Guide to Revisions to Planning Permissions and Building Permits
Updated October 2025
Revisions are often necessary at various stages of a project. They occur for many different reasons, including as part of negotiations with the Department, discovery of unforeseen site conditions, owners’ preference or desired changes during construction or changes in construction methods. As such, a procedure exists to ensure that revisions may be accepted, processed and, where possible, approved in the simplest and quickest way to allow the project to continue with minimum interruptions.
Please note that a revision cannot be submitted if a planning permission has expired or if a Certificate of Completion and Occupancy has been issued for the project.
What qualifies to be assessed as a revision?
Revisions to any planning permission or building permit should typically not exceed the scope of the Development and Planning (General Development) Order 1999 or result in a form of development which poses materially greater impacts than that originally approved. For instance, if discretion was originally applied in approving a planning application, there is limited scope in intensifying the discretion already applied, particularly if there are objectors of record.
'In the Field' Revisions
The ‘in the field revision’ process is intended to provide a procedure through which minor changes may be made on site without the need for a formal submission to the Department of Planning. The Building Inspectors of the Department are authorised to grant these specified changes to works on site to assist with site continuity of work and scheduling. However, they Inspectors the right to require a formal revision submission where it is considered that greater scrutiny of a proposed revision is required. It should be noted that an ‘in the field revision’ must be requested before the works have taken place and proceeding with a change without the necessary approval will, in most cases, default to a requirement for a retroactive formal building permit application and may also require a retroactive application for planning permission.
Proposed ‘in the field revisions’ will be assessed against the drawings and documentation stamped ’approved’ by the Department of Planning only. Changes to a development affecting a building or site of historical interest or significance, namely a listed building or a building within a historic protection area will not be allowed as part of this scheme. In most cases a site sketch will be required, complete with an Engineer’s signed seal, if applicable.
The checklist itself works as a list of cascading requirements. The Inspector will review the proposal by working through the checklist to the specific change being proposed and then follow it to its logical conclusion. In certain circumstances the Inspector may seek consultation with other technical officers of the Department of Planning or other Government departments. If the ‘in the field revision’ is granted, it will be recorded in the Inspection results and will include photographs of the completed checklist, revised works, site sketches and other associated documentation. Click here to see an example of a blank and completed ‘In the Field Revision Checklist’.
What Type of Revision Application Should I Submit?
PROJECT STAGE | CSS (Customer Self-Service) ACTION |
Planning Approval (Building Permit has not been issued) | Apply for a Plan Revision under application Sub-Records (P) |
Building Permit (Building Permit only issued) | Apply for a Permit Revision under application Sub-Records (BC or BR) |
Planning Approval & Building Permit Issued | Apply for a Permit Revision under application Sub-Records (BC or BR) |
Permitted Development Permit | Apply for a Permit Revision under application Sub-Records (PDP/ B) |
The following guide details the process by which this is achieved.
Submission
All revision applications must be submitted via the Department of Planning’s Customer Self Service portal (the ‘CSS’) and include the following:
1. A single PDF containing all drawings detailing all of the planned revisions and meeting the following criteria.
• All changes to the original approved drawings must be bubbled in red.
• A synopsis per drawing shall be written in the margin against a revision number and date the drawing was issued.
• All Commercial applications (any project exceeding the scope of the Bermuda Residential Building Code 2014) shall be reviewed by the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service (BFRS) under the Bermuda Fire Safety Act 2014, and stamped by BFRS prior to submission. NB. The BFRS review is a separate process from that of the Planning Department. Any delays in processing resulting from BFRS review after submission are beyond the control of the Department of Planning.
• Minimum font size of 8 pt. is recommended. Half-sized drawings should also meet this criteria after scaling.
• Each drawing sheet must include a scale bar.
• Half sized drawings of standard 24”x36” drawing size scaled “fit to page” for an 11”x17” format will not remain to scale. Do not submit drawings thusly scaled.
2. A single PDF containing all technical specifications.
3. Where a significant number of revisions are proposed, a PDF itemising each aspect of the development being revised.
4. Payment
• An invoice will be emailed to the either the agent and/or owner for payment once the submission is vetted and accepted. Applications are typically vetted for completeness within three (3) business days of receipt. If the invoice has not been received in three (3) working days, please call 297-7755 or email the Front Desk Team to enquire as to the status.
• Payment can be made by direct online transfer to the Department of Planning account or at the Accountant General Payment Counter. Please follow the instructions in the remittance box located on your invoice. Do not transfer fees in advance of receipt of the invoice to the Planning account. Failure to follow instructions will result in unnecessary delays as it takes extra research time to attach the payment to the invoice without the invoice/permit number.
• The fee schedule can be found on the Department’s website by navigating to the ‘Publications’ tab and selecting ‘Fees’.
• Rejected applications will not be invoiced. Applications will be rejected if payment is not made within the deadline noted on the invoice which is due upon receipt.
Rejection
Applications which cannot be approved via revision and require the submission of a full development application will be rejected. Please note applications will be rejected if all contact information is not included.
Resubmission
This applies to any application which can be approved via revision but is missing critical information for assessment. The applicant will be notified via an email which states Requires Resubmit. Applications may be resubmitted at any time by emailing the Front Desk Team. Use the revision application number (PREV-XXXX-XX or BREVXXXX-XX). DO NOT use the permit number (BC/BR/PDP-XXXX-XX).
Approval
Submissions will be reviewed and processed through Planning, Health Department, BFRS (if not completed prior to submission), Building Control and any other necessary consulting body (e.g. Historical Building Advisory Committee, Department of Environment & Natural Resources etc.), as required, based on the contents of the submission. If the application is approved, the stamped approved drawings (building permit revision and PDPs only) will be posted in the Customer Self-Service portal for downloading and an email sent with a letter advising of the approval to the agent and/or owner. A printed copy of the approved set of documents must be added to the rest of the approved drawings and kept on site for the duration of construction works.
Please note that planning-only revisions will not be stamped. Instead, the drawings which have been submitted in the Customer Self-Service will be re-named ‘Approved Drawings’ and are available on-line.
Can I apply a new Planning permission to an existing Building Permit?
Yes, but not as a revision. You must apply for a standard Commercial or Residential Building Permit. The Department of Planning will decide whether to append the application to an existing building permit or to issue a new building permit.
Is more information available?
The status of a revision application can be viewed through the Customer Self-Service portal. You must have a personal account and be associated with the application to be able to access this information.
Letters of objection and/or representation should be emailed to planningfrontdesk@gov.bm referencing the PLAN or SUB number in the subject line.