Dealing with Construction Permits in Antigua and Barbuda

The table below summarizes the procedures, time, and costs to build a warehouse in Antigua and Barbuda.

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Data as of: January 2009
Estimated Warehouse Value: XCD 273,126
City: St. John's

	Procedure	Time to complete:	Cost to complete:
1	Obtain location plan	2 days	XCD 38
2	Obtain "approval in principle"	21 days	XCD 30
3	Obtain project clearance from Fire Department	14 days	no charge
4	Receive notification of fee charge and pay into the Treasury the appropriate fees	2 days	XCD 7,035
5	Obtain planning permission from Development Control Authority	35 days	no charge
6	Obtain final approval by the DCA board	14 days	no charge
7	Receive inspection after commencement of construction	1 day	no charge
8	Reive final inspection	1 day	no charge
9	Receive inspection from the Electrical Department and obtain certificate	7 days	XCD 10
10	Apply for electricity connection	1 day	XCD 10
11	Obtain electricity connection	14 days	XCD 200
12	Obtain water connection	30 days	XCD 450
13	Obtain fixed telephone line	14 days	XCD 185

Procedure 1.: Obtain location plan
Time to complete:: 2 days
Cost to complete:: XCD 38
Name of Agency:: Survey Department
Comment:: The location plan is generally derived from cadastral sheets or DOS maps, as the case may be. The information is obtained within a few minutes because the entire island is divided into “blocks.”

Procedure 2.: Obtain "approval in principle"
Time to complete:: 21 days
Cost to complete:: XCD 30
Name of Agency:: Development Control Authority
Comment:: Buildco obtains an approval in principle to ensure the final approval of the building plans. This approval safeguards the company against potential objections to the structure from area residents.

Procedure 4.: Receive notification of fee charge and pay into the Treasury the appropriate fees
Time to complete:: 2 days
Cost to complete:: XCD 7,035
Name of Agency:: Treasury
Comment:: Before issuing its approval, the Development Control Authority informs the applicant that it must pay the Treasury the appropriate fee and submit the receipt to the authority for inspection purposes.

Fee schedule for the Development Control Authority:
- 0–500 sq. ft. (gross floor area): XCD 50.
- 500–1,000 sq. ft. (gross floor area): XCD 200.
- 0ver 1,000 sq. ft. (gross floor area): XCD 0.50 (per sq. ft).

Procedure 5.: Obtain planning permission from Development Control Authority
Time to complete:: 35 days
Cost to complete:: no charge
Name of Agency:: Development Control Authority
Comment:: To obtain planning permission, the architect must submit to the Development Control Authority a three-page application (with three copies) that includes building designs, a location plan, a site plan, and proof of ownership. This procedure also includes approval of sewage services.

Procedure 6.: Obtain final approval by the DCA board
Time to complete:: 14 days
Cost to complete:: no charge
Name of Agency:: Development Control Authority
Comment:: At the discretion of its board of directors, the Development Control Authority may require final approval, but only for commercial buildings.

Procedure 8.: Reive final inspection
Time to complete:: 1 day
Cost to complete:: no charge
Name of Agency:: Development Control Authority
Comment:: The Development Control Authority checks that the building conforms to the issued development permit.

Procedure 9.: Receive inspection from the Electrical Department and obtain certificate
Time to complete:: 7 days
Cost to complete:: XCD 10
Name of Agency:: Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA)
Comment:: The electrical department inspects circuits and network connectivity before BuildCo applies for an electrical connection. To this end, BuildCo must present the electrical inspection certificate along with the application form.