Authority inspection on site

What changed in 2024

With the entry into force of Act C of 2023 on Hungarian architecture, from 1 October 2024 the building inspection authority ceased to exist and its tasks passed to the building authority. The reason given was that performing the two tasks requires the same professional competence, and in the county government offices one organisational unit often did both anyway.

In practice this is a simplification: one authority acts in both permitting and inspection.

What the inspection examines

Typically:

• whether the work is proceeding in accordance with the permit or notification,
• whether there is construction documentation where it is mandatory,
• whether the participants’ qualifications are in order — designer, responsible technical manager, contractor,
• whether the construction log is being kept,
• whether the conformity of the construction products installed is verified,
• the safety conditions of the work.

What participants should expect

The documentation has to be accessible on site

With the electronic systems this is a matter of access rather than boxes of paper — but the access has to work.

The log has to be up to date

This is where most shortcomings are found. An entry added later is not the same thing.

Deviations have to be documented

Where the work departed from the design, there has to be a trace and an approval.

Legal consequences

Where there is an irregularity the authority can act: issue a notice, impose a fine, and in serious cases order the work to stop. The question of retention arises for structures built without a permit or departing from it, and that is always more expensive than keeping the process in order in advance.

Why co-operation pays

The authority inspection is not an opponent: most shortcomings are documentary and can be put right cheaply as you go. The same fault at handover or at a later sale is a substantially bigger item.

This is not legal advice

The authority organisation and the procedural rules change. The summary above reflects the position as at September 2026; on a specific matter the text in force and the position of the acting authority govern.