On Mallorca you need some form of approval for almost any building work. Which one depends on whether the work needs an architect’s project.
The legal basis is the Balearic planning law of 2017, Ley 12/2017 de urbanismo (LUIB), with the amendments up to June 2026. This guide explains which procedure applies to which work, how it works in Palma, what it costs and what applies to fincas on rustic land. It does not replace legal advice and reflects the situation in October 2026. For a broader overview, see our guide to property renovation on Mallorca.
When a notification is enough and when you need a licence
The law has two procedures. A comunicación previa is enough for works of simple technique and small scale and for building works that need no project. You file the notification with the required documents and may start after the relevant waiting period, without waiting for a decision.
You need a building licence for new buildings and for everything that requires a project under the Spanish building act (LOE): a full renovation, a substantial change to the façade, volume or structure, and any change of use. Demolition and first occupation after larger works also need a licence.
A notification is never enough for works
- on protected rustic land,
- on listed heritage assets (BIC) and catalogued, protected buildings,
- on foundations and load-bearing elements,
- that change the volume, shared installations or the number of units.
Very small jobs are the exception: interior works in urban areas under €3,000, without a project and without technical site supervision, need no procedure at all. This does not apply to protected buildings, and the amount may not be split up over the year.
Comunicación previa in Palma: when you may start
Palma sorts notifications by type of work. Simple works, such as new floors, painting or replacing a kitchen or bathroom without changing the layout, may start the day after filing. Works on solar installations, accessibility, non-load-bearing walls, exterior design or habitability and safety need a technician’s signature, and you may only start 15 calendar days after filing.
A notification stops being enough as soon as load-bearing parts are affected, something is added, the use changes or more than 60 percent of the floor area is reconfigured. After a notification you have at most two years to carry out the works. What this means for a bathroom is covered in our guide to bathroom renovation on Mallorca.
Building licence: what you file and how long the council takes
A building licence requires a project, which for residential buildings is written by an architect. It consists of the basic project (proyecto básico) and the execution project (proyecto de ejecución). The execution project and later the certificate of completion must be stamped (visado) by the Balearic architects’ association. Palma asks for the visado when the basic and execution projects are filed together.
The council has to decide within three months, counted from the day the documents are complete. If it asks for more documents, the clock stops. So file a complete set of documents to avoid further requests, and still allow for a buffer. You must notify the council of the start of works at least ten days in advance.
What the permit costs in Palma
On top of the construction and planning costs you pay two items:
- Construction tax (ICIO): 4 percent in Palma, which is also the legal maximum in Spain.
- Fee (tasa): 2.61 percent in Palma.
Together that is 6.61 percent, calculated on the pure construction cost excluding VAT, professional fees and contractor profit. On €200,000 of construction cost it comes to €13,220. Other municipalities on the island set their own rates. For the overall budget, see our piece on finca renovation costs.
Extra rules for fincas on rustic land
If the house is on rustic land (suelo rústico), the Balearic rustic land act of 1997 applies as well. A new house on common rustic land needs a plot of at least 14,000 square metres. On Mallorca at most 3 percent of the plot may be built and 4 percent covered, with two storeys, 8 metres in height and at most 1,500 cubic metres per building. A legal house on a plot below the minimum size cannot be extended.
Many old fincas have extensions without a licence. Since February 2025, Mallorca has had a three-year extraordinary legalisation procedure under law 7/2024, for buildings against which action can no longer be taken. It costs a one-off 10, 12.5 or 15 percent of the construction cost, depending on whether you apply in the first, second or third year. Requirements include a suitable sewage treatment system, and a house legalised this way may not be rented to tourists. A challenge against the rule is pending before the Constitutional Court. If you are buying a finca, have someone check what is licensed and what is not before you sign at the notary. What matters when buying is covered in finca or townhouse on Mallorca.
After the works: completion certificate and first occupation licence
When the works are finished, the site direction issues the certificate of completion, the certificado final de obra, stamped by the association. In Palma you then need a first occupation licence, the licencia de primera ocupación, for a new build, a full renovation, a reconfiguration of 60 percent or more of the floor area, an extension or a change of use. It requires, among other things, a telecommunications certificate, maintenance instructions, the energy certificate and photos. The council has one month to decide. The former cédula de primera ocupación was abolished by law 7/2024 and replaced by the first occupation licence.
Five mistakes we see often
- Starting before the waiting period is over. Starting before a licence, or before the waiting period of a notification has passed, risks a stop order.
- Taking a load-bearing wall for an ordinary one. Whether a wall carries load decides whether a notification is enough. Find out before the planning starts.
- Buying a finca without checking its legal status. Unlicensed extensions cannot always be legalised, and when they can, you pay for it.
- Forgetting tax and fee in the budget. In Palma that is 6.61 percent of the construction cost, or €13,220 on €200,000.
- Overlooking heritage protection. In Palma’s old town and on catalogued buildings there are further checks. What this means for an apartment is covered in renovating an apartment in Palma.
How we handle it at CARLO Design
Before anything is drawn, we check what can be approved and which procedure applies. Our studio is in Palma. We work with an architect licensed in Spain, handle the notification or licence and look after the works until handover. You speak with us in German, English or Spanish. How this works when you do not live on the island is described in our piece on renovating in Mallorca from abroad. More about our work on the island is on interior design on Mallorca.
FAQ
Do I need a permit to renovate on Mallorca?
Almost always. Simple works without an architect’s project are notified to the council with a comunicación previa. As soon as a project is needed, for example because load-bearing parts, the volume, the façade in a substantial way or the use change, you need a building licence, the licencia urbanística. Only small interior works under €3,000 without a project are exempt in urban areas, and not on protected buildings.
How long does a building licence take in Palma?
The council has to decide within three months, counted from the day the documents are complete. If it asks for further documents, the clock stops. So plan with a buffer. With a comunicación previa you may start in Palma either the next day or after 15 calendar days, depending on the type of work.
What does a building permit cost in Palma?
In Palma you pay 4 percent construction tax (ICIO) and a 2.61 percent fee, together 6.61 percent of the pure construction cost excluding VAT, fees and contractor profit. On €200,000 of construction cost that is €13,220. Other municipalities set their own rates; by law the construction tax may not exceed 4 percent.
Does the licencia de obra menor still exist?
Not as its own category. In the Balearic Islands the comunicación previa has replaced the old obra menor for simple works, even though many people still use the term. For works that need a project it remains a building licence, colloquially obra mayor.
Can I extend a finca on rustic land?
Only within narrow limits. On Mallorca at most 3 percent of a rustic plot may be built, with two storeys and 8 metres in height. If a legal house stands on a plot below the minimum size, it cannot be extended. Have it checked before you buy whether you can extend, and by how much.
Your next step
Tell us what you are planning and where the house or apartment is. In the Project Check we clarify which procedure applies and what can be approved, before you invest in planning.
You can work out roughly what your project costs in two minutes. Open the cost and timeline calculator.