Amendments to Construction Law May Not Deliver Results Without Sufficient Capacity in Building Authorities

Amendments to the Construction Law, passed in June and effective August 1, introduce phased construction for large projects. This means work on a specific part of a project can begin immediately after its approval by the building authority, which must decide within 10 working days. This could shorten the time to start construction, especially for foundations, zero-cycle works, or utility networks.

However, the key challenge lies in implementation. If building authorities lack sufficient capacity, clear substitution procedures, and uniform decision-making practices, the new deadlines will not reduce bureaucracy or provide the predictability investors need. Investors and clients need to know when a project will break ground; delays in approvals affect financial models, procurement, work schedules, and cost control.

Variations among municipalities in handling similar issues and reliance on individual specialists increase project risk. Phased construction can be beneficial when specific stages are ready earlier, but it also places greater responsibility on the designer. Errors that are easy to fix during design can become very costly after foundations or utilities are built. This highlights the growing importance of Building Information Modeling (BIM), which helps detect inconsistencies early in the design stage.

For the reform to work, building authorities must clarify their decision-making process and documentation requirements before the first submissions. If boundaries remain unclear, paperwork will increase without improving predictability. After August 1, 2026, the practical value of the amendments will depend on actual decisions by building authorities. If disparities in practice persist, the procedure will change, but the progression of large projects will remain as unpredictable as before.