In short
Italian law sorts home works into four tiers under the national building code (DPR 380/2001): free works that need no filing, works that need a CILA (comunicazione di inizio lavori asseverata, a notice of works sworn by a technician), works that need a SCIA (segnalazione certificata di inizio attività, a certified start-of-works notice), and works that need a full building permit (permesso di costruire). The failure to file a CILA carries a fixed penalty of €1,000, reduced by two thirds if you file on your own initiative while works are under way. Regions can widen or narrow the lists, so the town hall’s rules decide the last step.
The four tiers
The code defines the building works first. In article 3 it distinguishes ordinary maintenance (repairs and renewal of finishes, keeping existing installations working), extraordinary maintenance (renewing and replacing even structural parts, adding bathrooms and technical services, provided the total volume does not change), restoration and conservative renovation, and building renovation (ristrutturazione edilizia), which can lead to a building that is wholly or partly different from the old one. The category your technician assigns decides the paperwork.
| Tier | Typical works under the national code | Filing |
|---|---|---|
| Free works (art. 6) | Ordinary maintenance; air-to-air heat pumps below 12 kW; removing barriers where no external lift or change of outline is involved; paving and finishing of outdoor spaces within permeability limits; solar and photovoltaic panels outside historic-centre zone A | None, though local and sector rules still apply |
| CILA (art. 6-bis) | Works not on the lists for free works, SCIA or permit | Notice of start of works with a technician’s sworn statement |
| SCIA (art. 22) | Extraordinary maintenance or restoration that touches structural parts (or, for extraordinary maintenance, the front elevations); most building renovation; permit variants that do not alter the essentials | Certified notice, then works |
| Building permit (art. 10) | New construction; urban restructuring; renovation that changes the volume or, in zone A, the use; renovation of protected buildings that changes outline or volume | Permit before works |
Read that table as a guide, not a classification of your own project. The articles contain many conditions, and article 6 begins by saying that free works must still respect local planning rules and the safety, fire, health, energy-efficiency and hydro-geological rules and, for protected buildings, the heritage code. The text of article 6 in force from 11 December 2025 is the one I read.
The CILA in practice
Article 6-bis is the “default” tier: works that are not on the free, SCIA or permit lists can be carried out after sending the municipality a notice of the start of works, which can be filed electronically. You send the design drawings and a start-of-works communication sworn by a qualified technician, who states, under his or her own responsibility, that the works comply with the approved planning instruments and building regulations, are compatible with the seismic and energy-performance rules, and do not affect the structural parts of the building. The notice also names the firm that will carry out the works.
If the end-of-works notice comes with the paperwork for a cadastral change, the municipality forwards it to the tax agency’s offices. A missing notice means a €1,000 penalty; it is reduced by two thirds if the notice is made spontaneously while works are in progress. Regions with ordinary status may extend the CILA regime to further works and set the way checks are done, including random checks and on-site inspections, which is why the same job can be filed differently in two regions.
The SCIA and the permit
Under article 22, extraordinary maintenance, restoration and building renovation fall under the SCIA only in the cases the article names: structural parts (or front elevations for maintenance), or renovation that is not one of the permit cases of article 10. Variants to a building permit can also use a SCIA if they do not change planning parameters or volumes, the use or the building category, and do not breach the permit. Works on protected buildings, or in areas protected for landscape or hydro-geological reasons, need the prior opinion or authorisation required by that protection. The owner may always ask for a permit instead of using a SCIA, without paying the construction contribution but with different penalties for breaches.
The building permit of article 10 is for the largest interventions. Regions may add further works to the permit list and, by law, decide which changes of use need a permit or a SCIA, so the regional law for your property matters.
Why this matters when you buy or claim a tax deduction
Tax deductions depend on the paperwork. The Agenzia delle Entrate says that to keep the renovation deduction you must be able to show the administrative authorisation required for the type of works (permit, authorisation or notice of works) or, where none is required, a sworn declaration giving the start date and confirming that the works are eligible, and, for common parts, the owners’ resolution and the millesimal table. See the renovation deduction. If you are buying, a past job done without the right filing can undermine both the deduction and the sale; read urban-planning compliance and property due diligence.
What it costs
The only figure in the pages read is the CILA penalty (€1,000, or two thirds less if you correct it during the works). Municipal fees, the technician’s fee and any construction contribution are not set by the national pages I read; the technician must give a written quote and you ask the municipality for its fees (see hiring a geometra, architect or engineer).
Which professional to consult
The technician who signs the sworn statement must be qualified; in practice that means an architect, a surveyor (geometra) or an engineer, depending on the work. For condominium works, involve the building’s administrator early (see condominium rules).
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit to repaint or replace a bathroom’s finishes?
Ordinary maintenance is a free work under article 6, but local rules, heritage rules and condominium rules can still apply.
What is the penalty for not filing a CILA?
€1,000, reduced by two thirds if you file spontaneously while works are in progress.
Who signs the CILA?
A qualified technician, who swears that the works comply with planning, seismic and energy rules and do not touch the structure.
Can a region change these lists?
Yes. Regions with ordinary status can extend the CILA and free-work regimes and set controls, and regions decide changes of use.
Does a SCIA wait for approval?
The code calls it a certified notice, and the works can follow it; the pages read do not give a waiting period, so ask the municipality.
General information drawn from the official sources cited and dated on this page. It is not legal, tax or financial advice: for your own situation, ask a licensed professional.
More guides on renovating and owning
- Condominium rules and fees when you own a flat in Italy
- Ecobonus: Italy's energy-efficiency tax deduction
- Hiring a geometra, architect or engineer in Italy
- Home insurance in Italy: what is required
- IMU explained: Italy's annual property tax
- Inheritance tax on Italian property: rates and filing
- Italy's 2026 renovation tax deduction (ristrutturazione)
- Sismabonus: Italy's earthquake-safety tax deduction
- TARI explained: Italy's waste tax for homeowners
- What happened to the Superbonus in Italy
Sources
- Normattiva, DPR 380/2001 (Testo unico dell'edilizia), art. 3 (definitions of building works) (consulted 19 October 2026)
- Normattiva, DPR 380/2001, art. 6 (free building activity; text in force from 11 December 2025) (consulted 19 October 2026)
- Normattiva, DPR 380/2001, art. 6-bis (CILA) (consulted 19 October 2026)
- Normattiva, DPR 380/2001, art. 10 (works needing a building permit) and art. 22 (works under SCIA) (consulted 19 October 2026)
- Agenzia delle Entrate, Ristrutturazioni edilizie: come e quando (consulted 19 October 2026)