What to expect
| Typical duration | Months — driven by prior approvals and file completeness |
|---|---|
| Cost band | Figures live in the cost index |
| Permit required | This is the permit |
| Seasonal constraint | Not seasonal, but it governs your build calendar |
What actually holds a permit up
In our experience the file itself is rarely the problem. Five things cause almost all delay, and four of them are resolvable before you start.
- Cadastral and title discrepancies. What is registered does not match what is built, or ownership is unclear. Extremely common on inherited property. See Κτηματολόγιο.
- Earlier unauthorised work. A previous owner's extension, terrace or conversion that was never permitted. It must be regularised before a new application proceeds. See legalisation.
- Settlement approval. In a designated settlement the external design has to be acceptable, and a scheme that has not been tested against the controls gets sent back. See Council of Architecture.
- Archaeological requirements. Where excavation is involved, what the Ephorate requires — and what it finds — governs the programme. See archaeological approval.
- Incomplete files. A file missing a document goes back and forth. This is the one that is entirely within your professionals' control.
The sequence
Title and cadastral check
Days to weeks
Confirm ownership is clean and that what is recorded matches what is built. This is the cheapest possible time to find a problem.
Topographic survey
1–3 weeks
A registered surveyor establishes boundaries, levels and the plot's relationship to everything around it. Every subsequent drawing depends on it.
Designation and constraint check
Days
Settlement designation, planning envelope, setbacks, and any archaeological sensitivity. This defines what is worth designing.
Concept and scheme design
4–12 weeks
The architect develops the scheme inside those constraints. Client decision speed is usually the variable here.
Archaeological engagement
Weeks to many months
Where excavation is involved. Can require a trial trench, and what it finds governs the foundation design.
Council of Architecture
Weeks to months
In designated settlements. Meeting frequency and whether the scheme is sent back drive this.
Structural design
3–8 weeks
Civil engineer designs to the Greek seismic requirements and signs the structural file.
File assembly and submission
2–6 weeks
Everything together. Incomplete files are the most avoidable cause of delay.
Issue and supervision appointment
Variable
Once issued, a supervising engineer is appointed and construction can start.
What the file contains
Broadly, and subject to what your specific project needs:
- Topographic survey and site plan.
- Architectural drawings — plans, sections, elevations — with the areas and coverage calculations.
- Structural design and calculations, signed by the civil engineer.
- Building services drawings where applicable.
- Energy study, and the ΠΕΑ where required. See energy performance certificate.
- Title and cadastral documentation.
- Prior approvals — settlement, archaeological — where applicable.
- Statutory declarations, fees and contributions.
- Appointment of the supervising engineer.
What this covers
This site does not issue permits and nobody here signs the file — that is the architect's and engineer's statutory responsibility, and you appoint them directly so it is unambiguous who is answerable to you.
What a good contractor does is run the sequence: making sure the checks happen in the right order, that nobody is waiting for information somebody else already has, and that the design being developed is one that can actually be built on your plot with the access it has. That coordination is where projects gain or lose months.
We also flag buildability problems while they are still cheap to fix — a detail that cannot be constructed on a site with no vehicle access, a specification with a lead time that will not land inside the programme, or an elevation that will not survive settlement review.
Questions people actually ask
How long does a building permit take on Santorini?
Months, and the honest range is wide because it depends on prior approvals rather than the permit office. A straightforward inland plot with clean title and no archaeology is at the fast end; a caldera-side property in a designated settlement with excavation is at the slow end. See how long a permit takes.
Can I start work while waiting for the permit?
Not for work that requires one. Doing so creates an unauthorised structure on your title. Some maintenance and internal work falls outside permit requirements and we will tell you honestly which category yours is in.
Do I need a permit to replace windows?
Like-for-like replacement in an existing opening frequently does not require one, though in a designated settlement the appearance is still controlled. Changing the size of the opening does require a permit and is a structural operation.
Who pays the fees and contributions?
You do, directly, and they are separate from professional fees and from construction cost. They should appear in your budget as their own line rather than being absorbed into a headline figure.
Can a foreign architect design my house?
They can lead the design, and the file must be produced and signed by professionals registered in Greece. Working with both is common and works well provided the Greek team is engaged early rather than asked to rubber-stamp a finished scheme.