Before you commit to a home, obtain the approved building plans and the authority’s final occupancy record directly from the office that controls the property. Match both records to the exact address, parcel, building, unit and permitted use, then compare the approved drawings with what is physically built. Plan approval and occupancy approval are different stages, and neither document proves ownership, clear title, structural quality in every respect or the absence of later unauthorized work.
What the two records actually establish
Approved building plans
A planning or building authority approves drawings and associated applications before, or during, construction under its local rules. The document may be called a sanctioned plan, approved building plan, building permit, planning approval or an equivalent term. It normally identifies the approved development, such as floor layouts, building height, use, setbacks, access, parking or common areas.
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Approval is tied to the application and the property described in it. It does not automatically show that construction followed the drawings, that every later alteration was authorized, or that the person selling the home owns it. Treat the plan as the approved design baseline against which the completed property must be checked.
Occupancy approval
The final record may be called an occupancy certificate, occupation certificate, occupancy permit or Certificate of Occupancy (CofO). It is issued at a later stage, after the authority or an appointed building surveyor considers completion and lawful use under that jurisdiction’s process. The Philippine joint circular, for example, defines a Certificate of Occupancy as a document issued by the Building Official certifying that a building or structure was completed and can be occupied or used in accordance with the approved use.
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Victoria’s government guidance makes the sequence explicit: “You cannot move into your new home until you have received an occupancy permit from your building surveyor.” An occupancy document can be final, provisional, partial or subject to conditions. Read its scope rather than assuming that any certificate covers the entire development or every use.
What neither record proves
- Ownership or an unbroken title chain.
- Freedom from mortgages, liens, easements or other registered interests.
- Compliance with every planning, environmental, fire, health, accessibility or strata requirement.
- That no unapproved work was carried out after the record was issued.
- That the building is free from defects or is structurally sound in every respect.
Keep title, technical inspection, insurance, tax and other legal checks as separate workstreams.
Step 1: Identify the authority for this exact property
Start with the property’s jurisdiction, not the developer’s description or the name of a nearby project. Responsibility may sit with a city, municipal building department, planning authority, development authority, county, state agency, special district or an accredited building surveyor. Boundaries can change, and a metropolitan authority may cover only particular parcels or types of development.
- Record the complete street address, unit or apartment number, lot or parcel number, survey number and any building or block identifier shown on the contract or tax record.
- Check which government body regulates that address and whether a separate fire or environmental authority issues a required certificate.
- Use the authority’s own property-search service, records counter, email route or public-records process. Save the page, form, receipt and correspondence in the purchase file.
- Ask the authority to confirm whether older records are held by a predecessor office, archive or another agency.
A seller’s scan is useful for identifying permit numbers, but it is not the same as confirmation from the issuing authority. Perth’s property-enquiry process, for example, lists planning approvals, building permits and occupancy permits that may be requested and sets written-authorization requirements. Phoenix directs a person seeking an existing CofO to submit a public-records request. Those are examples of different local access systems, not a universal procedure.
Step 2: Request the approved plan and final occupancy record
Use local document names
In your request, list the terms used in that jurisdiction: sanctioned or approved building plans, building permit, completion certificate, occupancy certificate, occupation certificate, occupancy permit and Certificate of Occupancy. Ask for the record covering the home itself and, where relevant, the whole building and common areas.
Ask for authority-issued copies
Request a certified copy, digitally signed record or other authority-issued reproduction when the office offers one. If certification is unavailable, ask for written confirmation of the record number, issue date, status and property identifiers. Keep the original response, not only a screenshot of a search result.
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Provide enough identifiers
- Full address, including unit, floor, block or building name.
- Lot, parcel, survey or property identification number.
- Permit, application or file number from the seller’s documents.
- Developer or original owner name, if useful for an older file.
- The specific records and date range requested.
- Evidence of purchase interest or owner authorization if the office requires it.
Do not assume that a portal search covers every archive. Ask whether plans, amendments, as-built drawings, completion certificates, inspection reports and occupancy records are retained separately.
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How official access routes differ
| Illustration | Access route described by the authority | What to verify before relying on it |
|---|---|---|
| City of Perth | Property-enquiry process for specified planning, building and occupancy records. | Whether written owner authorization or other proof is required, which documents are held and whether copies are certified. |
| Phoenix | Public-records request to find an existing Certificate of Occupancy; a contact route is provided when no CofO or permit history is found. | Request number, search scope, response and the explanation for any missing history. |
| Hong Kong | Buildings Department information centre for inspection or copying of certain building records and occupation permits. | Whether the building category is within the centre’s holdings; the department lists categories for which it does not hold records. |
Response times, fees, privacy rules and certification options are local and may change. If an authority requires a formal request, submit it before the contract’s due-diligence deadline.
Step 3: Match every identifier to the home you are buying
Compare the authority record with the contract, title documents, survey and the physical property. A permit for a subdivision, tower or development is not necessarily approval for your particular unit.
| Identifier | Questions to answer |
|---|---|
| Address | Does the street number, locality and postal area match exactly, including a renamed street or amalgamated address? |
| Parcel or survey | Is the lot or parcel number the same as the title or cadastral record? |
| Building and portion | Does the document cover the correct block, floor, unit, extension and common areas? |
| Permitted use | Is the space approved as a dwelling, shop, office, short-term accommodation or another use? |
| Dates and status | Are the issue, amendment, completion and expiry or cancellation dates consistent with the transaction? |
Resolve spelling differences, old addresses and renumbered units with the authority in writing. A matching street name alone is not enough.
Step 4: Compare the approved drawings with the completed home
Inspect the property and mark material differences on a copy of the approved plan. Look beyond cosmetic finishes.
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- Added or removed floors, rooms, balconies, roof spaces or extensions.
- Moved walls, staircases, exits, windows or fire separations.
- Enclosed balconies, converted garages, lofts or basements.
- Changed kitchens, bathrooms or utility areas that affect services or ventilation.
- Converted parking, storage or common areas to private use.
- Changed residential, commercial or other permitted use.
- Site changes such as boundary walls, ramps, pools, retaining structures or additional outbuildings.
Ask the seller for revised plans, amendment approvals and as-built drawings. The Philippine joint circular expressly requires as-built plans as an additional document when the approved plans were changed. If a difference is visible but no revised record is supplied, do not treat the occupancy document as automatic approval of that work.
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Use a qualified comparison when drawings are complex
An architect, engineer, building surveyor or other locally licensed professional can overlay the approved drawings on the existing layout and identify issues a buyer may miss. Their inspection is technical evidence; it does not replace the authority’s answer about legal status.
Step 5: Read the occupancy record’s scope and conditions
Check the exact building or portion covered, approved use, maximum or stated occupancy, conditions, inspection references, issue date and whether the document is final. A partial permit may cover only one floor or stage. A provisional document may require outstanding work or later confirmation.
Confirm whether the record covers:
- The specific unit rather than only the shell or common structure.
- All later additions and change-of-use approvals.
- Fire-safety, accessibility or other certificates referenced as prerequisites.
- The current use, not an earlier use that has since changed.
- The date on which occupation became lawful under local rules.
In Victoria, the occupancy permit is the building surveyor’s confirmation that the building is suitable to occupy under the state process. In the Philippines, the certificate is tied to completion and use in accordance with approved use. These formulations show why the wording and conditions matter more than the document’s title.
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When the authority finds no file
Ask whether the search covered historical addresses, predecessor agencies, paper archives, parcel subdivisions and the correct building or unit. Request a written statement of the search result and the authority’s explanation of what a missing record means under its rules. Phoenix tells applicants to contact its PDD Ombudsman team when no CofO or permit history is on file.
A missing record does not by itself prove that the building is illegal, and it does not prove that it is lawful. Older properties may fall under different record systems or exceptions. Obtain a local legal opinion before waiving a document condition or proceeding.
When the seller’s copy differs
- Stop relying on the seller’s version until the issuer confirms the number, date and scope.
- Ask whether the copy is superseded, cancelled, provisional or for another unit.
- Request the full amendment and inspection history.
- Put any unresolved issue into the contract’s due-diligence, warranty, indemnity or closing conditions with local legal advice.
When visible work is unexplained
Ask the authority whether an amendment, regularization, compounding or as-built submission exists. Do not describe a local tolerance as a general safe harbour. For example, Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority’s procedure says deviations may be considered for compounding only up to 10% of the sanctioned plan. That is a local process detail, not permission to build 10% extra everywhere or a guarantee that this property qualifies.
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Jurisdiction examples: useful illustrations, not universal rules
Philippines
The published DILG-DPWH-DICT-DTI Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2018-01 states that covered construction requires a building permit before work. Its occupancy application material includes a Certificate of Completion, issued building and ancillary permits, locational clearance, fire-safety documentation, professional licences and photographs. As-built plans are added when the approved plans changed. Ask the local Building Official which documents apply to the specific project and whether later amendments were accepted.
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State guidance says a new home cannot be occupied until the building surveyor issues an occupancy permit. Confirm the permit’s building scope, conditions and date, and identify whether a separate permit or approval applies to additions made after the original home was completed.
Hyderabad, India
HMDA’s procedure calls for an application after construction, completion documentation and drawings, technical scrutiny and a site inspection. The procedure describes how local deviations are treated, including the stated 10% compounding figure. Check the current HMDA process and the authority responsible for the exact parcel before relying on that figure.
Delhi, India
DDA states that a building or part of a building should not be occupied until an occupancy certificate has been granted and describes completion inspection. Its FAQ says the authority will communicate sanction, refusal or objection within 60 days after receiving a completion notice. That 60-day period is a DDA process detail, not a general deadline for other authorities or a guarantee that a certificate will issue.
New York City, United States
The Department of Buildings describes a Certificate of Occupancy as stating legal use and permitted occupancy type. Its guidance says buildings built before 1938 are not required to have one unless later alterations changed use, egress or occupancy. Verify applicability for the particular property with the department; an old building’s age alone is not a substitute for that check.
Perth, Australia
The City’s property-enquiry route illustrates an access issue rather than a universal legal rule: purchasers may be able to request planning, building and occupancy records, but the process shows written-authorization requirements. Confirm what the owner must sign and whether the response includes certified copies.
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Phoenix, United States
Phoenix directs people to a public-records request to find an existing CofO and provides an Ombudsman contact when no certificate or permit history is found. Keep the request and response as evidence of what was searched.
Hong Kong
The Buildings Department information centre allows inspection or copying of certain building records and occupation permits, while listing categories of buildings for which it does not hold records. Check the coverage list before interpreting a negative search.
Keep title and other due diligence separate
Use the relevant land, revenue or registration authority to check the title chain, registered owner, mortgages, liens, easements and restrictions. Delhi Police buyer guidance treats title-chain checking, layout-plan checking and occupancy-certificate checking as distinct diligence items. Have a conveyancing or property lawyer reconcile any conflict between the authority file, title record, contract and seller’s statements.
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Buyer’s document checklist
- Authority identified for the exact address and parcel.
- Approved or sanctioned plan and every listed amendment.
- Building, ancillary, planning, fire-safety and locational approvals where applicable.
- Completion certificate and as-built plans when construction differs from the original design.
- Final occupancy certificate, occupation permit or CofO, including conditions and covered portion.
- Authority confirmation of record numbers, dates and identifiers.
- Written explanation for any missing, restricted or unavailable record.
- Marked comparison of approved drawings with the inspected property.
- Separate title, lien, survey, tax, insurance and technical-inspection records.
- Legal advice on unresolved discrepancies before an unconditional purchase or closing.
When to pause the purchase
Pause or make the contract conditional when the authority cannot identify the property, the occupancy document covers a different use or portion, major additions lack amended or as-built plans, the seller refuses authority verification, or a record is provisional and its conditions are not satisfied. The appropriate remedy may be correction, regularization, a price or risk allocation negotiated by counsel, or withdrawal. Choose it only after the issuing authority and a local professional explain the legal consequences.
The Bottom Line
Verify both records with the authority that governs the exact property, match every identifier, compare the approved design with the completed home, and resolve discrepancies before you become legally committed. Treat title, structural condition and other compliance questions as separate checks.
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