Building Regulations in Portugal

I was searching the internet the other day. You know how easy it is to waste hours reading things on the internet and not actually find what you are looking for. The thing that side-tracked me was a message board post from a British person asking where he could find a written version the Building Regulations in Portugal.

This caught my attention because it’s one of those subjects where there are often more comments and opinions provided than after a game of football.

There are several different camps that people fall into regarding the following of, understanding and compliance with building regulations here in Portugal.

There are those people who are just starting out on their Portuguese adventure and perhaps have had involvement with the draconian building regulations and planning rules in their home country. So they are determined to get it right first time here. They want to understand what can and can’t be done so that they do not waste money or get into trouble.

Then there are the people who don’t want the perceived hassle or expense in getting involved with building regulations in Portugal and hope to get away with it.

Finally there are those people who just don’t care. They will build, change, extend and increase in height properties and if the get caught “hope for the best” and maintain that they didn’t know about any rules and regulations. Surprisingly these people are not just the “do it up and flog it merchants”

NB : if you are buying a part refurbished property you must make sure that the work has been done in line with building regulations and planning permission other wise it will fall to you have things changed and to pay for it.

I have also met many an Eco-warrior who because they are using sustainable materials believe misguidedly that they are exempt from building in a way that satisfies Portuguese building regulations.

Searching for answers and correct information on chat rooms and bulletin boards can also lead you in completely the wrong direction. It’s so easy for someone with only a novices opinion (and incorrect) to state something as fact which could ultimately get you into trouble, fined or bearing the expense of making the changes the council requires.

Here’s my own experience and personal comment on building regulations in Portugal.

A lot of people in council planning departments don’t speak English and why should they?. Many others feel they are not being paid for translation services so stick to Portuguese when dealing with the public. This does not make them unintelligent as perceived by many expats. If you want to get the best results out of them.

Make an appointment and take a translator. Ask for the notes of the meeting in writing (there will be a charge for this) Be specific about your Building Regulations questions, clarify that you understand the answers, take photographs with you to help you explain what you want to do as a picture = 1,000 words in any language. Ask them if it would be possible to do what you want if you were to change construction materials.

Taking a chance If you go ahead and build without permission or out of building regulations it is a lottery if you will get away with it. Do you fully understand the odds. Times are a changing in Portugal and all Councils have access to Google-Earth and actively use it.

I remember being in a council office when an old guy who had been lying about the size of his house for years (to pay less rates) was shown a picture of it on Google-Earth. His face was a picture!

I know it’s difficult to ascertain the Building Regulations facts for yourself in Portugal. If you are having difficulty talk to an Architect. They probably won’t charge you for the advice and at least you will know if you are heading in the right direction.