Permits for a dome home: what to expect

When people first consider a dome home, they often ask whether it needs some special kind of permit. The answer is simple: no. In law a dome is a dwelling house, and it follows the same requirements and procedures as any other house.

A dome is a house

Laws and building regulations do not judge shape for its own sake. What matters to them is what the building is for, where it stands, whether it meets the requirements for the plot and whether it satisfies the essential requirements for buildings, such as strength, fire safety and energy performance.

A well-designed dome meets them just as a rectangular house does. A structural engineer calculates its frame like that of any other house, allowing for snow, wind and the weight of the building itself.

In Lithuania, buildings are classified under the technical regulation STR 1.01.03:2017 "Classification of Buildings" into special, non-special and simple structures. The category and the location decide which documents you will need, so the architect establishes the category at the very start of the project.

One point matters particularly for a dome: the plot's planning documents or special requirements must not prescribe a roof shape that a dome would not match. We check this at the plot assessment stage, so there are no surprises later.

The usual sequence in Lithuania

Below is the usual sequence for a new dwelling house. Some steps run in parallel, and the exact documents depend on the plot and the building's category.

Topographic survey. A surveyor measures the plot: the terrain, trees, existing structures and underground services. The municipality checks and approves the survey, and it becomes the basis for the design.
Connection conditions and special requirements. The network operators issue conditions for connecting to electricity, water or sewerage. Where needed, special architectural, heritage or protected-area requirements can be obtained from the municipality.
The building design. The architect and their team prepare the project: architecture, structure, building services and energy performance. For a dome this includes the digital model of the frame from which the triangles are later prepared.
The building permit document. The application and the design are submitted electronically through the national Infostatyba system, and the document is issued by the municipal administration. It is this document that gives you the right to carry out the design, in other words to start building.
Construction. The work follows the approved design, and where required, information about the start of works and the contractor is submitted through the same system. Throughout this time, the design and the building site must match each other.
Completion and registration. Once the house is built, a cadastral survey is carried out and the house is entered in the Real Estate Register. Completion is formalised through Infostatyba in the way the law requires, and we tell you in advance which procedure applies to your house.

How long it takes

On the REEDOME journey the permit stage usually takes 1–3 months. Before it come the plot and survey work, which takes 2–4 weeks, and the design, which takes 1–2 months. The whole journey from questionnaire to keys usually takes about 9–14 months.

How long it takes in your case depends on a few things:

The municipality. Workload and practice differ from one municipality to another.
The plot's conditions. A protected area, cultural heritage or a water protection zone can mean additional approvals.
The quality of the documents. A complete, carefully prepared design is sent back for corrections less often.
Your decisions. The sooner we agree on the layout and windows, the fewer changes are needed later.

Who does what

The permit stage looks like the most complicated part to many people, because so many parties are involved. In fact the roles are fairly clear:

You sign the necessary documents or a power of attorney, make the decisions on layout and approve the design.
We arrange the surveyor, provide the architect, prepare and submit the documents, follow the process until the permit is granted, and then build the house and hand its documents over to you.
The authorities do their part: the municipal administration issues the building permit document, the network operators set connection conditions, and the Centre of Registers records the finished house.

What to prepare on your side

We do most of the work, but a few things depend on you alone. The sooner they are in order, the more smoothly the whole process runs.

Proof of ownership. You will need the plot's Real Estate Register extract and, if the plot has several owners, the consent of the co-owners to build.
A power of attorney. So that we can submit applications and agree documents on your behalf, a power of attorney is usually enough.
Neighbours' consent, if needed. It may be required, for example, if you want to build closer to the boundary than the general rules allow. It is best to talk to the neighbours early, before the design is submitted.
Your decisions. The layout, window positions, heating method and main materials should be settled before the design is submitted.

What to avoid

Do not start building work until you have the required document. Building without it is treated as unauthorised construction, and the consequences can be costly and slow to resolve. Nor is there any rush to buy materials or order production until it is clear the design will be approved as it stands.

Equally, do not change key design decisions after the document has been issued without first talking to the architect. Some changes have to be approved again, which can lengthen the journey considerably. Because a dome frame is prepared in advance from a digital model, it is worth settling window positions and the layout during the design stage.

If you are building outside Lithuania

We also build in Norway, Poland and the Netherlands. There, permit procedures, documents and timescales differ from Lithuania's: who submits the application, which drawings are needed and how neighbours are informed can all vary. So in each case we check the local rules and tell you in advance what to expect.

Permits need not be daunting when they are handled by people who know them well. REEDOME takes care of the surveyor, architect, permits, construction and interior, so you travel the whole road with one team rather than several. Fill in our short questionnaire and we will tell you what that road would look like for your plot.