Frequently asked questions

In most cases of permanent residential use, yes. Portugal's new regime, approved by Decree-Law 108/2026 and in force since 3 August 2026, defines a building regardless of construction system. Repealing the former article 1-A created no exemption for modular. See the full guide.

It depends on the use, the permanence, the integration into the ground, the foundations, the utility connections and what the municipal plan allows at that location. The possible routes are a full permit, a prior notification or, at study stage, a preliminary information request.

It is a formal question to the council about the viability of the operation. A favourable answer binds the authorities and is valid for two years, with one possible confirmation and a further year. It is always worth doing before buying land.

Embargo, suspension of use, administrative offence and fine, imposed corrective works, an obligation to legalise, and ultimately removal or demolition at the owner's expense. Add the practical impossibility of registering, financing or selling. And some operations simply cannot be legalised.

Usually yes, though via the simpler prior notification route. A module resting on pads, connected to utilities and in continuous use tends to be treated as a building. There is also the development ratio in the municipal plan, which may already be used up by the existing house.

Yes. As a fixed property with a permanent character it must be registered at the land registry, entered in the tax register and pays municipal property tax, as Santander notes.

With 80 mm sprayed polyurethane or 100 to 140 mm mineral wool on an independent frame, a vapour barrier and thermal bridges cut at corners and junctions. Our models achieve wall U-values between 0.20 and 0.29 W/m²K.

No, with adequate insulation, low-e double glazing and shading on south-facing openings. Behaviour is equivalent to a new class A building.

Isolated concrete pad footings or a light raft slab on most firm ground. Made ground, expansive clay or steep slopes may require short piles or retaining works.

Structures are verified to Eurocode 3, with the seismic and wind zone of the specific location entered into the calculation. Steel in fact behaves favourably in earthquakes thanks to its ductility.

Yes. Containers are designed to stack under load. What needs calculation is the connection between modules and any cantilevers. Our ML-120 Duplex stacks four modules with a 2.4 m cantilever.

With proper corrosion protection, continuous insulation and normal maintenance, several decades — comparable to any steel construction. We give a 10-year structural and weathertightness warranty.

Annual inspection of roofs, gutters and seals; a check of external cladding every two to three years; and repainting of coated panels every ten to fifteen years in marine environments. Corten is never painted.

No, because the roof carries insulation, a membrane and a screed layer rather than being exposed sheet metal. Our reference airborne sound insulation for the façade is Rw 45 dB.