Electronic submission of Building Permits

Ajuntament de Barcelona has launched a new way of handling building permits and cases making it possible to manage electronically all applications. This is possible thanks to the deployment of an electronic file for building permits. A digital certificate is required, as well as the project and the technical documentation of the works in electronic form.

Determining the regime of municipal intervention in the works: Initial request

The tinitial request procedure is mandatory and reveals the intervention system which will be applied to the works to be executed depending on the location, type of activity and the hedge of the building. It also provides you with the guide of documents necessary to apply. In this same procedure the different steps prior to submitting the documentation are presented.

Before an initial request it is essential to have the cadastral reference of the property, premise, dwelling or plot. In case it is unknown, it can be found in the property tax receipt or from the website General Directorate of Cadastre.

The result of the initial request (which has a validity of 6 months) provides you with a number necessary for the subsequent steps. This number indicates that your work is subject to one of the following intervention schemes:

(NOTE: If, upon completion of the process of initial request and before requesting the record of works, it is necessary to modify any data introduced in the initial request, the procedure "Modifying your record of works" makes possible to recover the initial record and modify following data:

- Details of the owner of the works, representative and notification address

- Economic data: amount of budget execution and bonus material

If licensed, you can also modify the surface and add if it is for legalizing a work already done.

Note that the change of any other essential data in the initial request, such as the site of the works or the type of action, cannot be performed with the procedure "Modifying your record of works". It is therefore necessary to ask for another initial request.

Urgent communication

Communication of minor works:

The result of the initial request provides you with a PDF document stating that the works can begin. The process to perform the work is complete.

Emergency procedures:

For emergency actions (which are those intended to prevent imminent risks to people, such as underpinnings and facade protection), it is important to note that you have two months from the admission procedure for submitting the final record of works. You will have to provide the documents indicated in the request to complete the process.

Statements and building permits

If, as a result of the initial request, you must submit an statement or request a building permit, you will obtain the Guide of processing records of works.

This guide provides information, among other things, on:

• The intervention system that applies to your works

• The type of action corresponding to your works

• The different steps you must follow to submit the record

• The documents needed

Preparation of a Technical Project (Previous reports)

In the case of statements and building permits, as presented in the guide, before you can apply for the Report on Technical Approval, it may be necessary to apply for one or more previous reports. Such previous reports are requested depending on the characteristics of the site for the works, the heritage building protection and the type of work.

There are several types of previous reports, but the most common ones are:

  • Prior Urban Report:  It is necessary for building permits in new buildings, major rehabilitation, and reforms with change of use. Whether or not to request this report will be indicated in the Guide of processing records of works delivered at the end of the initial request procedure. The application for the Previous Urban Report can be made electronically from this link.
  • Preliminary Report of Heritage:  In case you want to do certain works in a building or patrimonial environment protected, the Guide of Procedures will show the need (or not) for a Preliminary Report of Heritage. This report verifies that the works are to be undertake are compatible with the protection of the building or the surroundings. The request of a Preliminary Report of Heritage can be made electronically from this link.

Once obtained all necessary reports prior to your record, the Report on Technical Approval can be requested for works subject to licensing regimes or statements.

The application for the Report on Technical Approval can be made from following entities:

 

Application and processing of records of works

Once the Report on Technical Approval is issued, the owner of the works or an authorized representative may request the creation of the corresponding record in the website for procedures of Ajuntament de Barcelona through the procedure called processing of records: license or statement.

It is important to note that the period of validity of the consultation is 6 months. Therefore, it will be necessary to request the record before this term expires.

The holder and the representative must be the same as those specified in the consultation. If they are different, the initial request must be modified.

In the case of immediate statements, it is possible to obtain the required documents, the admission record and make the payment online or in person at any bank. Once the payment is made, you will be able to start the works. No other formalities are required, unless the department that manages your record ask for them.

In the case of deferred statements, it is possible to obtain the required documents, the admission record and make the payment online or in person at any bank. You will have to wait one month from the application before starting the works. If, within this period, the department that manages your record does not indicate otherwise, you can start work, provided that you have made the payment of the fee and taxes.

In the case of licenses, it is possible to obtain the required documents and print the proof. Once your application is processed, the city council will send by e-mail the resolution of the record and, if applicable, the liquidation of the fee and taxes to be paid. Once the payment is made, the building permit is issued stating the deadlines for starting and ending the work.

In order to apply for the record, it is necessary:

• The code of the initial request

• The cadastral reference number. It is a 20-digit code that identifies the property. It can be found in the receipt of IBI and/or in deed of the property. It can also be obtained from the Electronic Office of Cadastre by address and street number.

• The reference number of the Report on Technical Approval: It is a code at the beginning of the report, looking similar to CCC-AAAA-XXXXXXXXXXXX where:

CCC are digits identifying the entity issuing the report (for example: ART, ARQ, etc.).

AAAA for the year of issue of the report.

XXXXX identifies the suitability report number. Its length is variable.

If you apply online, remember that you will need a digital certificate, because the procedure will ask you to identify yourself and use an electronic signature to submit the application on-line. The list digital certificates accepted can be seen in the website as well as the technical requirements of the signature.

 

Possible actions after the creation of a record of works and during it is being processed

Depending on the needs and the evolution of the processing, there are several possibilities you may find useful:

Status of the record

This procedure allows to check the status of a record on the Website or at the OAC (Citizen Office).

The owner of the works, or a representative, can check the status at any time to know at what stage it is.

It is necessary to have the reference number of the record of works. It can be found in the registration receipt obtained after submitting the record.

Changing the owner or the representative

This procedure allows to request the change of the owner of the works, or the representative, in the website or at the OAC (Citizen Office).

The change of ownership can be applied by the current record holder, the representative or the new holder. In order to apply, you must provide the contract or agreement signed by the previous and the new owner, on the transmission of the record and the approval of change of the record.

The change of representative may only be requested by the holder of the record, both from the website and the OAC (Citizen Office). To request a change of representative, the document in which the new representative is appointed is necessary.

 

Submitting claims, appeals and/or documents

This procedure must be applied to:

• Close technical or document deficiencies previously notified by the city council.

• Provide technical project reprints

• Order modifications in the project (except budget)

• Submit claims to notices of deficiencies, refusal or inefficiency notified by the city council.

• Submit an appeal against a decision.

• Submit documents to correct any deficiencies (it can only be done during the period stated by that the city council).

• The submission of technical documentation to modify the project, or to provide an addition, can be made throughout the proceedings before the resolution, provided that it is a non-substantial change.

• Substantial changes (for licenses only):  They alter significantly the basic or essential lines of the original project and they require a new study and testing of the project by the municipal services. Such substantial changes affect the primary use of the building or the different plants, the number of dwellings, the major alteration of the urban parameters of height, floor area, occupancy, courts, building depth; changes in the fundamental architectural solutions of the project, conditions for fire protection or intervention criteria relating to historic and artistic architectural heritage.

Duplicate payment letter

The holder of the work or the representative may request a duplicate payment letter for a statement, a license or a renewal of works. The duplicate is a copy of the document issued previously.

Request to withdrawal (license only)

When the building permit file is still being processed, the holder of the work or the representative may submit the withdrawal of the application. In this case, the processing of the application is terminated.

Payment of taxes and fees for the record of works and execution of works

For Immediate Notice of minor construction work dossiers, you will be informed of your applicable taxes as soon as you make your application and you will be given the option to pay during the procedure itself. For Deferred Notice of construction work dossiers, you will be informed of your applicable taxes as soon as you have been accepted. You can pay online on the Municipal Tax Office website or in person at any of the bank branches listed on the Duty and Tax Payment form sent out.

For Building Permit dossiers, once your request has been processed and, where it complies with the Resolution, you will be sent the Duty and Tax Payment from which you can use for paying with online or at any of the bank branches listed on it.

Possible actions once the application process is completed

Extension of statements and building permits

They allow to request an extension of the periods to start/finish the works, if it is anticipated that the works will not start or end on time.

In the case of communications, a new one should be submitted.

In the case of statements (immediate or deferred) it is only possible to extend the deadline for execution of the work, make the payment (online or at the bank) and print the document of acceptance of the extension. In the case of payment in any of the entities identified in the back of the payment letter, you will receive the notification of extension by e-mail and postal mail.

If major building permits, you may request an extension to expand both the beginning and the end of the work. The city council will send you the fee payment document. This payment can be made at any of the banks listed on the reverse of the document. Subsequently the admission of extension will be reported.

Request of waiver

When the record of works has been completed, you can still request a waiver for the license or statement approved, provided that the work has not started.

Communication of first occupancy

It the communication made by the holder of the record to the city council in order to proof that the work has been carried out in accordance with the approved project (and its amendments, if any).

It is necessary to make this communication at the end of works such as:

• New buildings.

• Buildings that have undergone major renovation works.

• New housing, resulting from renovation, rehabilitation or change of use.

• Intervention in buildings for the creation of new premises or functional units.

The holder of the license or the representative shall submit to the city council the communication of first occupation and use within a period of fifteen days from the completion of the works, with the documents listed in Article 56 of the Ordinance Regulating Processes of Municipal Intervention in Works, in person at any Citizens Office (OAC in Catalan).

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