Permission for Construction Work

Applications for construction work on a preserved house must be submitted via the Greenland National Museum & Archives (Grønlands Nationalmuseum & Arkiv). Here you can read about permission for construction work and the obligations of the Greenland National Museum & Archives.

What requires permission?

All construction work concerning a preserved building requires permission from the Greenland National Museum and Archives if the work relates to building components covered by the preservation order, and if the work goes beyond ordinary maintenance. The Greenland National Museum and Archives may attach conditions to the permission.

The Greenland National Museum and Archives may, upon application, decide that expenses for maintenance work or construction work on a preserved building are to be covered entirely or partially within the grant provided in the Finance Act.

The Greenland National Museum and Archives maintains a list of buildings that are preserved, including a note of the conditions for the preservations. The Greenland National Museum and Archives supervises all preserved buildings.

How to apply for permission?

Application for permission is made to the Greenland National Museum & Archives. It is recommended that you have documentation ready before you contact them. You can see examples of applications by clicking here.

You can attach the following to the application:

• Description of which works or changes are desired to be carried out.
• Drawings or photos of existing conditions.
• (Drawings of future conditions).
• Work description for understanding the project with information about which materials and work methods are to be used.

Ordinary maintenance does not require an application

In general, you do not need permission from the Greenland National Museum & Archives for ordinary maintenance. This refers to work that does not change the building's colors, surfaces, materials, extent, and fittings, and where the maintenance work does not involve the actual replacement of material. You can read more about ordinary maintenance here What can you do, what should you do?.

Examples of ordinary maintenance on a preserved building may include:

• Ongoing maintenance with paint of the same color and type as existing.
• Whitewashing in existing colors.
• Replacement of individual roof shingles.
• Plaster repairs.
• General interior restoration, e.g., touch-up painting a window.