How to prove the age of a construction

Age is proven with evidence, not with assertions

Knowing that a construction 'has been there forever' is not enough: for a file you need to demonstrate it. Serious proof combines the current measurement of the building with historical evidence showing it already built on specific dates.

What evidence is usually used

The most common evidence, from greater to lesser technical weight:

• 01Historical aerial photography: old flights and orthophotos from different periods show whether the construction already existed on a given date.
• 02Historical mapping and Catastro: old representations of the parcel and its constructions.
• 03Period documentation: deeds, permits, construction invoices, supply contracts or old receipts.
• 04Dated photographs and other documentary testimony.

The technical certificate of age

The technician measures the construction, analyses the available evidence and issues a certificate documenting what exists today and since when it is known to exist according to the proof. It is commonly used in declarations of new construction, regularisation files and sales.

A serious certificate says how far the proof reaches: if the evidence only allows proving existence since a certain year, that is what will be recorded. And the legal or planning effects of that age depend on the applicable regulations and each file, which is for other professionals to assess.