A simple guide for owners on building permits through the Balady platform: what the platform is, your role and the engineering office's role, the application stages, and how to track its status step by step.
Years ago, a building permit meant repeated visits to the municipality, paper files and stamps. Today, the Balady building permit is an electronic procedure for most of its stages, handled through a single platform used by the owner, the engineering office and the competent authority. This shift has saved a lot of effort, but it has also made it important for owners to understand how the platform works and exactly what is required of them.
In this simple guide we explain what the Balady platform is, how roles are divided between you and the engineering office, what the application stages are, and how to track its status until the permit is issued. The aim isn't to make you a procedures expert, but to help you know what is happening with your file and make your decisions clearly.
Balady is the official e-portal for municipal services in the Kingdom, through which municipalities offer a wide range of services, most notably building permit services. Through it the application is submitted, drawings and documents are attached, comments are issued, fees are paid and the permit is issued.
The platform's interface or some of its steps may change with ongoing updates, so the engineering office remains the practical reference for the exact current procedure.
The biggest change is that the owner no longer has to carry files between offices; they can see their application on their phone and know how far it has progressed. On the other hand, some steps are now tied to their personal account, such as approving the application or the engineering office's link to it, and if they don't act on them, the application stalls even if everything else is ready.
In other words, the platform has sped up the procedure, but it has made the owner's responsiveness a key part of that speed. That's why your account should be activated and your details up to date before the office starts uploading the application.
One of the most confusing things for owners is not knowing who does what. The general rule is simple: the owner holds the decisions and the documents, and the engineering office handles the technical work and the submission.
When this division is clear from the start, there is less waiting caused by misunderstanding, such as the owner thinking the office is waiting on something from them, while the office is actually waiting for the owner's approval on the platform.
Details vary by municipality and building type, but the application usually goes through the following stages:
Some applications may include additional stages depending on the project or site, such as special requirements for certain subdivisions or engineering supervision requirements. The engineering office will explain what applies to your case.
The points where applications most often stall are: waiting for the owner's approval on the platform, late responses to comments, or postponed fee payment. Each is a short step in itself, but leaving it for days without follow-up adds to the total time for no benefit. So agree with the engineering office from the start on a clear way of communicating, so they notify you immediately of any action required of you.
After the application is submitted, you can track its status from your Balady account. You'll usually see a status showing where the application stands, such as under review, has comments, awaiting payment, or issued. Here are some tips to make tracking easier:
At Build Plus Engineering Consultants we prepare the integrated drawings, upload them to the Balady platform and follow the application until the permit is issued. We keep the owner informed of every step and exactly what is required of them, so the application never stalls because of a small action nobody noticed.
Have a question about your Balady application, or want to start a new one? Book a free 15-minute consultation with a Build Plus engineer. Contact us on WhatsApp: 0503332019
In short, the Balady building permit is now easier and clearer than before, but it requires good cooperation between the owner and the engineering office. Know your role, prepare your documents, choose an office that follows your application seriously, and keep up with notifications. That way the platform turns from a confusing system into a tool that saves you time and effort.
The owner follows the application and approves it from their account, while preparing and uploading the drawings is done by an accredited engineering office linked to the application.
Comments appear in the application status in your Balady account, you'll usually receive notifications about them, and the engineering office can see them too in order to address them.
The set fees appear on the platform at the designated stage according to the current procedure, and the owner pays them before the permit is issued.
It may be possible under the platform's procedures, but it can delay the application, so it's better to choose the right office from the start.
Related ServiceBuilding PermitsFrom preparing code-compliant drawings to issuing the permit via the Balady platform, we handle every step for you.
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