Planning Permission in Portugal

Acquiring property in Portugal for the purpose of building your own home is an excellent investment! There is a wide variety of plots available on the market, on which to either build a house from scratch or extend and remodel an existing construction.

Due to restrictions introduced in the early 1990's requiring Portugal to comply with European planning permission regulations, a number of considerations must be addressed when looking at real estate for the purpose of constructing a new home or adding on to an existing one.

First, it must be determined whether or not the property in question can be approved for the construction of a new home, or for the type of extension desired, whether it be the expansion of the living quarters or the addition of a garage, swimming pool or other permanent structure. Normally, this type of permission is only granted on plots of land in the countryside where there is already an existing dwelling or ruin.

Planning Permission in Portugal is obtained from the City Council (Câmara Municipal) and the application process must be led by an architect who is familiar with the local environment and the legislative and planning requirements. This will ensure that the process moves forward at a steady pace and the Planning Permission, or Building License as it is known in Portugal, is granted as quickly as possible.

Besides being led by an architect, the planning permission in Portugal process requires the assistance of civil, electrical and mechanic engineers in order to guarantee that the projected building's stability, thermal and acoustic projects, drainage capacity, water, gas and electrical systems, telecommunications network and fire detection systems all comply with regional, national and European standards and regulations.

In order to obtain a Building License in Portugal, it is necessary to contract a construction company that is certified to build in Portugal. This company must be registered with the INCI https://www.inci.pt, which is the national real estate institute. Construction must be supervised by a project management team led by an architect or engineer, responsible for monitoring the development and on site implementation of the projects in each of the aforementioned areas, as well as guaranteeing that site safety measures are respected.

In the final phase of the construction process, application must be made to the City Council for a Habitation Certificate or Building Usage Permit. Once issued, this certificate permits the legal occupancy or sale of the building.

Please ask us for further information about Planning Permission in Portugal. We at Tecnonexe will be happy to recommend the best team for the successful construction of your Algarve dream home, as well as supporting you during the project development and construction stages.