Certificate of Occupancy (Certificate of Completion of Building)

| The Ministry of Municipal, Rural Affairs and Housing confirmed that the occupancy of residential buildings is only done according to the occupancy certificate.

She explained that the building occupancy certificate is a certificate issued after ensuring that the building’s requirements conform to the Saudi Code for Residential Buildings.

She indicated that the certificate includes the number and date of the license, the name and proof of the owner of the building, the building’s address and its coordinates, the number of the plot of land, the type, number and date of the ownership document, the name of the trust and the municipality, and the data of the designing engineering office, supervisor and contractor.

The Saudi Building Code system stipulates a set of materials that achieve safety and ensure public health, rationalize water and energy, and protect lives.

It aims to set the minimum requirements and conditions that achieve safety and public health through the durability, stability and stability of buildings and facilities, facilitating access to them, providing a healthy environment, adequate lighting and ventilation, rationalizing water and energy, and protecting lives and property from the dangers of fire, earthquakes and other risks associated with buildings. The code consists of: Administrative, architectural, construction, electrical, mechanical, sanitary requirements and requirements, water and energy conservation, fire protection, earthquake resistance, requirements for green and residential buildings and buildings, reference standard specifications, and any other requirements or requirements issued by the National Committee. The requirements and requirements of the code are considered an integrated and applicable unit.

The code shall be applied and it shall be prohibited to apply any other code that conflicts with it on all building and construction works in the public and private sectors, according to the classification of buildings, including building design, implementation, operation, maintenance and modification, and it shall be applied to existing buildings in the event of their restoration, change of use, expansion or modification , or their removal, as of the date of entry into force of the law according to the gradation shown in the appendix of the stages of implementation of the code, and by the end of the stages of implementation, the code shall be applied to all types of buildings classified in it.

With the exception of the requirements and provisions of the code related to thermal insulation, prevention and fire protection systems on all construction works that begin to be applied immediately after the system comes into force, the application of the code takes place in five stages as follows:

The first stage: from the date of entry into force of the law until the end of Dhul-Hijjah 1440 AH. During this period, the code is applied to government administrative buildings, high buildings “towers – more than 23 meters high”, hospitals, and hotels.

The second stage: From the end of the first stage until the end of Dhul-Hijjah 1441 AH, during which the code will be applied in addition to what was applied in the first stage on the buildings of the gatherings “mosques – sports facilities”, educational buildings, commercial complexes, communication towers, industrial buildings and facilities, buildings less than 23 meters high, high-risk buildings.

The third stage: From the end of the second stage until the end of Dhul-Hijjah 1442 AH, during which the code will be applied in addition to what was applied in the first and second stages on gathering buildings “wedding halls, cinemas, theatres”, health care centers, hotel furnished apartments, motels, buildings Residential and recreational services buildings.

The fourth stage: From the end of the third stage until the end of the month of Dhu al-Hijjah in 1443 AH, during which the code will be applied in addition to what was applied in the three stages on business buildings “airports, banks, television stations, and post offices.”

The fifth stage: from the end of the fourth stage until the end of Dhu al-Hijjah in 1444 AH, during which the code, in addition to what was applied in the four stages, will be applied to all types of buildings classified in it.

The requirements and requirements of the code are applied to existing buildings according to the possibility of application, with a technical report from an accredited engineering office that includes possible engineering solutions, and in accordance with the system. .

The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs undertakes, for example, the tasks of preparing the necessary cadastral reports in accordance with the requirements of the master plan, reviewing, auditing and approving documents, documents and engineering plans, issuing building licenses, restoration, modification, etc., following up on the application of the code and monitoring it, following up the necessary inspections and tests during the implementation of construction work, and issuing a certificate of occupancy after Completion of construction, ensuring that it conforms to the code, approving the delivery of permanent and temporary public services, keeping construction records, monitoring, inspection, control and penalties.

The General Directorate of Civil Defense: It undertakes, for example, the tasks of following up and monitoring the implementation of the code and controlling its violations with regard to the requirements of fire prevention and protection systems in all stages of construction, maintenance, operation and storage, and determining the requirements for acceptance of inspection bodies in the field of elevator safety and fire prevention and protection systems in buildings.

It undertakes, for example, the tasks of coordinating with the competent authorities to prepare the requirements for the qualification of engineering and technical offices and contractors to practice electrical work, follow-up and monitor the application of the code and control its violations with regard to electrical works that fall within its competence.

A building, restoration, modification, removal, change of use or any other similar license is not issued except after verifying and approving the conformity of the documents and plans to the code.

The building may not be occupied except after obtaining an occupancy certificate from the municipal authority according to the occupancy classification mentioned in the code, and in the absence of a classification for the required occupancy, it is classified within the closest group to it.

The owner of the license shall submit to the municipal authority, after completing the construction, a request to issue a certificate of occupancy and attach to his request the necessary licenses and requirements, approvals for final inspection works and tests, and plans according to implementation. The request for issuing a certificate of occupancy must be decided within three working days from the date of submitting the application. Certification of the reasons for refusal by the reporting methods used by the system.

The certificate of occupancy must include the number and date of the building permit, the name and address of the owner of the building, the address and coordinates of the building, its description and classification, the name of the municipal body, the type of use and occupancy, the availability of fire prevention and protection systems or not, and the name and signature of the authorized owner. The municipal body shall issue a temporary occupancy certificate for a period not exceeding 180 days, subject to renewal, for temporary and seasonal buildings and facilities, festivals and events, and workers’ housing in large projects when needed during the implementation period, provided that it is verified that the occupancy will be done safely and in accordance with the code. It is not allowed to launch public services for any building subject to the system. The code is only based on an occupancy certificate, and the municipal authorities, as needed, may authorize the temporary launch of services for the purpose of testing installations and extensions during inspection, and in accordance with the code.

The municipal body and the relevant authorities may request the disconnection of public services when needed, to remove a direct danger to lives or property, and the owner or occupant of the building is notified of the decision of the dismissal, and the service may not be restored until the reason for the dismissal has disappeared.