Full vs partial demolition: what changes for permits and works

What counts as full and what counts as partial?

A full demolition removes the whole building down to the agreed level – usually including foundations where a new build follows – and leaves a cleared plot. A partial demolition removes part of a building and keeps the rest standing: an extension, an upper floor, a roof, a wing, a later annexe, or a section of a building that is shared with another property.

The line matters because it decides the method, the documentation and the risks. Interior work that leaves the structure untouched – partitions, floors, kitchens – is usually described as a strip-out rather than a partial demolition; our sister site covers it under wall removal and related services.

Does the permit change between full and partial?

Not in principle. Under the Andalusian rules as amended by Decreto-ley 3/2024, the total or partial demolition of buildings or constructions is processed by declaración responsable (RGLISTA art. 293.1.e), provided the building is not heritage-protected and not included in a protected setting. Protected buildings, protected settings and archaeological zones still need a licencia urbanística – again, whether the demolition is total or partial.

What can change is the file. In Málaga city, the municipal ordinance (OMLU) asks for a nota simple from the land registry less than three months old for partial-demolition licences, alongside the general documents. Other ayuntamientos set their own lists. Our guides on licence or declaración responsable and what the GMU asks for in Málaga city go into detail.

Why partial demolition usually needs more technical work

When part of a building stays, someone has to decide how it stays up. The technical documentation, drafted and signed by a técnico competente, normally has to address:

• how loads carried by the removed part are taken by what remains;
• where the cut line runs and how the new edge is finished;
• what temporary propping is needed during the works;
• how the retained part is protected from water once walls or roofs are open.

A full demolition also needs technical documentation, but its main concern is the safe sequence of taking everything down and protecting neighbours. In both cases the contractor works with that documentation; see who signs a demolition project for the roles.

How the works differ on site

Foundations and slabs are another difference. In a full demolition followed by a rebuild, foundations and ground slabs are often removed too; our sister site covers that work under slabs and foundations. In a partial demolition the foundations of the retained part stay, and those of the removed part are dealt with as the técnico specifies.

Community of owners and party walls

Partial demolition is common in buildings that share elements with others: semi-detached villas, terraced townhouses and buildings under propiedad horizontal. Under Ley 49/1960 on horizontal property, the community must be informed before walls, structure or façade elements are demolished, and works affecting common elements need the agreement of the owners' meeting.

Party walls between two houses need particular care in both types of job. In a full demolition next to a neighbour, the shared wall may have to stay and be protected; in a partial demolition the same applies to every element shared with what remains.

Waste, safety and time: what stays the same

Some things do not change with the size of the job. Selective demolition has been mandatory since January 2024 under Ley 7/2022, and waste must be sorted on site into its fractions either way; on our jobs each fraction goes to an authorised facility and you receive the delivery receipts. Asbestos-cement must be removed first by a RERA-registered company. Health and safety documentation under Real Decreto 1627/1997 applies to both, and so does authorisation to occupy the public road if a skip or machine stands in the street.

Time is the honest difference: per tonne of material removed, a partial demolition is usually slower, because the retained structure sets the pace.

Typical partial demolition jobs on the Costa del Sol

Partial demolitions in the provincia de Málaga tend to fall into a few recurring types, each with its own sensitive point:

• Removing a later extension. Enclosed porches and added rooms are often built against the original façade; the cut line has to leave the original wall sound and watertight.
• Taking off an upper floor or a roof. The slab below becomes the new roof, so it needs protection from rain as soon as the work above is gone.
• Demolishing one of two semi-detached houses. The shared wall stays with the neighbour and often needs reinforcement or a new finish on the exposed side.
• Removing an unsafe annex. A collapsed store or garage is separated from the main house before machines approach; see our page on emergency and unsafe buildings where there is immediate danger.
• Clearing one wing of a finca. Old rural buildings often share walls between rooms built in different centuries, so the separation is done by hand.

In every case the retained part is treated as the priority, and the demolition adapts to it.

Which one should you plan for?

Plan for a full demolition when nothing of the existing building is worth keeping and your architect has confirmed what can be built afterwards. Plan for a partial demolition when the main structure is sound and only some parts have to go, or when protection, planning or budget make keeping part of the building the better choice.

Our service pages on partial demolition and building demolition describe each route, and we can quote both from the same photos and plans so you can compare them.