Free Building Works 2025: What They Are and Which Projects Are Allowed
What are “free building works”?
Free building works (“edilizia libera”) are construction works that can be carried out without filing permits or authorizations with the Municipality (no CILA, SCIA or Building Permit).
This doesn’t mean “doing whatever you want”: each intervention must still comply with safety regulations (seismic, fire, health and hygiene, building systems), and must take into account possible landscape, historical, or condominium restrictions.
The purpose of this concept is to simplify life for citizens and speed up small-scale maintenance or improvement works, avoiding bureaucratic delays for activities that do not affect the building’s structure, volumes, or intended use.
The legislator’s goals are clear:
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Streamline procedures, reducing the workload of municipal technical offices.
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Encourage energy efficiency and safety by facilitating the replacement of outdated systems and finishes.
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Promote the upkeep of properties, from historic centers to new buildings, through quick, low-impact interventions.
The legal basis is Art. 6 of DPR 380/2001 (Consolidated Building Act), most recently updated by the “Salva Casa” Decree (DL 69/2024 converted into Law 105/2024).
The main categories under Art. 6 DPR 380/2001
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Ordinary maintenance: painting, replacing floors and wall coverings, sanitary fixtures, taps, windows/doors (without altering shapes or openings).
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Air-to-air heat pumps < 12 kW (installation and replacement).
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Removal of architectural barriers (indoor stairlifts, small ramps, bathroom/door adjustments, provided they don’t alter the building’s shape).
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VEPA – removable panoramic glass enclosures on balconies, loggias, and porticos, if they don’t create enclosed spaces or new volumes, allow ventilation, and have minimal visual impact.
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Sun and weather protection works: awnings, pergolas with retractable fabric, or movable/adjustable elements.
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Temporary works (to be removed quickly or seasonal).
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Outdoor paving and finishes (including parking areas), within municipal limits, including underground cavities, rainwater tanks, and service spaces.
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Solar panels/photovoltaic systems serving the building (outside historic centers, “Zone A”).
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Non-profit play areas and related furniture (small barbecues, benches, planters).
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Agricultural works: relevant earthworks and seasonal mobile greenhouses without masonry.
For practical examples, the Glossary of Free Building Works (Ministerial Decree 2/3/2018) remains a useful reference.
End of Part One: Free building works are not a “total free pass,” but a simplification reserved for light works without volumetric impact.
In Part Two, we’ll explore:
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the delicate boundaries of pergolas, “pergotende” and VEPA;
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practical examples indoors and outdoors;
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cases that do not fall under free building works;
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the 7 golden rules and a quick FAQ.
