"How long does a building permit take?" and "How much does it cost?" are among the questions owners ask most before starting a project. The precise answer depends on how ready your file is and the size of your project, but it can be broken down into clear elements. This article explains building permit duration and cost components, based on information from the Balady platform.
How Long Does a Building Permit Take?
Balady states that the building permit service takes 1 to 10 days. That is the service processing time, however; the total time until you receive the permit includes stages that depend on you and your engineering office:
| Stage | What determines its duration |
|---|---|
| Preparing the designs | The size and complexity of the project, and whether the survey decision and soil report are ready. |
| Technical review | How well the designs comply with the Saudi Building Code the first time. |
| Municipal review | Whether the plan meets the zone requirements, and the number of comment rounds. |
| Contracting | How quickly the supervising office and the contractor accept the assignment. |
| Insurance and payment | How quickly the insurance policy and municipal fees are paid. |
Details of each stage are in the Balady building permit guide.
How Much Does a Building Permit Cost?
There is no "single cost" for a permit, but several items:
- Municipal fees: calculated per project, and can be estimated in advance with Balady's fees calculator.
- Design engineering office fees: Balady states they are an agreement between the office and the beneficiary; there are no fixed prices.
- Engineering supervision fees during construction. Learn about our visit-based supervision service.
- The latent defects insurance policy, issued within the application journey.
- Technical reports: the survey decision, soil investigation, and a traffic study if required.
Practical tip: when comparing engineering office offers, check what each offer actually includes (architectural, structural and MEP designs, and following up comments until issuance), because the cheapest offer may not cover all of that.
What Delays a Building Permit?
- A title deed that is not updated, or an expired survey decision.
- Designs that come back from technical review with repeated comments.
- Violating the zone requirements, such as setbacks or the number of floors.
- The supervisor or contractor delaying acceptance of the assignment.
- Late payment of the invoice or the insurance policy.
We explain these causes and their solutions in: Why are building permits rejected?
Permit Validity and Renewal
According to Balady, building permits and survey decisions are valid for three years. If construction is not completed within that period, renewal is required through the "Renewal of a Building Permit" service, which also has an announced duration of 1 to 10 days. Its requirements include contracting a design office, paying the fees, and an insurance policy if construction has not started and the building type requires insurance.
How to Save Time
- Prepare the title deed, survey decision and soil report before design starts.
- Choose an office that designs to the code from the start, to reduce rounds of comments.
- Agree with the supervisor and the contractor in advance.
- Follow Balady's messages and pay invoices as soon as they are issued.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I know the permit fees before applying?
Yes, Balady provides an electronic fees calculator for estimating municipal service fees.
Are establishment fees charged when renewing a building permit?
Balady states that establishment fees are not calculated in the building permit renewal service, but through the commercial licensing system.
What payment methods are available?
SADAD, mada, Visa, Mastercard and Apple Pay.
How Abak Engineering Consultancy Helps
Abak is an accredited engineering office in Riyadh that handles the entire permit journey on Balady: preparing architectural and structural drawings according to the Saudi Building Code, following up technical review and municipal comments, and then supervising construction until the occupancy certificate is issued. Learn about our new building permit service, or contact us to review your case.
Full requirements in: New building permit requirements 2026.
Information is based on the Balady platform and may be updated by the competent authority. Last reviewed: October 2026.
