Building permit basics: what a small house actually needs

For a residential building under the prescribed area, the application goes to the secretary with the site plan, ownership documents and the fee. Approval timelines are fixed under the service delivery norms.

The process below reflects the current rules. Where a local body has its own additional requirement, the panchayat or municipal office will say so at the counter — ask for it in writing.

Keep every acknowledgement receipt you are given. Under the Right to Service Act each service has a fixed timeline, and the receipt is what starts the clock. If the timeline passes, the appeal goes to the designated appellate officer, not back to the same counter.

If you are unsure at any stage, raise it in your Gram Sabha. Questions asked there are recorded in the minutes, and a recorded question is harder to lose than a phone call. #CitizenServices #Kerala