Short answer: three different situations
Barcelona has no single scaffolding permit. It depends on what goes on the street and for how long. Scaffolding and protective hoarding that fit on the pavement and meet the general public space conditions are, under the municipal ORPIMO ordinance, auxiliary works declared together with the job through a comunicat, with a technician who takes responsibility for the installation. If the scaffold structure or the pedestrian walkway spills onto the roadway, you also need the Llicència d'ocupació de calçada per a la instal·lació de bastides o altres medis auxiliars (roadway occupation licence for scaffolding). A mobile elevating platform, truck, loader crane, concrete pump or generator for up to six days goes through the Permís per aparcar vehicles i altres elements de treball a la via pública (permit to park vehicles and work equipment). All of these are filed online through the Ajuntament's Oficina Virtual, and a private individual can do it.
Which case is yours: examples
Facade or balcony restoration on an Eixample building with scaffolding along the pavement. The facade work itself already needs a works permit, and the scaffolding is declared in that same comunicat. If the pavement is narrow and part of the structure has to go onto the roadway to keep a walkway for pedestrians, you also need the roadway occupation licence before filing the comunicat.
Replacing windows or painting on a third floor from a mobile platform for half a day. A trailer-mounted platform falls under type C and a platform without a vehicle under type D of the work equipment parking permit. Each permit covers one address for up to six consecutive days.
Concrete pump and mixer truck to pour a slab. Also type C. If the operation seriously affects traffic or needs the street closed, the Ajuntament says you must also request Guàrdia Urbana services.
Large renovation with materials and skips for months. For a loading and unloading bay longer than six days and until the end of the works there is a separate Llicència d'ocupació de reserva de càrrega i descàrrega per obres.
A house in Castelldefels. There, any occupation of the street must be linked to a works permit in force and is requested with a general application (instància genèrica) plus a sketch of the area; the minimum period is one month and the maximum is the length of the works.
What to prepare
For the roadway scaffolding licence: the public space occupation licence application and the occupation form (Catalan templates downloaded from the procedure page) plus a site plan showing the scaffold. You fill the forms in beforehand and attach them to the online application. Whoever carries out the works can apply, or a representative; companies and professionals must file electronically. For scaffolding over the pavement, the technician covers it in the comunicat: drawings that account for the street occupation, a budget, a declaration that they take responsibility for the installation, and the health and safety study. If the scaffold affects trees, ORPIMO requires a prior report from Parcs i Jardins.
For the work equipment parking permit: the company doing the work or the person it is being done for can apply. You pay the processing fee before starting the application. On the day of the works you need, digitally or on paper: the applicant's tax ID; civil liability insurance covering at least 300,000 EUR per claim; the transport card, valid ITV, technical sheet, registration papers and compulsory insurance for the vehicles.
For a loading bay for the duration of the works: the application, the occupation form, a copy of the DNI or NIF and a copy of the works permit.
How to apply online
All three procedures are in the Oficina Virtual de Tràmits at seuelectronica.ajuntament.barcelona.cat. Search by name (searching for bastida brings up all three), click to start the procedure and sign in with one of the methods listed on the page (usually idCAT Mòbil, Cl@ve or a digital certificate).
Roadway scaffolding licence. Fill in the form, pick the district where the scaffold will stand and the action: new application, additional documents or withdrawal. Attach the files, confirm and sign electronically. It is requested before the works permit. You keep the receipt with the registry entry number.
Work equipment parking permit. First pay the processing fee: 44.20 EUR according to the procedure page in 2026. It is not refunded even if the Ajuntament refuses the request. You must apply at least five working days (Monday to Friday) before the works. Fill in the form, attach the documents, check and submit. If you want to cancel, do it at least 24 hours before the occupation date.
Loading bay for the works. Download and complete the application, attach it with the other documents to the online form, sign and submit.
After you apply and what it costs
Roadway scaffolding licence. The district's public space licensing service checks the documents and decides. If something is missing, you will get a request with no more than 10 days to fix it. If the licence is granted, the service calculates and notifies the fee using this formula: base price 0.4966 EUR × area in m² × days × street category factor × use factor (2). The street factor is 5 for category A; 3 for B; 1.75 for C; 1.25 for D; and 1 for E, F and Z. These figures come from the procedure page in 2026.
Work equipment parking permit. Print or save the receipt. The Ajuntament sends a notification, and opening it tells you whether the permit was granted. The permit lets you request a zone that has to be signposted in the days before; correct signage is the permit holder's responsibility. On the day, the permit must be on site. Afterwards the Ajuntament notifies the street occupation fee, which depends on space and time under tax ordinance 3.10. If every vehicle has an ECO or zero-emission badge the fee drops by 50%, and with a C badge by 25%.
Loading bay. The technical services notify the fee and the decision. The licence lasts as long as requested and can be extended by writing to the district.
Common mistakes
Applying for the equipment permit the day before. You need at least five working days, and weekends do not count. Booking a lift for Monday and applying on Friday will not work.
Mixing up procedures. A lift for half a day and a loading bay for three months are requested differently: the first for up to six days, the second until the end of the works. For loading and unloading scaffold materials the Ajuntament points to a specific procedure, linked from the parking permit page.
Getting the order wrong. The roadway scaffolding licence comes before the works permit, not after.
Leaving papers at the office. The 300,000 EUR liability policy and the vehicle documents must be on site on the day.
Not signposting the zone. If the bay is not marked in advance, neighbours' cars will take the space, and you answer for it as the permit holder.
Check the procedure page before applying, since fees and conditions change. If you would rather not handle it, BCN YARD takes care of scaffolding and equipment permits as part of the renovation.
seuelectronica.ajuntament.barcelona.cat
seuelectronica.ajuntament.barcelona.cat