Demolition in Torremolinos

Why does Torremolinos have so much older building stock?

Torremolinos is on the western shore of the Bay of Málaga and was the first Costa del Sol resort to be developed for tourism, from the late 1950s. It became a separate municipality from Málaga by Decree 283/1988 of 27 September. Some areas have older high-rise residential buildings and hotels, and new construction is subject to height limits.

That history shapes demolition work today. Low-rise houses from the early decades are replaced by new homes; older blocks are refurbished from the inside, with interior walls, kitchens, bathrooms and terraces removed; and occasionally a complete building is taken down. Because height limits apply to new construction, your técnico should check what can be rebuilt before you decide to demolish.

La Carihuela, El Bajondillo, Montemar and Playamar

The beach stretches for almost eight kilometres, with a seafront promenade, and the neighbourhoods along it have different characters. Around La Carihuela and El Bajondillo, older houses stand close together on small plots, so the work is a careful mix of manual and mechanical demolition between neighbours. In Montemar, detached houses and villas on larger plots allow machines on site. Around Playamar, apartment buildings dominate, and most jobs are inside them.

Working inside an apartment building

Under the Ley de Propiedad Horizontal, the community of owners must be informed before walls, structure or façade elements are demolished, and works affecting common elements need the agreement of the owners' meeting. Your técnico defines what can be removed; the administrator sets lift use, working hours and how rubble leaves the building.

We protect common areas, carry rubble down in bags and remove it the same way each day so the building is not left with debris. For structural changes see partial demolition; for purely interior work our sister site covers interior demolition in Torremolinos.

Complete buildings and the street

Taking down a whole building in a dense resort needs the most planning: neighbours on several sides, pedestrians on the pavement and limited space for lorries. The demolition is usually done top-down, with water to keep the dust down and the materials sorted for an authorised facility. If a skip, crane or scaffold has to stand on the public road, an occupation permit is needed before the work starts. Our building demolition page covers the sequence.

Each ayuntamiento sets out its documents and deadlines in its ordinance; confirm Torremolinos's procedure with your técnico or the town hall. The general Andalusian rules are summarised in our guide on demolition rules in Marbella, Estepona, Mijas and other towns.

Owners in the UK, Ireland and further afield

Many flats and houses in Torremolinos are second homes or rentals. We work in English, coordinate directly with your administrator and architect, and send photos before, during and after the job. The routine is explained on managing a demolition from abroad, and for complete houses see house and villa demolition.

Could a building from the early tourist decades contain asbestos?

Yes, and in Torremolinos the question comes up more often than elsewhere on the coast, because so much of the town was built from the late 1950s onwards. Buildings of that period may contain asbestos cement in roof sheets, water tanks, flues or downpipes. It is identified before the demolition is scheduled, not discovered halfway through.

Since late October 2026, asbestos work is governed by Real Decreto 847/2026, which replaced the old 2006 regulation. Only a RERA-registered company may remove it, under a work plan approved by the provincial labour authority. In our jobs, that company works as our subcontractor and handles the asbestos as hazardous waste (17 06 05*), while we coordinate the rest of the demolition. Our sister site on uralita removal goes into the detail.

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