Planning law in Spain is now rigorously enforced.   Spanish planning requirements for extending and improving your home generally fall into the two following camps.

Small works licence – Examples of small works licence are re fitting a bathroom, new windows, plastering an interior or exterior render, very small building works. Read this blog post for full details.

Permisso des Obras Menores are cheap to obtain with taxes usually in the 100’s euro whereas the fines are in the €1000’s. Anything that requires scaffolding andamio no matter how small, will require an architects project.

Anything that requires scaffolding andamio no matter how small, will require a declaration de escalera and we are back to back to the Architect Technico.

Depending on the nature of building works planning permission the town hall / Ajuntamiento may insist on an Architect Technico being appointed who will be responsible for site safety.

Larger projects Licencia de Obra Mayor or permisso de Obra Mayor with Proyecto  form an Architect registered in Spain

These always will require a Spanish Arquitect Technico being appointed who will again be responsible for site safety

Detailed plans of what is being done and where, must be lodged at the town hall, a native Spaniard may well ease the way through red tape.

All structural alterations or building work that are deemed to effect the structural integrity of the property will need Spanish Architects plans .

This will be a Proyecto produced by an Architect, and only a architect who is registered in the Spanish Colegio de Arquitectos can do this, further more the plans must actually be lodged with the Colegio de Arquitectos.

There are good and not so good Spanish Architects, see our recommendations

Never try and undertake major works without a license, like most penalties in Spain the fines are way in excess of the infraction.

To sell the property, the built area and layout must tie up with the plans on file.
This is something you MUST check if buying a property.

If there are discrepancies insist that the owner sorts it out BEFORE signing anything. It is better to walk away than purchase heartache, stress and an ongoing nightmare. Imagine an outcome whereby retrospective planning is denied and a demolition order issued, or paying eye watering fines for somebody else’s wrong doing.

Ask your contractor for NIF CIF registration, check their time registered in the Spanish business mercantile register.

Check for ccj in the UK trading history in the uk

www.trustonline.org.uk can be a good independent resource of checking people out re credit history etc

Ask for TWO commercial tax returns, one from the previous tax year and one from five years ago. Allow the contractor to blank out amounts but not the dates.
This will prove 1] They are is registered and 2] has traded for at least five years here.
We have through our trials and tribulations compiled the following list of trusted contractors in Spain.

My first choice having received excellent service on a substantial rebuild H2R their web site is  http://www.h2r.es

Costa Blanca Contractors Spain has verified the details of each of the contractors listed.

No contractor can buy or subscribe their way into this impartial guide.

Architectos and Architect tecnicos must a have a Spanish colegio number. My first choice Weston Vula Architects Architect@h2r.es