The two-track reality
We separate decree status from build approval, and map where the parallel permit track intersects your timeline, before you mobilize.
decree vs permit · decreto vs permisoAct 60 in Puerto Rico
Act 60 moves your capital. It does not move your permit.
Your site may still trigger ICP heritage, archaeology, or Reglamento Conjunto permits. We sequence that before you mobilize.
Decree. Permit. Sequence.
No-obligation project review. We reply within one business day, in writing.
How it works
The decree and the permit are two parallel tracks.
- Scope the gap. A short, no-obligation call to separate what your decree actually covers (incentive status) from what your build still has to clear (permits, code, heritage).
- Map the parallel track. We identify the OGPe permit track, the heritage and archaeology triggers, and any federal review your specific site and use set off.
- Sequence the reviews. We order the approvals so one does not reset another, the difference between a project that moves and one that stalls mid-mobilization.
- Report. A written go, conditions, or no-go read on the build path, with the engineering basis behind every finding, before your capital moves.
The reviews your decree does not move
Reglamento Conjunto and OGPe
Puerto Rico's unified permit code (Ley 161-2009), administered by the Oficina de Gerencia de Permisos. Most construction and use permits route through it, on its own timeline, not the decree's.
ICP heritage review (Ley 89-1955)
The Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña reviews work in or near historic zones. Triggered late, it can reset a timeline that the decree numbers never accounted for.
Archaeological screening (Ley 112-1988)
Ground disturbance on a sensitive site can require archaeological screening before work proceeds. A surprise here stops excavation, not just paperwork.
Federal Section 106 (NHPA)
When federal funds or a federal permit touch the project, Section 106 adds a federal heritage consultation on top of the state track. We flag it before mobilization, not during.
2018 Puerto Rico Building Code
The governing code (adopting the IBC) the build is measured against. The decree changes none of it.
Permiso de Uso (occupancy)
The occupancy permit that authorizes how the property is used. A gap here can stall financing or insurance long after the decree is in hand.
What we own
The engineering side of the Act 60 move.
Act 60 covers your taxes. We own the permitting, code, and construction-sequencing side, so permitting does not stall a decree holder's build.
Heritage & archaeology triggers
We flag the ICP review (Ley 89-1955) and archaeological screening (Ley 112-1988) your site can set off, so neither resets the clock late.
ICP · arqueología · patrimonioPermit sequencing through OGPe
We sequence the Reglamento Conjunto permit track through OGPe so one approval does not reset another and the submittal moves on a real timeline.
OGPe · Reglamento Conjunto · permisosFederal-funds Section 106 flag
When federal money or a federal permit enters, we flag the Section 106 consultation early, so the federal layer does not surface mid-construction.
Section 106 · NHPA · fondos federalesWhat early sequencing surfaces
The surprises that stall a funded project.
The conditions an early regulatory read surfaces on Act 60 build sites, and why each one matters before you mobilize.
A decree treated as a green light
The most common stall: mobilizing on the strength of the decree, then discovering the permit track was never started. The decree carries no permit weight, and the timeline was built without it.
why it matters: the clock starts at submittal, not at decreeA heritage trigger found late
A site in or near a historic zone that nobody screened for ICP review. Caught early it runs in parallel; caught after mobilization it can reset the schedule and the budget the numbers assumed.
why it matters: a late ICP flag resets the timelineA federal layer nobody mapped
Federal funds or a federal permit quietly pull Section 106 into the project. Unmapped, it stacks a federal consultation on top of the state track mid-build, when it is most expensive to absorb.
why it matters: federal review stacks on the state trackAlready have your decree?
The decree is the easy part. The build is where the timeline lives.
Plenty of investors secure Act 60 cleanly, then meet the permit track for the first time when the project should already be moving. If you have your decree and the build has not started, that gap is exactly what we map: the OGPe sequence, the heritage and archaeology triggers, and any federal review, read against your specific site before you spend further. This is the engineering side of the move, never tax or legal advice. That stays with your attorney or CPA.
Who stands behind it
One licensed read, signed.
Your regulatory read is not a committee opinion. It is the work of one accountable Puerto Rico engineer, the PE who signs it, who stamps within his scope so the document holds up where it counts.
The accountable engineer
Every finding in your report is one I will put my seal to. That is the difference between an opinion and accountable engineering.
Edgardo L. Santiago Martínez, PE Chief Engineering Officer · PE Lic. #12474, CIAPR FAQ
Questions before you mobilize.
Still deciding? Ask us directly, no obligation, and you hear back within one business day.
Does Act 60 cover my construction permits?
No. Act 60 governs your tax incentive status. Your permits, code review, and any heritage or archaeological screening run on a separate Reglamento Conjunto track through OGPe (Oficina de Gerencia de Permisos). The decree does not move that track. Sequencing it early does.
I have my decree. Why is my project still stalled?
Because the decree and the permit are two different approvals. A common stall is treating the decree as a green light to mobilize, then hitting an ICP heritage review or a Reglamento Conjunto requirement that should have been sequenced first.
What is the ICP review and when does it apply?
The Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña (ICP) reviews work in or near historic zones under Ley 89-1955. If your site triggers it, the review runs in parallel with your permit track and can reset your timeline when it is found late.
Do I need this if I am only buying, not building?
If your plan is to develop, renovate, or change the use, yes. The earlier we map the regulatory track, the fewer surprises after you close. Pre-purchase structural due diligence pairs with this.
Is this legal or tax advice?
No. This is engineering and permitting. Your decree terms, tax position, and entity structure belong with your attorney or CPA. We own the build and permit side and flag where the two tracks intersect.
When does federal Section 106 enter?
When federal funds or a federal permit touch the project, Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act adds a federal heritage consultation on top of the state ICP track. We flag it so it does not surface mid-construction.
Can you work with me from the mainland?
Yes. We run the on-the-ground regulatory mapping and records work locally and report to you wherever you are. Most Act 60 clients are relocating or investing from the mainland.
The decree clears your taxes. Only sequence clears your build.
Related services
Where the build path goes next.
Permitting & code compliance
The connective track behind the decree: what has to happen, and in what order, before you ever submit to OGPe. The hub that threads Act 60 into the rest of the build.
Structural engineering
Bring the structural read in early and it shapes a permittable, insurable, buildable design for Puerto Rico's seismic and hurricane reality, instead of reacting after drawings lock.
Property damage & hurricane inspection
Buying an existing structure as part of the move? A licensed engineer's go, conditions, or no-go read on whether it is sound, before you fold it into the plan.
Historic preservation
If your site is the heritage trigger, adaptive reuse hides three regulatory layers and a federal consultation. We map them before you mobilize.
Engineer due-diligence guide
The full picture before you buy: how structure, permits, flood risk, and boundaries fit together, and where engineering diligence sits beside your attorney and lender.
Sequence the build, not just the decree
Tell us about the project.
A few details and your timeline. We reply within one business day, in writing, with next steps.
Read and signed by the accountable PE, Lic. #12474, CIAPR. We reply within one business day, in writing.
Direct channels
Other ways to reach us
One-business-day response standard. Reach us by any channel and you hear back within one business day, every time.
Want the bigger picture first?
Our engineer due-diligence guide walks the whole move. The fastest answer is still a short, no-obligation call.