Building Permits
Procurement Procurement decides who may build — the building permit decides whether and what. Domes are permittable, but they are not the standard case: the curved geodesic form falls outside typified roof shapes, which mainly affects setback calculations, fire-safety proofs and — depending on use — classification as a special-use building. The three DACH countries handle this differently.
| Germany | Austria | Switzerland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal basis | State building code (Landesbauordnung) of the respective Bundesland; the national Musterbauordnung serves as the template. | Building code of the respective Bundesland — Vienna, Lower and Upper Austria each regulate independently. | Cantonal building act plus the municipal building regulations — strongly federal, rules differ town by town. |
| Dome-specific | Setback areas (Abstandsflächen) for curved roofs are usually derived from a substitute eave height — expect a dedicated round with the building authority. Public buildings like a library are typically classed as Sonderbau, adding external fire-safety and structural review. | Round floor plans often count as a Bauwerk besonderer Art (structure of special type) — additional structural and building-physics reports are commonly required. | Municipal design and townscape rules (Ortsbildschutz) are often the limiting factor rather than structure; public posting of the application is standard. |
| Procedure | Simplified permit procedure for small structures; full procedure once classed as Sonderbau. | Building-approval procedure (Baubewilligung) with neighbor participation; simple notification only for small auxiliary structures. | Ordinary building-permit procedure with public posting and a 20–30 day objection window. |
| Typical duration | ~3–6 months (simplified) · 6–10 months (full procedure) | ~4–8 months, depending on neighbor objections | ~3–7 months, plus the objection period |
| Fees | ~0.5–1.0% of construction cost (state fee schedules) | ~0.5–1.2% of construction cost, plus reports | ~0.5–1.5% of construction sum — varies widely by canton and municipality |
Typified planning guidance, not legal advice — the actual procedure, deadlines and fees depend on the specific Bundesland, canton or municipality and the building class. The schedule table on the About page uses 3–12 months for the permit phase to cover this full spread.