How to Issue a Building License on Balady: Steps, Documents and Fees

Issuing a building license in Saudi Arabia no longer requires visiting municipal offices. The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing (MOMRAH) offers the service entirely online through the Balady platform. Property owners can legally begin construction once approved engineering firms and relevant authorities validate the required plans and documents (Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing). The process involves the owner, an engineering office, a technical inspection company, and the municipality.

What is the building license issuance service on Balady?

The service is a digital workflow that connects all construction parties in one place. The property owner initiates the request, an engineering office executes it, a technical inspection company audits it, and the municipality approves it. Everything happens inside the Balady platform without submitting paper blueprints.

According to the official service page, the goal is to allow beneficiaries to start construction legally after meeting requirements and securing plan approvals from certified engineering offices and relevant entities (Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing). The only channels for this service are the Balady web portal and its mobile application.

Who can apply for a building license?

MOMRAH clearly defines who benefits from the service. Individuals, establishments, and government entities can all issue a building license through the platform.

The owner starts the journey by selecting their user role, then authorizes a design engineering office to complete the procedures on their behalf within the electronic system. This authorization transfers the authority to work on the application directly to the engineering office through its platform accounts.

How do you issue a building license on Balady step by step?

The licensing process follows five sequential stages inside the platform. A delay from any party affects the total completion time. Here is the sequence as outlined on the service page:

Selecting the role and authorization: The license owner or their representative logs into the dashboard, selects their user role, and authorizes a design engineering office to issue the building license.
Preparing the designs: The design office logs into its Balady account, accepts the owner's authorization, and begins the request by selecting the land survey report. It then prepares the architectural and structural engineering designs, completes the application data, attaches the required files, agrees to the municipal pledges, and sends the request to the technical inspection company.
Technical auditing: The system automatically assigns the request to the designated technical inspection company. An insurance examiner reviews and audits the application to ensure compliance with the Saudi Building Code. If there are notes, the request returns to the engineering office for correction; if not, the designs are approved and sent to the municipality or secretariat.
Municipal review: A municipality or secretariat employee reviews the request. If issues arise, it goes back to the design engineering office for resolution.
Issuance: Once all requirements are met and the entities grant approval, the license is issued electronically.

Sending a request back to the engineering office due to non-compliance extends the issuance period. Choosing an engineering office familiar with the Saudi Building Code reduces the likelihood of rejection.

What documents and requirements are needed?

The licensing process requires uploading specific documents through the platform. MOMRAH demands proof of land ownership and validated designs before final approval.

The survey report for the land where the license will be issued, selected by the engineering office when starting the request.
The architectural and structural engineering designs prepared by the design engineering office.
Any additional required files attached by the engineering office within the application data.
Electronic agreement to the municipal pledges before sending the request to the technical inspection company.

All these requirements are uploaded and processed inside the Balady platform, with no need to submit paper copies to the competent authority according to the service description (Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing).

What is the Saudi Building Code and its role in issuing the license?

The Saudi Building Code is the primary reference used to measure the safety of designs. No building license passes without verifying that the plans comply with this code.

The insurance examiner at the technical inspection company reviews and audits the request specifically to confirm compliance with the Saudi Building Code. If non-compliance issues are found, the request returns to the design engineering office to address them before resubmission (Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing). This means technical auditing is a critical, independent stage that precedes municipal approval.

How do you inquire about an existing building license?

If you want to verify the status of a previously issued building license, whether for a property you intend to buy or your own project, MOMRAH provides an instant, free inquiry service.

The service allows beneficiaries to check building license data and current status without visiting any office. It is offered exclusively online through the Balady portal or mobile app, targeting individuals, establishments, and government entities (Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing).

The inquiry steps are as follows:

Log in to the Balady platform or app.
Browse the available services and select the building license inquiry service.
Click the "Start Service" button.
Enter the required inquiry data, which includes selecting the secretariat and municipality, the license number, and the license holder's ID type and number (Balady portal).
View the inquiry result instantly.

Inquiry results include precise details such as the unified license number, license date, status, building type, primary and secondary use, boundary and dimension data (north, east, south, west), building components, floor areas, number of units, land plot data, plus insurance details including the policy number and expiration date (Balady portal).

What are the service fees and support channels?

The building license inquiry service is completely free with an instant response time. License issuance services are subject to fees determined by municipal regulations, though the provided sources do not mention a fixed figure for issuance costs.

You can contact MOMRAH customer service by phone at 199040 or via email at [email protected]. Customer service operates from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM every day of the week, while self-service options on the platform are available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week (Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing).

Key figures

Customer service number: 199040 (Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing)
Inquiry response time: Instant (Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing)
Building license inquiry fee: Free (Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing)
Self-service availability: Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week (Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing)
Customer service hours: 8:00 AM - 10:00 PM daily (Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing)
Inquiry service launch date: 15/11/2022 (Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing)

What should you prepare before applying?

Prepare the survey report and choose a certified engineering office experienced with the Saudi Building Code before logging into the Balady platform. Track your application stages continuously through the dashboard, and contact the engineering office immediately if the technical inspection company raises any notes to avoid delays. Use the free Balady portal to inquire about any previous licenses. Since requirements may change, follow official announcements on the MOMRAH website to confirm any new conditions before submitting your request.