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Latest news and stories about construction in Portugal for expats and residents.
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The volume of licensed units in new construction projects fell 13.3% to a total of 6,230 dwellings.

Porto City Council has partially suspended the Emporium Park development near the City Park after municipal inspectors found the building exceeded the authorized height by 80 centimetres. The council has ordered the developer to correct the work, including the demolition of the excess structure, to restore legal compliance. Mayor Pedro Duarte stated that such a project would not have been approved under his administration, emphasizing a new, stricter approach to urban planning and landscape protection. A local association has also filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of the development.

Municipal inspection action detected the deviation.

Porto City Council has partially suspended work on the controversial Emporium Park development, currently under construction near the City Park on Avenida da Boavista. The council has ordered the demolition of the excess structure after detecting a construction deviation of 80 centimetres above the maximum authorised height for the building, which has sparked public outcry.

Saint-Gobain assesses how sustainable building practices are perceived within the Portuguese market.

Construction of the new village is expected to start at the beginning of 2027, with work scheduled to be completed by the beginning of 2029.

Workers are returning from Luxembourg to Portugal to pursue employment opportunities in the construction sector.

A study reveals that the vast majority of industry professionals in Portugal view sustainable building practices as a key priority.

The population is threatening to block traffic at the end of that street in protest.

DST is awaiting the 'green light' from the Competition Authority to acquire Prioridade, a company based in Mealhada that focuses primarily on the construction and rehabilitation of roads and the manufacture and sale of bituminous mixtures. The notice was published in the press this Thursday. Founded in 1990 and headquartered in the Industrial Zone...

The construction production index slowed to 0.4% year-on-year in February, down 1.0 percentage points from January, according to the National Statistics Institute (INE) on Tuesday, the 14th. The two components of the index showed opposing year-on-year trends: building construction fell by 0.8%, while civil engineering grew by 2.2%. Month-on-month, the index improved from a 1.5% contraction in January to a 0.3% decline in February. Additionally, the employment index slowed to 2.1%, and the remuneration index fell to 6.5%.
The victim was working on a construction site at the Oeiras Golf Residence when a landslide caused the man to be buried.

Permits for the construction and renovation of residential buildings fell by 14.1% in January year-on-year, with licensed units in new constructions dropping by 16.9% and cement consumption decreasing by 5.6%, according to AICCOPN. This is based on the latest Housing Statistical Summary from the Association of Civil Construction and Public Works Industries.

The number of dwellings licensed in new constructions fell by 16.9% to a total of 3,343 units, compared to 4,022 in January 2024.

Mota-Engil announced this Wednesday that it has signed a contract with Petrobras worth approximately 113 million euros through its subsidiary in Brazil. The construction group, through Mota-Engil Brasil, closed a new agreement with Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. (Petrobras) for the execution of engineering, preparation, removal, and final disposal (EPRD) services.

Home News Portugal construction sector set to grow Portugal construction sector set to grow The new report _“Portugal Construction Market Size, Trends, and Forecasts by Sector – Commercial, Industrial, Infrastructure, Energy and Utilities, Institutional and Residential Market Analysis to 2030 (20

In January, there was a 16.7% drop in licensing for rehabilitation works, with 517 permits issued, according to the National Association of Civil Construction and Public Works Industries.

Tiago Mendonça, president of the Construction Foundation, says it is time for Portuguese engineering to demonstrate its capability and take advantage of high-speed rail projects to gain strength.

The Association of Civil Construction and Public Works Industrialists notes that the results refer to a period that “reflects seasonal fluctuations characteristic of the start of the economic year.”

Architects Luís Lima and Patrícia Gomes have launched the Matterpieces project, which transforms construction waste into sustainable materials for flooring, wall coverings, and design objects. By repurposing materials like glass, tiles, and bricks that would otherwise end up in landfills, the duo has already diverted 90 tonnes of waste and generated 100,000 euros in revenue last year. They are now looking to expand into international markets, targeting the mid-to-high-end segment where sustainability is highly valued.

Prime Minister Luís Montenegro announced this Friday the approval, in the Council of Ministers, of a set of 'structural and strategic instruments for transformation and reform' focused on housing, with the goal of increasing supply and facilitating market access. Among the main measures is the so-called 'fiscal package', which provides for a...

It was necessary to “prevent access to the construction sites” currently underway at the National Pantheon, the entity clarifies.

Investing in Smart Markets is increasingly important for the growth and value creation of our companies. The initiative by PTPC – Portuguese Technological Platform for Construction / AEC Cluster, within the scope of the DIGITALBuilt Consortium it leads, to carry out a working mission to Paris (OECD and IFC / World Bank) is very timely, aiming to gain direct contact with the critical investments Europe faces. Improving our economy's reputation abroad depends on showcasing our skills, and the PTPC – AEC Cluster is a clear reference in this agenda. Companies must act as global players, transforming knowledge into tradable assets. Luiz Mello of the OECD and the director of the IFC / World Bank highlight the importance of focusing on strategic projects such as critical investments, housing, and the reconstruction of Ukraine. The PTPC / AEC has made innovation the engine of its strategy, with the BUILT Colab serving as a key reference for building new strategic partnerships for Portuguese companies.

Today we are going to discover what “embodied carbon” is, courtesy of CESAM – the Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies at the University of Aveiro, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary and has some very interesting facts to share with you!

The Secretary of State for Tax Affairs says that the reduction of VAT to 6% for housing construction is naturally conditioned by the EU legal framework.

Following the devastation caused by the series of storms that hit the country, Portugal is still in the reconstruction phase in the most affected areas. Given that these regions are currently being rebuilt, Allianz has decided to offer a 20% discount on its Construction and Assembly insurance. Designed to protect construction and assembly projects, ...

The 6% VAT rate on construction is set to expire in 2029. Pinto Luz states that the measure will be re-evaluated that year and admits the possibility of its extension. Regarding rent subsidies, he claims that the issues have been resolved.

Despite the conflict in the Middle East, Mota-Engil is studying a bid for the High-Speed rail project in Saudi Arabia, in partnership with local companies, covering an extension of five thousand kilometres, in phases and exclusively for public works. “We are currently the largest Western railway builder, and in that sense, we are looking...”

Investment in the construction sector grew by 5.5% in 2025, reaching 28 billion euros, while gross value added (GVA) rose by 1.7% to 9.9 billion, according to the Association of Civil Construction and Public Works Industrialists (AICCOPN). The association highlights that this positive performance was accompanied by an improvement in building and rehabilitation permits, which saw a 1.8% increase in overall volume. This result reflects a 3.3% rise in family housing permits, contrasting with a 2.7% decline in non-residential building authorisations. The licensing of units in new buildings saw a notable year-on-year growth of 20.1% in 2025, totalling 41,592 dwellings. Despite these favourable signs, AICCOPN warns of persistent pressures on production costs. The New Housing Construction Cost Index ended the year with a 4% increase, driven primarily by labour costs, which rose by 7.7%, while materials saw a more moderate variation of 0.9%. Cement consumption increased by 0.7% year-on-year, which the association considers a moderate trend consistent with the maintenance of ongoing projects. In the public works segment, 2025 was considered an exceptional year, as public tenders reached 10 billion euros, up 21% compared to 2024, and the total value of contracts reported on the Base Portal was 7.6 billion euros, a year-on-year growth of 48%. However, AICCOPN notes that January indicators show more contained figures—450 million euros in tenders (-41%) and 190 million in contracts signed (-46%). The association views this as a typical seasonal and administrative fluctuation for the month, which does not jeopardise the continuity of the investment cycle observed at the end of 2025. Construction production increased by 1.3% in January.
