ᐅ Converting an Upper Floor Room – Is a Building Permit Required?

Hello everyone,

After what felt like an eternity of searching online, I’m giving up and asking my question here.

In our new house, there is a room on the upper floor with a ceiling height of about 2.75m (9 feet) in shell condition. The previous owners used it as a storage room. There are windows, the sloped ceiling is insulated but without drywall, the connections for underfloor heating are present where it meets the hallway, there is no screed yet, and the walls are not plastered. The room was also not included in the living area calculation. With relatively little effort and cost, the room can be made habitable.

Do I need a building permit / planning permission to make the room “habitable” (install underfloor heating, screed, electrical wiring, drywall, plaster, and paint)? This new room would also affect the total living area. Would I then have to have this recalculated, for example, for the building insurance?

Thanks in advance!

I say: Never wake sleeping dogs. Only go to the emperor if he calls you. Ask your insurance broker…..

knifflig schrieb:

Do I need a building permit / planning permission to make the room "habitable" (underfloor heating, screed, electrical installation, drywall, plastering, painting)?

Does the building permit / planning permission allow the room to be used as living space?
If not, just proceed without mentioning it. If in doubt, it’s simply not considered living space and will be used as storage for a couch, a wardrobe, a TV, etc. It’s just a coincidence that the stored items happen to be arranged like in a living room.
Who would come to check anyway?

No one really cares about that. When an official came to our place for a different issue, we casually asked him what we would need to do if we wanted to replace an entrance door with a window. He looked at the plan and was confused: there was a door marked. That door had been replaced with a window 50 years ago, but no one noticed or cared.

So I would prepare, furnish, and use the room as usual. In the end, no one will ask about it.

Thank you for the responses. Generally, I agree with you, but for the building insurance, this feels a bit too risky for me. I will discuss it with the insurance company.
Currently, the room is neither included in the living area calculation nor indicated as an "attic" on the floor plan.

knifflig schrieb:

Currently, the room is not included in the living area calculation and is not labeled as "attic" on the floor plan.

Then it will stay that way. Don’t worry about it.