What does empreiteiro mean in Portugal?
An empreiteiro is the builder or contractor who carries out building work for a price. Under the urban-planning law the contractor must be duly qualified by IMPIC, and the council checks that qualification against the type and estimated cost of the work.
- Rests on
- RJUE, art. 100.º-A n.º 6, art. 9.º n.º 11
- Law
- Decreto-Lei n.º 555/99 (RJUE), as republished by Decreto-Lei n.º 108/2026
- Version
- In force since 1 October 2026 (Decreto-Lei n.º 155-B/2026)
- Official text
- data.dre.pt/eli/dec-lei/108/2026/05/29/p/dre/pt/pdf
- Sources
- data.dre.pt/eli/dec-lei/108/2026/05/29/p/dre/pt/pdf
data.dre.pt/eli/dec-lei/155-b/2026/07/31/p/dre/pt/pdf
data.dre.pt/eli/declretif/29-a/2026/07/27/p/dre/pt/pdf - Checked
- 2026-11-05
What it means for the owner
- If works break the conditions of the licence or notification, the contractor, the diretor de obra and the fiscalização are jointly liable, and the owner remains liable under the general rules (art. 100.º-A n.º 2).
- The same joint liability applies where works are done without the required procedure (art. 100.º-A n.º 3).
- A change of contractor must be requested from the council within 15 days (art. 9.º n.º 10).
- For the civil-law meaning of the building contract, see empreitada.
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