A renovation in Mallorca typically takes 6 to 12 months including planning. The building phase of a full renovation alone starts at 4 to 6 months and can run longer. Where your project lands within that range depends mainly on which permit the work needs, which municipality the house is in and how quickly decisions are made on site, also when you are not on the island yourself.

How the time on a renovation is split

A project runs in four stages. First we establish the existing building and what is allowed on the plot, then come the design and, where needed, the project for the permit. After that comes the procedure with the municipality, then the building phase and finally the handover, which in Palma includes the first occupation licence after larger works.

How long planning takes depends on the scope and on how much is already known about the house. With a finca, it often has to be established first which extensions and outbuildings are actually on the register. Finding this out only after the purchase or after the design is the most common reason a project has to be replanned, and that costs money and months.

Which permit you need and how long it takes

For simple work without an architect's project, a notice to the municipality is enough, the comunicación previa. In Palma, new floors, painting or replacing a kitchen or bathroom without changing the layout may start the day after filing. Work on non-load-bearing walls, on the exterior appearance or on solar installations needs a technician's signature, and you may only start 15 calendar days after filing. After that you have at most two years to carry out the work.

A notice is no longer enough once load-bearing elements are affected, you extend, the use changes or more than 60 percent of the floor area is remodelled. Then you need a building permit, the licencia urbanística, and for that a project which, for residential buildings, an architect in Mallorca has to draw up. Palma has to decide within three months, counted from the day the documents are complete. If the city asks for more documents, the clock stops, and in practice it often takes longer. You have to notify the municipality of the start of works at least ten days beforehand.

If the house is in a protected natural area, for example in parts of the Serra de Tramuntana, the nature protection authority has to issue a report before the licence. It has two months from the complete file, and an unfavourable report is binding. With an apartment, the owners' association comes in as well: it has to be informed beforehand and agree as soon as the structure, the facade or shared parts of the building are affected. Details are in our articles on building permits in Mallorca and on renovating an apartment in Palma.

What makes a renovation in Mallorca take longer

  • Incomplete documents. The municipality's deadline only starts once everything has been submitted, not with the first filing. Every request for more documents stops the clock.
  • An unclear legal status. Unregistered extensions or converted outbuildings force a redesign when they come to light late.
  • Deciding late in the season. In Mallorca, builders' availability depends heavily on the season. With a year's lead time you get better terms, and anyone who decides only in spring pays more or waits.
  • Access and logistics. At a finca reached by a narrow track, deliveries are split and machinery is limited, and every step takes longer.
  • Open questions without an answer. When a question waits for an owner in another time zone, the trades move to another site and the rhythm is lost.
  • Changes after work has started. Anything decided anew on site shifts the order of the trades and often the deliveries too.

Which noise rules apply in summer

Several municipalities restrict noisy work during the season, and that affects the schedule directly. In Palma, noisy work is allowed on weekdays from 9 am to 8 pm, in designated tourist zones between 1 May and 30 October only from 11 am to 7 pm, and never on Sundays and public holidays. Calvià limits working hours in busy tourist zones to 9.30 am to 1.30 pm in May, June, September and October, and to 10.30 am to 1 pm in July and August, Monday to Friday, when the noise limits are exceeded. In Deià, jackhammers, excavators, concrete mixers and saws may only run on weekdays from 10 am to 1 pm and from 4 pm to 6 pm between May and October. In Sóller, demolition hammers are not allowed in July and August or in the week around Easter.

Wherever possible, we therefore schedule noisy work such as strip-out and openings in walls outside the season. Fit-out, joinery and finishes are quieter and can be done well in summer.

How you can save time

You gain the most time before the first day on site. A project where the permit route is planned in from the first sketch usually starts on time. If the design comes first and is only adapted to the rules afterwards, you pay twice, in planning effort and in a lost building season. That means establishing the legal status early, submitting complete documents and booking the builders with enough lead time.

Speed can partly be bought, because some firms work faster at a higher price. Official deadlines cannot. On site, what helps most is one responsible party on the island who prepares decisions and brings them to you together at fixed dates. Anything that needs an immediate answer reaches you the same day with our recommendation. How this works when you live abroad is described in Renovating in Mallorca from abroad.

How we set the schedule at CARLO Design

It starts with the Project Check, on site or by video. We establish what can be permitted on the plot, which procedure applies and how long it is likely to take in your municipality. We prepare the project for the permit with an architect registered with the Colegio, with whom we have worked for years. The result is a schedule that already includes the permit, the season and the deliveries.

During the building phase we are on site every week, coordinate the trades and send you reports with photos, in German, English or Spanish. More on our pages Project management in Mallorca, Construction management and interior design on Mallorca.

FAQ

How long does a full renovation in Mallorca take?

A whole-house project typically takes 6 to 12 months including planning and building. The building phase alone starts at 4 to 6 months and can run longer. Before it comes the permit procedure, which depends on the municipality and the scope of the work. These are typical ranges from our projects, not promises.

How long does a building permit take in Palma?

The city has to decide within three months, counted from the day the documents are complete. If it asks for more documents, the clock stops, and in practice it often takes longer. If the plot lies in a protected natural area, the nature protection authority also has to issue a report, for which it has two months from the complete file.

Can I start right after notifying the municipality?

In Palma, simple work such as new floors, painting or replacing a kitchen or bathroom without changing the layout may start the day after you file the notice. Work that needs a technician's signature, for example on non-load-bearing walls, may only start 15 calendar days after filing. After a notice you have at most two years to carry out the work.

Can you build in Mallorca in summer?

Yes, but several municipalities restrict noisy work during the season. In Palma it is only allowed from 11 am to 7 pm in designated tourist zones between 1 May and 30 October. Calvià and Deià have their own, tighter hours, and in Sóller demolition hammers are not allowed in July and August. We therefore plan noisy work such as strip-out outside these months wherever possible.

Is it faster if I pay more?

Partly. Some firms work faster at a higher price, and with enough lead time you get better terms. Official deadlines cannot be bought. You gain the most time with complete documents and a permit route that is planned in from the first sketch.

Your next step

Tell us what you are planning, where the property is and when you would like it finished. In the Project Check we tell you which procedure applies and which schedule is realistic.

You can estimate the cost and building time of your project yourself in two minutes. Open the cost and timeline calculator.