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PDM, Municipal Master Plans for Every Municipality in Portugal

Check the Municipal Master Plan (PDM) of any municipality in mainland Portugal. See how much of the territory is urban land, explore the zoning map and understand, in minutes, what you can build on your plot.

PDM changes

Every amendment to municipal master plans, straight from the national registry (SNIT). Pick a district, municipality or parish on the map to scope this list; click a row to see it on the map.

MunicipalityDistrictChangePublicationDate
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What is a PDM?

The Plano Diretor Municipal (PDM) is each municipality's master plan: it classifies the entire territory as urban or rustic land and qualifies it into categories — housing, economic activities, agricultural, forest, green space, and so on. It is approved by the municipal council, published in the official gazette (Diário da República), and is legally binding on both citizens and the administration.

In practice, the PDM determines whether a plot can take a house, an apartment building, a factory — or nothing at all. Building permits, land subdivisions and changes of use are all assessed against the PDM's zoning map (planta de ordenamento) and regulation.

Why does it matter?

  • Property value — two neighbouring plots can differ in value tenfold depending on classification. Urban land with building capacity is worth far more than rustic agricultural land.
  • Purchase risk — buying a plot "with an approvable project" without checking the zoning is the classic mistake. The zoning map tells the truth.
  • Opportunity — PDM amendments (below) can reclassify entire areas. A change that turns rustic land developable changes the game for whoever is paying attention.
  • Due diligence — banks, appraisers and architects always consult the PDM. Having it on a map, next to the listings, cuts analysis from days to seconds.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Municipal Master Plan (PDM)?
A Municipal Master Plan (PDM) is the instrument each Portuguese municipality uses to define what can be built on every plot, classifying land as urban or rural and setting the rules for occupation and construction.
How do I know if I can build on my land?
To find out if you can build, check your plot's classification on the PDM zoning map: urban land generally allows construction, while rural land is heavily restricted. When in doubt, file a Prior Information Request (PIP) with the municipality.
What is the difference between urban and rural land?
Urban land is intended for urbanisation and generally allows construction, while rural land is reserved for agricultural, forestry or environmental uses and only allows building in specific cases defined by the PDM.

Where does this data come from?

Zoning comes from the Carta do Regime de Uso do Solo (CRUS), produced by the Direção-Geral do Território from the zoning maps of every PDM in force in mainland Portugal (CC-BY 4.0). The change history comes from the Sistema Nacional de Informação Territorial (SNIT), the official registry where all plans and their amendments are deposited and published. The autonomous regions (Madeira and the Azores) run their own regional systems and are not yet included.

Official sources

Indicative information. For legal purposes always consult the municipal council and the official publication in Diário da República.