Can you build on the shore? Finland's shoreline building rules 2026

The main rule of shoreline building in Finland is clear: you may not build in the shore area of the sea or a water body without a legally binding plan designating the building site. The rule sits in the Land Use Act (alueidenkäyttölaki), renamed from the Land Use and Building Act at the start of 2025. The shore master plan is drawn up by the municipality and steers construction permits directly; the shore detailed plan can be drawn up by the landowner for their own shore area, with the municipality approving it. Where no plan exists, a deviation permit is required from the municipality – the old information naming the ELY Centre has been out of date for years.

When can you build on the shore without a deviation permit?

There are a few exceptions to the plan-or-deviation-permit requirement, where a construction permit alone is enough:

• Buildings for agriculture, forestry and fishing
• An outbuilding within the garden of an existing residential building – this group typically also covers a sauna on an existing building site
• Repairing and modestly extending an existing building

The general permit exemption for buildings under 30 m² does not work on the shore: on a new building site, even a small shore sauna can require a deviation permit if the site is not designated in a plan.

How far from the shoreline must buildings be placed?

There is no single national figure – distances come from the plan and the municipal building ordinance. Typically a sauna 10–20 metres and other buildings 20–50 metres from the shoreline, depending on municipality and building size. Kirkkonummi's 2025 building ordinance:

• A sauna at least 20 m from the shoreline
• A holiday home of up to 50 m² at least 25 m, anything larger at least 35 m
• A permanent dwelling of up to 150 m² at least 35 m, larger at least 50 m

The minimum size of a shoreline building site is typically 2,000–20,000 m², and a holiday site's total floor area is often capped as a percentage of the site's area. The distance rules keep the shore landscape open and buildings safe from flood levels, which is why they are measured from the shoreline, not the plot boundary. Request extracts of both the plan and the building ordinance before starting design: on the same lake, different municipalities' shores can carry different figures.

How is a deviation permit applied for, and what does it cost?

The application is filed with the municipality, most often through Lupapiste.fi, and the neighbours are consulted. Processing times vary – about five months in Sipoo. Fees: €440 in Asikkala, €500 in Ikaalinen. Two points: a favourable deviation decision is not yet a construction permit, which is applied for separately afterwards, and a positive decision is never guaranteed. A designer who knows the municipality's line improves your chances substantially.

Turning a cabin into a permanent home on the shore

A change of use always requires a construction permit, and on the shore typically a deviation permit too. The 2025 reform eased this: a deviation permit for residential use can now be granted even contrary to the detailed plan, and the municipality cannot reject an application on a plan conflict alone. A new tool is the temporary construction permit, allowing permanent living in a cabin for up to ten years without all the technical requirements being met immediately.

Which way is the regulation heading?

Towards easing. Several municipalities have relaxed shoreline building in their new building ordinances – Kaarina from the start of 2026, for example – and the new Land Use Act now in preparation would lighten shore planning further. The national law has not yet changed, though, so decisions are made under the current rules.

Checklist for the shoreline builder

• Establish the planning situation with the municipality's building control before buying the plot
• Check the building ordinance for shoreline setbacks and the minimum building-site size
• Budget for a deviation permit on an unplanned shore: a fee of a few hundred euros and months of processing
• Distinguish two situations: a sauna in an existing yard goes ahead directly with a construction permit, a sauna on a new building site can require a deviation permit
• Engage a designer who knows shoreline building and the municipality's practice

In your schedule, be prepared for a deviation permit and construction permit on an unplanned shore to take a good year together before work can begin.

Shoreline building is more heavily regulated than building elsewhere, but not impossible – the great majority of well-prepared projects go through. A log building is a traditional and natural choice in a shore landscape, and careful siting according to the plan and the distances is the surest route to a smooth permit process.

• You may build on the shore if the building site is designated in a shore master plan or shore detailed plan.
• Without a plan, a deviation permit is needed, granted by the municipality – not the ELY Centre.
• A sauna is typically placed 10–20 m and other buildings 20–50 m from the shoreline, depending on the municipality.
• A deviation permit costs €440–500 in example municipalities, and processing can take around 5 months.
• A favourable deviation decision is not a construction permit – that is applied for separately afterwards.
• The under-30 m² exemption does not work the same way on the shore: a new shore sauna can require a deviation permit.