Building Licence

[TerryC]

In October 2009 I was caught by the Policia Local building a retaining wall behind my house. It was needed because every time it rained more and more soil and rocks fell down from the banking. After the visit by the police I went to Antequera town hall the very next day to apply for planning permission for Obra Menos, small works for those liguisticallly challenged. Today, two and a half years later I finally received my building licence.

And they wonder what is wrong with Spain. I cannot believe the technical department at the town hall has been very busy for the last thirty months what with the decline of the building industry.

Lord knows how long it would take if I wanted to do major works?

[Lavanda]

How often did you chase the licence?

[TerryC]

Every couple of months!

[Lavanda]

Nightmare. When we were waiting for our building licence I chased on the last Friday of every month — for three years. I learned a lot of Spanish and patience.

[carrowcrin]

I find it interesting that the police get involved in this and wonder if this is usually the case.
I also had to get a licence some years ago it must have taken nearly three years.

[El Cid]

The building licence is issued by the town hall and they employ the local police so that's why they get involved.

Sid

[annfoto]

The building licence is issued by the town hall and they employ the local police so that's why they get involved

Unless you are in the campo in which case it is the environmental protection arm of the Guardia Civil - Seprona who will stop you

[Enrique]

And once you get your licence the Polica Local will be out to check that the repair of the chipped front door step hasn't turned into a three story apartment block on Rustic land.

[gus-lopez]

In Lorca it's an excellent service. Take application &plan in , 2/3 days return & get bill, over road to bank & pay , return to council info desk, show payment receipt & pick up licence. I've even had one done while I wait !
Next door in Puerto Lumbreras it's a shambles , on par with some of what you are describing ! Must be catching as they border Andalucia. You can actually end up with the licence but not having paid !

[gus-lopez]

And once you get your licence the Polica Local will be out to check that the repair of the chipped front door step hasn't turned into a three story apartment block on Rustic land.

2 years back I helped the spanish neighbours build a 3 storey extension onto the rear of their house for an apartment for the daughter. Lovely job, no licence All Father was worried about was whether it would be spotted by the aerial photographers before the roof was on .

[Donz.]

yup know how you feel, I am waiting for my building licence to build what is the size of a small shed for my grooming studio - less than 10% extension to my existing business which should apparently be what amounts to an automatic approval - I submitted it in March 2011, I have my local Spanish abogado chase it every month and there is always some excuse by the town hall (who say it is sitting with the town hall architect) in that he is on holiday, or he is ill, or some rubbish.

It's no wonder people just do what they want because of all this lark!

[gavilan]

After reading this thread I am wondering if I buy a shed (for garden tools) from Leroy Merlin, do I need a licence?

[Donz.]

depends on where you live but I would check - because you will have to be down some sort of base then yes very possibly.....

[gus-lopez]

My understanding is that the law is the same across the whole of spain with only slight differnces between regions. A licence is required for everything ,including internal painting ! I can't believe that anyone ever applies for that though !
Our local council , & the one next door, have a list of everything that is 'small works' complete with price per item, M2, linear metres, etc; which also contains the application for the licence. Concrete bases over 2 M X 2M are required to have a licence here.

[gavilan]

My heart sank when I read your replies!!!! but if I use part of the parking area which would give the shed a base of flagstones ... ?would I still need a licence?

[Devils Advocate]

Gavilan, peoples hearts will sink when they read ex pat forums on this topic. ............jeez some people would seriously advocate you seek a license to paint the bog or fit new kitchen door handles

I'm assuming a lot depends on where you live though, I can imagine that on an urbanisation inhabited by bored,know it all,nosey and dare I say sometimes jealous ex pat neighbours, you may come unstuck from a whistle blower or two, however in the campo and mainly Spanish areas a lot of this scare mongering is nonsense in my opinion.

Where do you draw the line, where is the rule book that says you need a license to put shelves up or make a base for a rain barrell.............scaremongering bollox I believe

As I've said here before after reading similar we went to the ayunamiento to gain a license for tiling a largish terrace..............they laughed at us.

Honestly I think it's a Brit thing worrying about licenses for piddly little jobs which the Spanish wouldn't waste a seconds thought about...............seriously, with all this talk of licences for painting etc................do the people who tell you this actually apply for one when decorating time arrives...............doubt it very much.

[Enrique]

Nicely put DA.

Up here the whole village is out painting their houses and anything that's not moving, and not a License between them. They have a couple of Fiestas next month .

[gavilan]

Devils Advocate ... I dont live that far from you 'as the crow flies' and not in an urbanisation but I have just been told that my Ayuntamiento insists on a licence for even a dog kennel! However I have decided I am going to risk it! vamos a ver ...

[Devils Advocate]

Enrique

Gavilan, it depends who told you this to know how much credence you give it. If it were Stan from the local amateur dramatics club, or Hilda from the ladies coffee morning then I'd take it with a pinch of salt, if you're like me you wouldn't be speaking to them anyway .........now if it were Vittorio from the town hall, then if he wants a license for a dog kennel then he's just having a bad day I'd expect, what with Real Madrid and all that .

[Lavanda]

While waiting the three years for the building licence for the house, we bought a Leroy Merlin shed and built a second in concrete blocks, roof etc. One day the local policeman and a person from the tree dept. in Cáceres turned up to talk to me about some encinas I wanted to prune (you cannot cut encinas here without permission). They saw the sheds. We walked around them. At no time did I mention them. They didn't either. I'd learned by then that if I had mentioned the sheds they would have had to acknowledge their existence and 'do' something about them. The building licence might have taken three years but my 'Spanish Mentality' arrived a lot earlier.