A German who wants to build a house can ask the building authority a binding question before buying the land. This is the Bauvoranfrage, the preliminary building inquiry. The answer is the Bauvorbescheid, a preliminary decision. The city of Hamburg names its use plainly: to have the buildability of a plot checked before buying it. The person asking does not need to own the plot yet. In most state building codes, the preliminary decision is valid for three years. During that time, the authority is bound by it. It does not replace the building permit, which must still be applied for.