Landslide area

What is a landslide area?

A landslide area (svahová deformácia, also zosuvné územie) is a part of a slope where ground has moved downhill or can slide. The State Geological Institute of Dionýz Štúr (ŠGÚDŠ) records such places in its register of documented slope deformations. It sorts them into two groups: point landslides, which are slope deformations of a smaller scale, and area landslides, which outline larger areas affected by landslide activity.

The geological act, act 569/2007 Z. z., uses similar wording. It defines the engineering-geological survey as a survey of the ground and groundwater conditions of an area, among other purposes for the foundation of buildings. The definition includes the study of the stability of an area prone to sliding (§ 3 písm. g). The same act names zosuvné územia among the matters on which planning authorities follow geological results (§ 20 ods. 1).

How do you find out whether a plot lies in a landslide area?

Start with the public register, then order a survey of the plot. The register shows documented landslides only. A plot that is not in it has no documented slide, but that does not show that the ground is stable.

Step	Where	What it tells you
Look up the plot in the Landslides application	Geofond registries on the ŠGÚDŠ website	Whether a documented point or area landslide lies on or near the plot. The records link to final reports in the Geofond Archive, which registered users can view remotely
Ask what the planning documentation says	Municipality and its planning documentation	The Ministry of the Environment comments on planning documentation. For an area with adverse ground conditions it defines the risks of use (geological act § 20 ods. 2 and 3)
Order an engineering-geological survey	A holder of a geological authorisation or ŠGÚDŠ	The stability of the slope at the plot. The act sets three stages: orientation, detailed and supplementary (§ 2 ods. 3 písm. c, § 4 ods. 1)

The client of a survey must hand the final report to ŠGÚDŠ free of charge within one month of its approval (§ 19 ods. 1). A client may set conditions on who can see a report. Those conditions do not apply to a report that found an area prone to sliding (§ 19 ods. 3 písm. e). Ask ŠGÚDŠ whether a report exists for your plot before you pay for a new survey.

What does a landslide area mean for the building permit?

The building act, act 25/2025 Z. z. (Stavebný zákon), has applied since 1 April 2025. The consolidated text in force from 1 November 2025 to 31 December 2026 has no provision that names landslides or slope deformations. The effect comes through three general rules.

• A building may be built only in line with the binding part of the spatial plan and with the interests that special laws protect. Affected authorities state those interests in binding opinions (§ 21 ods. 1). The Office keeps the list of affected authorities in the information system (§ 21 ods. 2).
• The designer is responsible for setting the scope of the hydrogeological survey and other surveys that the design needs, if the character of the building requires them (§ 35 ods. 6 písm. c).
• Planning authorities proceed in line with the results of geological work on landslide areas (geological act § 20 ods. 1).

The acts above name no separate landslide permit or consent. Whether a slide risk stops a house depends on the survey, on the planning documentation and on the binding opinions in the proceedings on the building intent. Ask the building office which affected authorities it lists for your plot.

Who pays for the geological survey on a sloped plot?

The builder secures it. Under § 30 ods. 2 písm. b) of act 25/2025, the builder arranges the engineering-geological, hydrogeological and other survey work that the design documentation needs, unless the builder and the designer agree otherwise. The act sets no price, and the sources used for this entry give no price list. Ask for quotes against a scope that the designer sets (§ 35 ods. 6 písm. c).

The survey must be done by a person with a geological authorisation, or by ŠGÚDŠ (§ 4 ods. 1 písm. a and b of the geological act). For the groundwater side of the same work, see hydrogeological survey.

How does a landslide area differ from other plot constraints?

The geological act names several constraints together. Planning authorities proceed in line with geological results on mineral deposits, old mine workings, landslide areas, waste dumps and environmental burdens (§ 20 ods. 1). Each has its own register, so one plot can carry more than one.

Constraint	Where to look
Landslide area	Landslides application in the ŠGÚDŠ Geofond registries
Environmental burden	Information system of environmental burdens
Protected deposit area	Deposits application in the ŠGÚDŠ Geofond registries, and the district mining office
Undermined territory	Old Mining Works application in the ŠGÚDŠ Geofond registries
Flood risk zone	See the flood risk zone entry

A sloped plot is not automatically a landslide area. The register records documented slope deformations. For the design of a house on a slope, see house on a sloped site.

What does the survey produce?

An engineering-geological survey examines the stability of an area prone to sliding. It also prepares the geological base documents for proposals to stabilise the area (§ 3 písm. g). A design response, for example a retaining wall, rests on those documents and on the designer's work. The final report is the document that the register links to and that ŠGÚDŠ archives (§ 19 ods. 1).

Which law applies since 1 April 2025?

Article I of act 25/2025 Z. z. applies from 1 April 2025. Proceedings under the old building act 50/1976 Zb. follow it only where the transitional provisions say so (§ 84). For special laws that still use old procedure names, § 84 ods. 11 maps "územné konanie" to "konanie o stavebnom zámere". The building act entry gives the full mapping. The spatial side sits in act 200/2022 Z. z. on spatial planning, where planning documentation sets the urban and landscape concept of an area (§ 18 ods. 1).