Building technical systems — mandatory inspections (Portugal)
A list of checks and obligations with their cadence, ready to add to your agenda.
Kit for building owners, condominiums and facility managers in Portugal. It covers periodic inspections of heating and air-conditioning systems (SCE/RECS, Decreto-Lei n.º 101-D/2020), private electrical installations (Decreto-Lei n.º 96/2017), gas installations (Decreto-Lei n.º 97/2017) and lifts and lifting equipment (Decreto-Lei n.º 320/2002), together with the related maintenance duties. It does not cover fire extinguishers and fire-fighting equipment, already covered by the dedicated preset, pressure equipment, or the initial placing of lifts on the market.
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Ask what is in the manuals, how often the maintenance is due and what it takes to do it.
What it already has at hand
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- 9 planned checks, the most frequent every month since the last job
Planned checks
Informative summary verified on 11/09/2026. It does not replace legal advice: the regulation cited prevails. If you spot an error, report it.
Some checks are only mandatory in certain countries: pick yours and the list follows.
In Italy this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In France this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Germany this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Switzerland this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Austria this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In United Kingdom this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Spain this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
- 01
Have the gas installation inspected every 3 years
Fuel gas installations in buildings are subject to a three-yearly periodic inspection by a recognised gas inspection body, arranged and paid for by the owner or usufructuary; the evidence is the inspection declaration. Where the duty is not met, DGEG is notified and, after three months, the gas supply may be cut off; critical defects prevent supply while non-critical ones must be corrected within 60 days. Applies to supplied fuel gas installations in buildings and enclosures classified under Decreto-Lei n.º 220/2008, with a three-yearly interval for use-types III to XII and for other buildings open to the public; the sources consulted report a five-yearly interval for installations more than 10 years old that have not been renovated, which should be verified case by case.
every 36 months since the last inspectionLegal obligationDecreto-Lei n.º 97/2017, art. 21.ºPortugal onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 02
Inspect technical systems over 250 kW every 2 years
For technical systems with nominal power above 250 kW the inspection interval drops to two years, with the inspection report and certificate as evidence. The 70 kW and 250 kW thresholds refer to the nominal power of the individual technical system, not of a single generator nor of the sum of the building's units. Applies to technical systems with nominal power above 250 kW; buildings fitted with compliant building automation and control systems (SACE) may be exempt from inspecting the technical systems, but the SACE itself must be inspected every four years.
every 24 months since the last inspectionLegal obligationDecreto-Lei n.º 101-D/2020, art. 15.º; Despacho n.º 6476-C/2021Portugal onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 03
Request the lift's periodic inspection
Lifting installations must undergo periodic inspection by an inspection body, requested by the owner or the condominium, with the municipality as the competent authority; where the inspection finds safety requirements unmet, a re-inspection follows. Evidence: the inspection report and, where applicable, the re-inspection record after the non-conformities are corrected; the most demanding case of 24 months is set here and should be adapted to the type of building. The intervals are: lifts, 2 years in commercial or service buildings open to the public, 4 years in mixed housing and commercial or service buildings, 4 years in residential buildings with more than 32 dwellings or more than eight floors, and 6 years in other residential buildings, in industrial premises and in cases not listed; escalators and moving walkways, 2 years; goods lifts, 6 years.
every 24 months since the last inspectionLegal obligationDecreto-Lei n.º 320/2002, art. 8.ºPortugal onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 04
Keep the lift under monthly maintenance
Lifts, goods lifts, escalators and moving walkways in service must be maintained by a recognised maintenance company under a monthly maintenance plan, unless DGEG authorises otherwise. The simple contract may not run for less than a year and involves, among other things, annual cleaning of the shaft, car, roof and machine room and six-monthly checks of ropes and safety gear, while the full contract runs for five renewable years; the evidence is the contract together with the monthly visit log in the installation's logbook. Applies to all lifts, goods lifts, escalators and moving walkways in service, including those in residential condominiums.
every month since the last jobLegal obligationDecreto-Lei n.º 320/2002, arts. 3.º e 4.º; Anexo II, ponto A) n.º 2Portugal onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 05
Have the gas installation maintained
Gas installations must be maintained by a recognised installer, in accordance with the applicable rules and the appliance manufacturer's instructions, and the owner or usufructuary is responsible unless a contract provides otherwise. Keep the installer's maintenance reports as evidence; art. 20.º sets no numerical interval, so the annual cadence is a suggested check rather than a statutory deadline. Applies to all fuel gas installations in buildings.
continuous check, confirm every 12 monthsLegal obligationDecreto-Lei n.º 97/2017, art. 20.ºPortugal onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 06
Have the electrical installation inspected every 5 years
Electrical installations not supervised by a responsible operating technician must undergo a periodic inspection, arranged by the operating entity and carried out every 5 years by a recognised inspection body; the evidence is the inspection declaration or the operating certificate. Where the installation undergoes maintenance certified by a declaration of conformity or a statement of responsibility, the period until the next inspection runs from the date of that work. Applies to type A installations above 20 kVA, installations in places at risk of explosion above 20 kVA, type C installations in entertainment venues, hospitals, education, culture or worship buildings of the 1st to 4th category above 20 kVA, commercial premises above 50 kVA, type C industrial and agricultural premises above 50 kVA, and type C bathing establishments above 20 kVA.
every 60 months since the last inspectionLegal obligationDecreto-Lei n.º 96/2017, art. 19.ºPortugal onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 07
Have the responsible technician inspect the installation twice a year
The responsible operating technician must inspect the electrical installation at least twice a year, once in the summer months and once in the winter months, to carry out the required checks, tests and measurements and produce the operating report filed on the SRIESP platform. The same article requires the technician to report to the operating entity any deficiency that constitutes a risk and to report electrical incidents to DGEG within 5 working days. Applies only to electrical installations that must have a responsible operating technician, which are in turn excluded from the five-yearly periodic inspection.
every 6 months since the last inspectionLegal obligationDecreto-Lei n.º 96/2017, art. 16.º n.º 1 al. b)Portugal onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 08
Maintain the building's technical systems
Technical systems must be maintained under the conditions approved by Despacho n.º 6476-C/2021, with a preventive maintenance plan identifying the frequency of operations and the required technician qualifications, and with interventions recorded. The maintenance plan and the maintenance log are valid only once submitted on the Portal SCE and given an identifier, and every update of the plan must be resubmitted; the annual check is a suggested cadence. Applies to technical systems in large commercial and service buildings in operation, whereas small commercial and service buildings need no maintenance plan and systems covered by their own maintenance rules are exempt.
continuous check, confirm every 12 monthsLegal obligationDecreto-Lei n.º 101-D/2020, art. 10.º n.os 3 e 10; Despacho n.º 6476-C/2021, Anexo IPortugal onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 09
Inspect technical systems over 70 kW every 4 years
Heating systems, combined heating and ventilation systems, domestic hot water systems, air-conditioning systems and combined air-conditioning and ventilation systems with nominal power above 70 kW must undergo periodic inspection by an SCE-qualified expert, with the inspection report and certificate as evidence. The first inspection is due within 3 years of installation for new or renovated buildings, or from the entry into force of the despacho for existing systems. Applies to technical systems with nominal power above 70 kW and up to 250 kW inclusive, the threshold being assessed per individual system rather than by adding up the building's units.
every 48 months since the last inspectionLegal obligationDecreto-Lei n.º 101-D/2020, art. 15.º; Despacho n.º 6476-C/2021Portugal onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026
In United States this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Other country this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
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