Certificate of Prior Information (CIP): What it is and how to get it in Chile
Discover why the CIP is the most important document before building. Learn to read your land's restrictions and avoid municipal fines.
Quick Summary
The Identity Card of Your Land
Imagine buying a car without knowing if it has fines, if it is stolen, or if it has a permit to circulate. Buying land or designing a house without the Certificate of Prior Information (CIP) is exactly that: a leap into the void.
The CIP is the foundational document of any architectural project in Chile. It is not just a bureaucratic procedure; it is the "official truth" that the Municipal Works Directorate (DOM) declares about your property.
What critical information does it contain?
- Official and Building Line: Indicates exactly from what point you can start building regarding the street. Building outside this line implies mandatory demolition.
- Land Occupancy Coefficient: What percentage of your land can you cover with a roof? If you have 200 m2 and the coefficient is 0.6, you can only occupy 120 m2 on the first floor.
- Constructibility Coefficient: Defines the total square meters built by summing all floors.
- Slopes and Distances: The famous "rasantes" (angles of 70° or 80° depending on the zone) determine how high your house can be without taking sun away from the neighbor. The CIP defines the exact rules to avoid legal problems with neighbors.
- Adjacency (Adosamientos): Can you build right up to the neighbor's wall? The CIP clarifies this (usually up to 40% of the common boundary).
Risk Zones and Protections
This is the most delicate point. The CIP will alert you if your land is located in:
- Flood Risk Area: Common near rivers or ravines.
- Ecological Protection Area: Where building might be prohibited.
- Public Utility Declaration: If a future street or widening is planned through your land, that strip will be expropriated. It is vital to know this before building there!
How do we obtain it?
At Canadian Houses, we request the CIP as soon as we start evaluating your project. It is processed at the corresponding DOM (many already have it online) and has a minor cost (approx. 0.5 to 1 UTM), but its strategic value is incalculable.
Tip: If you are looking for land, ask the seller for the updated CIP. If they refuse or show you a very old one, be suspicious.
Legal Validity
The CIP has indefinite validity as long as the Regulatory Plan does not change, but it is always recommended to work with one that is no more than 6 months old to ensure that the rules have not been modified.