Tamil Nadu raises the building-permit limits for corporations, municipalities and panchayats — up to 16,140 sq ft for homes — and launches an online appeal system on the Single Window Portal, live from October 27.
Tamil Nadu raises the building-permit limits for corporations, municipalities and panchayats — up to 16,140 sq ft for homes — and launches an online appeal system on the Single Window Portal, live from October 27.
To speed up approvals for small homes and shops and to strengthen local bodies, the Tamil Nadu government has given urban and rural local bodies more powers to issue building permits. Alongside, a new Online Appeal and Dispute Resolution System lets applicants file and track appeals against planning and building decisions on the Single Window Portal. Both changes have been live since 27 October 2026.
| Building type | Old limit | New limit |
|---|---|---|
| Homes — corporations & municipalities | 10,000 sq ft, up to 8 dwelling units | 16,140 sq ft (1,500 sq m), up to 16 dwelling units |
| Homes — town & village panchayats | 10,000 sq ft, up to 8 dwelling units | 12,912 sq ft (1,200 sq m), up to 12 dwelling units |
| Commercial buildings | 2,000 sq ft | 5,380 sq ft (500 sq m) |
In every case the building must not exceed 14 metres in height, up to Stilt + 3 floors or Ground + 2 floors. Earlier the height limit for homes was 12 metres. More applications can now be cleared locally, without going up to higher planning authorities.
Section 79 of the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act, 1971 already lets applicants appeal against decisions on building plans and layouts. Until now the process was manual, with no single online platform and no public record of decisions. The new module on the Single Window Portal brings:
A family building a two- or three-storey house, or a trader putting up a small shop, can now get the permit from the local body itself, and if an application is rejected, can appeal and follow the case online. Both orders were issued by the Commissioner of Town and Country Planning.