When planning to use land for development, applying for a permit to a county or sub-county authority is one of the key requirements to kick off a building project. A planning permit and a building permit will normally be required for all projects, however, it is important to talk to a physical planner or county official before applying for a planning permit, as in some instances, it may not be necessary.
To get a planning permit, a registered and practising physical planner submits the application on behalf of the developer to the county or sub-county authority, while for a building permit a registered and practising architect submits both architectural and structural drawings on behalf of the developer.
The developer provides some of the required documents to prepare an application and pays the required approval fees during submission of the application. The authority receives the application, verifies that the application meets the requirements and circulates it to various offices for review and comments. Afterwards, the county department or section in charge of development control convenes a technical committee meeting to reach a final decision regarding the application, then communicates to the applicant. The authority may grant approval with or without conditions, refuse approval with reasons or defer the application.