New Technical Conditions 2026 in Poland - what changes from September 20?

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On September 20, 2026, a new regulation of the Minister of Development and Technology on the technical conditions to be met by buildings and their location comes into force in Poland. It replaces the repeatedly amended regulation from 2002. This is the most significant change in building regulations in years, built on three pillars: energy efficiency, fire safety, and acoustics. The draft was prepared by an advisory team at MRiT composed of experts and building industry representatives.

Who do these changes affect?

The new regulations apply to investments for which a building permit application is submitted after September 20, 2026. The application submission date is decisive, not the permit issuance date. This applies to new buildings and structures subject to extension, reconstruction, superstructure addition, or change of use.

Existing buildings do not require adaptation to the new regulations - unless they are subject to one of the above procedures.

Pillar 1: Energy efficiency

Buildings account for approximately 40% of energy consumption in the European Union. The new regulation clarifies and tightens energy requirements while implementing EU Directive 2024/1275 on the energy performance of buildings (EPBD).

EP indicator and energy classes

The draft introduces building energy classes. The highest class A+ denotes a building with an EP indicator of zero - practically energy self-sufficient. The goal is to gradually reduce the primary energy demand of buildings.

Tighter EP requirements will in practice necessitate thicker insulation layers, better windows and doors, and more efficient heating and ventilation systems. Building partitions will need to achieve lower U-values (thermal transmittance coefficient) so that the building can meet the new energy limits.

If you are designing building partitions and want to verify whether they will achieve the required U-value, use our U-value calculator. The calculator will compute U for any layer configuration and compare the result with applicable requirements.

Mandatory solar energy

The new regulations mandate equipping buildings with solar energy devices (photovoltaics or solar collectors). This requirement applies to:

• public buildings,
• collective housing buildings (e.g., hotels, dormitories),
• farm buildings with an area exceeding 250 m²,
• residential buildings and covered parking structures.

Condition: the investment payback period must not exceed 15 years. If the economic analysis shows a longer payback period, the obligation does not apply.

Some provisions regarding mandatory solar energy take effect with a delay - from January 1, 2028.

Mandatory EV charging points

The new regulation introduces a requirement to provide electric vehicle charging infrastructure in selected building types.

Pillar 2: Fire safety

Fire barriers in insulation systems

This is one of the most discussed changes in the new technical conditions. The draft provides for mandatory fire barriers in combustible insulation layers (e.g., EPS polystyrene). This primarily applies to multi-family and public buildings.

The regulations also clarify rules for walls adjacent to fire zones and introduce new provisions for roofs and facades of large structures such as shopping malls.

Fire barriers mean that in practice, strips of non-combustible materials (e.g., mineral wool) must be used in insulation systems. This is not a ban on polystyrene, but a significant technological change that will affect how insulation is installed and its cost.

Pillar 3: Acoustics

The draft introduces mandatory acoustic classes in multi-family buildings and specifies requirements for noise-emitting equipment. The justification is protection against the negative health effects of noise - research indicates a link between prolonged noise exposure and cardiovascular and nervous system diseases.

In practice, tighter acoustic standards will require thicker partition walls and floors in multi-family, semi-detached, and terraced buildings. To check whether your designed partitions will meet the new acoustic requirements, use our acoustic insulation calculator.

Elevators

The new regulations expand the obligation to install passenger lifts:

• Public buildings and collective housing: elevator required at 2 or more stories
• Multi-family residential buildings: elevator required at 3 or more stories

The change aims to improve building accessibility for elderly people and people with disabilities.

Fences

• Complete ban on barbed wire, broken glass, and sharp endings below a height of 2.2 m (previously the limit was 1.8 m)
• Gates must not open outward from the property
• Wicket gates in multi-family and public buildings must be at least 0.9 m wide and accessible for people with special needs

Playgrounds

For investments comprising 20 or more dwellings, a playground will be mandatory. Requirements:

• at least 20% of the playground area must be biologically active land,
• playground sunlight exposure: minimum 2 hours on the equinox day, within an 8-hour period around solar noon.

Access to daylight

The new technical conditions increase requirements for residential access to natural light. The regulations also provide for greater distances between buildings to ensure better illumination of rooms.

Impact on construction costs

Industry experts estimate that the new requirements will increase construction costs by 5-15%. The largest share of the increase will come from: tighter energy requirements (thicker insulation, better windows, heat recovery ventilation), acoustic standards (thicker walls and floors), and fire safety requirements (fire barriers in insulation).

On the other hand, buildings meeting the new standards will be cheaper to operate - lower heating and cooling bills thanks to better insulation and more efficient ventilation systems. Mandatory photovoltaics will additionally reduce electricity costs.

How to prepare?

If you are planning construction or reconstruction after September 20, 2026:

1. Verify partition insulation - tighter EP requirements mean that current insulation thicknesses may be insufficient. Use our U-value calculator to check your partition parameters and compare them with the new requirements.

2. Plan insulation with fire barriers - if you are building a multi-family building, plan an insulation system with non-combustible material strips.

3. Check acoustic insulation of partitions - new acoustic classes mean higher requirements for walls and floors. Use our acoustic insulation calculator to verify your partition parameters.

4. Plan mechanical ventilation - with tightened EP requirements, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery will in many cases be the only way to meet the standards.

5. Follow the legislative process - the draft regulation was at the review stage. The final content of the regulations may differ from the draft. The full text is available on the Government Legislation Centre website (registry number: 68).

Summary

The new Technical Conditions 2026 represent a comprehensive change in building regulations built on three pillars:

• Energy efficiency - tighter EP requirements, mandatory solar energy (deferred to January 1, 2028 for some provisions), EV charging points
• Fire safety - mandatory fire barriers in combustible insulation, new regulations for large buildings
• Acoustics - mandatory acoustic classes in multi-family buildings

Additionally: expanded elevator requirements, new fence regulations, playground requirements, and better residential daylight access.

To verify the insulation parameters of your building partitions against the new energy requirements, use our U-value calculator.

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