Sanctioned Plan vs As-Built: Checking Building Deviations in Bengaluru

A buyer inspecting a nearly finished building in south Bengaluru counted an extra floor that was not on the plan the builder had proudly framed in the sales office. The sanctioned plan showed four floors, the building had five. The builder waved it away as a minor adjustment, but that one extra floor was a deviation from the approved plan, the kind of thing that decides whether the occupancy certificate is granted, delayed or refused. Comparing what was approved against what was actually built is one of the most revealing checks a buyer can make, and one of the least often done.

The short answer. Every legal building is constructed against a sanctioned plan approved by the planning authority, and the finished structure should match it. In practice small deviations are common, and the authority can regularise deviations that fall within permissible limits, typically by levying a compounding fee, after which it grants the occupancy certificate. Deviations beyond the permissible limits are a different matter, harder to regularise and a real risk to the building's legality. The trade off for a buyer is vigilance, comparing the sanctioned plan with the actual construction takes effort, but it is how you learn whether the home you are buying is fully legal or carries a deviation you will inherit.

What is a sanctioned plan?

A sanctioned plan is the building plan that the local planning authority has formally approved before construction, setting out what may be built, how many floors, the setbacks, the coverage and the permitted use. In Bengaluru this approval comes through the civic body, and the building is supposed to be constructed strictly in line with it. Alongside the sanctioned plan sits the commencement certificate, which confirms the builder may begin, and together these documents define the legal shape of the project.

For a buyer, the sanctioned plan is the benchmark against which everything else is measured. It is what the occupancy certificate is checked against at the end, and it is what you compare the actual building to when you inspect. A project that cannot show you a clear sanctioned plan is one where the most basic question, what was allowed here, has no clear answer. It is worth remembering that the plan is approved for a specific plot with specific dimensions, so even the honest looking confidence of a finished, occupied building tells you nothing on its own, because an unauthorised floor can look just as solid as an authorised one from the pavement.

What is a deviation, and how serious is it?

A deviation is any difference between what the sanctioned plan allowed and what was actually built, such as an extra floor, a reduced setback, extra coverage or a changed use. Not every deviation is fatal, because the authority can regularise deviations that fall within defined permissible limits, usually on payment of a compounding fee, and then issue the occupancy certificate. Bengaluru's occupancy records show exactly this pattern, with deviations noted, found within the limits of regularisation, cleared against a fee, and occupancy then granted.

The seriousness depends on the size of the deviation. A deviation within the permissible limits is an expense and a paperwork step, while a deviation beyond those limits is a genuine legal problem that the authority may not regularise, putting the building's occupancy and legality in doubt. This is why the question is never simply whether there is a deviation, but whether it falls inside or outside what can be regularised. A related trap is the unit that itself sits in the unauthorised part of a building, for instance a flat on an extra floor that was never sanctioned, because even if the rest of the building is clean, the specific unit you are buying may be the problem. Always tie the deviation back to your own flat, not just to the building in the abstract.

How does a deviation affect the occupancy certificate?

The occupancy certificate is where a deviation comes home to roost, because the authority checks the finished building against the sanctioned plan before certifying that it may be occupied. Where the deviation is within permissible limits, the records show the authority regularising it against a compounding fee and then granting occupancy, so the certificate itself notes that the deviations were regularised. Where the deviation is too large to regularise, the occupancy certificate can be withheld, which is a serious problem for a buyer.

This is why the occupancy certificate and the sanctioned plan must be read together, not separately. Our guide on the occupancy certificate versus the completion certificate explains what these documents prove, and a certificate that openly records a regularised deviation is more reassuring than a building with a deviation and no certificate at all.

How do you actually check for deviations?

You check by putting the paper and the building side by side. Ask the builder for the sanctioned plan with its approval reference, the commencement certificate and the occupancy certificate, then compare the number of floors, the footprint and the layout against what you can see and measure on site. An extra floor, a balcony enclosed into a room, or a block that is larger than drawn are the kinds of differences a careful walk through can catch.

The land use side matters too, because a building can deviate not just from its own plan but from what the zone allows. Our note on the master plan and land use zoning covers how to confirm the project sits on land approved for that use, which is the backdrop against which any building deviation is judged. For the building itself, the BBMP is the authority whose approvals and certificates you are checking against.

What should you do if you find a deviation?

Treat a deviation as a question to resolve, not a dealbreaker by itself, but resolve it before you pay. If the occupancy certificate already records the deviation as regularised, that is reassuring, because the authority has accepted it against a fee. If the deviation is not regularised, or there is no occupancy certificate, ask the builder to explain how and when it will be regularised and get that in writing, and take a planning expert's or lawyer's view on whether it falls within permissible limits.

What you should not do is accept a verbal assurance that a visible deviation is nothing to worry about. The authority, not the builder, decides whether a deviation can be regularised, so the only comfort worth having is a certificate or a clear, documented path to one. A deviation you accept silently becomes a deviation you own. It can also follow you to the exit, because when you later sell, a careful buyer's lawyer will run the same comparison you should have run, and an unresolved deviation can knock down your price or stall the sale entirely. In that sense the check protects not only your purchase but your eventual resale, which is a reason to insist on clean, regularised paperwork even when the deviation looks small and the builder is reassuring.

How should a Bengaluru buyer use this check?

Use it as a standard part of your due diligence on any built or nearly built property. Collect the sanctioned plan, the commencement certificate and the occupancy certificate, compare the plan with the building, and confirm that any deviation has been regularised. If you are evaluating a project such as My Home in Kadugodi, Whitefield, these documents are fair to ask for, and a builder with clean approvals will produce them readily. A reluctance to share the sanctioned plan, or an offer to show only a glossy brochure version of it, is itself a signal worth heeding before you commit.

Your plan deviation checklist

1. Ask for the sanctioned plan with its approval reference number.
2. Collect the commencement certificate and the occupancy certificate.
3. Compare floors, footprint and layout on the plan against the actual building.
4. Confirm that any deviation is recorded as regularised in the occupancy certificate.
5. Treat an unregularised or beyond limit deviation as a serious flag.
6. Get any promise to regularise a deviation in writing with a timeline.
7. Take a planning expert or lawyer's view where a deviation looks significant.

Frequently asked questions

What is a deviation from a sanctioned plan?

A deviation is any difference between what the planning authority approved and what was actually built, such as an extra floor, a reduced setback or extra coverage. Small deviations within permissible limits can usually be regularised on payment of a compounding fee. A deviation beyond those limits is a serious problem that may not be regularisable at all.

Can a building with a deviation still get an occupancy certificate?

Yes, if the deviation falls within permissible limits. Bengaluru's occupancy records show the authority regularising such deviations against a compounding fee and then granting occupancy, with the certificate noting that the deviations were regularised. A deviation that is too large to regularise, however, can cause the occupancy certificate to be withheld, which is a serious issue for a buyer.

How do I check whether a building matches its sanctioned plan?

Ask the builder for the sanctioned plan with its approval reference, the commencement certificate and the occupancy certificate, then compare the plan against the building for the number of floors, the footprint and the layout. An extra floor or an enlarged block is the kind of difference a careful inspection can catch.

Is a deviation always a dealbreaker?

Not always. A deviation within permissible limits, regularised against a fee and recorded in the occupancy certificate, is a managed situation rather than a disqualification. The real danger is a deviation beyond the limits, or one with no occupancy certificate and no clear path to regularisation. Resolve the question in writing before you pay rather than accepting a verbal assurance.

Last updated 2026-10-13. PropNewz Team.