Building permit in Baja California Sur: La Paz, Todos Santos, El Pescadero, Los Cabos
A building permit (licencia de construcción) in Baja California Sur comes after several approvals: land use, street alignment and official address, a predial no-debt certificate and, if your lot is in a trust, the bank's power of attorney. La Paz handles Todos Santos and El Pescadero; Los Cabos has offices in San José del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas.
The steps, in order
- Hire the architect, licensed site engineer (DRO), permit runner (gestor) and contractors
Architect: designs the house. DRO (Director Responsable de Obra): a licensed professional who signs plans and takes legal responsibility for the work, plus co-responsible specialists where… - Bank's permission for permits (the bank holds title in a trust)
The bank, not you, holds title, so licenses and permits are issued in the fiduciaria's name. The bank either signs each application or grants a power of attorney (poder) to you or your… - State land-use opinion (dictamen técnico de uso de suelo)
A technical opinion from the BCS state government that the use you plan (for example, a single-family home) fits the urban-development plan for the lot. - City land-use approval (uso de suelo)
Formal municipal authorization that a single-family home is allowed on the lot, under the zoning plan's rules. It comes after the state dictamen (step 4.10). - Street alignment and official address (alineamiento y número oficial)
Alineamiento: the official line between the lot and the street, plus any setbacks or road widening. Número oficial: the official street number. - Predial no-debt certificate (certificado de no adeudo)
A certificate from the predial office that the lot owes no property tax. The building license application asks for it (Reglamento de Construcciones de BCS, art. 67-II). - Building permit (licencia de construcción)
The municipal building permit, also called the building license. - Excavation license (if you dig deeper than 0.60 m)
A separate municipal license for excavations deeper than 0.60 m (Reglamento de Construcciones de BCS, art. 70-I). - Renew the building license if work runs past 24 months (refrendo)
A renewal (refrendo) of the building license for the remaining work, requested before the license expires. - Notice of completion (aviso de terminación de obra)
The formal notice that construction is finished, which leads to the occupancy authorization. It's filed in the trustee's name. - Building permits by municipality: where to go in each of the five
Each municipality's urban development office (Desarrollo Urbano) issues land use, street alignment and building licenses under the state construction regulations and its own rules. The…
Common questions
Do I need a permit to build?
Yes: land use, street alignment and a building license from your municipality's Desarrollo Urbano, signed by a DRO.
What is a DRO?
The Director Responsable de Obra, a licensed professional who signs plans and is responsible for the construction meeting regulations.
Whose name do permits go in?
The trustee bank's, through a power of attorney it grants you or your representative.
Which municipalities does the app cover?
All five in BCS: La Paz, Los Cabos, Comondú, Loreto and Mulegé.