A unit “en bruto” is a commercial space handed over without internal finishes: typically bare floor, bare walls, exposed slab and supplies brought only to the edge. Everything else — partitions, ceilings, internal services, toilets, floors and finishes — has to be designed and built, and the activity paperwork filed by the business owner. The exact condition should be written into the lease or purchase contract, and the unit checked before you sign.
What does “en bruto” usually include?
There is no legal definition that fixes exactly what a shell must contain, so the lease or purchase contract is what counts. In practice, a unit described as en bruto on the Costa del Sol usually has:
- a structural floor slab, often rough and not perfectly level;
- perimeter walls in block or brick, with or without basic plaster;
- the underside of the slab above exposed, sometimes with pipes from upper floors crossing it;
- connection points for water, drainage and electricity at the edge of the unit or a single point inside;
- a frontage that may be temporary, partly glazed or completely open.
Some developers deliver more — a levelled floor, a basic electrical board, a finished frontage — and some less. Never assume; ask for a written description and photos.
What has to be built before you can trade?
Turning a shell into a working space generally involves:
- a layout drawn by your technician, which also feeds the paperwork;
- internal electrics, water supply and drainage, carried out by authorised partner installers in our case;
- partitions for toilets, storage, staff areas and any offices;
- floor preparation and the final floor finish;
- suspended ceilings and lighting;
- wall finishes, tiling in wet areas and painting;
- toilets, built to the specification for your activity;
- specialist systems such as air conditioning, fire protection and security, by their own installers;
- the frontage, signage and shopfitting.
The list is long, which is why shells are usually let on terms that reflect the investment the tenant has to make. Our page on shell unit fit-out describes how we sequence this work.
What should you check before signing for a shell?
Several questions are much easier to answer before you commit than afterwards:
- Drainage: where is the connection, and at what depth? It decides where toilets and any kitchen can go.
- Ceiling height: what is the clear height under the slab, and what crosses it? It decides whether there is room for a suspended ceiling and ducts.
- Power: is the available supply enough for your activity, or will it need increasing through the supply company?
- Ventilation and extraction: if your activity needs an outlet above roof level, is there a route, and will the community and landlord accept it?
- Frontage: what can you change, and who has to approve it?
- Use: does planning allow your activity in this unit? This is for your technician to confirm.
We can visit with you, if the landlord allows, and give a builder’s view of the first four points. The last two belong to your technician and, for the lease, your lawyer. The article on questions before renting a shop expands on this list.
How does the paperwork work for a shell?
Because almost everything is new, a shell fit-out often involves more paperwork than refreshing a former shop. The building work may require a technical project, and the activity has its own procedure depending on what it is. In Andalusia, minor works without a technical project are generally notified through a declaración responsable under Ley 7/2021 (LISTA), while works of greater scope require a licence. For many retail activities in units below 750 m² of sales area, national Ley 12/2012 replaced the prior activity licence with a declaración responsable.
Which of these applies to your case must be confirmed by your technician (to be verified). We do not file paperwork; we build to the scope it covers. See the licences guide for the framework and sources.
Is a shell a better deal than a fitted unit?
It can be. A shell gives you a blank canvas, no previous fit-out to strip out, and often better lease terms. A fitted unit — one with an existing fit-out — can be ready much faster and cost less to adapt, if the layout and services suit your business. The right choice depends on your activity, your budget and how long you plan to stay.
The article comparing a shell unit with a fitted unit weighs the trade-offs in more detail, without pretending one is always better.
What can go wrong with a shell fit-out?
The common problems are predictable. Drainage too shallow for the toilets where you want them. A ceiling void too tight for the ducts you need. An electrical supply that has to be increased, with its own procedure and timing. A frontage change the community refuses. An activity that turns out to need a procedure you did not expect. None is unusual, and most can be managed if they are known in advance.
That is the case for looking carefully before committing: a site visit, a conversation with a technician about the activity, and a clear written description of what the landlord delivers. It is far cheaper to adjust a plan than a lease.
What happens at the end of the lease?
Many leases for shells require the tenant to return the unit in its original condition, which can mean removing the fit-out you paid for. Others allow improvements to stay. This is a lease question rather than a building one, but it affects how you design the fit-out: removable partitions and services that can be disconnected cleanly make a difference later. Ask your lawyer to check the clause, and tell us so we can plan accordingly.
Official sources
- Ley 7/2021 (LISTA), arts. 137–138, as cited in a municipal declaración responsable form (Ayuntamiento de Vera)
- Ley 12/2012 on urgent measures to liberalise retail and certain services (text, Ministerio de Hacienda)
- Chronology of amendments to Ley 12/2012 – surface threshold raised to 750 m² by Ley 20/2013
Bauman Raymond Attila · Reforma Locales Málaga · Avenida Antonio Belón 3, Marbella. Last reviewed: 05/11/2026.
