What does the dirección facultativa control in a renovation?
It checks that the build follows the project, the regulations and the permit, and is responsible for technical decisions on site. It comprises the director de obra, the director de la ejecución de la obra and, where needed, the health and safety coordinator. It works for the owner, not the contractor.
It is the main tool of independent control on site. The contractor executes, the direction verifies, signs the records and at the end confirms completion. Below, the roles in order and, at the end, how it is hired and who pays.
Who makes up the technical direction and what is an arquitecto técnico?
Three roles: director de obra, director de la ejecución de la obra and coordinador de seguridad y salud. The arquitecto técnico is usually the director de ejecución and often the safety coordinator; the architect or engineer is the director de obra.
Under the Building Act (LOE), the director de obra directs the works, checks conformity with the project and permit and answers for technical, aesthetic and planning aspects (article 12). The director de la ejecución de la obra directs execution, controls what is built in quality and quantity and verifies materials and their conformity (article 13). Entidades de control, which the owner may engage separately, check the quality of the project, materials and execution (article 14).
In practice the arquitecto técnico is the only one who visits site regularly: checking reinforcement, waterproofing, falls, material certificates, keeping the book of orders and noting deviations. The architect comes less often and settles points of principle.
Is supervision needed for small works?
For works under a project signed by a technician, it is mandatory. For small works without a major-works permit, for example replacing floor finishes or a kitchen without touching services or structure, there is normally no formal direction.
The line is the same: if the project needs a signature, you also need the team that controls execution. If there is no project, control is taken on by the contractor, the designer or the client. In that case you must create the independent eye yourself: invite an arquitecto técnico for key stages (before closing walls, waterproofing, handover) for a one-off fee.
In a flat with several parties there is also a safety requirement: if more than one company, or a company and self-employed workers, work on site, the client appoints a safety coordinator before work begins (Royal Decree 1627/1997, article 3). That rule does not depend on the size of the project.
How does technical supervision differ from design supervision?
Technical supervision watches safety, quality and conformity with the project and regulations; design supervision watches conformity with the concept. One does not replace the other. The designer checks that stone was laid with the intended pattern and that a detail looks as imagined; the arquitecto técnico checks that the wall will hold the fixing and the waterproofing meets the standard.
Imagine a marble wall in a bathroom. The designer answers for slab selection and the book-match; technical direction answers for the substrate, fixing, waterproofing and levels. If the second is missing, nobody looks at the invisible layers, and if the first is missing, you get a correct wall that is not the one imagined.
If designer and contractor are the same company, the independence of technical direction becomes especially valuable, as we said in the article on design and build under one roof. Then hire the direction directly.
What does the direction sign and when does it step in?
The direction signs stage records, keeps the book of orders and at the end, together with the architect, signs the certificado final de obra. It is needed to close the legal side of the renovation and for later procedures such as the cédula de habitabilidad.
Typical points of intervention: checking geometry and setting out before the start, acceptance of hidden work before it is closed (service routes, waterproofing, reinforcement), approval of material substitutions, review of certificates. The direction can stop work if it sees a breach and record it in the book of orders.
A good sign for the client: the direction visits on schedule, not only at the end, and every comment arrives in writing. Ask for copies of the records and photos of hidden work. For an owner abroad it is the only way to see what lies under the finish.
How does the contractor deal with the direction?
The contractor executes, requests acceptance of stages, presents material certificates and follows the direction's technical instructions. The direction does not answer to the contractor or get paid by them: it works for the client.
Good practice: the contractor says in advance when hidden work is ready and waits for the signature before closing. They propose material substitutions in writing, and the direction and designer decide whether they are acceptable. In quality disputes the direction decides under the project and regulations. The contractor must comply or give a reasoned objection in writing.
Clashes between contractor and direction are unavoidable on complex projects and are not bad: they mean someone is checking. What is bad is no comments at all and, at the end, the discovery that the documents do not add up.
Who pays for the direction and how is it reflected in the contract?
The client hires and pays the direction under a separate contract (hoja de encargo), not through the contractor. It is an independent line, not included in the renovation estimate. That secures its independence.
Specify in the contract with the direction the content of services: number of visits, documentation scope, liability, who signs the records and the final certificate. In the contractor's contract write the duty to follow the direction's instructions and give access to the work. If a contractor offers "supervision included", find out who exactly signs and in whose name, and whether they are independent.
We run renovation and interior design. One person responsible for the site stays in touch in Spanish and Russian, payments follow stages under the contract and we give the exact price after the visit and measurements. If your project needs a signature and supervision, we bring in the technicians and explain how it works.
Frequently asked questions
What is an arquitecto técnico and what do they do?
A technical professional who usually acts as director de la ejecución de la obra: visits site regularly, checks reinforcement, waterproofing, materials and certificates, keeps the book of orders, notes deviations and signs records. Often also the safety coordinator. They work for the client, not the contractor.
Is supervision needed for small works?
For works under a project signed by a professional it is mandatory. For small works without a major-works permit there is formally none. But if more than one company is on site, a safety coordinator is appointed. For small works you can invite an arquitecto técnico for key stages at a one-off fee.
How does technical supervision differ from design supervision?
Technical supervision checks safety, quality and conformity with the project and regulations. Design supervision watches conformity with the concept: stone pattern, details, lighting. They do not replace each other, especially when one company designs and builds. The designer guards the concept; the technician guards safety and regulations.
Who pays for supervision and how is it in the contract?
The client hires and pays under a separate contract, not through the contractor. It is a separate cost outside the estimate. In the contract with the direction set out visits, documents and signatures, and in the contractor's contract the duty to follow its instructions.