How to Report a Temporary Building and Extend Its Retention Period — 3-Year Rules for Container Storage and Construction Site Offices

Procedure

1. 1. Determine whether a permit or a report is required

   If the land is an urban or county planning facility or a planned site for one, a temporary building permit is required. Elsewhere, uses listed in Article 15(5) of the Enforcement Decree, such as temporary buildings for construction work, container temporary offices, storage or lodging, tents for storing goods attached to factories or warehouses, and outdoor smoking rooms of 50㎡ or less, require a construction report. Containers placed on the rooftop of a building are excluded from these reportable uses.

2. 2. For permit cases, check the permit criteria

   A temporary building requiring a permit must not be reinforced concrete or steel-framed reinforced concrete, its retention period must be within 3 years, and it must not need new trunk supply facilities such as electricity, water or gas. It must not be built for sale, such as apartment houses or sales facilities, and a permit is refused if it has 4 or more floors. Requirements set by ordinance within these criteria also apply.

3. 3. Prepare the report form and drawings

   Attach a site layout plan and floor plan to the temporary building construction report, and obtain a land use consent if the land belongs to someone else. For a temporary building of 3 or more floors where the local building committee review is to be skipped, also submit elevation, section and structural drawings with structural calculations, a structural safety and seismic design confirmation, and an evacuation safety confirmation. If the details of a construction-use temporary building were submitted together with a building permit application, a separate report is not needed.

4. 4. Submit through Seumteo or to the city, county or district

   File the report electronically through Seumteo or with the building department of the city, county or district, and start work only after reporting. If restrictions under other laws need to be checked, the authority consults the relevant agencies, and if an agency does not respond within 15 days of the request, consultation is deemed complete. Once accepted, you receive a temporary building construction report certificate and the building is entered in the temporary building register.

5. 5. Extend before the retention period expires

   The city, county or district notifies the expiry date and whether extension is possible at least 30 days before the retention period expires. For reported buildings, file a retention period extension report at least 7 days before expiry with front, rear and both side photos taken within 1 month before filing, and for permitted buildings, apply for an extension permit at least 14 days before expiry. Temporary buildings installed at factories or on planned urban or county planning facility sites, among others, are deemed extended for the same period unless the owner notifies that no extension is wanted.

Required documents

• Temporary building construction report (Enforcement Rule of the Building Act, Form No. 8)
• Building, major repair or use change (modification) permit application (Enforcement Rule of the Building Act, Form No. 1-4, for permit cases on urban or county planning facilities or planned sites)
• Site layout plan and floor plan of the temporary building
• Land use consent (if the land is owned by someone else)
• Elevation, section and structural drawings with structural calculations, structural safety and seismic design confirmation, and evacuation safety confirmation for temporary buildings of 3 or more floors (for 3 or more floors where the local building committee review is skipped)
• Temporary building retention period extension report (Enforcement Rule of the Building Act, Form No. 11) with front, rear and both side photos taken within 1 month before filing (for extensions)
• letter of authorization (when filed by an agent)

Fees

Typically in the range of several hundred thousand won to several million won across the industry · We quote after consultation depending on whether a permit or report is required, the number of buildings and floors, and whether it is a new filing or a retention period extension. Government fees are separate.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

• Building Act, Article 20
• Building Act, Article 110
• Building Act, Article 111
• Enforcement Decree of the Building Act, Article 15
• Enforcement Decree of the Building Act, Article 15-2
• Enforcement Decree of the Building Act, Article 15-3
• Enforcement Rule of the Building Act, Article 13
• Enforcement Rule of the Building Act, Form No. 1-4
• Enforcement Rule of the Building Act, Form No. 8
• Enforcement Rule of the Building Act, Form No. 11

Checked against the statutes on 2026-10-08

Statutes and public notices change, so each case needs to be checked individually. Statute titles are given in English for reference. The Korean statutes are the authoritative text.

Check these first

• A reportable temporary building may be started only after the report is filed. Installing it first and reporting later can be treated as unreported construction subject to a fine.
• Agricultural vinyl greenhouses require a construction report when they are 100㎡ or more in residential, commercial or industrial areas within urban areas. Vinyl greenhouses and tents for livestock require a report at 100㎡ or more regardless of zone, so check the use and floor area first.

Frequently asked questions