You obtain a planning permit (permis d’urbanisme) by filing a dossier with your commune under the CoDT. For larger works an architect must sign it. Decisions typically take 30, 75 or 115 days depending on the consultations and any public enquiry required (CoDT, 2026).
In Wallonia, building, demolishing, extending, transforming or changing the use of a property normally requires a planning permit under the Code du Developpement Territorial (CoDT, article D.IV.4). The permit is delivered by the commune, sometimes with the delegated official (fonctionnaire delegue) involved.
Whether an architect is compulsory depends on the works, not on your preference. The 1939 law on the architect’s profession draws the line: small works listed in Annexe 6 (a garden shed, a fence, a minor carport) can proceed without one, while new construction, a habitable extension or a change of use fall under Annexe 4 and require an architect’s signature (fautilunpermis.be, 2026). Architect fees for Annexe 4 projects commonly run from 2,500 to 8,000 euros (fautilunpermis.be, 2026).
The dossier bundles the forms, plans, photographs and a cadastral extract. Once filed, the commune acknowledges receivability within 30 days, then consults any relevant services before deciding.
The counter-intuitive part is the timeline. A simple file is decided in about 30 days, but as soon as external opinions are needed the clock extends to 75 days, and a public enquiry pushes it to 115 days (fautilunpermis.be, 2026). Add dossier preparation and you should plan several months for anything substantial. The decision is then posted on site and opens a 30-day period for third-party appeals.
At a glance
- Legal basis: CoDT, article D.IV.4 (works, demolition, use change)
- Delivered by the commune, sometimes with the delegated official
- Architect compulsory for Annexe 4 works (new build, habitable extension)
- No architect for Annexe 6 minor works (shed, fence)
- Dossier: forms, plans, photos, cadastral extract
- Receivability acknowledged within 30 days
- Decision in 30, 75 or 115 days by consultation and public enquiry (2026)
- 30-day appeal period after the decision is posted on site