Groundbreaking ceremony before building a home: customary order and legal procedures

Legal basis: Law on Construction No. 50/2014/QH13 (amended 2020) — Article 107 and Decree 16/2022/NĐ-CP · Law on Construction No. 135/2025/QH15 (passed 10/12/2025, effective from 01/07/2026). Updated 23/10/2026. This article is for reference; check the original texts and ask the local construction authority.

The groundbreaking ceremony is a ritual to pray for safety before building; the conditions for being allowed to start building a home are legal procedures set by law. The two are independent: holding the ceremony does not replace a construction permit. This article sets out the common order of the ceremony, then the practical procedures you need to finish before breaking ground.

What the groundbreaking ceremony is

By custom, the groundbreaking ceremony (động thổ) is a ritual asking permission of the land spirit and the deities who watch over the plot before digging the foundations, praying that construction goes smoothly and that people and the building stay safe. No legal provision makes this ritual compulsory for a private home; according to some references, the legal rules on groundbreaking and commencement ceremonies apply to projects and works, not to a family's offering ritual. The offering tray and the order differ by region; what many people stress is sincerity.

The common order

1. Choose the date and time: many families choose a date that suits the owner's age, sometimes also considering the orientation of the house. You can ask a feng shui master or an elder; see also ages for building a house: kim lâu, hoàng ốc and house orientation by age.
2. Prepare the offerings: usually incense, flowers, fruit, alcohol, water, betel and areca, rice and salt, sticky rice or a chicken; some places set out the full three-animal offering. Many sources note that the offering tray need not be uniform and depends on the owner's means.
3. Set out the offerings on the plot: place the tray where the house is to be built, usually facing the house's main direction.
4. Pray: the owner states their name, age, address, the request to build a home, and prays for safety and for the builders' work to go well. Each family has its own prayer text; this article gives only the main idea and does not copy out a long prayer.
5. Break ground: the owner or a representative turns a few symbolic spadefuls of earth, then construction continues on the set day and time.
6. Close the ceremony: burn the votive paper in a safe place if used, and invite the workers to a meal.

Make sure burning votive paper outdoors is safe: have someone watch, keep water or a fire extinguisher at hand, and avoid flammable items.

The procedures you really need before starting

This is more important than the ritual. Under Article 107 of the 2014 Law on Construction (amended 2020), the conditions for commencement are: the construction site, a construction permit if the work requires one, approved construction drawings, a contract with a contractor, measures to ensure safety and environmental protection, and the investor notifying the local state construction management authority of the commencement date at least 3 working days in advance.

One point to note: according to the lookups, Article 107(2) provides that a private home only needs to meet the condition of having a construction permit (if one is required), so some sources conclude that a private home need not send a commencement notice; some articles say otherwise. Because the sources do not agree, ask the commune / ward People's Committee or the construction management authority where you are building directly for the current requirement in your case.

Construction permit. A work must have a permit before commencement, unless exempt. An article on Thu Vien Nha Dat citing Decree 16/2022/NĐ-CP gives a fine of 60–80 million VND for a private home started without a permit (Article 16(7)); if construction is already under way and the conditions for a permit are met, work must be suspended and the file completed within 30 days (Article 81(1)). Fines and rules may have changed — check the texts currently in force.

Notes on the 2025 Law on Construction (effective 01/07/2026)

Law on Construction No. 135/2025/QH15 was passed by the National Assembly on 10/12/2025 and takes effect on 01/07/2026. According to the Ministry of Justice portal, Article 43 of the law widens the group exempt from a construction permit; according to the lookups, Article 48 sets the commencement conditions. We have not been able to read the full text, so we do not state details: whether your home is exempt from a permit, whether a commencement notice is needed, and by what procedure. Check Law 135/2025/QH15 and its implementing decrees, or ask the construction management authority, before breaking ground. Even if exempt from a permit, the work must still comply with planning, building standards and safety.

Checklist before the groundbreaking day

Item	What you should have
Land use rights	A certificate, with the correct purpose of use
Construction permit	A permit, or confirmation that you are in the exempt group
Design	Approved construction drawings
Contractor	A contract, with clear schedule and costs
Safety	Hoarding, works insurance, neighbouring houses
Notice	Ask the commune / ward People's Committee about a commencement notice
Groundbreaking ceremony	Choose the date, keep the ceremony simple, mind fire safety

If you would rather not build yourself, see checking a project's legal status before buying to choose a home that already meets the legal conditions.

The ceremony date and the schedule

Sometimes the auspicious date falls when there is no permit or contractor yet. Suggestion: hold a symbolic groundbreaking once the conditions are met, or only make the offering and prayer as an announcement without digging the foundations. Avoid digging foundations before the permit just because it is "the right day", because of the risk of a fine and a forced suspension of work. Workers' costs, weather and safety should also take priority over dates and hours.

Notes

The groundbreaking ceremony is a belief that should be respected; the customary content is for reference only and does not promise luck. The legal part gives sourced bases, but texts can change; verify with the state authority or a lawyer before starting construction. If you need to check a project or a ready-made home, see also choosing a date and ceremony for moving into a new home.

• Thu Vien Nha Dat — Who must be notified before starting construction? (Article 107 of the 2014 Law on Construction as amended in 2020; Decree 16/2022/NĐ-CP), 27 July 2025.
• Ministry of Justice — Which groups of works are exempt from a construction permit (Article 43 of Law on Construction No. 135/2025/QH15, passed 10/12/2025, effective 01/07/2026), accessed 23 October 2026.
• Thu Vien Phap Luat — When does the 2025 Law on Construction No. 135/2025/QH15 take effect? (effective 01/07/2026; Article 48 on commencement conditions) — read only through search results, to be checked against the original text, accessed 23 October 2026.
• Compiled lookups on Thu Vien Phap Luat, Luat Minh Khue and Dien May Cho Lon on the groundbreaking ceremony (offerings, order) — customs differ by region, accessed 23 October 2026.