Dealing with Construction Permits in
Cameroon
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.
-
Building a warehouse
-
Estimated Warehouse Value:
XAF 390,180,000
- City: Douala
| No. |
Procedure |
Time to Complete |
Associated Costs |
| 1 |
Obtain a situation plan from the cadastre
Agency: Cadastre
|
21 days
|
XAF 100,000
|
| * 2 |
Obtain a recent proof of land ownership
A recent proof of land ownership or property certificate can now be obtained from the Ministry of Urban Planning Development (Ministere du developpement urbain). This was previously obtained from the Land Registrar (Service des domaines). Although the official fee is XAF 20,000, applicants often must pay an informal fee to obtain the property certificate.
Agency: Ministry of Urban Development
|
21 days
|
XAF 20,000
|
| * 3 |
Obtain a certificate of urban planning (certificat d'urbanisme)
Agency: Services de Domaines
|
21 days
|
XAF 40,000
|
| * 4 |
Obtain geo-technical assessment
For the geotechnical assessment, the services of a professional certified company are requested. Upon completing soil analysis, the company would produce and sign a report, a copy of which will be included in the building permit application. The permit fee is negotiable.
Agency: Certified companies, such as LABOGENIE, GEOFOR, APAVE
|
2 days
|
XAF 1,200,000
|
| 5 |
Obtain building permit
To obtain a building permit, BuildCo must submit four copies of each of the following documents: - Application (stamped, with forms provided by the Douala Urban Council). Require are the fiscal stamp and two communal stamps (timbre fiscal et deux timbre communaux). - Certificates of ownership. - Certificates of urban planning (Certificat d’urbanisme). - Block and location plans (plan de situation et plan de masse). - Site, foundation, roofing, view or elevation, and septic tank plans. - Descriptive estimates. All plans must be signed by an architect accredited by the National Order of Architects (l’Ordre National des Architectes du Cameroun, ONAC). The company hires a structural engineer, accredited by the National Order of Structural Engineers, to develop a structural design that then serves as the execution plan. Because the engineer signs this document, it is not modifiable without his express consent. Although an XAF 1,000 application fee is payable upon submission, the building permit fee is paid upon permit approval. The official time limit for permit approval is 90 days. Afterwards, the silent-is-consent rule applies.
Agency: Douala Urban Council
|
45 days
|
XAF 3,902,800
|
| * 6 |
Receive on-site inspection by the Douala Urban Council
This inspection takes place before the building permit approval.
Agency: Douala Urban Council
|
1 day
|
XAF 15,000
|
| * 7 |
Receive inspection for the septic tank
Agency: Hygiene Department
|
1 day
|
XAF 15,000
|
| 8 |
Submit final records of the construction project
Agency: Ministry of Public Works
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| 9 |
Obtain approval upon project completion
The Ministry of Industrial and Commercial Development inspects and approves the project upon completion.
Agency: Ministery of Public Works
|
45 days
|
no charge
|
| * 10 |
Request and obtain phone connection
Agency: Camtel
|
15 days
|
XAF 300,000
|
| * 11 |
Request and obtain water connection
Agency: CAM WATER
|
75 days
|
XAF 400,000
|
* Takes place simultaneously with another procedure.