Building Approval (Persetujuan Bangunan Gedung/PBG) is a licensing instrument intended to guarantee legal certainty in the construction sector, yet its rejection by regional governments frequently leaves applicants without an adequate remedy. This study examines the legal arrangement, the effectiveness of protection mechanisms, and formulates a strengthened model for community legal protection against PBG rejection in Semarang City. Using a normative-empirical legal method with a socio-legal approach, data were collected through statutory, conceptual, and case analysis, combined with interviews with licensing officials, Ombudsman representatives, legal scholars, and rejected applicants. The findings show that although the normative basis for protection is adequate, its implementation remains constrained by weak transparency, limited public understanding of objection procedures, and underused institutional oversight. The study proposes an Integrative Legal Protection Model for PBG based on Good Governance (Model PHI-PBG), combining transparent rejection reasoning, simplified objection procedures, technical-legal consultation, an integrated digital complaint system, and independent oversight. The model is expected to shift local licensing practice from mere procedural compliance toward substantive, participatory, and accountable protection of citizens' rights.