Bilbao

Can you build a house on rustic land?

The Basque Country allows a new house on rustic land only when a farm needs it. Otherwise it has to go in a village, or restore a building.

Ley 2/2006, art. 28. A town plan can be stricter.

Plan in force: Plan General (a full town plan), from 2022. The region's planning viewer ↗

The national urban information system (SIU) maps the land class for 100% of the municipality.

Only the town hall can confirm it, in writing: ask for a certificado urbanístico.

Is there water?

No well or borehole is recorded in Bilbao. That is not proof there is no water: ask local drillers.

Ground: 40% karstic or fissured aquifer, medium productivity; 32% low permeability, local groundwater only; 18% porous aquifer, high productivity; 7% karstic or fissured aquifer, high productivity.

Choosing where to drill takes a hydrogeologist.

What to watch for

• One fire since 2016 reached the municipality: 1 ha, in 2022.
• 4.7% of the municipality lies in the 100-year flood zone; 5.8% in the 500-year one.
• 3.5% of the municipality is preferential flow zone, where new building is generally banned.
• Radon zone I: new and restored homes need radon protection by law.

Living here

• 4G reaches 100% of homes; fibre 99%. Averages for the municipality.
• Rain: 1,093 mm a year (1971–2000), about 920 by 2041–2070.
• Summer highs: 23.9 °C, about 26.2 °C by 2041–2070.
• Frost days: 9 a year, about 3 by 2041–2070.

Around it

Etxebarri · Sondika · Basauri · Arrigorriaga · Alonsotegi · Barakaldo · Zamudio · Erandio