Since 2014 · over 750,000 m² built across Brazil

Statutory design, municipal approval, environmental licensing and AVCB

A project stalled by a missing licence is the most expensive and most avoidable delay in construction. We handle statutory design and the processing with municipalities, environmental agencies, the Fire Department and utility concessionaires — from the building permit to the occupancy permit, including for works we did not build.

Approvals we run

Every authority has its own requirements, timeline and sequence. What stalls a submission is almost never the technical merit: it is filing out of order, an expired document, or a requirement answered halfway.

  • Building permit and construction permit at the municipality
  • Completion certificate, occupancy permit and regularisation of existing works
  • Preliminary, installation and operating environmental licences
  • Fire protection design and issue of the AVCB certificate
  • Highway access approval with the road authority or concessionaire
  • Permanent connections for power, water, sewerage and gas
  • Technical responsibility filings with the engineering and architecture councils

Statutory design is not detailed design

They are two documents with different purposes, and confusing them is expensive. Statutory design speaks to the approving authority: it represents what the legislation wants to see, at the level of detail it asks for. Detailed design speaks to the site: it specifies how to build. Approving on a statutory design that does not agree with the detailed design produces a building that differs from what was approved — and a building that differs from what was approved does not get its occupancy permit.

Regularising an existing building

A warehouse extended without a permit, a mezzanine never recorded, a fire certificate that expired years ago: these are common and solvable situations, but they only surface when it is time to sell the property, renew the insurance or face an inspection. We survey what was built, compare it with what was approved and map the route to regularisation, with the cost and the risk of each option in plain sight.

What you receive

  • Complete statutory design in the format each authority requires
  • Filing, follow-up and response to requirements through to final decision
  • Fire protection design and attendance at the Fire Department inspection
  • Digital dossier with every licence, filing and receipt
  • Licence expiry tracking with advance renewal alerts

Frequently asked questions

How long does municipal approval take?

The timeline belongs to the authority, not to us, and varies considerably between municipalities. What is within our control is filing correctly the first time: most of the delay attributed to city hall is cycles of requirements caused by incomplete documentation. We state the average timeline for your specific municipality in the proposal.

What is the AVCB and when is it mandatory?

The AVCB is the Fire Department certificate attesting that a building meets fire prevention requirements. It is mandatory for most non-residential buildings, has an expiry date, and is demanded by insurers, lease contracts and inspections. Without a valid AVCB, an insurance claim after a fire can be denied.

My building is finished and has no occupancy permit. Is there a way out?

In most cases yes, through regularisation. The route depends on what was built outside the approved drawings and on municipal legislation. The first step is always the as-built survey — before that, any promised timeline is guesswork.

Do you handle approvals for buildings constructed by another company?

We do. A good share of our permitting contracts is exactly that: the client built with another team and needs someone to take on technical responsibility and run the process.

No-obligation quote

Need Design and Permitting?

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  • Technical survey and detailed quote
  • Service across Brazil

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