See Dealing with Construction Permits data here.

Doing Business records all procedures required for a business in the construction industry to build a warehouse along with the time and cost to complete each procedure. In addition, Doing Business measures the building quality control index, evaluating the quality of building regulations, the strength of quality control and safety mechanisms, liability and insurance regimes, and professional certification requirements. Information is collected through a questionnaire administered to experts in construction licensing, including architects, civil engineers, construction lawyers, construction firms, utility service providers and public officials who deal with building regulations, including approvals, permit issuance and inspections.

The ranking of economies on the ease of dealing with construction permits is determined by sorting their scores for dealing with construction permits. These scores are the simple average of the score for each of the component indicators.

Efficiency of construction permitting

Doing Business divides the process of building a warehouse into distinct procedures in the questionnaire and solicits data for calculating the time and cost to complete each procedure (figure 1).

These procedures include, but are not limited to:

• Obtaining all plans and surveys required by the architect and the engineer to start the design of the building plans (for example, topographical surveys, location maps or soil tests).
• Obtaining and submitting all relevant project-specific documents (for example, building plans, site maps and certificates of urbanism) to the authorities.
• Hiring external third-party supervisors, engineers or inspectors (if necessary).
• Obtaining all necessary clearances, licenses, permits and certificates.
• Submitting all required notifications for the start and end of construction and for inspections.
• Requesting and receiving all necessary inspections (unless completed by a hired private, third-party inspector).

Figure 1 - What are the time, cost and number of procedures to comply with formalities to build a warehouse?

Source: Doing Business database

Doing Business also records procedures for obtaining connections for water and sewerage. Procedures necessary to register the warehouse so that it can be used as collateral or transferred to another entity are also counted.

To make the data comparable across economies, several assumptions about the construction company, the warehouse project and the utility connections are used.

Assumptions about the construction company

The construction company (BuildCo):

• Is a limited liability company (or its legal equivalent).
• Operates in the economy’s largest business city. For 11 economies the data are also collected for the second largest business city.
• Is 100% domestically and privately owned.
• Has five owners, none of whom is a legal entity.
• Is fully licensed and insured to carry out construction projects, such as building warehouses. 
• Has 60 builders and other employees, all of them nationals with the technical expertise and professional experience necessary to obtain construction permits and approvals.
• Has a licensed architect and a licensed engineer, both registered with the local association of architects or engineers, where applicable.
• BuildCo is not assumed to have any other employees who are technical or licensed specialists, such as geological or topographical experts.
• Has paid all taxes and taken out all necessary insurance applicable to its general business activity (for example, accidental insurance for construction workers and third-person liability).
• Owns the land on which the warehouse will be built and will sell the warehouse upon its completion.

Assumptions about the warehouse

The warehouse:

• Will be used for general storage activities, such as storage of books or stationery. The warehouse will not be used for any goods requiring special conditions, such as food, chemicals, or pharmaceuticals.
• Will have two stories, both above ground, with a total constructed area of approximately 1,300.6 square meters (14,000 square feet). Each floor will be 3 meters (9 feet, 10 inches) high.
• Will have road access and be located in the periurban area of the economy’s largest business city (that is, on the fringes of the city but still within its official limits). For 11 economies the data are also collected for the second largest business city.
• Will not be located in a special economic or industrial zone.
• Will be located on a land plot of approximately 929 square meters (10,000 square feet) that is 100% owned by BuildCo and is accurately registered in the cadastre and land registry where freehold titles exist. However, when the land is owned by the government and leased by BuildCo, it is assumed that BuildCo will register the land in the cadastre or land registry or both, whichever is applicable, at the completion of the warehouse.
• Is valued at 50 times income per capita.
• Will be a new construction (with no previous construction on the land), with no trees, natural water sources, natural reserves, or historical monuments of any kind on the plot.
• Will have complete architectural and technical plans prepared by a licensed architect and a licensed engineer. If preparation of the plans requires such steps as obtaining further documentation or getting prior approvals from external agencies, these are counted as separate procedures.
• Will include all technical equipment required to be fully operational.
• Will take 30 weeks to construct (excluding all delays due to administrative and regulatory requirements).

Assumptions about the utility connections

The water and sewerage connections:

• Will be 150 meters (492 feet) from the existing water source and sewer tap. If there is no water delivery infrastructure in the economy, a borehole will be dug. If there is no sewerage infrastructure, a septic tank in the smallest size available will be installed or built.
• Will not require water for fire protection reasons; a fire extinguishing system (dry system) will be used instead. If a wet fire protection system is required by law, it is assumed that the water demand specified below also covers the water needed for fire protection.
• Will have an average water use of 662 liters (175 gallons) a day and an average wastewater flow of 568 liters (150 gallons) a day. Will have a peak water use of 1,325 liters (350 gallons) a day and a peak wastewater flow of 1,136 liters (300 gallons) a day.
• Will have a constant level of water demand and wastewater flow throughout the year.
• Connection pipes will be 1 inch in diameter for water and 4 inches in diameter for sewerage.

Procedures

A procedure is any interaction of the building company’s employees, managers, or any party acting on behalf of the company, with external parties, including government agencies, notaries, the land registry, the cadastre, utility companies and public inspectors—and the hiring of external private inspectors and technical experts where needed. Interactions between company employees, such as development of the warehouse plans and inspections by the in-house engineer, are not counted as procedures. However, interactions with external parties that are required for the architect to prepare the plans and drawings (such as obtaining topographic or geological surveys), or to have such documents approved or stamped by external parties, are counted as procedures. Procedures that the company undergoes to connect the warehouse to water and sewerage are included. All procedures that are legally required and that are done in practice by the majority of companies to build a warehouse are counted, even if they may be avoided in exceptional cases. For example, obtaining technical conditions for electricity or a clearance of the electrical plans are counted as separate procedures if they are required for obtaining a building permit.

Time

Time is recorded in calendar days. The measure captures the median duration that local experts indicate is necessary to complete a procedure in practice. It is assumed that the minimum time required for each procedure is one day, except for procedures that can be fully completed online, for which the time required is recorded as half a day. Although procedures may take place simultaneously, they cannot start on the same day (that is, simultaneous procedures start on consecutive days), again with the exception of procedures that can be fully completed online. If a procedure can be accelerated legally for an additional cost, the fastest procedure is chosen if that option is more beneficial to the economy’s score. It is assumed that BuildCo does not waste time and commits to completing each remaining procedure without delay. The time that BuildCo spends on gathering information is not taken into account. It is assumed that BuildCo follows all building requirements and their sequence as required.

Cost

Cost is recorded as a percentage of the warehouse value (assumed to be 50 times income per capita). Only official costs are recorded. All fees associated with completing the procedures to legally build a warehouse are recorded, including those associated with obtaining land use approvals and preconstruction design clearances; receiving inspections before, during and after construction; obtaining utility connections; and registering the warehouse at the property registry. Nonrecurring taxes required for the completion of the warehouse project are also recorded. Sales taxes (such as value added tax) or capital gains taxes are not recorded. Nor are deposits that must be paid up front and are later refunded. The building code, information from local experts, and specific regulations and fee schedules are used as sources for costs. If several local partners provide different estimates, the median reported value is used.

Building quality control

The building quality control index is based on six indices—the quality of building regulations, quality control before, during, and after construction, liability and insurance regimes, and professional certifications indices. The indicator is based on the same case study assumptions as the measures of efficiency.

Quality of building regulations index

The quality of building regulations index has two components:

• Whether building regulations are easily accessible. A score of 1 is assigned if building regulations (including the building code) or regulations dealing with construction permits are available on a website that is updated as new regulations are passed; 0.5 if the building regulations are available free of charge (or for a nominal fee) at the relevant permit-issuing authority; 0 if the building regulations must be purchased or if they are not made easily accessible anywhere.
• Whether the requirements for obtaining a building permit are clearly specified. A score of 1 is assigned if the building regulations (including the building code) or any accessible website, brochure, or pamphlet clearly specifies the list of required documents to submit, the fees to be paid and all required preapprovals of the drawings (example: electrical, water and sewerage, environmental) or plans by the relevant agencies; 0 if none of these sources specify any of these requirements or if these sources specify fewer than the three requirements mentioned above.

The index ranges from 0 to 2, with higher values indicating clearer and more transparent building regulations. In New Zealand, for example, all relevant legislation can be found on an official government website (a score of 1). The legislation specifies the list of required documents to submit, the fees to be paid and all required preapprovals of the drawings or plans by the relevant agencies (a score of 1). Adding these numbers gives New Zealand a score of 2 on the quality of building regulations index.

Quality control before construction index

The quality control before construction index has one component:

• Whether by law, a licensed architect or licensed engineer is part of the committee or team that reviews and approves building permit applications and whether that person has the authority to refuse an application if the plans are not in conformity with regulations. A score of 1 is assigned if the national association of architects or engineers (or its equivalent) must review the building plans, if an independent firm or expert who is a licensed architect or engineer must review the plans, if the architect or engineer who prepared the plans must submit an attestation to the permit-issuing authority stating that the plans are in compliance with the building regulations or if a licensed architect or engineer is part of the committee or team that approves the plans at the relevant permit-issuing authority; 0 if no licensed architect or engineer is involved in the review of the plans to ensure their compliance with building regulations.

The index ranges from 0 to 1, with higher values indicating better quality control in the review of the building plans. In Rwanda, for example, the city hall in Kigali must review the building permit application, including the plans and drawings, and both a licensed architect and a licensed engineer are part of the team that reviews the plans and drawings. Rwanda therefore receives a score of 1 on the quality control before construction index.

Quality control during construction index

The quality control during construction index has two components:

• Whether inspections are mandated by law during the construction process. A score of 2 is assigned if (i) a government agency is legally mandated to conduct technical inspections at different stages during the construction or an in-house engineer (that is, an employee of the building company), an external supervising engineer or firm is legally mandated to conduct technical inspections at different stages during the construction of the building and is required to submit a detailed inspections report at the completion of the construction; and (ii) it is legally mandated to conduct risk-based inspections. A score of 1 is assigned if a government agency is legally mandated to conduct only technical inspections at different stages during the construction or if an in-house engineer (that is, an employee of the building company), an external supervising engineer or an external inspections firm is legally mandated to conduct technical inspections at different stages during the construction of the building and is required to submit a detailed inspections report at the completion of the construction. A score of 0 is assigned if a government agency is legally mandated to conduct unscheduled inspections, or if no technical inspections are mandated by law.
• Whether inspections during construction are implemented in practice. A score of 1 is assigned if the legally mandated inspections during construction always occur in practice; 0 if the legally mandated inspections do not occur in practice, if the inspections occur most of the time but not always, if inspections are not mandated by law regardless of whether they commonly occur in practice.

The index ranges from 0 to 3, with higher values indicating better quality control during the construction process. In Antigua and Barbuda, for example, the Development Control Authority is legally mandated to conduct phased inspections under the Physical Planning Act of 2003 (a score of 1). However, the Development Control Authority rarely conducts these inspections in practice (a score of 0). Adding these numbers gives Antigua and Barbuda a score of 1 on the quality control during construction index.

Quality control after construction index

The quality control after construction index has two components:

• Whether a final inspection is mandated by law in order to verify that the building was built in accordance with the approved plans and existing building regulations. A score of 2 is assigned if an in-house supervising engineer (that is, an employee of the building company), an external supervising engineer or an external inspections firm is legally mandated to verify that the building has been built in compliance with the approved plans and existing building regulations, or if a government agency is legally mandated to conduct a final inspection upon completion of the building; 0 if no final inspection is mandated by law after construction and no third party is required to verify that the building has been built in accordance with the approved plans and existing building regulations.

• Whether the final inspection is implemented in practice. A score of 1 is assigned if the legally mandated final inspection after construction always occurs in practice or if a supervising engineer or firm attests that the building has been built in accordance with the approved plans and existing building regulations; 0 if the legally mandated final inspection does not occur in practice, if the legally mandated final inspection occurs most of the time but not always, or if a final inspection is not mandated by law regardless of whether or not it commonly occurs in practice.

The index ranges from 0 to 3, with higher values indicating better quality control after the construction process. In Haiti, for example, the Municipality of Port-au-Prince is legally mandated to conduct a final inspection under the National Building Code of 2012 (a score of 2). However, the final inspection does not occur in practice (a score of 0). Adding these numbers gives Haiti a score of 2 on the quality control after construction index.

Liability and insurance regimes index

The liability and insurance regimes index has two components:

• Whether any parties involved in the construction process are held legally liable for latent defects such as structural flaws or problems in the building once it is in use. A score of 1 is assigned if at least two of the following parties are held legally liable for structural flaws or problems in the building once it is in use: the architect or engineer who designed the plans for the building, the professional or agency that conducted technical inspections, or the construction company; 0.5 if only one of the parties is held legally liable for structural flaws or problems in the building once it is in use; 0 if no party is held legally liable for structural flaws or problems in the building once it is in use, if the project owner or investor is the only party held liable, if liability is determined in court, or if liability is stipulated in a contract.

• Whether any parties involved in the construction process is legally required to obtain a latent defect liability—or decennial (10 years) liability—insurance policy to cover possible structural flaws or problems in the building once it is in use. A score of 1 is assigned if the architect or engineer who designed the plans for the building, the professional or agency that conducted the technical inspections, the construction company, or the project owner or investor is required by law to obtain either a decennial liability insurance policy or a latent defect liability insurance to cover possible structural flaws or problems in the building once it is in use or if a decennial liability insurance policy or a latent defect liability insurance is commonly obtained in practice by the majority of any of these parties even if not required by law. A score of 0 is assigned if no party is required by law to obtain either a decennial liability insurance or a latent defect liability insurance and such insurance is not commonly obtained in practice by any party, if the requirement to obtain an insurance policy is stipulated in a contract, if any party must obtain a professional insurance or an all risk insurance to cover the safety of workers or any other defects during construction but not a decennial liability insurance or a latent defect liability insurance that would cover defects after the building is in use, or if any party is required to pay for any damages caused on their own without having to obtain an insurance policy.

The index ranges from 0 to 2, with higher values indicating more stringent latent defect liability and insurance regimes. In Madagascar, for example, under article 1792 of the Civil Code both the architect who designed the plans and the construction company are legally held liable for latent defects for a period of 10 years after the completion of the building (a score of 1). However, there is no legal requirement for any party to obtain a decennial liability insurance policy to cover structural defects, nor do most parties obtain such insurance in practice (a score of 0). Adding these numbers gives Madagascar a score of 1 on the liability and insurance regimes index.

Professional certifications index

The professional certifications index has two components:

• The qualification requirements of the professional responsible for verifying that the architectural plans or drawings are in compliance with the building regulations. A score of 2 is assigned if national or state regulations mandate that the professional must have a minimum number of years of practical experience, must have a university degree (a minimum of a bachelor’s) in architecture or engineering, and must also either be a registered member of the national order (association) of architects or engineers or pass a qualification exam. A score of 1 is assigned if national or state regulations mandate that the professional must have a university degree (a minimum of a bachelor’s) in architecture or engineering and must also either have a minimum number of years of practical experience or be a registered member of the national order (association) of architects or engineers or pass a qualification exam. A score of 0 is assigned if national or state regulations mandate that the professional must meet only one of the above requirements, if they mandate that the professional must meet two of the requirements but neither of the two is to have a university degree, or if no national or state regulation determines the professional’s qualification requirements.

• The qualification requirements of the professional who conducts the technical inspections during construction. A score of 2 is assigned if national or state regulations mandate that the professional must have a minimum number of years of practical experience, must have a university degree (a minimum of a bachelor’s) in engineering, and must also either be a registered member of the national order of engineers or pass a qualification exam. A score of 1 is assigned if national or state regulations mandate that the professional must have a university degree (a minimum of a bachelor’s) in engineering and must also either have a minimum number of years of practical experience or be a registered member of the national order (association) of engineers or pass a qualification exam. A score of 0 is assigned if national or state regulations mandate that the professional must meet only one of the requirements, if they mandate that the professional must meet two of the requirements but neither of the two is to have a university degree, or if no national or state regulation determines the professional’s qualification requirements.

The index ranges from 0 to 4, with higher values indicating greater professional certification requirements. In Albania, for example, the professional conducting technical inspections during construction must have a minimum number of years of experience, a relevant university degree and must be a registered architect or engineer (a score of 2). However, the professional responsible for verifying that the architectural plans or drawings are in compliance with building regulations must only have a minimum number of years of experience and a university degree in architecture or engineering (a score of 1). Adding these numbers gives Albania a score of 3 on the professional certifications index. 

Building quality control index

The building quality control index is the sum of the scores on the quality of building regulations, quality control before construction, quality control during construction, quality control after construction, liability and insurance regimes, and professional certifications indices. The index ranges from 0 to 15, with higher values indicating better quality control and safety mechanisms in the construction regulatory system.

If an economy issued no building permits between May 2, 2018 and May 1, 2019 or if the applicable building legislation in the economy is not being implemented, the economy receives a “no practice” mark on the procedures, time and cost indicators. In addition, a “no practice” economy receives a score of 0 on the building quality control index even if its legal framework includes provisions related to building quality control and safety mechanisms.

Reforms

The dealing with construction permits indicator set tracks changes related to the efficiency and quality of construction permitting systems every year. Depending on the impact on the data certain changes are classified as reforms and listed in the summaries of Doing Business reforms in order to acknowledge the implementation of significant changes. Reforms are divided into two types: those that make it easier to do business and those changes that make it more difficult to do business. The dealing with construction permits indicator set uses only one criterion to recognize a reform.

The impact of data changes is assessed based on the absolute change in the overall score of the indicator set as well as the change in the relative score gap. Any data update that leads to a change of 0.5 points or more in the score and 2% or more on the relative score gap is classified as a reform, except when the change is the result of automatic official fee indexation to a price or wage index (for more details, see the chapter on the ease of doing business score and ease of doing business ranking). For example, if the implementation of a new electronic permitting system reduces time and procedures in a way that the score increases by 0.5 points or more and the overall gap decreases by 2% or more, the change is classified as a reform. Minor fee updates or other small changes in the indicators that have an aggregate impact of less than 0.5 points on the overall score or 2% on the gap are not classified as a reform, but the data are updated accordingly.