Construction Categories in Bulgaria

It is good for an investor to know the category of the construction in which they are investing their money because for each category there are specific rules and documentation. According to the Spatial Development Act (SDA) depending on their characteristics, significance, complexity and operating risk constructions are divided into six categories. In the first category are the constructions of highest importance and those in category six are the constructions that don’t need investment project approving to receive a building permit.

Constructions from the first, second and third category are put into operation based on a permit for use issued by the Directorate for National Construction Supervision. Constructions from fourth and fifth category are put into operation by the bodies of the municipal administration; after the actual completion of the construction the assignor registers its putting into operation with the body that has issued the building permit. For the constructions in category six there is no requirement to receive a permit for use from the Directorate for National Construction Supervision or the municipality.

Here are the construction categories according to the Spatial Development Act:

1. Category One
- highways and first-class and second-class roads of the national road network, railroads, public-transport maritime or river ports and airports, subways and the facilities thereto appertaining;
- physical-infrastructure transmission lines and the facilities thereto appertaining in the sphere of water supply, electricity supply, heat supply, gas supply, electronic communications and other operations;
- construction works required for prevention and protection of the community against, and recovery of functional regions from, disasters and accidents;
- construction works capable of causing a hazard of explosion, of a significant harmful environmental impact, or of the spread of toxic or noxious substances;
- hydraulic engineering projects posing a risk of flooding, including dams of a capacity exceeding 50 million cubic metres or of a dam wall height exceeding 80 metres;
- construction works whereat the working process is uninterruptible;
- geohazard-control facilities and stream-bank- and shoreline-stabilization facilities;
- electric power plants and heat power plants of a generating capacity exceeding 100 megawatts;
- productive enterprises of a capacity exceeding 500 job positions and facilities thereto appertaining;
- metal-industry and chemical-industry enterprises, coal mines, ore mines, quarries, including the liquidation thereof, as well as projects related to elimination of environmental damage on the site of impact;
- other construction works of national importance, designated by an act of the Council of Ministers;
- immovable cultural property assigned "world importance" and "national importance" category;
- redevelopments, remodeling, overhauls and alteration of the intended purpose of the construction works of this category;

2. Category Two
- third-class roads of the national road network, first-class and second-class primary street network and the facilities thereto appertaining;
- distribution lines, facilities and devices thereto appertaining in the sphere of water supply, electricity supply, heat supply, gas supply, electronic communications and other operations;
- hydraulic engineering projects, including dams of a capacity exceeding 30 million cubic metres but not exceeding 50 million cubic metres or of a dam wall height exceeding 50 metres but not exceeding 80 metres;
- waste-treatment installations and facilities;
- public services buildings and facilities of a capacity exceeding 1,000 visitor places;
- manufacturing buildings of a capacity exceeding 200 job positions but not exceeding 500 job positions and the facilities thereto appertaining;
- electric power plants and heat power plants of a generating capacity exceeding 25 megawatts but not exceeding 100 megawatts;
- immovable cultural property assigned "local importance" category;
- redevelopments, remodeling, overhauls and alteration of the intended purpose of the construction works of this category;

3. Category Three
- municipal roads, third-class and fourth-class streets of the primary street network and the facilities thereto appertaining;
- physical-infrastructure elements, hydraulic-engineering, irrigation and land-reclamation and other networks, facilities and systems not categorized above;
- residential and mixed-purpose buildings of a high-rise development; public services buildings and facilities of a gross floor area exceeding 5,000 square metres or of a capacity exceeding 200 visitor places but not exceeding 1,000 visitor places;
- manufacturing buildings of a capacity exceeding 100 job positions but not exceeding 200 job positions and the facilities thereto appertaining;
- electric power plants and heat power plants of a generating capacity not exceeding 25 megawatts;
- parks and gardens of a surface area exceeding 1 hectare;
- redevelopments, remodeling, overhauls and alteration of the intended purpose of the construction works of this category;
- electronic communications networks and facilities, constructed of a trunk type at a national level;

4. Category Four
- private roads, fifth-class and sixth-class streets of the secondary street network and the facilities thereto appertaining;
- residential and mixed-purpose buildings of a medium high rise development; public services buildings and facilities of a gross floor area exceeding 1,000 square metres but not exceeding 5,000 square metres or of a capacity exceeding 100 visitor places but not exceeding 200 visitor places;
- manufacturing buildings of a capacity exceeding 50 job positions but not exceeding 100 job positions and the facilities thereto appertaining;
- parks, gardens and green spaces of a surface area not exceeding 1 hectare;
- redevelopments, remodeling, overhauls and alteration of the intended purpose of the construction works of this category;
- interior remodeling of Category One to Four buildings whereby the structure thereof is not affected;
- electronic communications networks and facilities, constructed in urbanized areas with high-rise and medium-rise development;

5. Category Five
- residential and mixed-purpose buildings of a low-rise development, country-house buildings, public services buildings and facilities of a gross floor area not exceeding 1,000 square metres or a capacity not exceeding 100 visitor places;
- manufacturing buildings of a capacity not exceeding 50 job positions and the facilities thereto appertaining;
- accessory-development construction works other than such covered under Category Six;
- redevelopments, remodeling, overhauls and alteration of the intended purpose of the construction works of this category;
- electronic communications networks and facilities, constructed in urbanized areas with low-rise development.

6. Category Six
- farm structures intended for agricultural purpose and the accessory-development construction works;
- installation of utility-service systems, facilities and fixtures, with the exception of high-risk equipment;
- greenhouses of a floor space not exceeding 200 square metres;
- pools of a cubic content not exceeding 100 cubic metres in fenced lots;
- retaining walls of a height not exceeding 2 metres above the level of the ground adjoining the base thereof, where not a component of transport projects;
- fences, garden and park furnishings of a height not exceeding 2. 20 metres above the adjoining ground;
- pneumatic (air-supported) warehouses or covers of a floor space not exceeding 100 square metres;
- glazing of balconies and loggias, with the exception of such facing the primary street network;

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© Bulgarian Properties Ltd. 2012.

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