TEK17 is the building technical regulation in Norway and is part of Norwegian law. This means that anyone constructing or renovating a building – including wet rooms – is legally required to comply with the requirements stated in TEK17. The regulation applies to both new buildings and major renovations, aiming to ensure that all buildings in Norway are safe, functional, durable, and comfortable to live in.
TEK17 is structured as a legal regulation, where the rules are divided into chapters and paragraphs. Each paragraph addresses different requirements and aspects that must be considered when building or renovating.
Most of the requirements in TEK17 are so-called functional requirements. This means that the regulation specifies what must be achieved – for example, that the wet room must be waterproof and withstand water exposure – but does not always specify exactly how this should be done. To illustrate how the requirements can be met, TEK17 refers to:
In practice, most professional craftsmen use the Building Industry’s Wet Room Norm (BVN), which is based on TEK17, Norwegian Standard, and pre-accepted performances. BVN provides the practical guide on how to meet the requirements of TEK17 in a wet room.
