Chile

Dealing with Construction Permits in

Chile

Below is a detailed summary of the procedures, time and costs to build a warehouse in Chile. This includes obtaining necessary licenses and permits, completing required notifications and inspections and obtaining utility connections.

This information 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 185 economies. The most recent round of data collection was completed in June 2012. Read the methodology.

Compare Chile to 184 other economies.

  • Standardized Company

  • Estimated Warehouse Value: CLP 272,862,000
  • City: Santiago
No. Procedure Time to Complete Associated Costs
1 Request and obtain indication on water and sewage availability with sanitation company


Agency: Sanitation Company
5 days no charge
* 2 Request and obtain preliminary information from the municipality


Agency: Municipality
10 days no charge
3 Request and obtain location permit from the environmental health service


Agency: Environmental Health Service
5 days CLP 16,000
4 Request and obtain Provisional Installation Permit from the municipality

To obtain a provisional permit for installation of temporary facilities, BuildCo’s architects must meet the municipality’s architects to review the drawings and designs. This permit enables BuildCo to have bathrooms, electricity, and so forth on the construction site.
Agency: Municipality
5 days no charge
* 5 Request and obtain water and sewerage supply certificate from Sanitation company

Upon issuing the permit, the municipality requests a copy of this certificate, proving that the company is able to obtain a water and sewerage connection.
Agency: Sanitation Company
15 days no charge
* 6 Request and obtain telephone service provision certificate from the telecom company

Upon issuing the permit, the municipality will request a copy of this certificate, proving that the company is able to connect.
Agency: Empresa Nacional Telecom Chile SA (Entel)
10 days CLP 200
7 Request and obtain operation permit from Environmental health services


Agency: Environmental Health Service
20 days no charge
8 Request and obtain building permit

The company must obtain a municipal building permit. An external reviewer is also involved in this process.

In 2005, a number of municipalities introduced a pilot program for a one-stop shop (la Ventanilla Transaccional de Trámites Municipales, VTM), an Internet platform where nine proceedings can be completed. The project was expected to be in full operation in 26 municipalities by 2006. The system is expected to cut processing time to 8 days. On January 12, 2006, the Municipality of Santiago introduced major changes to its regulatory plan (plano regulador) to regulate some omissions from the construction ordinance (ordenanza de construcción), without changing the current rules of construction.

Some municipalities -- for example, Las Condes, Providencia, San Miguel, and Ñuñoa -- have restricted construction in terms of density and building height. The same restrictions were expected in Santiago in 2007. The latter is due to community pressures, reduced municipal revenues for this type of building permit, and the impact of the projects on public services and infrastructure.

Other municipalities in the greater Santiago area are planning the opposite to attract investments, such as La Florida, San Bernardo, Maipú, and Quinta Normal. Environmental requirements are requested to obtain building permits, which in turn, can affect the schedule of a construction project. The plot for this warehouse might be located in Los Andes, which has not been affected by either change.

Agency: Municipality
50 days CLP 4,092,930
9 Request and recieve inspection in the middle of construction


Agency: Municipality
1 day no charge
10 Request and obtain certificate of compliance for roads and sidewalks from SERVIU


Agency: SERVIU
10 days CLP 1
* 11 Request and obtain certificate of urbanization from DOM

According to decree N° 47 de 1992 del Minvu (OGUC) this is a requirement in order to obtain the final project approval.
Agency: DOM
38 days CLP 2
12 Request and receive final inspection

According to decree N° 47 de 1992 del Minvu (OGUC) this is a requirement in order to obtain the final project approval.
Agency: Municipality
1 day no charge
13 Request and obtain project approval

The Municipality is notified of project completion after the independent inspector gives a positive project evaluation.
Agency: Municipality
12 days no charge
* 14 Receive connection to water services

The connection takes place at any time upon BuildCo’s request within not more than 7 days, at maximum, for each utility service.
Agency: Sanitation Company
7 days CLP 315,671
* 15 Receive connection to a telephone line

The connection takes place at any time upon BuildCo’s request within not more than 7 days, at maximum, for each utility service.
Agency: Empresa Nacional Telecom Chile SA (Entel)
7 days no charge
* Takes place simultaneously with another procedure.

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