Building compliance is one of the most important matters to check when buying, selling or renovating a property. It means that the building’s actual condition corresponds to what the municipality authorised through the permissions for its construction and subsequent alterations. What exists on site must match the approved plans.
Every property has a planning history. The original construction is authorised by a specific building permission, and later works may include extensions, renovations, changes of use or changes to the internal layout. For the property to comply, these changes must have been properly authorised and documented with the relevant municipal offices.
Compliance is especially important in property sales. Buyers need to know not only that the seller owns the property, but also that it was built and altered in accordance with planning and building rules. Departures from approved plans can create significant financial and legal problems. Some may require regularisation; others may limit marketability or make bank financing difficult.
Checking compliance means comparing the property’s current condition with the documentation held by the municipality. Surveyors, architects or engineers normally examine the permissions and verify correspondence with approved plans. Unauthorised differences are building irregularities or, in more serious cases, unlawful development.
Building compliance and cadastral conformity are different. Cadastral conformity compares the actual property with its representation in cadastral records; building compliance compares it with what the municipality authorised. A property can have fully updated cadastral records while still having building irregularities, or comply with planning rules while being incorrectly represented in the Cadastre.
For this reason, checking only the cadastral plan is insufficient in complex transactions. The full planning history must be reconstructed, establishing that every alteration complied with the authorisations required by the rules in force when it was carried out.
Building compliance confirms that a property has been lawfully constructed and altered over time. It is fundamental to secure property transactions, protects buyers from potential future difficulties and establishes the property’s planning position. Before buying or selling, qualified professionals should carefully verify its actual administrative and technical status.