Request for Prior Information (PIP)

The Request for Prior Information (PIP) is an optional procedure that allows any applicant – owner or not – to obtain information on the feasibility of carrying out a particular urban operation, namely: construction, reconstruction, expansion, alteration, demolition, urbanization, allotment or land refurbishment work.

The PIP also allows the applicant to obtain information on the respective legal and regulatory conditions, in accordance with Article 14 of the current Legal Regime of Urbanization and Building.

In addition, a PIP with a favourable response from the municipality validates for one year the feasibility of a given project to move forward. In the favorable response, and depending on the degree of detail that the project of Architecture delivered had, the chamber indicates whether the intended work is subject to the submission of a prior communication or a licensing.

For example, if the Architecture project has been instructed in sufficient detail and there are no changes, it allows to proceed to prior communication with immediate delivery of specialties, constituting a significant saving of time for the applicant, now already owner.

In conclusion, the submission of a PIP is a very useful procedure for the promotion of land or buildings, providing the buyer, not yet owner, with the guarantee that a particular urban operation is previously approved.