A detailed plan is the basis for land use and construction activities in the near future. It determines the boundaries of the plot, intended purposes, construction law, architectural conditions of the building, traffic management, locations of utility networks, landscaping principles and more.

The preparation of a detailed plan is mandatory in cities, towns and villages and the public water bodies bordering them, for which a building permit is required:

1) to erect a building;
2) to expand an existing building by more than 33 percent of its initially planned volume;
3) to construct an important public interest facility, such as a stadium, golf course, music stage, motor track or other important public interest facility;
4) to construct a building with a significant spatial impact if the location of the building with a significant spatial impact has been selected in the general plan.

Buildings and activities requiring a building permit are described in Appendix 1 to the Building Code.

In the event of the obligation to prepare a detailed plan, the local government unit may permit the construction or expansion of one building and the facilities serving it on the immovable property between the existing buildings based on the design conditions without the preparation of a detailed plan, if:
 1) the building fits in terms of volume and purpose into the established environment of the region, taking into account the building type of the region;
2) the general use and construction conditions of the relevant area are specified in the general plan, including the conditions underlying the granting of design conditions and the construction or expansion of the building is not in conflict with other conditions specified in the general plan.

It is advised to consult the architect of the relevant district of Tallinn Urban Planning Department regarding the selection of the application (design conditions or detailed plan) before submitting the application.

Before submitting a proposal to initiate a detailed plan, familiarise yourself with the maps and explanatory note of the general plan for a specific area. In this case, the latest plan applies: The general plan of Tallinn does not apply to the area for which a previous general plan of the district has been established. You can find the general plan of Tallinn, the general plans of the city districts and the theme plans on the Spatial Creation Competence Centre webpage.

A solution sketch, an explanatory note and an illustration of the planning solution must be added to the proposal for the initiation of detailed plan. See detailed guidance materials on the Tallinn Urban Planning Department webpage.