Who is this checklist for?
For the administrador de fincas, the president or a working group of owners preparing a paving job on common areas: shared drives, communal car parks, access roads, garage ramps or urbanización entrances. It is written for communities on the Costa del Sol with owners from several countries, where documents are read at a distance and the meeting may be the only time owners discuss the job together.
The checklist does not replace the administrator's legal knowledge or a technician's specification. It is a practical list of what a contractor needs to know to quote properly, and what owners need to see to vote with confidence. Following it usually means fewer questions at the meeting and fewer changes once the work starts.
Step one: have you defined the scope on a plan?
Start with a plan or an annotated aerial photo showing exactly which areas are included. Vague descriptions such as 'the car park' lead to quotes covering different areas, and the meeting then compares totals that are not comparable.
- Mark the paved area, ramps, entrances and pavements included.
- Mark what is excluded, such as gardens, private plots or the public pavement.
- Note existing manholes, gullies, lighting columns and bin stores.
- State whether kerbs are to be kept or replaced.
- Attach a few photos showing the current state, including problem areas.
Send the same plan to every contractor. If one proposes a different scope, ask them to quote the common scope as well, with their suggestion as an option.
Step two: have you described the traffic?
Contractors need to know what drives on the surface, because traffic decides the build-up. List the vehicles that use it, including the occasional heavy ones that cause most of the damage.
- Residents' and visitors' cars, and the approximate number of spaces.
- Refuse trucks and their route through the area.
- Removal lorries, delivery vans and maintenance vehicles.
- Emergency vehicle access requirements, if the community has them.
- Any motorhomes, boats or trailers parked on site.
Where heavy vehicles turn, a stronger build is usually needed. Our guide to base for traffic loads explains why entrances and turning areas are often zoned separately. For heavily used areas or poor ground, consider asking a technician for a specification.
Step three: have you checked the drainage?
Ask a contractor or the community's maintenance staff to check where existing gullies and channels discharge and whether they work. Note any history of puddles, flooded garages or water running onto private terraces. Drainage problems in communal areas often cross several plots, so they need to be in the scope from the start.
If a connection to the public network or work at the entrance onto the public road is likely, flag it early, because it needs separate municipal authorisation and each town hall's ordinance sets how that is requested. The principles of falls and channels are in our guide to falls and drains on driveways.
Step four: have you planned phasing and communication?
Decide before the vote how residents will keep access, and ask contractors to propose phasing in their quotes. Phasing has a cost, so it should be visible in each quote rather than added later.
- Ask each contractor for a phasing plan on the same base plan.
- Make sure at least one entrance and route stays open in every phase.
- Identify where displaced cars can park during each phase.
- Plan written notices to residents, in the languages the community uses.
- Name one contact person for the contractor.
Our article on questions communities ask before paving shows the answers residents usually look for in a phasing plan.
Step five: have you checked the legal side?
Two checks are needed: the community's internal decision and the town hall procedure. Under the Horizontal Property Law, Ley 49/1960, work on common elements needs a resolution of the owners' meeting under article 17; which majority applies to this job is something the administrator confirms before the vote. At municipal level, minor works in Andalusia generally go through a responsible declaration under the LISTA law, but each town hall's ordinance decides.
- Confirm the majority required for the type of work.
- Check the town hall procedure for the area and the type of works.
- Check whether skips or lorries on the public road need authorisation.
- Confirm who files the paperwork and who pays fees.
- Ask contractors how they handle construction waste and site safety.
The municipal side is covered in our guide to vehicle crossings and permits.
Step six: are the quotes comparable?
Ask every contractor to use the same headings so the meeting can compare them line by line. A short request template sent with the plan is usually enough.
- Area by zone, with kerb lengths.
- Lifting and disposal of the old surface.
- Excavation and sub-base, described in words.
- Any bound layer, and where.
- Pavers: type, format, colour and pattern by zone.
- Drainage items and connections.
- Phasing and access measures.
- Exclusions and how unexpected ground conditions are handled.
We do not publish figures on this site. For the factors behind the cost and published rates, see our sister site under what moves the price.
Step seven: how do you follow the works and the handover?
Agree in the contract that the contractor reports to the named contact, with photos at the end of each phase and at key stages such as the compacted sub-base. Changes to scope are agreed in writing. At handover, walk the area with the contractor, check edges, joints and drainage, and keep the photo record for the community's files.
Our communal work is described on car parks and communities, and shared garage ramps on sloping driveways. Send us a photo and the approximate m² – free, no-obligation quote. We can work from your plan and headings, and prepare the proposal in Spanish, English or both.
Frequently asked questions
What is the first thing to prepare before requesting quotes?
A plan or annotated photo showing exactly which areas are included and excluded. Sending the same plan to every contractor is the single most effective way to get comparable quotes and avoid disputes about scope later.
Should the community hire a technician for a car park?
For areas with heavy traffic, poor ground or a large surface, a technician's specification is advisable. For lighter communal drives, a contractor's proposal with a clearly described build-up may be enough. We build to a specification when one exists and do not design pavement structures for heavy loads ourselves.
What majority is needed to approve the works?
The Horizontal Property Law, Ley 49/1960, sets the majority rules for common elements in article 17. The exact majority for a specific paving job depends on its nature, so ask the administrator to confirm it when the item is put on the agenda, well before the meeting.
How can quotes be made comparable?
Send every contractor the same plan and a list of quote headings: zones, disposal, sub-base, bound layer, pavers, kerbs, drainage, phasing and exclusions. Ask them to fill each heading. Once the scopes match, the totals can be compared fairly.
Does the community need town hall permission?
Possibly. Minor works in Andalusia generally go through a responsible declaration under the LISTA law, but each town hall's ordinance decides which procedure applies. Work touching the public pavement or a vehicle crossing needs separate municipal authorisation, and the conditions for it are worth checking with the town hall before the meeting votes.
How do we keep residents informed during the works?
Send written notices before each phase showing which spaces are affected, where cars can be parked and how long the section is expected to stay closed. Circulate the contractor's progress photos. In mixed communities, notices in the languages owners use avoid misunderstandings.
Who should give instructions to the contractor?
One named contact, usually the president or the administrator, as stated in the contract. Owners' concerns go to that contact, who decides whether action is needed. This keeps the work aligned with what the meeting approved.
What should be checked at handover?
Walk the area with the contractor and check that edges are firm, joints are full, levels are even and drainage works, ideally after rain. Confirm that all materials and rubble have been removed. Keep the photo record of the works for the community's files.
Can the work be split across several budgets?
Yes. Define stages that make sense on their own, such as the entrance first and the bays later, and plan drainage for the whole area so later stages fit. Ask contractors to quote each stage separately so the meeting can approve them one at a time.
Can you prepare the quote in English for international owners?
Yes. We can prepare the quote and the answers to owners' questions in Spanish, English or both, using the community's own plan and headings. Technical terms are explained in plain language for owners who are not familiar with Spanish construction vocabulary.