Colombia

Dealing with Construction Permits in

Bucaramanga - Colombia

Below is a detailed summary of the procedures, time and costs to build a warehouse. This includes 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 subnational project in Colombia. Download this Doing Business report or explore other cities and topics.

No. Procedure Time to Complete Associated Costs
1 Obtain the ownership history and no-lien certificate

This certificate (Certificado de Libertad y Tradición) provides the legal information on the property and on its current and previous ownership. The rate is set according to Decrees 1250 of 1970 and 2280 of 2008, the latter modified by Resolution 0035 of 2009. Any individual or legal entity can request this certificate at the Registry Office.
1 day COP 11,840
* 2 Obtain the certificate of existence and legal representation of the Construction Company

When the parties are Limited Liability Companies, the Certificate of existence and legal Representation must be requested from the Chamber of Commerce. This document certifies the existence of the legal entity, as well as other aspects such as its date of incorporation, its expiration date, registered address, partners, capital, legal representative, his or her authorization to enter into deals in the name of the company, and its line of business. The rates for public registration services are set according to what is established in Decree 393 of 2002.
1 day COP 3,500
* 3 Pay certificate of no outstanding payments on property tax and no outstanding contribution obligations on property value increases due to public works for the metropolitan area

The fee for the certificates is paid at a local commercial bank.
1 day COP 14,500 (COP 3,100 (certificate of no outstanding payments on property tax) + COP 3,100 (certificate of the legal price estimated for the property) + COP 8,300: (certificate of no outstanding contribution obligation on property value increases due to public works for the metropolitan area))
4 Obtain certificate of no outstanding payments on property tax and no outstanding contribution obligations on property value increases due to public works for the metropolitan area

The Municipal Government is the entity in charge of issuing this document.
1 day No cost
5 Obtain certificate of no outstanding contribution obligations on property value increases due to public works for the metropolitan area

This document certifies that the payments of contributive tariffs for value increase of the property in the metropolitan area is up to date. This procedure is carried out at the Bucaramanga’s Metropolitan Area Office.
1 day No cost
6 Obtain construction license

The constructor must submit the following documents (Article 18 of Decree 564 of 2006):
1. Copy of the ownership history and no-lien certificate, with an issue date no later than one month prior to the date of the request
2. The unified national license request form, established through Resolution 0984 of 2005, issued by the Ministry of the Environment, Housing and Territorial Development
3. Copy of the existence and legal representation certificate, with an issue date of less than one month prior to the date of the request
4. Copy of the documents or tax statements proving payment of property taxes for the previous five years
5. Drawing of the site and identification of the property
6. List of the addresses of neighboring properties
60 days COP 9,877,188 (The formula for the calculation of the expenses is the following: E=(Cf*i*m)+(Cv*i*j*m), VAT included. For Bucaramanga is: E= (865,068 x 4 x 0,760) + (397,520 x 4 x 5.17 x 0.760 + VAT). These figures coincide with the theoretical ones according to the factor applied for this city according to Decree 564 de 2006.)
7 Obtain bulletin of properties’ numbers and addresses (Boletín de nomenclatura)

This procedure is regulated by article 172 of Agreement 44, 2008. The tariff is based on the contribution (tasa) of urban nomenclature, which originates in the assignment of properties’ identification numbers and addresses. It may be obtained through request before the urban curator’s Office (Article 9 of Agreement 017, 1990).
1 day COP 42,150 (fee for a warehouse)
8 Pay tax for urban zoning and stamp duties pro- Industrial University of Santander (UIS) and pro- Caja de Previsión Nacional

Payment can be made both at the urban curator’s office and at the Municipal Government. The procedure is regulated by Agreement 44, of 2008, and the stamp duties by Municipal Orders 012 of 2005, and 014 of 2008. (For this type of construction, the urban zoning tax is calculated according to the following formula:
COP 524 for each m2 of construction + 10% (use and excavation).
Then: 524 * 1,300.6 m2 = 681,514.4 + 68,151.44 = COP 749,665.84
In addition stamps pro UIS and Caja de Previsión are paid.
Stamp pro- UIS is paid according to where the project is located:
Zoning status 1 and 2: No charge
Zoning status 3 and 4: COP 710,600
Zoning status 5 and 6: COP 1,421,090
Since the zoning status where commercial development areas for warehouses are presently located in Bucaramanga’s perimeter, it is highly probable that the warehouse may be in the zoning status 1 and 7, so there would not be any charge.
For the stamp pro-Caja de Prevision Nal COP $4 are paid for each 3 m2 of construction, (1,300 m2) * COP 4/3 m2 = 1,734.33, that is COP 2,000. For the stamp pro-Caja de Previsión Nacional COP 4 are paid for each 3 m2 (1,300 m2) * COP 4/3 m2 = 1,734.33, that is COP 2,000.)
1 day COP 751,666
9 Request provisional approval for sewage service

With the zoning status chart and a form, the property’s owner or its legal representative requests the service from Santander’s Public Enterprise of Sewage System (EMPAS), which verifies and approves its availability; the process includes an inspection visit. Then all documents with the designs of the internal and external grids must be also submitted, in order for the company to approve the project. Once the constructor gets the approval, he presents it before the sewage company.
The constructor can also apply for a temporary authorization and provisional connection of water facilities. The process takes 10 days, and the following documents must be submitted:
1. Photocopy of the construction license
2. Legible photocopy of certificate of the company’s existence and legal representation
3. To be duly connected to the sewage system
When the provisional registration is approved, the certificate that permits to request the water works system is also issued.
30 days No cost
* 10 Receive inspection for electricity connection

The following documents are annexed for this purpose: Once the service availability is approved, information on the project must be submitted for its revision and approval.
1. Plan of electricity installation at half tension (HT) MT (70x100cm)
2. Plan of electricity installation at low tension (LT) BT (50x70cm)
3. Approved service availability
4. Photocopy of professional license of engineer responsible for the electricity plan
5. Licenses and permits (free accesses, grid connections, etc.)
10 days No cost
* 11 Obtain telephone connection

The company mostly used is TeleBucaramanga ESP. The connection is requested and the company sends the contract or clause that must be filled out with the nomenclature bulletin and a photocopy of the certificate of existence and legal representation.
The company receives these documents, and within the following 5 or 8 days the service is installed. This has no charges, but for the monthly fee that is paid according to the selected telephone plan.
8 days No cost
12 Request provisional authorization for the connection to water service

The first step is to request availability; to do so the availability request form and the zoning status chart must be submitted.
Once the service availability is approved, the property’s owner – or the legal representative – requests the connection to the Bucaramanga’s Metropolitan Water works (MB), annexing the following documents:
1. The real estate nomenclature bulletin
2. License to intervene the public space
3. Sewage authorization letter (provisional registration)
4. Certificate of ownership history and no-lien certificate
5. Certificate of existence and legal representation of the company
Once the request is submitted, the water works company studies the project and approves a temporary measuring meter device. This procedure takes around 10 to 15 days, time during which AMB officers visit the site and revise the specifics of the project.
20 days COP 120,000 (it corresponds to the cost of the measuring meter device)
13 Revision and legalization of definite registration for sewage system

Once construction works are finished, the legalization of the definite registration is requested. The annexes to the application are:
1. Photocopy of the nomenclature bulletin
2. Sewage system master plan
3. Original minutes and two copies – at external project coordination the digital files are supplied
4. Construction works infrastructure receipt of intervention of public space
5. Stability insurance policy in favor of EMPAS for 20% of the cost of the works and for a minimum of 5 years
6. If grids go through other owners’ sites, a legalized copy of the deed of constitution of the easement must be submitted
7. Construction works must be finished.
8. The sewage system must be duly connected.
9. Payment of connection rights depending on the zoning status.
15 days COP 296,100 (connection rights according to zoning status)
14 Revision and legalization of definite water connection

When the project is finished, legalization of measuring meter device is carried out by paying registration and attaching certification of existence of definite sewage system issued by EMPAS.
1 day COP 744,257 (COP 864,257 (cost of registration) - COP 120,000 (cost of measuring meter device already paid for)
* 15 Obtain RETIE certificate

This procedure is applied according to what is set by Resolution CREG 070 of 1998.
5 days COP 1,000,000 (the cost is subject to competition between certifying companies)
16 Final inspection of electricity grids

Once the construction’s electricity installation is finished, procedure for the revision of the connection must be carried out, and corresponding payments must be made.
At the moment the revision application is made, the certified license of the professional in charge of the electricity installation must be submitted, together with the certificate of compliance with RETIE, the format of availability of service, and the payment receipt for the revision of the connection.
1 day COP 54,000 (according to zoning status)
17 Obtain connection to electricity service

This procedure corresponds to the legalization of the measuring meter device and final submittal of grid. Once the revision of the previous connection is approved, the service request forms must be submitted, and the following documents must be annexed:
1. Electricity plan approved by the company
2. Copy of service availability (signed with approval of connection revision)
3. Statement of compliance of RETIE
4. Documents to identify user and site
5. The site’s nomenclature bulletin
6. Certificate of existence and legal representation
7. Certificate of ownership history no-lien certificate
8. Service request form
9. Payment of connection charges
10. Concept of inspection authority
Once the above requirements are met, the user is authorized to connect to the grid in the service availability form.
15 days COP 92,000 (cost according to zoning status)
18 Final inspection by the Municipal Government

For the final inspection and to accept construction by the Municipal Government, the public utilities connection certificate is requested.
6 days No cost
* Takes place simultaneously with another procedure.
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