A PBG (Persetujuan Bangunan Gedung) is the approval a regency gives to the technical plans of a building before any work starts. In English it is usually called building approval. It took over from the IMB permit, and the change in name reflects a change in substance: the government no longer simply permits you to build, it approves a set of plans that the finished building must match. That is why the PBG matters twice, once before construction and again when the SLF inspector compares the building with the approved drawings.
Cost: a regional retribution set by the regency's regulation, plus drawings and professional work quoted separately. See PBG and SLF cost.
When a PBG is required
- New buildings: a house, a villa, a shophouse, a guesthouse, an office or a warehouse.
- Renovations and extensions: adding a floor, a room or a pool pavilion, with the previous IMB or PBG and the new plans.
- Change of function: a family house that becomes a rental villa or a café, for example.
- Temporary buildings: structures put up for a project or an event.
If you are not sure whether your plan counts, describe it to us. A short answer early saves a stop order later.
Who can apply
The applicant must hold a right over the land. Indonesians apply with an SHM or HGB certificate. A foreigner usually applies as the leaseholder under a notarised lease, as the holder of a Hak Pakai, or through a PT PMA that holds HGB. If someone applies for you, they need a power of attorney, and a company applies with its deed and NIB.
What the regency checks
The application is filed in SIMBG. The regency's technical team then reviews:
- Spatial plan and zoning: whether the land allows this building and this use.
- Building intensity: footprint, height, setbacks and access.
- Safety and design: structure, fire safety for guesthouses and larger buildings, mechanical, electrical and plumbing plans.
- Environment: an SPPL statement for small projects, UKL-UPL or AMDAL for larger ones.
In Bali, the Badung licensing office (DPMPTSP) handles Canggu, Seminyak, Kerobokan, Jimbaran and Uluwatu. Gianyar has its own office for Ubud, and Denpasar for Sanur. Parts of Seminyak, Kuta and Legian fall under Denpasar, so check the certificate.
What the PBG gives you
The issued PBG states the approved plans, the building's function and its permitted parameters. Keep it on site while you build. It is also what electricity and water connections, a later SLF, a hospitality licence and a buyer's lawyer will ask to see.
How we help
We check the land and zoning first, list the documents you are missing, coordinate with a certified architect or engineer for the drawings, file in SIMBG, answer the revision requests and follow the file until the PBG is issued. The documents are listed on PBG requirements and the stages on how long a PBG takes.
