How do permits in these towns differ from Barcelona?
The logic is the same: small works go through a prior notice or a minor licence, larger ones need a design and a licence. What differs is the names of procedures, thresholds, documents, taxes, how to file and how long it takes. Barcelona has its own bylaw; its rules do not carry over to the coast or to Sant Cugat.
We checked the municipal pages in October 2026. Sant Cugat offers an online advisor, the ICIO tax at 4 % and a special regime for the Valldoreix district. Sitges publishes rates and deadlines per procedure and, according to its page, takes the major works licence at in-person offices. Castelldefels separates individuals from companies: companies can only file online.
This matters most for an owner who lives outside Spain. A wrong choice of procedure costs months, and an application filed with the wrong body has to be filed again. How it works in Barcelona itself is explained in the guides on the major works licence and on where to file.
Which permits do you need to renovate in Castelldefels?
There are three routes: prior notice of works (comunicació prèvia d'obres), minor works licence (obra menor) and major works licence (obra major). The detailed list of works for each is in the municipal procedure pages, reachable from the procedures catalogue on the town hall site.
A major licence covers earthworks and levelling, plot subdivision, new buildings, change of use to residential and felling of stands of trees or shrubs. A minor licence covers demolition up to 10 m², earthworks and levelling, partial repair or strengthening of floor slabs, changes to pitched roofs, foundation work and regularisations that do not increase planning parameters.
The decision period for both licences is two months. The procedure page speaks of positive silence, with exceptions under the Catalan urban planning law (articles 11.4 and 188.2); on a premium project you should not count on silence, because the bank, the insurer and the subcontractors expect a paper. Unless stated otherwise, works must start within one year and finish within three; an extension is requested before the period expires and carries a fee, otherwise the licence lapses.
Documents: an application digitally signed by the competent technician, a representation document or ID, the technical package (PDF 1), supplementary documentation (PDF 2), plans in .dwg format and, for a major licence, a mandatory plan of planning parameters. Tax and fees are calculated on the material execution budget.
What is different in Sitges?
Sitges divides works into three routes: prior notice for small works (comunicació prèvia d'obres de petita entitat), minor licence and major licence. There are separate procedures for solar panels on urban land, demolition, tower cranes and first occupation.
The prior notice suits interior work that does not change openings, walls, pillars, slabs or the layout: plastering, tiling, painting, replacing floors, false ceilings and doors, sanitary ware and kitchens, repairs to services inside the home. It does not apply to protected buildings or to rural and non-urbanisable land. Works can start once the documents are filed and the assessed amounts are paid; they must start within a month and finish within one year at most. Silence is normally treated as approval, unless mandatory reports from other authorities are missing.
The major licence is needed for new construction, extensions and renovations that increase volume or built area, total demolition, changes in the number of homes or premises, and facade changes that alter the exterior look. The town's stated average processing time is two months. The file is heavier than in neighbouring towns: a design signed by a competent technician and endorsed by the professional college, appointment of site management and a safety coordinator, a quality control programme, a sewer connection report, a topographic plan and a tree plan, and for demolition civil liability insurance of at least 300,000 €.
How does Sant Cugat work and what about Valldoreix?
In Sant Cugat you first run the online works advisor, which leads you to the right form and the list of documents. If a project includes several types of work, the advisor is run once for each, and if a project contains both a notice and a licence, a licence is filed for all of it.
The special feature is the Valldoreix district: works there must be requested directly from the decentralised municipal entity (EMD de Valldoreix), not from the Sant Cugat town hall. The town hall publishes the list of streets this covers. For villa owners in Valldoreix and neighbouring urbanizaciones this is the most frequent reason for lost weeks: the application was filed in the wrong place.
The filing procedure includes, since 20 January 2026, a preliminary ICIO self-assessment, which is filed and paid through the tax management body (OGT) before applying for the licence or filing the notice. Documents are grouped into common (application and representation), basic (design, report or description of works) and complementary (sector rules and other authorisations). Technical documents are signed by their author before upload: signing the application does not sign the attached files. For representation there is the Representa register.
Deadlines for a decision are not stated on the page, so ask for them when filing and leave a margin. On large plots with trees, find out in advance whether a tree report is needed: in Sitges, for instance, a tree plan is part of the major licence file.
How much does a building permit cost in these towns?
The main cost is not the paperwork but the ICIO tax. In Sitges and Sant Cugat it is 4 % of the material execution budget (PEM), that is, of the cost of works excluding VAT. In Castelldefels the ICIO and fees are set by fiscal ordinances no. 3, 6 and 9; the procedure page does not state the rate, so confirm it when filing.
The fee for a major works licence in Sitges is 2 % of the budget for new construction (minimum 524.65 €) and 1.5 % for renovations and extensions (minimum 350 €). These are the town's published rates and may change with the annual ordinances.
An example using those rates. Renovating a villa in Sitges with a PEM of 400,000 €: ICIO 16,000 €, fee 6,000 €, total 22,000 € before design and other costs. With a PEM of 250,000 € it would be 10,000 € and 3,750 €. This is an illustration, not an offer: the town hall sends the final amount after filing, and there are also professional college charges for endorsing the design, technicians' fees and insurance.
What else goes in. A deposit for waste management and damage to public roads, a charge for occupying the pavement and skips, utility connections, an energy certificate. As a guide: in Sitges the ICIO plus the renovation fee add up to 5.5 % of the PEM; in other towns calculate with their rates. Design services are separate.
Can you file the documents online?
Yes, but with nuances for each town. Castelldefels takes individuals' applications in person by appointment and through the electronic office, and companies' applications online only. Identification: an electronic certificate with Autofirma, or idCAT Mòbil or Cl@ve PIN. The minor licence is filed the same way. Support: suport.oac@castelldefels.org.
Sitges accepts the small-works notice online: identify yourself with a digital certificate or another accepted method, attach the files, receive a request code by email and track the case under "Seguiment de tràmits". The major licence page names only in-person offices (OAC Sitges, Les Botigues and Garraf) and the OAC 360º support service, which helps with electronic platforms and certificates. If you need an online channel, check it with the department beforehand.
Sant Cugat takes filings through the electronic office, and first you go through the advisor and pay the ICIO self-assessment at the OGT. Technical documents are signed by their author before upload.
A practical point for a non-resident. An electronic certificate is usually issued to someone with a Spanish NIE who can prove their identity. If you do not have one, a representative with a power of attorney or a formal representation files for you: that is simpler and faster than obtaining a certificate for a single case. Confirm with the town hall which kind of power it accepts.
How do you avoid delays to the licence?
Three things break timetables more than any others. The first is choosing the wrong procedure. In Sitges a notice does not fit if you touch openings, walls, pillars, slabs or the layout, and a mixed project in Sant Cugat automatically goes through a licence. The second is filing with the wrong body, as in Valldoreix. The third is unsigned files and an incomplete package. In Sitges a major licence file has about a dozen documents, and the absence of any of them delays the review.
What to do before filing. Get the planning information and make sure the land and the house allow what you plan. Choose the procedure with the technician. Assemble a single package and check the signatures. Put the licence period and the start-of-works deadline in the schedule: in Castelldefels works must start within a year and finish within three; in Sitges, under a notice, start within a month and finish within a year.
Do not begin works before the licence, even if a neighbour's contractor says that is how it is always done. Unlicensed work leads to fines, stoppage and regularisation after the fact. And if you bought a house with earlier unlicensed works, they will have to be regularised before or together with the new project.
How does BCN YARD handle permits together with the renovation?
We handle renovation and construction in Castelldefels, Sitges, Sant Cugat and along the coast in Russian and Spanish. One person responsible for the site, our own crew and trusted subcontractors, payment by stages under the contract. Project signatures are provided by independent specialists.
If you live outside Spain, send us the address and a description of the work. We reply within an hour and tell you which procedure suits your town and what to collect. Filing and following permits can be handled together with the renovation: see our permit support service. The exact price is in the estimate after a visit and measurements; guide prices excluding VAT: Premium from 1,000 €/m², Luxury from 2,000 €/m², Signature from 3,000 €/m².
Frequently asked questions
Which permits do I need to renovate in Castelldefels?
It depends on the scope: prior notice, minor licence or major licence. The minor one covers demolition up to 10 m², slab repairs and changes to pitched roofs; the major one covers new buildings, change of use to residential and earthworks. A decision takes two months. Confirm the exact procedure with the department, bringing the list of works.
How do the rules of Sitges and Sant Cugat differ?
Sitges publishes rates and deadlines per procedure and takes major licences in person and notices online. Sant Cugat first guides you through an online advisor, requires an ICIO self-assessment through the OGT and takes everything through its electronic office. Valldoreix files applications with a separate body, the EMD.
How much does a building licence cost in these towns?
In Sitges and Sant Cugat the ICIO is 4 % of the cost of works excluding VAT. In Sitges a major licence adds a fee of 1.5 % for renovation or 2 % for new construction, with minimums of 350 € and 524.65 €. In Castelldefels the rates are set by ordinances and should be confirmed at filing.
Can I file a building licence application online?
In Castelldefels and Sant Cugat yes, through the electronic office, and in Castelldefels companies can only file that way. In Sitges the small-works notices can be filed online, while the major licence page names in-person offices and the OAC 360º support service. For a non-resident it is simpler to file through a representative with a power of attorney.