{"id":5211,"date":"2026-06-10T09:40:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T09:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tiagorcorreia.com\/tmp-en-4835\/"},"modified":"2026-07-03T18:17:26","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T18:17:26","slug":"rgeu-revoked-what-rules-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tiagorcorreia.com\/en\/rgeu-revoked-what-rules-now\/","title":{"rendered":"The RGEU has been revoked: what rules do construction designs follow now?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"trc-art-meta\"><span><strong>Legislation<\/strong><\/span><span>4 min read<\/span><span>Updated June 2026<\/span><\/div>\n<p>Since 1 June 2026, the General Regulation for Urban Buildings \u2014 the RGEU, in force since 1951 \u2014 is fully revoked. There is no new regulation to replace it immediately: there is a transition period in which the technical rules for designs are defined by the professional bodies. Here is what that means for anyone with a project under way or in preparation.<\/p>\n<div class=\"trc-art-summary\"><span class=\"trc-art-label\">In short<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"list\">\n<li><strong>Full revocation on 1 June 2026<\/strong> \u2014 determined by DL 10\/2024, the \u00abSimplex Urban\u00edstico\u00bb.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Transitional period<\/strong> \u2014 the technical rules for preparing designs are now defined by the professional bodies (architects and engineers).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Construction Code in preparation<\/strong> \u2014 with no announced date of entry into force.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Special regulations remain<\/strong> \u2014 accessibility, energy performance and fire safety stay in force.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2>1. What the RGEU was \u2014 and why it lasted 75 years<\/h2>\n<p>Approved in 1951, the RGEU was for seven and a half decades the technical yardstick of construction in Portugal: minimum ceiling heights, room areas and dimensions, ventilation, rear yards, salubrity. Until recently, every housing design was drawn against that reference.<\/p>\n<h2>2. Why it was revoked<\/h2>\n<p>The regulation was technically dated \u2014 conceived for post-war construction, not for rehabilitation, energy efficiency or new ways of living. <a href=\"https:\/\/diariodarepublica.pt\/dr\/detalhe\/decreto-lei\/10-2024-836222484\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Decreto-Lei n.\u00ba 10\/2024<\/a> determined its full revocation, effective 1 June 2026, as part of the preparation of a future <strong>Construction Code<\/strong> that will consolidate the scattered technical legislation.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"archidex-blog-details-quote\">\n<p>The RGEU was not replaced by another regulation: it was replaced by a new interpreter. Until the Construction Code, it is the professional bodies that define the technical rules for designs.<\/p>\n<p><cite class=\"trc-art-cite\">Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/diariodarepublica.pt\/dr\/detalhe\/decreto-lei\/10-2024-836222484\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Decreto-Lei n.\u00ba 10\/2024, of 8 January \u2014 Di\u00e1rio da Rep\u00fablica<\/a><\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"blog-details__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/trc-rgeu-revogado.webp\" alt=\"Detail of a historic Lisbon fa\u00e7ade in lioz stone\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"trc-art-caption\">The technical rules changed interpreter; constructive rigour remains the same.<\/p>\n<div class=\"trc-diagram\">\n<p>1951<br \/>\nRGEU comes into force<\/p>\n<p>JAN 2024<br \/>\nDL 10\/2024 dictates the revocation<\/p>\n<p>1 JUN 2026<br \/>\nfull revocation \u00b7 professional bodies\u2019 rules<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 \u2014<br \/>\nConstruction Code (no date)\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"trc-art-caption\">Seventy-five years of a single yardstick \u2014 and a transitional period with a new interpreter.<\/p>\n<h2>3. The transitional period: the professional bodies\u2019 rules<\/h2>\n<p>Pending the Construction Code, it falls to the competent professional bodies \u2014 the Ordem dos Arquitectos and the engineering bodies \u2014 to define the technical rules appropriate to the preparation of building designs. In practice: a design submitted after 1 June 2026 is prepared according to those technical references, not the RGEU.<\/p>\n<h2>4. What changes in a concrete project<\/h2>\n<p>The matters the RGEU used to fix \u2014 minimum room dimensions, ceiling heights, corridors, ventilation and lighting \u2014 are now governed by the professional bodies\u2019 references. But note what has <strong>not<\/strong> changed: the special regulations remain fully in force, including accessibility (DL 163\/2006), the energy performance of buildings and fire safety. The PDM and municipal regulations also continue to apply.<\/p>\n<p>In practice, before submitting a design during this period it is worth closing three checks with the team: which of the professional bodies\u2019 technical references is being followed (and recording it in the design statement), how the dimensional options the RGEU used to fix \u2014 ceiling heights, areas and ventilation \u2014 are justified, and whether the special regulations applicable to the case (accessibility, energy, fire) are integrated from the preliminary study rather than patched at the end.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h2 class=\"title\">\u201cSeventy-five years designing with the same yardstick are over. The transitional period rewards those who design with judgement \u2014 and document the choices they make.\u201d<\/h2>\n<h3>Tiago R. Correia<\/h3>\n<p>Architect<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2>5. And the applications submitted before June?<\/h2>\n<p>As a rule, applications are assessed under the rules in force at the date of their submission \u2014 and existing permits and approvals are not affected by the revocation. For borderline projects (submitted close to the date, or with changes under way), a case-by-case technical check is warranted before any redesign.<\/p>\n<div class=\"trc-art-cta-inline\">\n<p>Want the full picture of permitting this year \u2014 deadlines, routes and DL 108\/2026? It is in the <a href=\"\/en\/building-permitting-portugal-2026-guide\/\">2026 building permitting guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"trc-art-faq\"><span class=\"trc-art-label\">Frequently asked questions<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Does my approved design become invalid?<\/h3>\n<p>No. The revocation of the RGEU does not affect existing permits, approvals or authorisations \u2014 it takes effect going forward, in the preparation of new designs.<\/p>\n<h3>Are the professional bodies\u2019 rules mandatory?<\/h3>\n<p>They are the technical reference applicable to the preparation of designs during the transitional period, as determined by DL 10\/2024 \u2014 and it is on their basis that professionals sign the statements of responsibility.<\/p>\n<h3>When does the Construction Code arrive?<\/h3>\n<p>It is in preparation, with no announced date of entry into force. Until then, the transitional regime applies.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"trc-art-cta\"><span class=\"trc-art-cta-title\">Do you have a project between two regimes?<\/span><\/p>\n<p>We check the technical framework of your case \u2014 what applies, what has changed and what is worth adjusting before submitting. Also see our <a href=\"\/en\/services\/architectural-design\/\" style=\"color:inherit;border-bottom:1px solid\">architectural design<\/a> service.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"trc-art-btn\" href=\"\/en\/contact\/\">Talk to the studio<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Legislation4 min readUpdated June 2026 Since 1 June 2026, the General Regulation for Urban Buildings \u2014 the RGEU, in force since 1951 \u2014 is fully revoked. There is no new regulation to replace it immediately: there is a transition period in which the technical rules for designs are defined by the professional bodies. Here is [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4843,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[126],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5211","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-legislation-permitting"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tiagorcorreia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5211","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tiagorcorreia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tiagorcorreia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tiagorcorreia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tiagorcorreia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5211"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tiagorcorreia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5211\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5318,"href":"https:\/\/tiagorcorreia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5211\/revisions\/5318"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tiagorcorreia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4843"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tiagorcorreia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5211"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tiagorcorreia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5211"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tiagorcorreia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5211"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}