Renovation in Italy checklist

Order the visura catastale (land registry extract)

It shows the registered holder, the parcel and building identifiers, and the cadastral category of the property.

Order the planimetria catastale (registered floor plan)

Compare it with the building as it stands, because any difference has to be corrected before or during the work.

Check the conformità urbanistica (planning compliance)

Confirm the built layout matches the approved permits and that every past change was authorized.

Check the conformità catastale (cadastral compliance)

The registered plan and the actual layout have to agree, and correcting them is the seller's problem before completion and yours after.

Request the atto di provenienza (deed of origin) and the full title history

Request the APE (energy performance certificate)

It is required for the sale, and it also tells you where the building loses heat.

Check whether a vincolo (heritage or landscape restriction) applies

A vincolo means the Soprintendenza has to approve the work, which adds review time and limits materials.

Check the condominium rules and the tabelle millesimali if the property is in a condominio

They set what you may change and your share of any shared works already voted through.

Ask for the certificato di agibilità (fitness for use certificate)

Appoint a geometra or architetto as technical lead

This person prepares the drawings, files the permits, and is the contact the comune deals with.

Name the direttore dei lavori (works supervisor)

It is a legally defined role, responsible for supervising the work against the filed permit.

Appoint the impresa (construction company) with a written contract

Request the DURC for every company on site

The DURC confirms the company is current on its social security and insurance contributions.

Check the visura camerale (company register extract) and the insurance

It confirms the company exists, who can sign for it, and whether it is in any insolvency procedure.

Appoint the coordinatore per la sicurezza (safety coordinator) where required

This is required when more than one company works on the site, and it is a legal obligation of the client.

Agree the computo metrico estimativo (itemized cost estimate) as the basis of the contract

It lists each work item with a quantity and a unit price, so later changes can be priced against it.

Agree the cronoprogramma (schedule) and the payment stages

Decide who signs and receives documents while you are abroad

A procura (power of attorney) may be needed, and it is easier to prepare before the work starts.

Have the geometra confirm which permit the scope requires

File a CILA for work that does not touch structure or the exterior

The CILA is a notification of works filed before starting, used for maintenance and internal changes.

File a SCIA for more substantial restructuring

The SCIA is a certified notification covering work that affects structure, layout or the facade.

Apply for a permesso di costruire where the work is major

This is a full building permit, required for changes in volume or use, and it takes considerably longer to obtain.

Submit to the Soprintendenza where a vincolo applies

Allow months rather than weeks, and expect conditions on windows, render, roof and colors.

File the structural notice with the Genio Civile or the comune where required

File for the change of destinazione d'uso if the use of the property changes

Turning a storeroom or an agricultural building into a dwelling is a change of use, not a renovation.

Notify the comune of the inizio lavori (start of works) date

Post the cartello di cantiere (site notice) with the permit details

Agree the demolition scope in writing with the impresa

Arrange the smaltimento macerie (waste disposal) with proper documentation

Keep the disposal receipts, because they form part of the legal project record.

Check for amianto (asbestos) before demolition

Old roof sheets and pipe insulation often contain it, and removal must be done by a licensed company.

Survey the solai (floor structures) and travi (beams) for condition and load capacity

Old timber and hollow tile floors often need strengthening before new finishes or a new bathroom are added.

Confirm every structural opening has an engineer calculation and permit cover

Check for umidità di risalita (rising damp) and agree the treatment

Stone and masonry walls at ground level frequently need this addressed before plaster and finishes.

Confirm how much intonaco (plaster) is removed and what replaces it

Record the state of the shell with photographs and measurements before rebuilding

Confirm the existing electrical supply and whether it needs increasing

Many older homes are contracted at 3 kW, which will not run an electric oven, an induction hob and a heat pump; 6 kW is a common upgrade.

Request the potenza increase from the electricity supplier early

The meter change takes weeks, and the impianto has to be finished and certified before it happens.

Plan the impianto elettrico with a drawing showing every point and circuit

Plan the impianto idraulico (plumbing) including the scarichi (drains) and their falls

Confirm the caldaia (boiler) or heat pump position and the flue route

Both the position and the discharge point are regulated, and a condominio may restrict them further.

Confirm whether the canna fumaria (flue) needs upgrading and where it may terminate

A shared or old flue often cannot serve a modern condensing boiler without being relined.

Plan the impianto di condizionamento (air conditioning) routes before the walls close

Collect the dichiarazione di conformità for every impianto

The installer issues this declaration of conformity, and you need it for agibilità, for utility contracts, and for any future sale.

Arrange verification of the systems before finishes cover them

Photograph every wall and floor before the tracce (chases) are closed

These photographs are the only record of where cables and pipes run inside the masonry.

Confirm the pavimenti (floor finishes) and the finished level at every doorway

Confirm the rivestimenti (wall tiling) extents in the bathrooms and the kitchen

Confirm the impermeabilizzazione (waterproofing) under all wet area tiling

Confirm the massetto (screed) thickness and its drying time

A screed has to dry before flooring is laid, and on many projects this is what sets the completion date.

Confirm the serramenti (windows and doors) sizes, glazing and lead time

These are usually the longest lead item, and a vincolo may dictate the material and the profile.

Confirm the tinteggiatura (painting) colors and the finish for each room

Confirm the cucina (kitchen) connection points against the supplier drawing

Confirm the sanitari and rubinetteria (sanitary ware and taps) models against the rough-in

Arrange the voltura (transfer) of the electricity contract into your name

A voltura keeps the existing connection, while a new contract on a disconnected meter takes longer.

Arrange the voltura or a new contract for gas

Arrange the water contract with the local supplier

Register the property for TARI (waste collection charge)

It is charged to the occupier, and registration is a separate step from the other utilities.

Set up a temporary site supply if the meters were removed

Provide the dichiarazione di conformità where a supplier requires it before activating a meter

Set up the condominium payments if the property is in a condominio

Arrange building insurance that covers the works period

Confirm which detrazioni (tax deductions) the work may qualify for

The rules and percentages change every year, so confirm the current position with an Italian accountant before the first payment.

Check whether a deduction is useful to you as a non-resident

Deductions are set against Italian tax, so they are worth nothing if you have no Italian tax to offset.

Pay by bonifico parlante (documented bank transfer)

The transfer has to state the law reference, your codice fiscale and the recipient tax number, or the deduction is lost.

Keep every fattura (invoice) with the correct wording and your codice fiscale

Confirm the correct IVA (VAT) rate on each invoice

Renovation work can qualify for a reduced rate, and the invoice has to state the basis for it.

File any notification an incentive requires before the work starts

Keep payments tied to completed stages and never pay ahead of the work

Advance payments are the most common way a foreign owner loses control of a project in Italy.

Keep one folder with the contract, invoices, transfers and permits

Have the geometra file the fine lavori (completion of works)

It has to be filed within the permit validity period, so watch the deadline as the work finishes.

Collect the dichiarazione di conformità for every impianto

Complete the aggiornamento catastale (cadastral update) where the layout changed

The registered floor plan must match the built layout, filed through the DOCFA procedure.

Obtain or update the agibilità (fitness for use)

It confirms the property is legally habitable, and a buyer or a bank will ask for it.

Obtain a new APE where the work changed the energy performance

Walk the property with the impresa and write one shared punch list

Hold the final payment until the punch list and the documents are both complete

Collect the warranties, manuals and test records

Scan and store every document

A future sale will require the permits, declarations, cadastral plan and agibilità together in one set.