Do I need permission for a wooden shed in Mallorca?

A wooden shed is incredibly useful – for storing tools, as a workshop, a log store or even a small workspace. But before installing one, it's worth knowing what procedure your town hall requires. Here are the basics. This article is for general guidance only and is no substitute for checking with your town hall.

The law that applies in the Balearic Islands

In the Balearic Islands the general framework is Ley 12/2017 de urbanismo de las Illes Balears (LUIB) (the Balearic Planning Act 12/2017), amended in 2024. Broadly speaking, it distinguishes between works that can be carried out with a comunicación previa (prior notification – for simple, minor works) and works that require a licencia urbanística (building licence).

Urban land or rural land

The land classification makes a big difference:

• On urban land (suelo urbano), a small shed may qualify for a simple procedure if the local planning rules allow it and boundary distances and plot coverage limits are respected.
• On rural land (suelo rústico) the rules are stricter, and on protected rural land (suelo rústico protegido) prior notification is not enough: a licence is required.

There is no single size threshold across Mallorca below which a shed is exempt: each municipality sets this in its own planning rules.

What if it's prefabricated or demountable?

Being made of wood or prefabricated doesn't mean a shed doesn't need permission. If it stays installed on the plot, the town hall treats it as a building. Every year in Mallorca there are cases of prefabricated buildings on rural land that have had to be demolished for lack of a licence.

Our advice

1. Before ordering your shed, ask your town hall which procedure applies to your plot.
2. Be clear about the dimensions, location and use.
3. Ask us for a written quote with the description and dimensions: you'll be able to use it for the application.

How we build our sheds

We build them to measure, using treated timber suitable for outdoor use, a solid base (concrete slab or levelled supports) and the roof that suits best: sandwich panels, clay tiles, Onduline or timber with bitumen felt. Take a look at real examples on our sheds page.