Dealing with Construction Permits in
Belize
Listed below is detailed summary of the procedures, time and costs to build a warehouse —including obtaining necessary licenses and permits, completing required notifications and inspections and obtaining utility connections.
The information appearing on this page was collected as part of the Doing Business project, which measures and compares regulations relevant to the life cycle of a small- to medium-sized domestic business in 183 economies. The most recent round of data collection for the project was completed in June 2011.
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Building a warehouse
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Estimated Warehouse Value:
BZD 117,054
- City: Belize City
| No. |
Procedure |
Time to Complete |
Associated Costs |
| 1 |
Obtain a lot plan
The property title should include a lot plan. Otherwise, it can be obtained from the Lands Department. In about 30% of cases, the Lands Department will not have the lot plan in its records. In these cases, the construction company can hire a surveyor to draw up a new plan. This would take 2–3 weeks to complete and cost BZD 500–700.
Agency: Lands Department
|
2 days
|
BZD 30
|
| 2 |
Request building permit from the Central Building Authority
To obtain a building permit, BuildCo must submit to the Central Building Authority an application form with the required fees and documents (see below). Depending on the location, an environmental compliance plan may be required. Other approving agencies would be the health and fire departments. Because they are a part of the committee, this is a one-stop approval process. During construction, an inspector visits the site at least four times to ensure that the structure corresponds to the agreed plans.
With the application, BuildCo must submit the processing fee and three sets of plans, four site plans, and four location plans. The plans should include a drawing to scale, showing the plot boundaries in relation to adjoining roads, alleys, footpaths, and the position of any proposed building(s) on the same lot. Other information that should be included includes the layout of sewerage and drainage and detailed foundation plans, showing each floor and roof with typical cross-sections through the building indicating foundations, each floor, and the roof, with relative heights and levels of the lowest floor of the building and of the adjacent ground.
Also to be submitted with the application are complete plans of all water-retaining structures with reinforced concrete detail, where used. These and other plans are required by the regulations under the Belize City Building Act, Chapter 131 and 40 of the Public Health Act (revised edition 2000). The city engineer must be informed of the start date of the above work.
Once the City Council receives the plans, it sends them to the engineering department. The engineering department then sends the plans to the Ministry of Housing, which returns them to the City Council. However, the Ministry of Housing Committee meets only once a month, and it responds to the City Council only once every 2 weeks. The council is responsible for local regulations, while the ministry administers regional regulations.
Throughout the approval process, the Building Plan Committee checks that the proposed project is in compliance with zoning, environmental, and fire safety requirements. Construction must begin within 6 months of the date the building permit is issued. The permit fee covers four site visits to inspect during four different phases.
Application fees and permit fees are as follows.
Residential:
- Less than or equal to 1,000 sq. ft.: BZD 50 plus BZD 0.10 per sq. ft.
- Over 1,000 sq. ft. BZD 100 plus BZD 0.15 per sq. ft.
Commercial:
- Less than or equal to 800 sq. ft.: BZD 150 plus BZD 0.20 per sq. ft. (banks, stores, restaurants, for example).
- Over 800 sq. ft.: BZD 175 plus BZD 0.25 per sq. ft. (hotels, bars, supermarkets, repair shops, beauty salons, for example).
Institutional:
- Less than or equal to 800 sq. ft.: BZD 150 + BZD 0.25 per sq. ft. (private schools or hospitals, for example).
- Over 800 sq. ft.: BZD 175 plus BZD 0.30 per sq. ft. (clinics or churches, for example).
There is no charge for government buildings (public schools, for example).
Industrial:
Less than or equal to 1,000 sq. ft.: BZD 125 plus BDZ 0.35 per sq. ft. (warehouses, garages, for example).
Over 1,000 sq. ft.: BZD 150 plus BZD 0.40 per sq. ft. (factories, for example).
Amenities:
Swimming pool: BZD 150 plus BZD 1.00 per sq. ft.
Pier: BZD 2.00 per (running) ft.
Fence: BZD 0.25 per ft.
Agency: Central Building Plan Authority, City Council
|
35 days
|
BZD 670
|
| 3 |
Receive foundation inspection
The building permit fee covers four site visits to inspect four different phases. To issue a building permit, the City Council schedules two inspections, based on the building plans. Belize City is comprised of five districts, and each district has one inspector assigned to it. It usually takes a week for the inspector to come to the site after the request has been placed
Agency: City Council
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| 4 |
Receive City Council inspection
Agency: City Council
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| 5 |
Obtain occupancy permit
BuildCo must submit a form to the City Council so it can inspect and evaluate the building. This is done at no charge. This procedure is done primarily for tax purposes.
Agency: City Council
|
2 days
|
no charge
|
| 6 |
Obtain water connection
Some areas outside the city limits do not have sewage lines, so septic tanks are often required.
Agency: Belize Water Services Ltd. (BWS)
|
35 days
|
BZD 1,000
|
| 7 |
Install water connection
Agency: Belize Water Services Ltd. (BWS)
|
1 day
|
BZD 450
|
| * 8 |
Obtain fixed telephone line
Agency: Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL)
|
14 days
|
BZD 50
|
* Takes place simultaneously with another procedure.