How to Get GMADA Building Approval in Mohali: A Complete 2025 Guide

What is GMADA and Why Do You Need Their Approval?

GMADA — the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority — is the urban planning and development authority for the Greater Mohali area, and it publishes the procedure for sanctioning building plans in the areas it handles. Start by confirming which authority handles your plot and which rules and approved plans apply. The location name alone is not enough to select the approval route or the building limits.

Building plans must be approved through the applicable route before construction begins. Under the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Building Rules, 2021, as amended, that route is either self-certification through an empanelled architect or examination by the competent authority, depending on the building. Where the rules are contravened, action can be taken against the owner or the architect. Ajooni Jasleen Architects handles clients’ GMADA approvals.

The GMADA Approval Process — Step by Step

The steps below are a general overview. The exact route, documents and limits depend on your plot, its approved layout and zoning plan, and the building you propose.

Step 1: Site Verification and Zoning Feasibility

Before design begins, establish what applies to your plot:

• Which authority handles the plot, and whether it lies within an approved layout plan
• The approved zoning plan for the plot, where applicable, and the conditions of the allotment letter or change of land use
• Floor area ratio (FAR), ground coverage and setbacks
• The permitted height, number of floors and parking provision
• Whether a basement or stilt floor is permitted, and on what conditions
• Road widening, high-tension line clearances or green buffers affecting the site

This feasibility check defines your buildable envelope before design begins.

Step 2: Architectural and Structural Drawing Preparation

Once feasibility is confirmed, the drawing package is prepared:

• Site plan showing plot boundaries, setbacks, and road access
• Floor plans for every level including basement or stilt parking
• Elevations of the building
• Section drawings showing structural heights and floor-to-floor levels
• Structural drawings from a qualified structural engineer
• Services layouts — plumbing, drainage, and electrical schematics

The July 2026 amendment provides for the site, building and public health services plans to be filed as un-editable soft copies containing “.dwg” drawings, with hard copies where the competent authority requires them. Who signs and certifies the plans depends on the approval route: self-certified plans are submitted through an empanelled architect.

Step 3: Document Compilation

Confirm the submission requirements for your plot and approval route before filing. For the self-certification route, the July 2026 amendment refers to Form ‘A’ and the documents required by Rule 11, together with the specified professional certificates and the owner’s undertaking. This guide does not reproduce the complete filing checklist. Ask the responsible professional or competent authority to confirm the current forms, supporting documents and payment requirements for your case.

Step 4: Submission to GMADA and Fee Payment

The package is filed with the competent authority through the route that applies. For self-certified buildings, the plans are submitted through the empanelled architect with Form ‘A’, and the applicant gives the competent authority seven days’ advance notice of the proposed start of construction. Fees are deposited through the payment mode the authority specifies and vary with the plot and the building. GMADA’s published procedure page provides background guidance. Some details differ from the amendments cited below, so confirm the applicable filing arrangements with the competent authority before submitting.

Step 5: Plan Checks and Site Inspection

Building plans submitted under self-certification are not scrutinised by the department, but the competent authority may carry out random checks, and action can follow where the rules are contravened. Other building plans are examined by the competent authority on specified points, including conformity with the layout and zoning plan, site dimensions, ground coverage, FAR, setbacks, height, parking and means of access. Inspections can take place in specified cases, so do not assume a project will, or will not, be inspected.

Step 6: Plan Sanction

Plans outside the self-certification scheme are sanctioned by the competent authority after examination. For eligible self-certified submissions, the rules provide for a seven-day notice and objection process. Any discrepancies notified by the authority, required documents or payments must be addressed before construction starts. The notice period does not remove the obligation to comply with the applicable rules and approved plans. Either way, the approved plans set the parameters the building must follow.

Timing: The seven-day period is not a guaranteed turnaround for every project. GMADA’s citizen charter also publishes service benchmarks, but its categories differ from the procedure webpage. Confirm which provision applies to your project rather than treating those figures as a universal timeline.

Step 7: Construction Completion Certificate (CC)

After construction, completion is certified against the approved plans. For buildings up to 21 metres, the amended rules provide for the completion certificate to be issued by an empanelled architect under self-certification, who files as-built completion plans with the required documents and NOCs. Deviations beyond the permissible limits, such as ground coverage or FAR above the maximum, cannot be certified this way.

Completion and occupation requirements should be checked for the applicable project category. For qualifying non-RERA projects, an occupation certificate may be issued along with the completion certificate by the same competent authority, subject to the stated requirements. Check which certificates your sale, loan or utility connection needs; a completion certificate alone may not cover every case.

Key GMADA Regulations at a Glance

There is no single table of limits for every Mohali plot. FAR, ground coverage, setbacks, height and basement provisions depend on the building rules, the category of building and the approved zoning plan for the particular plot. Use this table to see where each figure comes from:

Note: Obtain the zoning plan and applicable rules for your plot before finalising your design brief.

Common Mistakes That Delay GMADA Approvals

1. Choosing the wrong route — assuming a building qualifies for self-certification without checking its height, layout and, for commercial plots, the architectural control
2. Incomplete drawing sets — missing elevation or section drawings can lead to objections and delay
3. Incorrect FAR calculations — miscounting stilt, basement, or service area
4. Missing required signatures or certificates — confirm which professionals must sign or certify the submission for the applicable route
5. Setback violations in design — designing beyond permitted setbacks before feasibility check
6. Document mismatches — plot area on sale deed not matching surveyed site measurement

How Ajooni Jasleen Architects Can Help

Ajooni Jasleen Architects handles clients’ GMADA approvals. Contact the studio to discuss your plot, project and the assistance required.

It helps to have these ready for the first conversation:

• The plot’s location and size
• The sale deed or allotment letter
• The zoning plan, if you have it
• Your brief: use, number of floors, basement or stilt parking

You can also see the studio’s architecture work in Mohali.

Ready to Begin Your Mohali Project?

If you’re planning a kothi, villa, or commercial building in Mohali, the approval route should be discussed in your very first architect meeting — not discovered mid-design. Discuss your Mohali project with Ajooni Jasleen Architects using the enquiry form below.