How to get a copy of your approved building plan in Johor (MBJB, MBIP, MBPG, MPKu)

中文 · Bahasa Melayu · Bahasa Indonesia

By Jason Lim, REN 84424 · IQI Realty · Checked on 15 November 2026

This guide is for owners and buyers of landed homes in Johor Bahru, including buyers from Singapore, Indonesia, India and China. The short answer: the approved building plan (pelan bangunan yang diluluskan) is kept by the council that approved it, which in Greater JB is MBJB, MBIP, MBPG or MPKu. Check the SPA, the developer and the architect first, because a copy often exists already. For the council’s copy, the owner, or someone with the owner’s written authority, asks the council’s building department with proof of ownership.

What an approved building plan is, and what it is not

It is the set of drawings the council approved before the house was built: floor plans, elevations and site position, with the approval reference and date. Later works, such as a rear kitchen or an awning, need their own permit plan. Don’t confuse it with:

Document	What it shows	Who keeps it
Approved building plan	The house as approved: rooms, walls, roof, setbacks	The council; owner, developer and architect may have copies
Renovation permit plan	Later approved changes, new work usually in red	The council and the owner
Layout plan (pelan susun atur)	The estate: lots, roads, open spaces	The council and developer
Title survey plan (pelan akui)	The lot’s boundaries, linked to the title	Land survey and land office records

Why you need it: buyers, owners and sellers

• Buyers. Many JB subsale terraces have rear kitchens, extra rooms or porch roofs. Comparing the plan with what is built shows which parts were approved (see illegal extensions in subsale houses).
• Owners renovating. MBJB’s minor works route is for houses with a Certificate of Fitness (CFO) or Certificate of Completion and Compliance (CCC), and plan amendments must reuse the original drawing numbers and approval date (MBJB checklists, December 2022 and January 2025). See my renovation permit guide.
• Sellers. A council officer told The Star in August 2022 that banks ask for the CCC when lending, and that extensions need one when a house is sold. Having plans ready helps (see preparing your home for sale).
• Neighbours. The plan shows approved setbacks and party walls (see party walls in terrace houses).

The legal reason: section 70 of the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974 requires the council’s prior written permission to erect a building, and additions with new foundations, a bigger structure or roof, or departures from approved plans count. Section 70(17) presumes the landowner did the work, and section 72 lets the council order demolition. Once you own the house, an unapproved extension is your problem. Not legal advice.

Step 1: look for a copy before you go to the council

Where to look	What you may find
The original SPA	The Schedule G form for landed homes attaches the approved layout plan and building plan (First and Second Schedules).
The owner’s file	Permit plans, approval letters, CCC or CFO (see property documents to keep).
The developer	Plans for the house type; most useful for newer estates.
The architect or engineer	The full set and approval reference; the CCC names who submitted.
Gated or landed strata management	Renovation approvals; MBJB asks landed strata owners for a JMB support letter with permit applications.

Step 2: ask the right council

Area names do not always follow council lines, so use the council printed on the assessment bill:

Council	Common areas
MBJB (Majlis Bandaraya Johor Bahru)	City centre, Tebrau, Mount Austin, Johor Jaya, Ulu Tiram
MBIP (Majlis Bandaraya Iskandar Puteri)	Iskandar Puteri, Medini, Bukit Indah, Gelang Patah, parts of Skudai
MBPG (Majlis Bandaraya Pasir Gudang)	Pasir Gudang, Permas Jaya
MPKu (Majlis Perbandaran Kulai)	Kulai, Senai

New plan applications go through the online One Stop Centre system (OSC 3.0 Plus), which is built for architects and engineers. For a copy of an old approval, write to the council’s building department or ask at its counter how it wants the request made. MBIP has said its building unit advises owners at no fee (The Star, October 2021).

Step 3: what to bring and how to ask

I could not find a published form or fee for copies at any of the four councils. Their renovation checklists ask owners for the title, assessment and quit rent receipts and IC, so expect something similar:

1. A short request letter: address, lot number, and whether you need the original plan, later permit plans or both.
2. Proof of ownership: the title (geran) and latest assessment bill (see reading a land title).
3. The owner’s IC or passport.
4. An authorisation letter if a buyer, lawyer, architect or relative applies. Owners abroad can also use a power of attorney.
5. Any reference: approval number, year or the CCC. Old files are easier to find with one.
6. The fee quoted. Ask whether certified copies are available if a bank or lawyer needs them, and keep the receipt.

No timeline is published for copies. As a comparison, MBPG’s 2024 customer charter set 30 working days to decide a complete house extension plan application, so allow weeks, not days.

Buying? Make the plans part of your offer

The request needs the owner, so ask the seller in your offer letter to provide the plans, permits and CCC or CFO before the SPA, or to sign an authority. See making an offer and questions to ask at a viewing.

Step 4: compare the plan with the house

Walk the house with the drawings, ideally with an architect, engineer or building inspector. Count rooms and toilets, check how close the back and side walls are to the fence, look for a concrete roof replacing tiles, and watch for slabs over the drain or rooms over the back lane, which are outside the lot. See my subsale house inspection checklist and corner lot vs intermediate terrace.

What if no approved plan can be found?

Situation	What you can do
Extension not on the plan and no permit	Treat it as unapproved; ask the council whether it can be regularised and at what cost.
Council cannot find an old file	Ask for the CFO or CCC and any reference; a professional can draw what is built.
Seller won’t produce or request plans	Make plans a condition of the offer, or price in the risk with your lawyer.
You own a house with unapproved works	Talk to the council first. MBIP said late approval is possible if the work meets the rules, with a penalty of up to 30% of its cost; MBJB lists a penalty plan fee of 10 times the processing fee.

A bank’s valuer may give unapproved space little or no value (see when the valuation comes in low), and you should tell your insurer about extensions (see home insurance in JB).

Condos, landed strata and kampung houses

In a condo you rarely need the block’s plan; unit renovations need management approval and sometimes the council (see condo renovation rules and combining two condo units). Gated strata houses need both the plan and the management’s approvals (see landed strata title). In October 2025 The Star reported on unapproved ground-floor extensions in older Skudai flats, with MBIP acting block by block. Older kampung houses may never have had an approved plan (see buying a kampung house in Johor).

Foreign owners and buyers

Council rules are the same whatever your nationality, and owners abroad can authorise a lawyer or architect to ask (see managing JB property from overseas). Foreign buyers in Johor generally need to buy at RM1 million or more, with only limited exceptions (for example, some serviced apartments sold by developers with state approval); no area is exempt as a whole. That points to semi-Ds and bungalows, where extensions are common. State consent carries a 3% approval fee (minimum RM30,000), and foreign buyers pay 8% stamp duty since 1 January 2026 (see the Johor foreigner minimum price guide). For MM2H, I coordinate with a MOTAC-licensed MM2H agent; approval is decided by the authorities (see MM2H property support).

Where to buy if this matters to you

• Mount Austin: MBJB family terraces and semi-Ds, many renovated.
• Tebrau, Setia Indah and Molek: older MBJB estates where past extensions are common.
• Skudai, Tampoi and Kempas: council lines cross here, so check the bill.
• Iskandar Puteri: newer MBIP estates with design guidelines.
• Bukit Indah and Gelang Patah: gated landed homes under MBIP.
• Kulai and Senai: landed townships under MPKu.

Compare them on my JB property map.

More Johor living guides: Renovation permits in JB · Illegal extensions in subsale houses · The CCC explained · JB’s local councils explained · The SPA explained · Buying a pre-war shophouse · Boundary wall and fence permits

Frequently asked questions

Where can I get a copy of the approved building plan for my house in Johor Bahru?

From the council that approved it: MBJB, MBIP, MBPG or MPKu in Greater JB, as named on your assessment bill. Check the original SPA, the developer and the architect first, as they often have copies.

Can a buyer get the approved building plan without the owner?

Usually not. Councils deal with the owner or someone with the owner’s written authority. Ask the seller to provide the plans, permits and CCC or CFO before the SPA, or to sign an authorisation letter.

How much does a copy of an approved building plan cost in Johor?

None of the four Greater JB councils published a fee for copies online as of November 2026. Ask the council for its current charge, including for certified copies, and keep the receipt.

Does a new-launch SPA include the approved building plan?

For landed homes on the statutory Schedule G form, yes: copies of the approved layout plan and building plan are its First and Second Schedules. They show the house as first approved, not later extensions.

What if the council has no approved plan for an extension?

Treat it as unapproved. The owner can ask about late approval; MBIP said in 2021 this is possible if the work meets the rules, with a penalty of up to 30% of its cost. Buyers should raise it in the offer and SPA.

Buying or renovating a house in JB?

Tell me the area and the house. I will ask the seller for the approved plan, permits and CCC, and flag gaps for your lawyer before you offer. You can also book an appointment for viewings, or a Zoom consultation if you are abroad.

Sources: Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974, Part V, sections 70 and 72 (as published by the National House Buyers Association), checked November 2026; Housing Development (Control and Licensing) Regulations, Schedule G form, First and Second Schedules and clause 14 (as published by the National House Buyers Association), checked November 2026; MBJB, checklist for minor renovation permit plans (MBJB/OSC/UT/P2_14), December 2022, accessed November 2026; MBJB, OSC 3.0 Plus checklist for amended building plans (MBJB/OSC/PP/P2_22), updated 1 January 2025, accessed November 2026; MBJB, Kerja-Kerja Kecil Rumah Kediaman (minor works guideline for houses), updated 2016, accessed November 2026; KPKT, OSC 3.0 Plus manual (as published by MBJB), checked November 2026; MBPG, customer charter achievement, January to December 2024 (published July 2025), accessed November 2026; The Star, “MBIP: Seek approval before carrying out renovations”, 21 October 2021; The Star, “Get approval for renovations or face hassles when selling house”, 16 August 2022; The Star, “Illegal extensions plague Johor strata management”, 9 October 2025; New Straits Times, “Foreigners hit Johor property resale wall”, 20 April 2026

Jason Lim, REN 84424, IQI Realty Sdn. Bhd. E (1) 1584/6. General information checked on 15 November 2026, not legal advice. Council procedures, fees and records differ and change; confirm with your council’s building department, your lawyer and a registered architect or engineer before you buy, renovate or sell.