What are the requirements for construction licenses?

According to the Ministry of Housing, City and Territory, construction licenses are “prior authorizations to develop buildings, circulation areas and communal areas in one or several properties”.

The construction licenses shall specifically specify the uses, buildability, volume, accessibility and other technical aspects approved for the respective building.”

These licenses are processed only before the curator’s office and the norm that regulates them is decree 1469 of 2010 compiled by decree 1077 of 2015.

In Colombia there are different types of construction licenses:

New construction:

It is the construction license that allows the development of works on land where no construction has been done before or because what was there before was totally demolished.

Structural reinforcement:

It is the authorization to reinforce the structure according to the adequate levels of seismic resistant safety, because it is required by the deterioration caused by the passage of time or by the use.

Expansion:

It is the license that authorizes the increase in the constructed area of an existing building. The sum of both areas must be within the building potential allowed for the property. This sum corresponds to the sum of the floor areas excluding rooftops and unroofed areas.

Modification:

Allows changes in the design or structure of a building without increasing its built-up area.

Restoration:

It is the authorization to carry out works of recovery and adaptation of a property in order to preserve and reveal its aesthetic, historical and symbolic values.

Reconstruction:

This construction license allows for the reconstruction of buildings affected by a disaster under the same conditions granted in the initial license.

Adequacy:

It is the authorization to change the use of a building or part of it guaranteeing the total or partial permanence of the original property.

Enclosure:

Allows a private property to be permanently enclosed.

Demolition:

It is the authorization to totally or partially demolish existing buildings.

The general requirements for building permit applications are:

Copy of the certificate of freedom and tradition with date of issue not older than one month from the date of application for the construction license.
Completion by the applicant of the single national form for construction license applications.
Copy of the identity document of the person in charge or applicant when he/she is a natural person, or legal representation and certificate of existence, issued within one month, when he/she is a legal person.
Copy of the document that certifies the declaration of the property tax of the current year or last payment that is directly related to the property or properties that are the object of the license. This must include the identification of the property.
This will not be requested unless there is a document where the address of the property that is the subject of the license can be clearly obtained.
Copy of the documents certifying the professionals who will intervene in the work and the urban development license (professional card or registration), as well as documents certifying their experience.
3 copies of architectural plans, attaching a photocopy of the professional’s license.
3 copies of structural plans, attaching a photocopy of the professional’s license 3 copies of calculation reports.
3 copies of soil survey.

In case of horizontal property, attach to the construction license application: 3 sets of boundary plans and 3 sets of division project.

Construction licenses: Colombia