Permits to renovate a house in Spain
Contents
Do you need a permit to paint a house in Spain? How much does renovating a house in Spain cost? What happens if you do renovations without a permit?
The advantages of renovated housing are obvious: in addition to living comfort, renovation can triple the value of a house. However, before starting any work, you should determine exactly which permits are mandatory to avoid problems and fines.
The necessary permits and licenses depend on the type of work, so the first thing to do is determine which parts of the house need renovation. Minor work and major renovations require different permits.
This article will cover what permits are needed to renovate a house depending on the type of work.
Who issues permits for major and cosmetic work?
The issuance of building permits and licenses is a municipal competency, which falls under the ayuntamiento (city hall) of each city or town. However, in addition to city hall, you should consider the urban planning legislation of the autonomous community where you live, so some types of renovation may require permits from both authorities.
What work requires permits and licenses?
First of all, permits are required for work that is considered major (obra mayor) — that is, all work related to expanding or changing the volume, height, or area. Major work includes: complete reconstruction of a building, changes to the load-bearing structures of the house, new construction, or changes to common elements of a building.
As a guideline, you can assess the renovation budget. Work with a budget over 20,000 euros will likely be considered major. Also, all work involving substantial transformation of a building or housing will be considered major and, accordingly, will require the involvement of architects, engineers, and estimators.
At the same time, as noted, each municipality and autonomous community has its own rules and criteria, so each case is considered individually to determine the type of work and necessary permits.
Other work, namely minor (obra menor), does not require permits, although they will need notification from city hall to avoid problems with neighbors. They are considered insignificant changes and in no way affect the facade or structure of the building.
Minor work includes: small repairs, replacement of windows and doors, adaptation of housing for people with disabilities, and other similar work.
What permits are required for each type of work?
As described above, depending on the scale of work, different types of permits are required.
Permits for minor work
Minor work does not require permits or licenses as such, but they require prior authorization (autorización previa) issued by the local administration.
Typically, such notifications are processed at the municipal level, since they fall under the urban planning powers of each municipality. The municipality determines what documents need to be provided, although in most cases it’s sufficient to fill out a standard form.
The cost varies from municipality to municipality. In some places it’s free, in others it can be up to 5% of the work budget.
Permits for minor work (Obra Menor)
In houses: partial cosmetic renovation without changes to load-bearing structures — repair, replacement or modification of floor coverings, ceilings, walls, plastering, tiling, installation of plumbing, electricity, heating, cleaning and other work, painting, application of plaster and other coatings, as well as interior carpentry work.
Partial renovation of the external facade of buildings: facades, balconies, protruding elements.
What documents are needed?
Standardized application form.
Photos of the current condition of the renovation area.
Description of the upcoming work.
Budget breakdown with cost itemization.
Study on safety and occupational health.
Project plans.
Permits for major work
Major work requires licenses. If you’re planning a complete renovation of housing, you need to obtain a licencia de obra mayor (major work license).
This permit is also requested from the local administration and requires providing a renovation project prepared by professional architects, estimators, or engineers. Typically, the developer (promotor) is responsible for submitting the application for a building license.
In addition, each municipality determines what documents need to be provided to obtain a license, as well as its cost. Usually the cost is 3% to 6% of the construction budget, to which 21% VAT (IVA) should be added.
If you live in an apartment building, you must notify the comunidad de propietarios (homeowners’ association) before starting any work.
Permits for major (capital) work (Obra Mayor)
“Licencia de obra mayor por nueva edificación” (major work license for new construction) — implies, as the name suggests, new construction.
“Nueva planta” (new building): construction from scratch.
“Ampliación” (expansion): increasing the area of an existing structure.
“Licencia de obra mayor por rehabilitación de edificios” (major work license for building rehabilitation) — refers to historic buildings in city centers. These buildings are considered objects of national interest and are included in the “Plan General de Ordenación Urbana” (General Urban Development Plan). Restoration can be either complete or partial.
What documents are needed? There are many papers, but an architect and lawyer will help you.
Official application form.
Receipt for payment of administrative fees.
Project signed by a competent technical specialist and properly certified by the corresponding professional college (colegio profesional).
Original certificate issued by the college confirming the participation of a technical architect (aparejador) or foreman in the work.
Form from the Ministry of Public Works and Economy for construction and housing statistics (filled out by the project architect): original and photocopy.
Latest document of property rights to the plot to be developed (simple copy or certified photocopy).
Installation license (licencia de instalación), if the structure being built is intended for a specific type of activity.