Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike Commencement Certificate
Official permission from BBMP confirming the foundation is laid per the sanctioned plan, allowing superstructure construction to begin.
In Kannada: ಕಾಮಗಾರಿ ಪ್ರಾರಂಭ ಪ್ರಮಾಣಪತ್ರ·Also known as: Bangalore CC · BBMP plinth certificate · Commencement certificate Bengaluru · Plinth level approval
How we know this: we retrieve the CC from BBMP Town Planning for clients every working day, so the steps, failure modes and workarounds below are what the portal actually does — not a summary of its documentation.
Shubham Tiwadi is a partner at Anashwar Property Solutions in Vijayapura. His team operates the retrieval systems that pull Karnataka land records directly from the Bhoomi, Kaveri Online and e-Aasthi portals, and handles title verification for buyers across Vijayapura district.
The Commencement Certificate (CC) is a crucial interim regulatory document issued by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) or the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA). It serves as the official green light for a builder to proceed with constructing the superstructure of a building. The process works in stages: First, a builder gets the Building Plan Sanctioned. Then, they dig the earth and lay the foundation and columns up to the plinth level. At this exact point, construction must halt. The builder must invite BBMP engineers to inspect the site. The engineers measure the physical foundation to ensure it matches the sanctioned plan exactly—verifying the plot boundaries, the setbacks (empty space left around the building), and the structural footprint. Only if the foundation complies with the approved plan does the BBMP issue the Commencement Certificate. Once the CC is in hand, the builder is legally permitted to build the walls and upper floors.
For a property buyer in Bengaluru, the Commencement Certificate is an essential checkpoint document, particularly when buying an under-construction property or an off-plan apartment. If a builder proceeds with construction beyond the plinth level without obtaining a CC, the entire structure is considered illegal from that point onward, regardless of whether they have a sanctioned plan. Verifying the CC protects the buyer from investing in a project that has already violated building bye-laws at the foundation stage. If a builder has encroached on setbacks or built a larger foundation than permitted, the BBMP will refuse the CC. Consequently, the builder will never be able to obtain the final Occupancy Certificate (OC) upon completion, which in turn means the buyer will never get an A-Khata or stable bank financing. When buying a resale flat in an older building, checking the historical CC (along with the OC) establishes an unbroken chain of legal compliance throughout the building's construction lifecycle.
Step by step
As a buyer, you do not apply for the CC; you must demand a copy from the developer.
Ask for the CC before making substantial payments for an under-construction project, usually after the foundation stage is complete.
Do not confuse the CC with the Plan Sanction. The Plan Sanction is permission on paper; the CC is permission after physical inspection of the foundation.
Cross-verify the details on the CC with the Plan Sanction document to ensure they reference the same property and file numbers.
If buying a completed resale property, ask the seller or the apartment association for copies of both the CC and the final OC for your due diligence file.
For RERA-registered projects, the CC is often uploaded to the public Karnataka RERA portal under the project's documents section.
Anashwar Docs runs this sequence for you against the government portal and returns the PDF in Weeks (Procured by developer). Open the document portal.
What goes wrong
Investing in a project that has a Plan Sanction but no Commencement Certificate, assuming the construction is fully legal.
Accepting an 'Application for CC' receipt from the builder as proof; only the issued certificate holds legal weight.
Failing to understand that a building without a CC is extremely unlikely to ever receive an Occupancy Certificate (OC).
Believing builder assurances that the CC is 'delayed due to administrative reasons' when it might actually be withheld due to severe foundation deviations.
Buying into an older building without verifying if it followed the proper legal sequence of Plan Sanction -> CC -> OC.
Fix errors fast
| Symptom on BBMP Town Planning | How to fix it |
|---|---|
| Builder demands next installment but hasn't shown CC | Check your builder-buyer agreement. Standard agreements tie payments to construction milestones. You can legally withhold payments if statutory approvals for that milestone (like the CC at plinth level) are missing. |
| Project is stalled at foundation level | This often indicates the BBMP has refused the CC due to deviations. Check the K-RERA portal for project status or file an RTI with BBMP Town Planning to know why the CC is withheld. |
| Cannot find CC for a 15-year-old building | For older buildings, document trails often break. If the building possesses a valid final Occupancy Certificate (OC) and an A-Khata, the absence of the interim CC in the association files is less risky, as the final OC supersedes it. |
| CC details don't match the RERA website | Report the discrepancy to K-RERA. The developer is mandated to upload accurate statutory approvals. Discrepancies could indicate forged documents. |
A Commencement Certificate (CC) is a document issued by the BBMP or BDA after inspecting a building's foundation (plinth level). It certifies that the foundation has been built exactly according to the approved plan and grants the builder permission to commence constructing the walls and upper floors.
No. A Building Plan Sanction is approval given on paper before any digging starts. A Commencement Certificate is granted later, only after the foundation is physically built and inspected by municipal engineers to ensure it matches the paper plan.
If a builder continues construction without a CC, the building is illegal from the foundation up. A missing CC usually means the builder violated setback rules. Consequently, the building will never get an Occupancy Certificate (OC), jeopardizing your investment, loan eligibility, and A-Khata status.
The builder must apply for the CC immediately after completing the foundation and columns up to the plinth level. Construction must pause until the BBMP inspects the site and issues the certificate.
While having the interim CC is ideal for a complete document chain, the final Occupancy Certificate (OC) is the most critical document. If a completed building has a valid, genuine OC from the BBMP, it implicitly means the building passed final inspection, making the historical CC less critical for a resale buyer.
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Enter the survey number. We fetch it from BBMP Town Planning and return the official PDF in Weeks (Procured by developer).