The Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning (sw. Boverket) has produced new building regulations that will replace the mandatory provisions and general recommendations (BBR) and the Series of Provision on the Application of European Construction Standards (EKS). These new rules have transitional provisions, which means that there are specific dates that developers need to be aware of.

As a general rule, the new building regulations will apply from 1 July 2025. However, there are some exceptions. The regulations on due diligence in construction, demolition and land measures (BFS 2024:4) already entered into force on 1 January 2025. The new regulations on energy management will be introduced later, as they will be harmonised with EU directives.

The other new building regulations have transitional provisions that apply for a one-year transition period. This means that until 30 June 2026, developers can choose to use either the old or the new building codes. However, it is generally not possible to combine parts of the different sets of rules in a project – the developer must stick to one of them during the transition period.

Note that the possibility to apply the older building codes after 1 July 2025 only applies under certain conditions. The older building regulations can be applied if:

(i) the measure requires a building permit and the application for a building permit is submitted before 1 July 2026;
(ii) the measure requires notification and the notification is submitted before 1 July 2026; or
(iii) the measure does not require either a building permit or a notification, but the work starts before 1 July 2026.

In other words, it is important for developers to both understand the implications of the new building regulations and know when – and under what conditions – each set of regulations may be applied. If you are unsure of what applies, we are happy to help you with these assessments!

Sofia Sandholm and Lisa Kristensson, lawyers within construction law at WERKS Advokater