number during construction. You must also notify the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) in writing seven days before starting construction. You must keep a copy of the permit on-site for inspection.