A decision tree for the actual project
- Planning and identityConfirm the parcel and the MPZP or applicable WZ route.
- Rights and accessCheck the land register and the entire route to a public road.
- Site and utilitiesClarify site restrictions and connection conditions.
- House on the planAsk a designer to place the house, access and installations.
Match the register, cadastral record and map
Record the parcel identifier, number, precinct, cadastral unit, area and land-register number. Compare the official cadastral extract and drawing with the land register and map. EGiB contains location, geometry, land-use and soil-class information; it does not grant planning permission or establish foundation conditions.
An unexplained mismatch in number, area, boundary or register reference needs clarification by the owner and the competent surveyor, county office or land-register court. An online boundary preview is a screening aid. The formal site development design uses the appropriate current map for design purposes.
MPZP and WZ answer planning questions
For an MPZP, read permitted use, building intensity and coverage, biologically active area, height, roofs, building lines, access and protection zones. Use the legend and definitions of that specific plan; the same letters need not have identical meaning elsewhere.
Without an MPZP, confirm the WZ route and its requirements with the municipality. The transition date of 31 August 2026 has passed: check whether the general plan is effective and which rules apply to the filing date. Existing MPZPs and WZ are not invalidated merely by the transition date, but a new case needs its own assessment. An old study or map layer cannot settle it.
Land rights and access must work on paper
The building process requires an actual right to dispose of the property for construction purposes. Ownership is one possible basis, but the right must cover the proposed works. Review the current land register, including pending-entry notices, ownership, rights, claims, easements and mortgages. Ask a Polish notary or property lawyer to explain material entries and transaction conditions.
Public-road access may be direct or provided through an internal road or an appropriate easement. Identify every parcel crossed, the legal basis for using it and the wording of the right. A visible track does not establish a right of passage. A right of passage does not by itself establish an acceptable driveway or technically adequate access for the proposal. Check the driveway with the responsible road authority.
Each environmental or cadastral layer has a limited scope
Scroll horizontally to read every column.
| Check | What it can establish | What it cannot establish alone |
|---|---|---|
| EGiB | Parcel identity, recorded use and soil class | Planning permission, construction rights or soil bearing capacity |
| Official flood maps | Published modelled flood-hazard scenarios | Absence of local waterlogging or foundation suitability |
| GDOŚ Geoserwis | Location relative to published nature-protection layers | Automatic permission or an automatic ban for a house |
| SOPO | Recorded landslides and areas at risk of mass movement | Ground and water conditions below the proposed building |
For agricultural or forest land, ask the county office whether exclusion from production is required for the proposed footprint. This is separate from planning designation. If a flood, nature, heritage or landslide layer is relevant, identify the source, its date and the underlying act or assessment, then obtain project-specific advice from the responsible authority or specialist.
No coloured polygon means no intersection with the layer that was checked. It does not establish absence of every possible risk.
Utilities need conditions, not just a pipe symbol
Consider electricity, water, wastewater and any additional networks required by the house. Obtain the connection point, technical conditions, works and limitations from each responsible operator. A network map does not establish spare capacity, permission across neighbouring land, a completion date or a cost.
If the project relies on a well, septic tank or treatment plant, place it in the same site concept. These installations take space and have their own requirements; they cannot be postponed as an unspecified detail after the house occupies the usable area. Use the utility budget worksheet to preserve unpriced items.
The layout test: this house on this parcel
Prepare the house’s external dimensions, projections, height, storeys, roof, windows and doors, garage, terrace, parking and external installations. Add boundaries, building lines, access, slopes, trees, water, networks, easements and protection zones.
Ask a designer for a scaled preliminary site concept using the appropriate current base. It should test all these constraints together. If feasibility depends on an unapproved departure, network relocation, neighbour’s permission or outstanding decision, record the result as conditional.
Scroll horizontally to read every column.
| Result | Meaning | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Confirmed for the stated scope | A dated document supports this particular fact | Retain it and check remaining requirements |
| Conditional | Feasibility depends on an unresolved permission or change | Name that condition and responsible party |
| Unavailable | No adequate evidence has been obtained | Request the missing document or assessment |
| Conflict | Sources or project parameters disagree | Resolve the conflict before relying on the result |
When to stop the purchase decision
- The planning basis rests on a verbal promise.
- Access crosses land without an established right or an unresolved driveway.
- Documents concern another parcel, site portion or project.
- A critical connection is unconfirmed and an individual solution has not been shown to fit.
- The design conflicts with a building line, network, zone or required site use.
- A mapped risk lacks the project-specific documents needed to evaluate it.
Official sources and practical use
- Spatial Planning and Development Act.
- Ministry: the general-plan transition date.
- Construction Law and technical requirements for buildings and siting.
- GUGiK: cadastral data.
- Official land-register service.
- Agricultural and Forest Land Protection Act.
- Wody Polskie: flood-hazard and risk maps.
- GDOŚ: geospatial data.
- PIG-PIB: SOPO landslide map.
Open the parcel report to collect initial source references. Then compare documents with the site-visit checklist. Neither the report nor this guide is an authority’s decision or a designer’s project opinion.