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Before paying a deposit, verify the approval record with the authority that approved the building, obtain its latest authenticated plans and amendments, confirm completion or occupancy evidence, and compare the documents with the flat as built. A sales brochure, an undated floor plan, or an occupancy certificate alone is not enough. The exact office, document names, access rules and legal consequences depend on the property’s jurisdiction, so treat the steps below as a framework to apply locally.
What you need to verify
Building-control records are normally a set of separate documents, not one universal “permit file.” Ask for each record that exists in the local system and establish what it covers.
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| Record | What it can establish | What it may not establish |
|---|---|---|
| Building permit or approval decision | That the competent authority approved specified work, usually on a stated date and under an identification number. | That the work was completed, that later changes were approved, or that every part of the flat matches the approval. |
| Latest approved architectural drawings and specifications | The authorized layout, room configuration, openings, dimensions and other design information for the revision shown. | That the drawings supplied by a seller are the latest set, or that construction followed them. |
| Approved amendments or revised plans | Changes that the authority accepted after the original approval. | Unrecorded alterations, informal approvals or changes still awaiting a decision. |
| Final inspection, completion or occupancy evidence | That a defined local inspection or completion milestone was reached for the scope stated on the document. | A guarantee that every unit conforms to every approved drawing, or that unrelated legal requirements are satisfied. |
| Authority-endorsed as-built drawings | How the completed work is recorded where the local process requires drawings of deviations or final construction. | A substitute for checking the physical property or reviewing title, fire, structural and conveyancing matters. |
These distinctions matter because a record search can list approvals while plans must be requested separately. Conversely, an occupancy document may show that a local process reached a milestone without containing the approved plan set.
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Start with the full address, then determine which planning or building-control body had jurisdiction when the project was approved. A municipal planning department, building surveyor, regional authority or another designated body may hold different parts of the file. Do not assume the office serving the seller’s current mailing address is the approving authority.
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Confirm the official lot, parcel, plot or property identifier used locally. Also record the development name, tower or block, unit number, street address and, if available, the original permit or application number. Large developments can have separate approvals for different blocks, stages, later additions or changes of use.
Ask the authority how its records are organized and whether a search covers the whole development or only a particular application. There is no universal portal, fee, response time or document title. If an online search exists, use it as a starting point and verify the result with the authority when the file appears incomplete.
Step 2: request the complete, current record set
Make a written request so the scope is clear. Ask specifically for the following:
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- the latest authority-approved architectural plan set, including site, floor, unit, elevation and relevant services drawings;
- every approved revision, amendment, variation or condition that changed the original design;
- final inspection reports, completion certificates, occupancy permits or equivalent evidence issued for the building and, where applicable, the unit;
- authority-endorsed as-built or revised drawings where construction differed from the approved plans;
- the authority’s method for authenticating copies, checking superseded revisions and identifying documents withheld under local access rules.
A concise request can read:
Please provide the issued approval and current approved plans for the development at the stated address, including all approved amendments, final inspection or completion records, occupancy evidence, and any authority-endorsed as-built drawings. Please identify the approval number, revision dates, approval stamps, superseded documents and the procedure for verifying authenticity.Some authorities release records only to an owner, authorized agent or person with written consent. If so, ask the seller or developer to authorize the request, but have the authority send or authenticate the documents directly where possible. A seller-provided PDF can be useful for comparison, but it should not be your only evidence of what the authority holds.
Step 3: authenticate and match every document to the flat
For each page or file, check the identifiers before relying on its contents:
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- Match the building address and official lot or parcel identifier to the property you are buying.
- Confirm the tower, block, stage and unit designation. A plan for a neighboring block can look almost identical while showing different structure, fire routes or services.
- Record the permit or approval number, issue date, drawing number, revision letter or number and scale.
- Look for authority stamps, digital signatures, authentication codes or other marks the issuing body says are valid.
- Ask whether a later revision supersedes the copy supplied by the seller, agent or developer.
- Check that the completion or occupancy document names the same building and covers the relevant scope, rather than a separate stage or common-area approval.
Ask the authority to explain any apparently missing pages, illegible stamps or conflicting dates. A plan set with no revision history is not automatically invalid, but you need the authority’s confirmation of whether it is current.
Step 4: understand completion and occupancy evidence
Find out what the local system calls the final milestone. It might be a completion certificate, final inspection record, occupancy permit, occupation permit or another document. Establish who issued it, what inspection or certification it represents, the date, the building or unit covered and any conditions attached.
Do not treat the document as a universal conformity guarantee. Its legal effect varies. It may confirm that an authorized surveyor or authority accepted a defined stage, while leaving plan changes, private alterations or other regulatory matters outside its scope. Brisbane City Council, for example, distinguishes a building-approval record search from requests for copies of approved plans; a search can report approvals and occupancy certificates without supplying the plans themselves.
Ask whether the final record was issued subject to outstanding work, conditions, staged occupation or later amendments. If the building has several towers or construction stages, obtain the evidence for the stage containing your flat and for shared elements that affect safe use, such as access, fire systems or structural work, where those records are available.
Step 5: compare the approved plans with the flat as built
Conduct the comparison using the latest approved revision, not a marketing layout. Take the plan to the inspection and work through it systematically.
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Inside the unit
- Compare the position and number of rooms, walls, doors, windows and balconies.
- Check the direction and location of kitchens, bathrooms, utility cupboards, risers and ventilation points.
- Measure key dimensions and note whether walls, shafts or storage areas reduce the usable configuration shown on the drawing.
- Check door swings, window openings, emergency exits and any fire-rated separation indicated on the plan.
- Identify enclosed balconies, removed partitions, moved wet areas or added rooms that are not obvious from a quick viewing.
Building and shared elements
- Compare the entrance, corridors, stairs, lifts, parking or storage allocations and access routes with the relevant approved drawings.
- Check visible changes to façades, balconies, roof structures, plant rooms, retaining walls or extensions.
- Where the approval covers them, ask about fire-safety systems, accessibility provisions, drainage and structural elements that have been altered.
A laser distance measurer or tape can help you record dimensions consistently, but measurements do not authenticate a plan or decide legal compliance. Keep dated notes and photographs, subject to the seller’s permission and local privacy rules, and mark each observation against a drawing number.
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If the physical flat differs from the original approval, ask whether the change was approved and obtain the document that proves it. The relevant evidence may be an amended permit, a revised architectural plan, an authority-endorsed as-built drawing or a completion submission that incorporates the change.
Goa’s published procedure, for example, refers to completion certification, structural-stability certification, as-built structural drawings and revised drawings where deviations occurred. Philippine building-occupancy guidance likewise specifies as-built plans when changes were made to approved plans. These are jurisdiction-specific examples of the type of record to seek, not documents every authority uses.
Do not infer approval from the fact that a change appears professionally built or has existed for years. Ask the authority whether the change was accepted, whether a regularization process is available and whether the current record supersedes the earlier drawing.
What to do when documents and the building do not match
Classify each discrepancy before deciding whether it is acceptable:
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- Permitted revision: the authority’s later approval clearly shows the change.
- Document error or measurement tolerance: a professional and the authority confirm that the difference is clerical or within the applicable tolerance.
- Unrecorded alteration: the work is visible but no approval or revised plan can be located.
- Unresolved technical or legal issue: the effect on structure, fire safety, use, title or future sale cannot be determined from the file.
For anything beyond a minor, explained discrepancy, pause the purchase timetable. Engage an independent architect, building surveyor or engineer who is licensed or otherwise recognized in that jurisdiction. Ask for a written opinion identifying the affected element, the evidence reviewed, the safety or compliance implications and the action needed. A property lawyer should advise on disclosure, contract conditions, title consequences, indemnities, regularization and the right to withdraw; those consequences differ by location.
How local systems illustrate the differences
Official guidance from several jurisdictions demonstrates why you must not copy terminology from another country.
| Jurisdiction and source | Relevant distinction | Practical lesson for a buyer elsewhere |
|---|---|---|
| Victoria, Australia — State Government guidance updated 23 June 2026 | Building permits relate to approved work and its drawings and specifications; occupancy permits are a separate part of the process. | Request both the approval material and the final occupancy evidence, then confirm their scope. |
| Brisbane, Australia — City Council guidance | A building-approval record search and copies of approved plans are separate requests. | A search result or occupancy entry may not include the plan sheets you need. |
| Goa, India — Town and Country Planning Department procedure | Completion and occupancy processes refer to completion and structural certificates, as-built structural drawings and revised drawings where applicable. | Where construction changed, look for final and revised technical drawings, not only the original permission. |
| Uganda — National Building Review Board checklist posted March 2025 | The buyer checklist asks about an occupation permit, the accuracy of several as-built drawing types and professional assistance during inspection. | Use the occupation record as one check and have a qualified person assess drawing accuracy. |
| Philippines — Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2018-01 | The occupancy process lists required documents and calls for as-built plans when approved plans changed. | Confirm whether your local occupancy submission requires final drawings reflecting deviations. |
| United Kingdom — Ministry guidance on lawful development certificates, 6 March 2014 | A lawful development certificate addresses planning-law status; it does not remove separate regulatory requirements. | Do not treat a planning-law certificate as proof of building-control, fire, structural or other compliance. |
These examples show document patterns, not a universal checklist. Always ask the authority for the terms and evidence used for the property’s location.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.On-site inspection checklist
Bring the authenticated plan set and record the following before exchange or signing:
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- plan revision and drawing numbers used during the inspection;
- room dimensions and wall positions at representative points;
- window, balcony and external-door locations;
- wet-area, ventilation and service-riser positions;
- parking, storage and other exclusive-use areas;
- visible changes to common areas, façade, roof, stairs, lifts and access routes;
- photographs and measurements linked to a drawing reference;
- the name and qualifications of any professional who inspected the property;
- open questions to send to the authority, seller and lawyer.
Measurements are evidence for a professional review, not a substitute for the authority’s file. Do not cut into finishes, test systems or enter restricted areas without permission.
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When to make the contract conditional
If records are incomplete, make the transaction conditional on receiving and approving the specified documents before a deposit becomes non-refundable. A lawyer can draft conditions requiring delivery of the latest approved plans, confirmation of amendments, satisfactory professional review and a remedy or termination right for material discrepancies. The exact wording and enforceability are local legal questions.
Keep separate due-diligence tracks for title and liens, taxes, structural safety, fire approvals, utilities and general conveyancing unless your local professional advises that a particular permit record addresses one of them. A clean permit search does not replace those checks.
Common mistakes and their fixes
- Relying on a brochure: request the authority’s stamped or authenticated current drawings.
- Accepting the original plan: obtain the complete revision and amendment history.
- Assuming occupancy equals conformity: verify what the occupancy document actually covers and compare the built unit.
- Searching only the unit: check building-level approvals and shared elements that affect the purchase.
- Using the wrong authority: confirm jurisdiction from the address and official parcel identifier.
- Ignoring unexplained alterations: stop and obtain professional and legal advice before committing.
- Assuming a seller’s PDF is current: ask the authority how to authenticate it and whether a later drawing supersedes it.
- Trying to decide technical compliance yourself: use a locally qualified architect, surveyor or engineer for interpretation.
Your decision gate before buying
Proceed only when you can answer “yes” to all of these questions:
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- Have you identified the competent approving authority and the official property identifier?
- Do you have the issued approval, latest approved plans and every relevant amendment?
- Have you authenticated the documents and confirmed they cover the correct block and unit?
- Do you understand the scope and conditions of the completion or occupancy evidence?
- Does the physical flat and relevant shared construction match the latest records?
- Are every discrepancy and deviation supported by an approved revision or authority-endorsed as-built record?
- Has an independent local professional reviewed any technical uncertainty?
- Has a property lawyer addressed contract, disclosure, title and local legal consequences?
If any answer is “no,” treat the permit and plan review as unfinished rather than assuming the risk will disappear after completion.
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