The segregation of an urban plot is one of the most frequent enquiries we receive at Klic Arquitectos. Owners who want to divide a large plot, families who inherit and want to separate the property, investors looking to maximise the value of a site: they all need to know the minimum square metres required by law.
The general rule: it depends on each municipality’s PGOU
There is no single national regulation for the minimum plot. Each municipality sets it in its General Urban Development Plan (PGOU). In Andalusia, the most common values are: low-density residential urban land (detached single-family): 500-1,000 m² per resulting plot; high-density residential urban land (terraced houses, blocks): 200-400 m² per resulting plot.
Minimum square metres in the main municipalities of the Costa del Sol
- Málaga city: 500 m² (low-density detached) / 150-200 m² (high-density)
- Marbella: 600-1,000 m² depending on the zone (Golden Mile: 1,500 m²)
- Mijas: 500 m² (urban) / 1,000-2,500 m² (developable)
- Estepona: 500 m² (single-family) / 200 m² (multi-family)
- Fuengirola: 200-300 m² (high density)
The segregation process step by step
1. Preliminary planning enquiry: ask the town hall for the planning certificate (cédula urbanística) to confirm that the plot meets the minimums. 2. Commissioning the architect: the professional prepares the segregation project with the boundary drawings. 3. Municipal permit: applied for at the town hall with the technical project (timescale: 1-6 months). 4. Notarial deed: with the permit, the notary formalises the segregation. 5. Land Registry: registration of the new plots with independent cadastral references.
What happens if the plot has any irregularity?
If any of the buildings on the plot has an irregular history (extensions without a permit), it may be necessary to process an AFO (Asimilado Fuera de Ordenación) before the segregation. Klic Arquitectos manages both files in a coordinated way and has resolved more than 40 AFO cases in Andalusia.
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