Dealing with Construction Permits in Haiti

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

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Data as of: January 2009
Estimated Warehouse Value: USD 390,180
City: Port au Prince

	Procedure	Time to complete:	Cost to complete:
1	Submit plans (by architect or engineer) to the municipality	60 days	HTG 130,060
2	Obtain approval by Ministry of Public Works (Ministère des Travaux Publics)	35 days	no charge
3	Receive municipal inspection at the beginning of work	1 day	no charge
4	Receive random municipal inspection during construction	1 day	no charge
5	Receive municipal inspection at the end of construction	1 day	no charge
6	Request phone connection from TELECO	1 day	no charge
7	Obtain phone connection from TELECO	1080 days	HTG 5,000
*8	Request electricity connection from l'Electricité d'Haiti (EDH)	29 days	no charge
*9	Obtain electricity connection from l'Electricité d'Haiti (EDH)	1 day	HTG 18,000
*10	Request water connection from the National Service of Potable Water (Service National d'Eau Potable, SNEP)	14 days	HTG 250
*11	Obtain water connection from the national service of potable water (Service National d'Eau Potable, SNEP)	1 day	HTG 5,320

* Takes place simultaneously with another procedure.

Procedure 1.: Submit plans (by architect or engineer) to the municipality
Time to complete:: 60 days
Cost to complete:: HTG 130,060
Name of Agency:: Municipality and the Ministry of Public Works, Transport, and Communications
Comment:: The building plans include a surveying plan indicating ownership of the building, architectural plans, plumbing and electricity plans, technical specifications, and cost estimates. If BuildCo already has the surveying plan, it will also have the property title. There is no official fee schedule. The cost for the building permit varies depending on the municipality (HTG 100 per square meter in Delmas in Croix des Bouquets, HTG 50 per square meter in Port au Prince; the cost calculation in this case is based on the amount charged by Croix des Bouquets ). The permit has to be renewed every year. The tax administration is the institution in charge of collecting taxes, but in practice the city often does it.

Procedure 2.: Obtain approval by Ministry of Public Works (Ministère des Travaux Publics)
Time to complete:: 35 days
Cost to complete:: no charge
Name of Agency:: Ministry of Public Works (Ministère des Travaux Publics)
Comment:: The study takes 5–6 days at the Urban Building Inspection Office (Service de Controle des Constructions Urbaines) under the authority of the Urban Planning Office (Service de Plannification Urbaine); however, the plans must also be submitted to the General Director of the Ministry of Public Works (Ministère des Travaux Publics) for approval. After this is completed, the mayor signs the authorization. Although the procedure is required by law, it is not common in practice.

Procedure 3.: Receive municipal inspection at the beginning of work
Time to complete:: 1 day
Cost to complete:: no charge
Name of Agency:: Municipality
Comment:: Municipal inspections at the start of construction are rare, though they are authorized by law.

Procedure 4.: Receive random municipal inspection during construction
Time to complete:: 1 day
Cost to complete:: no charge
Name of Agency:: Municipality
Comment:: Random municipal inspections during construction are rare, though they are authorized by law.

Procedure 5.: Receive municipal inspection at the end of construction
Time to complete:: 1 day
Cost to complete:: no charge
Name of Agency:: Municipality
Comment:: Municipal inspections at the completion of construction are rare, though they are authorized by law.

Procedure 6.: Request phone connection from TELECO
Time to complete:: 1 day
Cost to complete:: no charge
Name of Agency:: TELECO
Comment:: Telephone connections over the network of Haiti’s public telephone company, TELECO, are poor. The application form can be filled out and submitted within a day, but it takes longer in practice to obtain the connection. A wireless telephone connection from a private company such as HAITEL can be obtained immediately upon presentation of personal identification documents by the user.

Procedure 7.: Obtain phone connection from TELECO
Time to complete:: 1080 days
Cost to complete:: HTG 5,000
Name of Agency:: TELECO
Comment:: It may take 3–4 years to obtain a new telephone line; at present, none are available, and they do not function.

Procedure 8.: Request electricity connection from l'Electricité d'Haiti (EDH)
Time to complete:: 29 days
Cost to complete:: no charge
Name of Agency:: L’Electricité d’Haiti (EDH)
Comment:: The Electricity Company of Haiti (l’Electricité d’Haiti, EDH) requires copies of identification documents to authorize the electricity connection.

Procedure 9.: Obtain electricity connection from l'Electricité d'Haiti (EDH)
Time to complete:: 1 day
Cost to complete:: HTG 18,000
Name of Agency:: L’Electricité d’Haiti (EDH)
Comment:: The cost of obtaining an electrical power connection is equivalent to the cost of 3 months of consumption of electricity: on average, HTG 18,000. The deposit is not refundable.

Procedure 10.: Request water connection from the National Service of Potable Water (Service National d'Eau Potable, SNEP)
Time to complete:: 14 days
Cost to complete:: HTG 250
Name of Agency:: National Service of Potable Water (Service National d'Eau Portable, SNEP)
Comment:: The Metropolitan Potable Water Authority (Centrale Autonome Métropolitaine d'Eau Potable, CAMEP) is responsible for the water supply in downtown Port-au-Prince, but in semiurban areas, the National Service of Potable Water (Service National de l’Eau Potable, SNEP) would be the provider. The SNEP requires proof of property ownership to authorize the water connection.

Procedure 11.: Obtain water connection from the national service of potable water (Service National d'Eau Potable, SNEP)
Time to complete:: 1 day
Cost to complete:: HTG 5,320
Name of Agency:: Service National d'Eau Portable (SNEP)
Comment:: The cost for the water connection through the SNEP depends on the width of the pipe used. For pipes measuring 0.5 feet, the cost is HTG 4,000; for pipes measuring HTG 6,640.