The building is ready, but without ISU authorization you can't open it
We prepare your file for the fire safety permit and authorization, execute the required systems, and stay with you until the inspector's on-site visit.
You've finished the construction. You've paid for everything. And now you find out that you can't receive clients, you can't sign with the tenant, and you can't do the reception, because a piece of paper from the ISU is missing.
It happens often. Not because people are careless, but because fire safety permit is not required at the end, is prepared from the design phase. When you only get to it after you've poured the last screed, it's often too late for the cheap solution.
We intervene in both situations: both when you start correctly, from the project, and when you are already stuck.
Approval or authorization? They are not the same thing
the permit is obtained before to build. It is submitted together with the technical documentation and confirms that the solutions provided in the project comply with fire safety requirements. Without it, the building permit is not issued for the categories of buildings provided for by law.
authorization is obtained after what you built. It confirms that what was executed on the ground corresponds to what was approved on paper and that the systems are working. It is the document that allows you to put the building into operation.
The most common mistake we see: the owner thinks that if he has obtained the approval, the authorization comes automatically. It doesn't. There are two distinct procedures, with two distinct files, and between them are the works performed, which must correspond exactly to the approved project.
What we do, specifically
- We evaluate the real situation of the building and tell you whether or not you are required to obtain a permit.
- We prepare and submit the documentation for fire safety notice
- We execute the required systems: detection and alarm, smoke extraction, extinguishing, emergency lighting, hydrants
- We prepare and submit the file for fire safety permit
- We assist you during the field visit of the ISU inspector
- We redo the non-compliant work if the file has already been rejected
- We ensure mandatory periodic maintenance after commissioning
We are an IGSU certified company for the design, installation and maintenance of fire safety systems. The documents we sign are accepted in the file, you do not have to look for someone else to countersign them.
Which buildings are mandatory for inclusion in the ISU?
The categories are established by Government Decree 571/2016, amended by GD 1181/2022. It includes, among others:
- Tall and very tall buildings, regardless of destination
- Hotels, guesthouses, motels and accommodation structures above the thresholds provided
- Commercial spaces, malls, supermarkets
- Crowded rooms and their escape routes
- Educational, health and social assistance units
- Production industrial buildings and warehouses over certain areas
- Office buildings above area and height thresholds
- Closed parking lots and gas stations
I have detailed each category in a separate guide on buildings that need ISU authorization. The specific thresholds depend on the area, the height regime and the destination. Don't rely on a general list. Send us your plans and we'll tell you within a few days whether your goal is included or not, for free, before you hire anyone.
Why are files rejected?
From our experience on the sites in Constanta and on the coast, the reasons are repeated:
- What was executed does not correspond to what was approved. Along the way, "small" changes were made to the compartments or routes, without updating the project.
- Escape routes are blocked or undersized. Doors that open in the wrong direction, insufficient clearance, missing markings.
- The systems are installed, but not put into operation correctly. The control panel is not programmed, the detectors are not tested, there are no inspection reports.
- The documents from the executors are missing. Minutes, certificates of conformity, agreements for the materials used.
- Safety lighting does not cover the entire escape route or the autonomy is not what is required.
Almost all of them are repairable. But repairs cost much more after receipt than before.
How it goes
- You send us your plans and tell us what stage you are at.
- We come to the site and assess what is there and what is missing
- You receive a clear offer: what documentation, what works, what deadlines
- We prepare the documentation and carry out the work
- We submit the file and accompany you to the inspector's visit.
- We stay for periodic checks and maintenance
Where we work
Constanta, Medgidia, Năvodari, Mangalia, Cernavodă, Ovidiu, Valu lui Traian and Hârșova, plus Tulcea County. We cross the Danube for Fetești and Călărași.
On the coast we work in Mamaia, Eforie Nord and Sud, Techirghiol, Costinești, Olimp, Neptun, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Vama Veche and 2 Mai.
For hotels and guesthouses, timing matters a lot. A permit application submitted in May, with a planned opening in June, is a race you often miss. Start in the offseason. We have availability from October to March; not during peak season.
Useful resources
- How to obtain ISU authorization in Constanța: steps, documents, deadlines
- Fire safety permit vs. permit
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to obtain a fire safety permit?
The inspectorate's response deadlines are provided for in the methodological norms approved by OMAI 180/2022. In practice, the total duration depends much less on the ISU and much more on how quickly the documents are collected and the non-conformities are remedied in the field. A complete file, with correctly executed works, is resolved quickly. An incomplete one can take months.
I built without a permit. What do I do now?
The situation can be resolved, but the procedure is more complicated and expensive than if you had started correctly. The first step is an on-site assessment, to see how much of what has been done meets the requirements and what needs to be redone. We tell you honestly, before you sign anything, whether or not it's worth the effort and what it entails.
What happens if I operate without authorization?
Law 307/2006 provides for misdemeanor sanctions for putting into operation without authorization, and the inspectorate can order the operation to be stopped. On top of that, in the event of a fire, the lack of authorization can seriously affect your compensation from the insurer. It's not just a fine.
Do you also do the design, or just the execution?
We do both. We are IGSU certified for design, installation and maintenance, so we can take the project from drawing to authorization with a single team. If you already have a project done by someone else, we take it over and check it before execution.
After I get the authorization, do I still have obligations?
Yes. Detection, alarm, smoke removal and extinguishing systems must be checked and maintained periodically, with documents that remain in the facility's file. During an ISU inspection, the lack of these documents is among the first things checked. We provide maintenance with a contract and a schedule, so that no inspection surprises you.
Does salty sea air affect fire systems?
Yes. At sites near the sea, corrosion attacks the contacts in the switchboards, junction boxes and components of the hydrant installations. This results in false alarms and, more seriously, in systems that do not trigger when needed. For the coast, we recommend components with an appropriate degree of protection and more frequent checks than the legal minimum.
Not sure whether your site falls under ISU rules?
Send us your plans. We'll tell you for free if you need a permit and authorization and what the application involves.
