# Repairing a roof in Lisbon: council permit, Baixa Pombalina, rain and the ARU > Old buildings, heavy downpours and the council's own rules: what official sources confirm about repairing a roof in Lisbon, and what they do not. - Page: https://telhadoseguro.pt/en/roof-repair/lisbon - Language: English - Updated: 2026-11-03 ## Summary - Repairing the roof to keep it as it is remains exempt from a permit, but Lisbon council was still adapting its procedures to the 1 October 2026 RJUE revision. - In the Baixa Pombalina, the safeguarding plan only allows conservation that does not change the original geometry, shape and materials. - According to INE, 38.9% of Lisbon's buildings need some repair, against 35.8% nationally. - The new, wider ARU is due to apply from 1 January 2027, and tax benefits are not automatic. In Lisbon, repairing a roof is rarely just a matter of calling a roofer. There are old multi-storey buildings, a Baixa district with its own safeguarding plan, council rules on gutters and downpipes, and a planning law that changed on 1 October 2026. This guide gathers what can be confirmed in official sources, for anyone who has to decide on a repair in the capital. What applies to the whole country is in the national guides, and we link to them instead of repeating it. We do not repair roofs: we give information, with sources. *Updated 3 November 2026.* ## The essentials - **Repairing the roof to keep it as it is needs no permit**, under the national rule. In Lisbon the council said on 12 October 2026 that it was still adapting its procedures to the revised RJUE (the planning law). Check before you hire. - **The Baixa Pombalina has its own rule.** The safeguarding plan only allows conservation works that do not change the original geometry, shape and materials of the roof. - **In many buildings the roof is a common part.** The decision belongs to the owners' association, not to one owner alone. - **Roof flying off or falling?** Call 112. For municipal help the council lists the Sapper Fire Regiment and Civil Protection, numbers below. - **A tax benefit is not automatic.** The new, wider urban rehabilitation area (ARU) is due to apply only from 1 January 2027. ## What Lisbon's numbers say According to the 2021 Census (INE), Lisbon has 49,223 buildings. Of these, 60.3% date from before 1961 and 16.9% from before 1919. Nationally, those from before 1961 are 23.1%. On condition, 26.5% of buildings need small repairs, against 21.8% nationally. Medium repairs are 8.9% (national: 9.4%) and deep repairs 3.5% (national: 4.6%). Adding them up, 38.9% of buildings need some repair, against 35.8% nationally. The picture: many old buildings with small problems, and fewer extreme cases than average. In absolute terms, 13,044 buildings need small repairs. This is the whole building, not the roof. We have not read any official count of roofs in poor condition in Lisbon. ## The climate and what fails first At the IPMA station Lisboa / Gago Coutinho (1991-2020) it rains 722.5 mm a year, on 72.8 days with 1 mm or more. On 9.4 days the rain passes 20 mm. The rainiest day was 18 February 2008, with 143.7 mm. Frost is almost absent (0.1 days a year) and there are 36.3 days a year at 30 °C or more. In Lisbon the tile suffers little from cold. It suffers from short, strong downpours and a lot of sun. The APICER and CTCV guide says a tile's waterproofing is not enough to guarantee watertightness: slope, flashings and drainage count too. So in Lisbon the first places to look are gutters, flashings and dormers, where water concentrates. See the [leak causes guide](https://telhadoseguro.pt/en/guides/roof-leak-causes) and the [tiles and climate guide](https://telhadoseguro.pt/en/guides/roof-tiles-by-climate). The same technical guide links most defects to lack of maintenance. ## Permit and council rules The national rule is in the [permit guide](https://telhadoseguro.pt/en/guides/roof-works-permit-2026): conservation works (restoration, repair, cleaning) are exempt. In Lisbon, add four points. 1. **Revised RJUE.** The council says the revision came into force on 1 October 2026 and that it was preparing practical guidance. It also published a simulator that gives a preliminary indication of the procedure for each work and property. 2. **Online request.** The council has a request called "Obras de conservação - licença" on Loja Lisboa Online, for cases that need one. Anyone who cannot apply online can book an appointment at Loja Lisboa Entrecampos. 3. **Municipal regulation (RMUEL, 2021).** Article 53 bans pipes, gutters or drainage holes on street-facing facades, apart from those that discharge roof gutters. It also says gutters and downpipes must match the colours and materials of the facade and roof. Article 5 treats rebuilding a roof as a work of minor urban relevance when the roof type, shape, slope of the pitches and type of covering stay the same. Article 9 says the municipality encourages repair and conservation by reducing urban fees. We read the August 2021 text. The RJUE revision may have changed it. 4. **Baixa Pombalina.** The safeguarding plan (Aviso 7126/2011) allows conservation works on roofs that do not change original geometry, shape and materials. When a roof is altered, a pitched roof must be covered in red clay tile of a model suited to the building, and new terrace roofs are not allowed. If the building is listed or in a protection zone, the heritage authority's opinion counts. To find out which case yours is, use the simulator and ask the council. ## Who to ask at the council Urban planning requests go through the Loja Lisboa Online portal, under "Novo pedido". The owner, or someone with a right that allows it, makes the request. If the work touches the roof of a building under horizontal property, the roof is usually a common part: see [who pays](https://telhadoseguro.pt/en/guides/condominium-roof-who-pays). Ask in writing whether your work needs a licence, a prior notice or is exempt, and keep the answer. If you need scaffolding on the street, occupying the public road has its own request. ## Aid and benefits - **ARU.** On 28 October 2026 the council approved a new, wider boundary for the Urban Rehabilitation Area. It goes to the Municipal Assembly and is due to take effect on 1 January 2027. The current boundary dates from 2012. Being in the ARU is one of the conditions for reduced VAT on building contracts, IMI and IMT exemption and an income tax deduction. None of this is automatic. See the [VAT guide](https://telhadoseguro.pt/en/guides/roof-works-vat). - **Fees.** The regulation provides reduced fees for conservation works. We did not read the amounts. - **Aid for private roofs.** We found no open municipal programme for this. For storm Kristin, see the [aid guide](https://telhadoseguro.pt/en/guides/storm-kristin-roof-aid). ## Storms and emergencies The council logged 463 incidents on 28 January 2026, mostly trees and structures, with gusts of 110 km/h. Lisbon is not on the list of municipalities in calamity. We do not have a count of damaged roofs. On the council's security page, free of charge: **112** (emergency), **Sapper Fire Regiment 800 913 913** and **Civil Protection 800 910 725** (round-the-clock). If the roof is already damaged, follow the [first 48 hours](https://telhadoseguro.pt/en/guides/damaged-roof-first-48-hours). Then ask for quotes and check them in the [quote checker](https://telhadoseguro.pt/en/roof-quote-checker), and [check the contractor](https://telhadoseguro.pt/en/roofing-contractor-check). To decide between repair and replacement, see [repair or replace](https://telhadoseguro.pt/en/roof-repair/repair-or-replace) and the [repair hub](https://telhadoseguro.pt/en/roof-repair). More city data is in [Roofs in Lisbon](https://telhadoseguro.pt/en/roofs-lisbon). ## What we could not confirm - **The current text of the RMUEL** after the October 2026 RJUE revision. We read the 2021 version. - **Whether the Baixa Pombalina plan has been amended** since 2011. - **The amount of the fees** and of the reduction for conservation works. - **An open municipal programme** for private roofs. - **Rules for each neighbourhood** outside the Baixa: we did not read the PDM on roofs. - **How many roofs** were damaged in Lisbon in 2026. ## Sources (read on 3 November 2026) - Município de Lisboa, [Obras de conservação - licença](https://servicos.lisboa.pt/pedidos/detalhe/obras-de-conservacao-licenca), updated 30 September 2026, and [Obras de edificação - licença](https://servicos.lisboa.pt/pedidos/detalhe/obras-de-edificacao-licenca), updated 12 October 2026. - Município de Lisboa, [Novas regras em Lisboa para procedimentos urbanísticos](https://www.lisboa.pt/cidade-informa/noticias/detalhe/novas-regras-em-lisboa-para-procedimentos-urbanisticos), 1 October 2026. - Município de Lisboa, [Lisboa alarga ARU](https://www.lisboa.pt/cidade-informa/noticias/detalhe/lisboa-alarga-aru-e-reforca-incentivos-a-recuperacao-do-edificado), 28 October 2026. - Município de Lisboa, [Security and Prevention](https://www.lisboa.pt/en/themes/security-and-prevention/entry) (contacts). - Aviso n.º 16520/2021, [RMUEL](https://files.diariodarepublica.pt/2s/2021/08/169000000/0028000402.pdf), Diário da República, 31 August 2021 (articles 5, 9 and 53). - Aviso n.º 7126/2011, [Plano de Pormenor de Salvaguarda da Baixa Pombalina](https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/detalhe/aviso/7126-2011-2299819), article 22. - Incidents of 28 January 2026 and the calamity list: sources on the page [Roofs in Lisbon](https://telhadoseguro.pt/en/roofs-lisbon). - INE, Census 2021 (indicator 0011482); IPMA, [climate normal Lisboa / Gago Coutinho 1991-2020](https://www.ipma.pt/bin/file.data/climate-normal/cn_91-20_LISBOA_GAGO_COUTINHO.pdf). - APICER and CTCV, [Guia para Projeto e Aplicação de Telhas Cerâmicas](https://www.apicer.pt/apicer/media/5c06bd0e8d436.pdf), 2nd edition, 2018. ## FAQ ### Do I need a council permit to repair my roof in Lisbon? Usually not, if you only keep the roof as it is. On 12 October 2026 the council said it was still adapting its procedures to the revised RJUE. Listed buildings and the Baixa Pombalina have their own rules. Use the council's simulator and ask in writing. ### Can I fit gutters and downpipes on the street facade? The municipal regulation (2021 text) bans pipes, gutters or drainage holes on facades facing the public road, apart from those that discharge roof gutters. Gutters and downpipes must match the facade's colours and materials. Check the text in force. ### Which numbers do I call if the roof is falling? In immediate danger, 112. The council's security page also lists the Sapper Fire Regiment (800 913 913) and Civil Protection (800 910 725), free of charge. --- Source: https://telhadoseguro.pt/en/roof-repair/lisbon. Independent information, not legal or tax advice.