Dealing with Construction Permits in
Chile
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:
CLP 347,584,031
- 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
|
21 days
|
no charge
|
| * 2 |
Request and obtain preliminary information from the municipality
Agency: Municipality
|
10 days
|
no charge
|
| * 3 |
Request and obtain indication on electric power availability with electric power company
Agency: National Electricity Company of Chile, Inc.
|
15 days
|
no charge
|
| 4 |
Request and obtain location permit from the environmental health service
Agency: Environmental Health Service
|
21 days
|
CLP 16,000
|
| 5 |
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
|
25 days
|
no charge
|
| 6 |
Request and obtain environmental impact assessment from the national environmental commission
This procedure must completed before the building permit is obtained.
Agency: National Environmental Commission
|
30 days
|
no charge
|
| * 7 |
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
|
19 days
|
no charge
|
| * 8 |
Request and obtain electricity supply certificate from the electric power company
Upon issuing the permit, the municipality requests a copy of this certificate, proving that the company is able to connect.
Agency: Electrical and Combustible Superintendency (SEC)
|
10 days
|
no charge
|
| * 9 |
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
|
| 10 |
Request and obtain operation permit from Environmental health services
Agency: Environmental Health Service
|
21 days
|
no charge
|
| 11 |
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
|
14 days
|
CLP 4,092,930
|
| 12 |
Request and recieve inspection at the beginning of construction
During construction, at least three inspections are conducted by an independent inspector associated with the municipality. Each inspection must be requested in advance. During the inspection, the works may continue without interruption.
Agency: Municipality
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| 13 |
Request and recieve inspection in the middle of construction
Agency: Municipality
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| 14 |
Request and receive final inspection
Agency: Municipality
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| 15 |
Request and obtain project approval
The Municipality is notified of project completion after the independent inspector gives a positive project evaluation.
Agency: Municipality
|
20 days
|
no charge
|
| * 16 |
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
|
| * 17 |
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.