01 · Service
We design and build residential homes from the first sketch to the handover of keys. One single point of contact, one quality standard, no hidden subcontracting, no execution shortcuts.
At Urbancat we understand new build as the most demanding technical undertaking a property owner can commission. The scale lies not only in the budget, but in the sum of correct decisions made over two or three years of continuous process.
The same team that signs the project visits the site every week. There are no drawings passed from hand to hand: the office is on site and the site is in the office. Standards are not lost along the way.
Urbancat · Barcelona · Over 45 new builds delivered
02 · What is included
Six integrated services under one firm. No partial commissions or floating responsibilities between parties.
Bespoke residences of one to three storeys with landscape integration, passive energy efficiency and materials that age with dignity.
Residential buildings of four to twelve units with full trades coordination under a single technical standard and managed licences.
One single contract: design, licences, execution and handover. Fixed price before work begins when the specification is complete.
Full processing with the local authority and sectoral reports. No client dealings with any public body throughout the process.
The project architect and quantity surveyor belong to the same team that designed the project. Minimum two site visits per week and documented monthly certifications.
Structural ten-year insurance, three-year habitability warranty and one-year finishes warranty. Building logbook, occupancy certificate and energy certificate at handover.
03 · Process
Each phase documented, with indicative duration and an identified technical lead. No surprises on deadlines or budget.
Current planning regulations, preliminary geotechnics, easements and economic viability of the brief. Outcome: a four-to-eight-page document for informed decision-making before investing a single euro in design.
Three documents in progression: the preliminary design to visualise and decide, the basic project to apply for the licence, and the executive project to build. 1:5 details at critical nodes, BIM coordination of installations and finalised quantities before awarding trades.
We manage the relationship with the local authority, respond to technical requirements and coordinate sectoral reports. Our rate of files requiring correction is below 15%. Anyone who promises licences in three months in the city of Barcelona is not being honest.
The same technical team from start to finish. Weekly site visit report, material quality control with delivery notes and technical data sheets, monthly certifications. Handover with complete building logbook, occupancy certificate and activated ten-year insurance.
04 · In numbers
New build — cumulative 2003 – 2026Single-family, multi-family and turnkey development.
The schedule is written into the contract. We manage it with a real buffer.
Impeccable documentation as the best accelerator for licences.
"More than forty-five new builds delivered. Every project, with the same technical standard from start to finish."
Urbancat Team · Barcelona · 2003 – 202605 · Frequently asked questions
The total timeline — from the first meeting to the keys — ranges between 24 and 36 months for a medium-sized single-family home. The design and licence phase takes between 10 and 18 months depending on the municipality. The most uncertain factor is the administrative process: in the city of Barcelona, major works files can exceed 12 months. Urbancat anticipates these timelines at the feasibility stage so the client makes decisions with realistic information, not optimism.
The budget evolves in three stages: an indicative estimate at preliminary design, a detailed quote upon completion of the executive project, and a fixed contractual price after tendering the trades. A genuine fixed price is only possible when the executive project is 100% complete, materials are specified by brand and model, and the trades have visited the site. At Urbancat we work with a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) for projects with complete specifications.
As a minimum, a major works licence from the local authority. Depending on the plot, sectoral reports may be required: fire authority if the building exceeds 500 m², heritage body if there is archaeological protection, Agència Catalana de l'Aigua in riverbank management zones. Urbancat manages all procedures as part of the service. The client does not need to deal with any public body during the process.
It is compulsory when the building is intended to be transferred to a third party. Urbancat recommends taking it out in all cases: it facilitates mortgage financing, increases resale value and covers structural damage that may appear between years five and eight of the building's life, when the construction firm may no longer exist. The cost represents between 0.5% and 1.2% of the material execution cost.
In the turnkey model, Urbancat takes on design, project, licences, DF and execution. One single contract, one single invoice, one single point of contact. In the external architect model, we act as the construction firm and execution manager under the client's architect's project, coordinating directly with their technical team. Both options have advantages depending on the project and client profile.
Free initial technical visit. Preliminary feasibility study within 48 hours. The honest conversation starts here.