Builders and authorities are concerned about the changes to the construction law; the agenda has multiplied.

Prague - Building authorities in the Czech Republic are currently receiving multiple times more applications than usual, and the number of telephone inquiries is also increasing. The reason is a change in the building law, which, among other things, introduces digitalization of procedures starting in July and significantly increases fees for certain constructions, such as the fee for a well, which will rise from 300 crowns to 10,000 crowns. Authorities are expecting the biggest surge this week. Lines typically do not form, as people often communicate with the office through data boxes or submit materials at the office, but some authorities are struggling with administration. Alongside builders' concerns, there are also worries among officials about whether the new system will function, as they currently do not have full access to it. This information comes from statements made by representatives of the authorities to ČTK.

Authorities report that recently there has also been an increase in errors or incompleteness of applications. It is crucial to submit an application by the end of June, even if the office returns it. While the applicant will need to meet the deadline for corrections set by the office, it will not be processed under the new building law, stated Jitka Doležalová, head of the building office department in Tábor. She added that their number of applications has increased three to four times compared to a regular office day, and staff are already working overtime.

"Not only us, but also builders look at the introduction of the new system with concern, which is why they are massively submitting applications before July 1," Michal Jarco, head of the building office in Jihlava, told ČTK. He added that queues are not forming, as the office receives most applications in writing. However, he confirmed that the majority of applications are incomplete. Builders are sending them deliberately, according to him, because they want to submit them in June.

Prague's building authorities are also registering increased interest in building permits. According to spokespersons from the municipalities, the heightened interest from people started at the beginning of spring. The Plzeň city hall also reports a surge. "It is estimated to be an increase in agenda by 1000 percent," said the spokesperson of the city hall, Eva Barborková. The issues being addressed mainly involve permitting wells, as well as generally requests for zoning decisions and joint permits. In the regional city of Liberec, the increase in the number of applications compared to the usual state is about 350 to 400 percent. "However, I do not think that the main reason is the increase in fees. In the overwhelming majority, it is due to the uncertainty of what will happen just after July 1," believes Miroslav Šimek, head of the building office department in Liberec.

He himself does not know how things will work from July. "A seminar on the application took place on June 17, which provided a thorough explanation of the law and the digitalization of the builder’s portal at a theoretical level. However, we have not yet tried out how it will function in practice," said Šimek. According to him, they only have the new building law at their disposal, but not the implementing regulations. "There are many uncertainties, such as it is unclear what an application will look like if the builder submits it in written form, rather than through the portal. How it will be incorporated into the system, and so on," added Šimek.

Until the end of June, the city of Pardubice was also trying to obtain building permits for as many repairs and renovations as possible. Politicians expect chaos. "There is a fear that this will be a huge problem and that building proceedings may come to a halt for several months because it will be a complete paralysis," said Mayor Jan Nadrchal (ANO) to ČTK. His deputy Jan Hrabal (ANO) added that officials from the building office only had a two-hour presentation and do not have access to the builder’s portal to learn how to use it.

"We do not know how to work in the builder’s portal; we lack the technology (new PCs). There are more applications, and they are being submitted incomplete. We do not even have the capacity to open them, so we cannot say what is being requested more," said Petr Skácel, head of the building and transport procedures department in Zlín to ČTK.

The Hradec Králové city hall expects the biggest surge this week. "Recently, there has also been a significant increase in the number of telephone inquiries, where colleagues are already encountering their limits. It is impossible to devote time to processing the agenda, personal visits, and simultaneously handle a high number of phone inquiries," said City Hall spokesperson Kateřina Rohlíčková to ČTK.

There are also administrative problems in southern Moravia. "Documents that arrive daily at the building office are stacked a meter high. We are unable to handle such a volume of administration," said Ivana Solaříková, spokesperson for the Břeclav city office.

Since Monday morning, the staff of the building office of the Prostějov city hall have also been busy, receiving around fifty applications from builders just in the morning, which is several times more than usual. "The interest of builders is large, and this is just Monday. We will see what comes next. We are working without breaks and will accept applications from anyone who comes," said Jan Košťál, head of the Prostějov building office. According to him, officials have so far managed the work related to the significant increase in the number of submitted applications and there has not been a need to alter the operation of the building office.

They are also managing the increased agenda in Ústí nad Labem and Karlovy Vary. Officials have reorganized their work to cope with the surge, said Miloš Studenovský, secretary of the Ústí city hall to ČTK. In Karlovy Vary, the volume of the agenda performed by the building office officials has nearly doubled over the last month. "However, this does not mean longer lines or higher foot traffic at the department, as most applicants communicate with the office through data boxes or submit materials at the city hall's registry," said Helena Kyselá, spokesperson for the Karlovy Vary city hall. The situation is different in Sokolov, where the building office has been chronically understaffed by three employees. To increase the likelihood of hiring new building officials, it offers, among other benefits, a recruitment bonus of 100,000 crowns, said Michal Švarc, spokesperson for the Sokolov city office to ČTK.

Due to the large increase in applications being handled under the old building law and a number of new regulations that officials must study at the last minute, a collapse of the building permitting system or of the workers may occur, concluded Michal Jarco, head of the building office in Jihlava.