What is the building permit and who should request it
The building permit (municipal urban planning authorization) is the authorization that the municipality must grant before initiating construction, renovation or demolition work. The application is usually submitted by the project developer, although in practice it is usually processed by the design professional or the construction company itself on their behalf, always with documentation signed by whoever owns the property or project.
Starting a work subject to a permit without having obtained it exposes you to work stoppage, economic penalties and, in the most serious cases, obligation to restore the previous condition of the property, the cost of waiting for the permit is usually much less than the cost of a work halted halfway through.
Difference between major and minor construction permit
Major construction requires a complete technical design (report, plans, calculations, measurements and budget), professional certification when appropriate and formal municipal processing. Any intervention with structural impact, change of use of the property or expansion of built area is classified as major construction.
Minor construction is normally processed through prior notice or responsibility statement, without requiring a complete technical design: changes in coverings, non-structural interior partitions, distribution changes that do not affect drainage or accessibility, and maintenance work usually fit here. The exact classification depends on the municipal ordinance, so when in doubt it is advisable to check with the municipality before starting.
Processing deadlines for the building permit
The usual deadline to resolve and notify a major construction permit is 3 months from the date the application is complete, unless the municipal ordinance sets a different deadline: this deadline can be extended to 6 months if additional sector reports are needed (heritage, environment, among others). Minor construction permits, when processed through prior notice or responsibility statement, usually resolve much faster, around 15 working days in many municipalities.
These deadlines are general: each municipality can set its own in its ordinance, so it is advisable to check the exact deadline at the corresponding municipality office before accepting a generic deadline.
What administrative silence means in building permits
If the municipality does not resolve the application within the deadline, administrative silence comes into play, and its effect varies by autonomous community. In some communities silence is positive (the permit is understood as granted if the work complies with urban planning regulations), while in others it is negative (the application is understood as denied). This is a real difference between territories, not a minor nuance: it is advisable to check which applies in the specific autonomous community and municipality before assuming that silence favors the applicant.
Even in communities with positive silence, the permit can never be understood as granted by silence if it contravenes current urban planning regulations, silence cannot generate a right contrary to applicable regulations.
Documentation usually requested by the municipality
For major construction, the municipality usually requests the certified technical design (when applicable), the safety and health study, justification of compliance with applicable urban planning regulations, and the application form with the developer and design professional data. For minor construction, usually a descriptive report of the work, estimated budget and, in some municipalities, photos of the current condition is sufficient.
Submitting incomplete documentation is the most common cause of delay: the municipality suspends the resolution deadline until it is remedied, so checking the exact list of requirements for each municipality before submitting the application saves weeks of processing.
How Bloqbase supports building permit tracking
Bloqbase can help keep visible in one place the date the permit was requested, the resolution deadline that applies, and the date by which the work needs to have it granted to not lose the planned start schedule.
The software does not replace municipal management or advice from the project design professional: processing with the municipality and compliance with urban planning requirements remain the responsibility of the developer and their technical team.