Adding a toilet at home: what does Vietnam’s 2025 Construction Law say?

Vietnam’s 2025 Construction Law, Law No. 135/2025/QH15, took effect on 1 July 2026 and expands or clarifies several cases that may be exempt from building permits. However, not every home under seven storeys is automatically exempt. The total floor area, project location, and local architectural management regulations must also be considered.

For homeowners planning a renovation — particularly the addition of a toilet — two separate questions need to be reviewed: the construction permit requirements and the technical drainage solution. Adding a toilet inside an existing building may fall under repair or renovation works that do not require a permit, provided the relevant conditions are met. In practice, the more immediate challenge is often connecting the new toilet to the drainage system without drilling or cutting the floor.

Key highlights

• Context: Vietnam’s 2025 Construction Law expands building-permit exemptions but introduces specific conditions.
• Important point: Adding a toilet inside an existing home does not always depend on the 1 July 2026 date.
• Technical solution: SFA Pumps macerators can help discharge wastewater to a suitable connection point without floor drilling in many renovation projects.
• Reminder: Planning status, structural safety, and local architectural regulations should be checked before construction begins.

What changed under Vietnam’s 2025 Construction Law?

Under Article 43, Clause 2, Point g of the 2025 Construction Law, an individual residential house may be exempt from a building permit if it meets all of the following conditions:

Meeting the storey limit alone is not enough to establish that a project is permit-exempt. The homeowner must also check the total floor area and the location of the property.

Excluded areas may include:

• Functional zones or urban development areas identified in a city’s general master plan
• Functional zones, rural residential areas, or urban development areas identified in the general master plan of a province or centrally governed city
• Areas covered by the general master plan of an economic zone or national tourism area
• Construction areas identified in a commune’s general master plan
• Areas governed by specific architectural management regulations

This is particularly important for homes located in planned urban developments, designated residential areas, or locations subject to specific architectural requirements. Therefore, it is not accurate to state generally that every home under seven storeys is automatically exempt from a building permit.

For reference, see Law No. 135/2025/QH15 on the Government Portal and the Government News article on cases that do not require a building permit.

Do internal home repairs and renovations require a building permit?

The law also provides that internal repair and renovation works may be exempt from a building permit if all relevant conditions are satisfied:

• The purpose or function of the building is not changed
• The safety of the load-bearing structure is not affected
• Fire safety requirements are maintained
• The work does not negatively affect the environment
• Connections to technical infrastructure are not changed in a way that creates a compliance issue

For exterior repair works, the building must also not be adjacent to an urban road where specific architectural management requirements apply.

This provision applies to repair and renovation works. It does not mean that a homeowner can freely expand the building, increase its scale, or modify its structure without checking the applicable procedures. For this reason, it is not advisable to make a general claim that “renovation and expansion do not require a permit.”

Does adding a toilet inside a home require a building permit?

If the new toilet is installed inside an existing building and the work does not change the building’s function, affect the load-bearing structure, compromise fire safety, harm the environment, or alter technical infrastructure connections, it may fall within the category of internal repair or renovation works that do not require a building permit.

This is not necessarily a new right that only began on 1 July 2026. In principle, adding a toilet inside a home may already be considered an internal renovation when the relevant conditions are met.

In practice, the main challenge is often the drainage route. The desired toilet location may be far from the main drainage pipe, located on an upper floor, near a staircase, or in an area without a suitable existing pipe route. With a conventional gravity drainage system, the homeowner may need to drill or cut the floor, create a suitable gradient, and install new pipework.

For this reason, the legal review and the technical design should be considered together.

How do SFA Pumps macerators address the drainage challenge?

Traditional drainage systems depend on gravity. Wastewater must flow down a gradient from the sanitary fixture to the main drainage pipe. When the desired toilet location is too far from the existing drain or does not align with the required gradient, the pipe installation can become complicated.

SFA Pumps macerators create active pumping pressure to collect wastewater and discharge it through a small pipe to a suitable connection point. Depending on the model and installation conditions, the system can pump up to approximately 110m horizontally or up to 7m vertically.

These limits do not apply equally to every product. The horizontal distance and vertical lift must be assessed according to the selected model, pipe layout, number of connected fixtures, and site conditions.

A macerator pump can help reduce the need for floor drilling in many situations. However, the product does not replace a construction-permit assessment or a structural review. It is a technical solution to a drainage challenge, not a legal basis for determining whether a project is permit-exempt.

Choosing the right Sanitoilet model for a renovation

The SFA Pumps Sanitoilet range includes several models for different applications. Selection should be based on the number of connected fixtures, frequency of use, and conditions at the project site.

The figures in the table are reference specifications based on the relevant product information. The exact product and installation method should be confirmed with the SFA Pumps Vietnam technical team before construction begins.

The key principle is to select a model that matches the actual requirement. If the project only involves adding a single toilet, there is no need to select a model designed for a full bathroom or high-frequency use.

A typical installation process

For a straightforward project that has already been surveyed and approved, the installation process may include:

1. Confirming the toilet and pump location
2. Checking the water supply and drainage connection points
3. Installing the toilet and the appropriate macerator pump
4. Routing the discharge pipe to the designed connection point
5. Connecting the power and water supply, then testing operation

Actual installation time depends on the existing building condition, pipe length, connection point, and finishing requirements. Some straightforward installations may be completed within one day, but this should not be treated as a fixed timeframe for every project.

Legal reminder 

Conclusion

Adding a toilet inside an existing home should not be understood simply as a right that began on 1 July 2026. If the work is limited to internal repair or renovation and does not change the building’s function, affect the load-bearing structure, compromise fire safety, harm the environment, or alter technical infrastructure connections, it may fall within the category of works that do not require a building permit.

In practice, the main challenge is often the drainage route. SFA Pumps macerators can help collect and discharge wastewater through a small pipe, creating more flexibility when planning a new toilet without necessarily drilling or cutting the floor. The model and installation method must still be selected based on a site assessment.

→ Contact SFA Pumps Vietnam for advice on the right drainage solution for your project: 097 788 93 64.

This article is for general reference only. SFA Pumps Vietnam does not provide legal advice on construction procedures.