Of Interest
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If you are a resident of Spain and you have an interest in commissioning the construction of a house or reformation project, please read the information below about the steps involved.
You are likely to find that the administrative process involved in matters of construction differs considerably from what you are used to in your country of origin. What follows is a brief summary. Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
Step 1. Where to start?
If you are planning to purchase a piece of land, first you need to ensure that the lot has access to basic services (water, public sanitation, electricity,..) and is ready to be built upon. For this to be the case, the property should meet all legal requirements to start construction. You should also ensure that any building restrictions in the area are compatible with your plans (e.g., maximum number of square meters that could be built, floors, setbacks due to street alignment).
Once you have learned about any legal restrictions, you can proceed in the purchasing of the property. You will then receive the property deed (escrituras) from a public notary. The deed will allow you to register the property in the Property Registry (Registro de la propiedad).
Step 2. Before the project begins.
The architect will need the following documents from you before the project can start.
Topographical map of the property.
Geotechnical report – needed to design the foundations.
Step 3. The project and the Building License (Licencia de obras).
The project is split into two components:
Basic Project (Proyecto Básico). This characterizes the work to be committed to in relation to the standards and local regulations in its formal appearence. This document is essential in order to obtain the building license (Licencia de obras).
Construction Project (Proyecto de Ejecución). This project identifies the materials, fixtures, and structure. It includes cost estimations using average prices as per official reference costs. The construction project enables service providers to use common budgeting criteria critical to allow you to analyse and compare the costs of the construction process.
Safety and Health Study (Estudio de Seguridad y Salud de Obras). The safety study will describe the safety measures according to the characteristics of the work commissioned.
These documents ought to be registered through the Architects Registration Board (Colegio Oficial de Arquitectos).
To get started with the administrative processing of the Building License (Licencia de Obras), you should have secured the Basic Project (Proyecto Básico) and clear the local tax at the Urban Planning Office. You will receive a conditional Building License pending the presentation and approval of all remaining documents (Execution Project, Safety Study). You are also required to pay the construction tax in full before the final building license can be issued.
Note. The process for obtaining the building license could change slightly across municipalities.
Step 4. The building company.
The next step is to identify the building company. Within your budget allowance, you may select a company based on their work ethics and their material and financial resources.
Whenever possible it is advisable to shortlist at least two candidate companies. You will present them with a copy of your project. The companies will then return, within an agreed upon time frame, a comprehensive budget.
Once you make up your mind, you will then sign a contract with the builder. The contract should include details of the overall cost of the complete work and itemised by its very components, with subheadings specifying deadlines, payment methods, guarantees, and other relevant considerations.
Step 5. The construction process.
The following professionals will be involved in the construction management
process:
Architect (Arquitecto). The architect will ensure that the project is materialized as expected. In his capacity, the architect will interact with the building company in order to resolve any design questions that may impact the progress of the construction process.
Technical architect (Arquitecto técnico).The technical architect will ensure the quality of the materials used and the correct performance of the works commissioned. Payment to the building company will be made periodically within the agreed upon deadlines specified in the contract. The technical architect will sign off payments to attest for the completion of a particular phase of the construction process.
Safety and health coordinator (Coordinador de seguridad y salud).The architect, technical architect, or a purposely-appointed professional can play the role of the safety and health coordinator. The coordinator will ensure that the works are conducted according to the Safety and Health Study.
The construction will always be guided by the project, the construction management, and the contract signed with the building company. Whenever needed, the construction managment will mediate between the client and the construction company. In the event that the client suggests changes after the work has started, it would be important that the contract specify the course of action under such a scenario.
Before the work starts, it is possible to purchase an insurance policy for any defects in the structure (Seguro Decenal) or installations in residential construction.
Once the construction is finished, the managers will issue a certification attesting to the completion of the works (Certificado Final de Obras). The client will then be able to request a First Occupancy Certificate (Certificado de Primera Ocupación). The First Occupancy Certificate requires a visit to the premises by municipal technicians. Once issued, the clients are allowed to live in the house and request utilities (water, electricity, phone, internet,..).
We offer our clients comprehensive support throughout this process. We go beyond what is strictly related to the development of the project and the construction management.
