A Bengaluru buyer fell for a spacious top floor flat with a view, paid a booking amount, and only later learned the tower had one more floor than its sanctioned plan allowed. That extra floor was unauthorised construction, the sort a civic body can order removed, and it was the very unit he had chosen. His bank hesitated, the occupancy certificate was stuck, and the discount that had made the flat attractive suddenly looked like a warning. The sanctioned building plan is the document that says how tall, how wide and how dense a building may be, and comparing it against what has actually been built is one of the sharpest checks a buyer can run.

The short answer. A sanctioned building plan is the approval a civic authority gives before construction, fixing the permitted floors, setbacks, floor area and usage. A building without a sanctioned plan is unauthorised from the start and cannot get a commencement, completion or occupancy certificate, and construction that deviates from the plan carries penalties and demolition risk. The trade off for a buyer is a simple comparison worth doing: get the sanctioned plan and check it against the actual building before you pay, because a deviation can block your loan and your OC.

What is a sanctioned building plan?

A sanctioned building plan is the formal approval a civic authority grants before a building may be constructed. It is filed with and approved by the relevant body, BBMP, BDA or the local corporation depending on where the property sits, and it fixes what may be built: the number of floors, the setbacks from each boundary, the permitted floor area, and the usage such as residential. Construction is only lawful when it follows this approved plan.

For a buyer, the sanctioned plan is the benchmark against which the real building is judged. A finished flat can look perfect and still breach its plan, for example by adding a floor or eating into a setback, and it is the plan, not the finish, that decides whether the building is legal. That is why an approved project such as Arvind Sylva in Kodathi has its building plan sanctioned before construction, and why a buyer should always ask to see that sanction.

Why does the sanctioned plan matter to a buyer?

Because without it, the certificates that make a home financeable and occupiable cannot be issued. A building without plan sanction is unauthorised construction from inception and cannot legally receive a commencement certificate, a completion certificate or an occupancy certificate. Since lenders and the occupancy certificate both hinge on a sanctioned, compliant building, a plan problem quickly becomes a loan and possession problem for the buyer.

The occupancy certificate is the clearest link. An OC certifies that a building has been constructed as per the sanctioned plan and is safe to occupy, so deviations that are not resolved before completion prevent the OC from being issued. Our guide to the difference between an occupancy certificate and a completion certificate explains why that document, which flows from the sanctioned plan, is the one you must confirm at handover.

It helps to see where the sanctioned plan sits in the sequence of approvals. The plan is sanctioned first, a commencement certificate allows construction to begin, and at the end the occupancy certificate confirms the finished building matches the plan. Each step depends on the one before, so a defect in the sanctioned plan or a deviation during construction ripples all the way to the certificate you need to move in and to close your loan. Understanding that chain is why the sanctioned plan is worth checking at the very start of your diligence rather than at handover.

What is a deviation and why is it risky?

A deviation is any way the building as constructed differs from the sanctioned plan, and it is risky because it can trigger penalties, removal and a blocked OC. A guide to the city's construction rules puts it plainly: deviations from approved plans can lead to penalties, a requirement to remove unauthorised extensions, and denial of future occupancy or permissions. A developer who adds floors beyond the sanctioned count, a common deviation in the city, has built unauthorised construction that the authority can order demolished. Smaller deviations, such as reduced setbacks or a covered area beyond what was approved, can attract penalties and a demand to remove the excess, and they hold up the occupancy certificate until they are addressed.

The risk lands on the buyer because these problems travel with the property, not the builder. If you buy a unit that sits in or depends on a deviating part of the building, you inherit the exposure to enforcement, the difficulty getting a loan, and the trouble reselling. A deviation is therefore not the builder's problem to wave away, it is a defect you must price and understand before you commit.

The table below contrasts a home built to its sanctioned plan with one that deviates or was never sanctioned, so you can see what is at stake.

Can building plan deviations be regularised?

Sometimes minor deviations can be regularised, but you should not assume it and major ones are treated as unauthorised. Karnataka has at times allowed certain limited deviations to be regularised on payment of a fee and submission of revised plans, but the scope and conditions of any such window change, and there is no guarantee a given deviation qualifies. Major deviations, such as extra floors, generally fall outside any easy regularisation and remain exposed to enforcement.

So treat regularisation as a possibility to confirm, not a promise to rely on. If a seller says a deviation can simply be regularised, ask for the specifics in writing and confirm the current position with the authority before you accept it. A deviation that is not actually regularised before completion will still block the occupancy certificate, whatever assurances came with the sale.

How do I verify the sanctioned plan against the building?

Get a copy of the approved plan and compare it, feature by feature, with what has been built. Request the sanctioned building plan from the builder or the authority, and check it against the actual construction on site to see whether there are any deviations. Count the floors, look at the setbacks, and confirm the usage and the approved area match the flat you are buying. You can also verify the plan sanction record through the civic authority, whose building plan sanction details sit on the official BBMP system at site.bbmp.gov.in.

For an under construction purchase, do this comparison before you pay, because deviations are far easier to walk away from than to fix afterwards. For a completed building, the presence of a clean occupancy certificate is strong evidence the construction matched the plan, since the OC would not have been issued otherwise. Reading the sanctioned plan alongside the floor area ratio and FSI rules helps you judge whether the density and floors on site are within what was permitted.

If your comparison turns up a deviation, do not simply take the seller's reassurance. Ask whether the deviation has been formally regularised, request the paperwork that proves it, and confirm the position with the authority. If it has not been regularised, treat the flat as carrying an open risk to its occupancy certificate and your loan, and either make regularisation a written condition of the sale or step back. A deviation you can see on paper before you pay is far cheaper to deal with than one that surfaces after you own the home.

What should a buyer check before buying?

Make the sanctioned plan, and its match with the building, a condition of the deal. The checklist below turns the comparison into a clear sequence you run before any money changes hands.

1. Ask the builder for the sanctioned building plan and the approval reference.
2. Confirm the plan was sanctioned by the correct authority for the location.
3. Compare the number of floors, setbacks and area against the actual building.
4. Check the usage classification matches a residential home.
5. Confirm there is a commencement certificate, and at handover an occupancy certificate.
6. Ask about any deviations and whether they have actually been regularised.
7. Have a professional review the plan against the construction before you pay.

Working through these seven checks means you buy a home that matches its approved plan, rather than one carrying a deviation that surfaces at your loan sanction or your occupancy certificate.

Frequently asked questions

What is a sanctioned building plan?

A sanctioned building plan is the approval a civic authority such as BBMP or BDA gives before construction. It fixes the permitted floors, setbacks, floor area and usage for the building. Construction is only lawful when it follows this plan, so it is the benchmark against which a buyer should judge whether a building is legal.

Why does a building without a sanctioned plan fail to get an OC?

Because a building without plan sanction is unauthorised from inception and cannot legally receive a commencement, completion or occupancy certificate. The occupancy certificate specifically certifies that a building was constructed as per the sanctioned plan. With no sanction, or with unresolved deviations, that certification cannot be issued, which blocks loans and clean possession.

What is a deviation in a building plan?

A deviation is any difference between the building as constructed and the sanctioned plan, such as extra floors, reduced setbacks or excess covered area. Deviations can attract penalties, a demand to remove the unauthorised part, and denial of the occupancy certificate. Major deviations like extra floors can even lead to demolition, and the risk passes to the buyer.

How do I verify a builder's sanctioned plan?

Request a copy of the approved plan from the builder or the authority and compare it with the actual construction, checking floors, setbacks, area and usage. For an under construction flat, do this before you pay; for a completed one, a clean occupancy certificate is strong evidence of compliance.

Last updated 2026-07-12. PropNewz Team.