This is the Lebanese construction law that every engineer and architect must learn in order to build in Lebanon. This is a governmental issued document explaining minimum building set backs, maximum building height, envelope and façade requirement. It contains as well land requirement like maximum retaining wall heights and its minimum width... Present LBL (Law 646) dates from 2004. The implementation decree was issued in 2005, and slightly modified in 2007. LBL 646 adopts a prescriptive approach. It is mainly concerned with micro urban set up and internal space dimensioning. Article 1: Compulsory license The construction, restoration and renovation of all types of buildings is subject to obtaining prior authorization which is given on the basis of certain legislative texts and in accordance with the consent of the competent departments that are responsible for these issues and a detection by a technician. The request for a prior construction license and maps must be signed by the engineer in charge in accordance with the regulations of practicing the profession in the order of engineers and architects, and must be registered in one of the engineers’ syndicates in Beirut or Tripoli. The prior construction license is for all the buildings even the ones that are related to the public administrations, enterprises and municipalities except the buildings that are related to the military which are defined by a decision from the Council of Ministers and should abide to a set of substantive laws and regulations. The license is given based on the detection by the technical administration: The head of the executive authority in the municipality were the building will be constructed The governor or deputy governor if the building is constructed outside the municipal scale. Article 2: Works that are excluded from the license The license can be replaced by a written request signed by the site engineer and certified within one of the engineer’s syndicates either in Tripoli or Beirut and the works that are covered are as below: Outside maintenance (painting …) Building of fences All restoration works in buildings or parts of buildings that are legally available or which have been settled Cladding Supporting walls and acts of destruction. The settlement of the land in light of construction permits Internal changes within the housing unit which do not affect the structural elements and the common sections that do not affect legally on the residential unit Technical Requirements for construction: Building envelope: The building envelope is the size by which a building should st......