Building and cadastral filings (pratiche edilizie e catastali)
CILA, SCIA, Permesso di costruire, sanatorie, landscape permits, cadastre
What it is
When you carry out works, or when the state of the property does not match its documents, you need the right filing with the Comune or the Catasto (land registry). These are the most common ones.
When you need it
When you carry out works, or when the actual state of the property does not match the documents filed with the Comune or the Catasto, including to regularise works already done without a permit.
What it includes
- Site visit and survey of the premises
- Preliminary check of feasibility and of planning compliance
- Drawings and technical report
- Completion and online submission of the filing to the Comune
- Sworn statement by the technician (asseverazione) and handling of any requests for additional information
The most common filings
To carry out works
C.I.L.A. (simple works)
Light internal works
Painting, floors, renovating a bathroom or kitchen, systems, moving a partition wall. CILA: notice of works signed by a technician.
C.I.L.A. (complex works)
Major internal works
Several partition walls, completely new systems, new room layout: even a full internal renovation, as long as the structure is not touched
S.C.I.A. (external, non-structural works)
External works, without touching the structure
Changes to façades, elevations or external finishes that do not involve load-bearing walls, floors or beams. SCIA: certified notice of start of works.
S.C.I.A. (structural works)
The structure is affected, inside or outside
Load-bearing walls, floors, beams, stairs, new openings in load-bearing walls
Permesso di Costruire (extension)
Enlarging the property
Veranda, extra storey, extension: volume or floor area increases. Permesso di costruire: building permit.
Permesso di Costruire (new building)
Building from scratch
New building on buildable land, or demolition and reconstruction
Complex building filing
None of the cases above
Special situation: several permits together, atypical property, multiple constraints
To regularise works already done
C.I.L.A. tardiva (late CILA)
Light works already carried out
Works that only needed a notice to the Comune, but the notice was never filed
S.C.I.A. in sanatoria (retrospective SCIA)
Substantial internal works already carried out
Partition walls moved, rooms changed in use, actual state different from the filed floor plan
Permesso di Costruire in sanatoria (retrospective permit)
Extra volume or floor area already built
Enclosed verandas, mezzanines, canopies, extensions never authorised
Properties in protected areas
Compatibilità paesaggistica (simplified procedure)
Minor discrepancies in a protected area
Minor works already done on a property under landscape protection (vincolo paesaggistico)
Compatibilità paesaggistica (ordinary procedure)
Significant works in a protected area
Larger works in a protected area: a longer procedure that goes through the Soprintendenza (heritage authority)
Cadastre and documents
Cadastral update (DOCFA), simple
The cadastral floor plan needs updating
The actual state does not match the filed drawing: simple internal changes
Cadastral update (DOCFA), complex
Units need merging, splitting or a new category
Merging or splitting of units, change of use, cadastral income (rendita) to be recalculated
Records access and document retrieval
You need the documents from the Comune
Retrieval of the building permit, the filed floor plan, the historical file
The technician confirms the correct filing after seeing the property.
Timing and cost
Quote on request, within 48 hours. Once you accept the quote and pay the advance, the technician contacts you within 72 hours.
The cost depends on the size of the property, the documents available, the complexity of the case and the distance.
Frequently asked questions
CILA, SCIA or Permesso di costruire: which one do I need?
It depends on the works. For internal works that do not touch the structure a CILA is normally enough; for external works or works on structural parts you need a SCIA; to increase volume or floor area, or to build from scratch, you need a Permesso di costruire (building permit). The technician confirms the correct filing after seeing the property.
Some works were done without permits: can this be fixed?
Often yes, with a retrospective filing (sanatoria): CILA tardiva, SCIA in sanatoria or Permesso di costruire in sanatoria, depending on the works. Whether and how to regularise is assessed by the technician case by case. Any penalties are paid by the owner and are listed separately in the quote.
What is records access (accesso agli atti) and when do I need it?
It is the request to the Comune for the property's documents: the building permit, the filed floor plan, the historical file. You need it when you do not have these documents and must find out what was authorised, almost always before a retrospective filing (sanatoria) or a compliance check.
Request a quote for this service
Describe the property and what you need. We reply within 48 hours with a quote or with the questions we need answered.