What is a KTP and why do you need one?

What is a KTP?

KTP stands for cadastral and topographic plan (katastarsko-topografski plan). It is a survey base that combines two kinds of data in a single drawing:

• cadastral: the official parcel boundaries and numbers, and the buildings registered in the real estate cadastre;
• topographic: what is actually on the ground, meaning everything the surveyor finds and measures: buildings, fences, roads, manholes, poles, trees and ground levels.

That combination is exactly what makes a KTP valuable. In one place the designer sees what the cadastre says and what really exists on the plot, with precise coordinates and levels, so the new building can be placed where it belongs.

A KTP is not the same as a cadastral map extract

The two documents are often confused, but they serve different purposes:

What does a KTP contain?

The content depends on the purpose, but a good KTP for design work normally includes:

• the boundaries and numbers of the cadastral parcels, with coordinates of the boundary points in the national projection;
• existing buildings on the parcel and on neighbouring parcels, with the number of storeys;
• the terrain relief (spot heights and contour lines), which is crucial for foundations, sewerage and drainage;
• roads, pavements, driveways and the regulation line (the boundary between the plot and public land);
• visible elements of infrastructure: manholes, hydrants, poles, cabinets, connections;
• fences, walls, vegetation and anything else that affects the design.

Where needed, the KTP is supplemented with data on underground utilities from the utility cadastre.

When do you need a KTP?

• For location conditions. In Serbia, location conditions (lokacijski uslovi) set out what may be built on a plot. The KTP is part of the documents submitted with the application and the base for the conceptual design.
• For the design submitted for a building permit and the later design stages.
• For an extension, an extra storey or a renovation, because the designer needs the exact position of the existing building.
• For utility connections: electricity, water, sewerage and gas.
• For landscaping: fences, parking, pools, drainage.
• Before buying a plot, if you want to know what you are really buying. More on this in Buying a plot? 7 things to check.

How is a KTP produced?

1. You send us the parcel number and cadastral municipality and tell us what you need the plan for.
2. We obtain the cadastral data for your parcel and the neighbouring ones.
3. We survey the site with a GNSS RTK receiver and a total station; larger areas are also captured by drone.
4. We process the data and produce the KTP in DWG format for the designer and as a PDF signed by the responsible surveyor.

For a typical plot it takes from a few working days to a week. That depends on the size and complexity of the site and on how quickly the cadastral data arrives.

What to watch out for

• Up-to-date data. If anything has been built or demolished on the plot since the survey, the plan no longer matches reality. Check an old KTP before handing it to your designer.
• Coverage. Designers usually want part of the neighbouring parcels and the street as well. Agree on this in advance so the site doesn’t have to be surveyed twice.
• Format. Design work needs a DWG file, not just a PDF or an image.
• Differences between the cadastre and the site. If a fence isn’t on the boundary or a building isn’t registered, the KTP will show it. Better to find out now than halfway through construction.