The two documents at a glance
| Building plan approval (BPMS sanction) | Completion certificate | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | YEIDA’s sanction of a specific drawing: permission to build it | YEIDA’s confirmation that the built house matches the sanctioned drawing and meets the minimum standard |
| When | Before any construction starts | After the qualifying structure is complete |
| Who files | An architect registered with the Council of Architecture and with YEIDA, chosen from the portal’s architect list | The same empanelled architect certifies the built house; the application goes through BPMS |
| What YEIDA checks | The drawing against Table 1 and the byelaws: Smart-DCR pre-check, then an officer’s review | The house against the sanctioned plan, the minimum built standard, the occupancy items, and no violation of the Regulations, Zonal Plan or Master Plan |
| Clock | Deemed sanction if no decision in 60 days, only if the CEO is notified in writing within the next 20 days (Regulation 13(2)) | The CEO has 90 days to issue it or communicate inability; objections left unresolved for 6 months reject the application (Regulations 20.1.1 and 20.1.2) |
| Validity | 5 years; revalidation after that (Regulations 10(5) and 15) | Closes the build-by obligation; the sources state no validity period |
| Fee | Paid on the portal once the drawing passes scrutiny; amounts not printed here | A completion fee on the covered area of all floors (Regulation 10(10)); amount not printed here |
| What it unlocks | Legal start of construction | Closure of the 31 December 2026 obligation; the document utilities, a home loan, registry and resale ask for |
Assembled from our BPMS guide and completion certificate guide, and the YEIDA Building Regulations 2010 as transcribed on our regulations page.
The approval, in brief
Since 1 August 2024 the only route to a sanctioned map is YEIDA’s BPMS portal. The allottee logs in with CCP or PMS credentials, picks an architect from the portal’s list, and the architect uploads the drawing in the portal’s CAD format. The Smart-DCR engine checks it against the byelaws and issues a scrutiny report; the fee is paid only after that pass; a scanned, signed copy of the scrutiny-approved drawing is uploaded; an officer sanctions the plan or raises an objection.
What the sanction is not: it is not permission to occupy, it does not close the build-by obligation, and it does not survive a house built differently from the drawing. It is valid for 5 years; a plan that runs out before the house is complete has to be revalidated. The deemed-sanction rule in Regulation 13(2) is a backstop with a condition, the written notice to the CEO within 20 days, not a plan. What the drawing must prove is on BPMS drawing requirements; how to follow the file is on checking your BPMS application status.
The certificate, in brief
The completion certificate comes only after the build. Regulation 24.1(2)(x) sets the minimum: 40 sqm, or 50 per cent of the maximum permissible ground coverage, whichever is more, with a functional toilet or bath and a kitchen. The occupancy certificate adds flooring and electrical wiring (fittings not mandatory); plumbing and fittings in at least one toilet and the kitchen; trees per Table 6 or current directions and a number plate; a boundary wall; internal and external finishing (plastering and whitewashing not mandatory); a lockable house with all external doors and windows fitted; and no violation of the Regulations, the Zonal Plan or the Master Plan at the time of the certificate. The empanelled architect certifies that the built house matches the sanctioned naksha, the application goes through BPMS, YEIDA inspects, and the certificate issues if the house complies.
The sources on this site use three names for this paper: completion certificate, functional certificate and occupancy certificate. Regulation 24.1(2)(x) sets the completion minimum; the occupancy certificate carries the fuller list and is mandatory before anyone occupies the building. Our guides build to the fuller list, which is the safer reading. The steps, documents and refusal grounds are on YEIDA completion certificate.
Why the order cannot be reversed
- No sanction, no certificate. YEIDA will not issue a completion certificate for construction without a sanctioned plan; the owner also risks compounding penalties and demolition orders (BPMS guide).
- The certificate is checked against the sanction. The first ground of refusal is a house that does not match the sanctioned plan. Design changes after the frame is cast are changes to the drawing on file, not to the house alone.
- The sanction has a life of its own. Five years. Building on an expired, unrevalidated sanction attracts a penalty under the Regulations (BPMS guide); revalidate before the completion application.
- A false completion application is penalised. Apply when the house is genuinely ready.
Four confusions the desk sees
- “The map is passed, so I have met the deadline.” No. For residential allottees with an executed lease deed, YEIDA’s 87th board meeting extended the no-charge construction window to 31 December 2026, and the sources on this site say that deadline is met with the certificate. A sanction is step one.
- “I filed for completion before 31 December, so I am covered.” The sources do not say whether an application filed before the date but decided after it counts. Plan for the certificate itself, and ask YEIDA in writing about your own file.
- “Completion and occupancy are different applications.” The Regulations set the completion minimum and the occupancy list; our guides treat the fuller occupancy list as the standard to build to, and the application runs on the same portal that sanctioned the map.
- “A plinth is construction.” For the certificate, an empty plinth or a bare frame does not count. The minimum is a working house: toilet or bath, kitchen, flooring, wiring, plumbing, boundary wall, doors and windows.
One timeline, with the dates that matter
- Lease deed executed and registered; dues cleared on PIMS. Nothing on BPMS proceeds with dues pending.
- Architect selected on BPMS; drawing filed. Smart-DCR scrutiny, fee, signed upload, officer review.
- Sanction issued. Valid 5 years. Construction may legally start.
- Build to the sanctioned plan. Keep the sanctioned plan and site papers on the plot; missing documents on two consecutive Authority visits draws a penalty.
- Qualifying structure complete to the occupancy list. Architect certifies; completion application on BPMS; completion fee.
- YEIDA inspects; objections answered; certificate issued. The CEO has 90 days; unresolved objections reject after 6 months. For an executed lease deed, this is the document that must be in hand by 31 December 2026.
With under two months left as this page is published, the realistic route for an empty plot is the phased build our deadline guide sets out: the qualifying block built and certified first, the remaining floors finished later under the same sanctioned plan. This page prints no price; the desk gives one binding, itemised fixed quote after a free site walk.
- YEIDA building plan approval: the BPMS route, the architect and the documents.
- YEIDA completion certificate: who issues it, the steps and why applications are held.
- BPMS drawing requirements: what the drawing must prove.
- BPMS application status: how to follow the file.
- YEIDA deadline 2026: the countdown and the phased build.
- YEIDA plot construction rules: coverage, FAR, floors and setbacks.