# Stages to build a house in Saltillo: from land to handover

Building a house in Saltillo follows 7 stages: design, permits, foundation, shell, rough-in and finishes, with a permit required for 60–1,000 m².

By the Grupo Server editorial team · [Editorial policy](https://gruposerver.com.mx/en/blog/editorial/)

Published September 2, 2026

Building a house in Saltillo, Coahuila, follows seven stages: design and budget, permits, site work and foundation, shell (obra negra), rough-in (obra gris), finishes (obra blanca) and handover. The building permit is mandatory before the first stage: homes of 60 to 1,000 m² require the Major Building Permit from Saltillo's Dirección de Desarrollo Urbano.

**Key facts**

- The Major Building Permit covers homes of 60 to 1,000 m² (form F-VNT-10).
- Its requirements include an ID, a cadastral key with property tax paid, and a registered deed.
- Structural concrete block is governed by standard NMX-C-404-ONNCCE-2012.
- Cement used on site follows NMX-C-414-ONNCCE-2017 (Official Gazette, January 4, 2018).
- Aggregates for concrete comply with NMX-C-111-ONNCCE-2018.

## What are the stages to build a house in Saltillo?

There are seven, and each depends on the previous one being closed out. The table summarizes what happens at each stage and what drives it.

| Stage | What it includes | Depends on |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Design and budget | Architectural design, structural calculation, budget | Floor area and construction system chosen |
| Permits | Building permit, alignment, signed plans | Dirección de Desarrollo Urbano |
| Site work and foundation | Layout, excavation, footings or foundation slab | Soil study and climate |
| Shell (obra negra) | Structure, walls, slabs | Approved foundation |
| Rough-in (obra gris) | Installations, plastering, screeds | Shell closed out |
| Finishes (obra blanca) | Flooring, paint, carpentry | Installations tested |
| Handover | Cleaning, final tests, handover of keys | Finishes completed |

The permits stage usually starts in parallel with design, because the permit requires plans already signed by a Director Responsable de Obra. The [article on the Saltillo building permit](https://gruposerver.com.mx/en/blog/licencia-de-construccion-en-saltillo-requisitos/) details requirements and costs.

## What permits and requirements are needed before building?

Before breaking ground, the [Major Building Permit](https://tramites.saltillo.gob.mx/docmicrositio/requisitos136.pdf) — for homes of 60 to 1,000 m² — asks, among other documents, for:

- Official ID of the owner.
- Cadastral key for the property, with property tax paid.
- Deed registered with the Public Property Registry.
- Valid alignment certificate, issued after November 9, 2021.
- Three sets of plans signed by a Director Responsable de Obra.

The permit is filed with the Dirección de Desarrollo Urbano, under the [Urban Development and Construction Regulations for the Municipality of Saltillo](https://documentostransparencia.saltillo.gob.mx/transparenciaMSC/Articulo_65/1.-_I.-_El_marco_normativo_aplicable/06.REGLAMENTOS/). Without an approved permit, the site work and foundation stage cannot formally begin.

## What is obra negra, obra gris and obra blanca?

These are the three blocks into which the Mexican construction industry groups the work that follows the foundation.

**Obra negra** ("black work") is the structural shell: foundation, columns, beams, load-bearing walls and slabs. It has no installations or finishes; it is the "box" of the house.

**Obra gris** ("gray work") adds what stays hidden or half-finished: hydraulic and sanitary piping, electrical conduit, wall plastering and floor screeds. Once this stage closes, the house has its shape and services, but no finishes.

**Obra blanca** ("white work") is the visible finishes: flooring, tile, paint, carpentry, doors, and bathroom and kitchen fixtures. It is the last stage before handover, and the one whose cost varies most with the materials chosen.

This three-block division does not appear by that name on the Major Building Permit, but it organizes how contractors quote and schedule the work: each block groups different trades — masonry and structure in the shell, installations in rough-in, finishes in obra blanca — and usually has its own crew.

## What materials are used at each stage, and under what standards?

In the foundation and shell stages, the dominant materials are stone aggregates, cement and concrete block.

**Aggregates** — gravel and sand — for hydraulic concrete are specified under [NMX-C-111-ONNCCE-2018](https://dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=5543504&fecha=12/11/2018), published in the Official Gazette of the Federation on November 12, 2018. It sets grading and quality, not price: that is quoted by the supplier based on volume and haul distance. Complementary standards NMX-C-077-ONNCCE-2019, for sieve analysis, and NMX-C-170-ONNCCE-2019, for sample reduction, set how those aggregates are tested before they go into a project.

Structural **concrete block** for load-bearing walls is governed by [NMX-C-404-ONNCCE-2012](https://platiica.economia.gob.mx/normalizacion/nmx-c-404-onncce-2012/), in force since February 11, 2013, which sets specifications and test methods for blocks and bricks.

**Cement** follows [NMX-C-414-ONNCCE-2017](https://dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=5510053&fecha=04/01/2018), published on January 4, 2018, which classifies hydraulic cementing materials by type and strength.

There is no public source with a cost per square meter of construction in Saltillo: price depends on the project, the construction system and the finishes chosen. To quote materials by volume, Vermat — Grupo Server's construction materials and hardware chain, an authorized Cemix distributor — operates several branches in the city.

## How does Grupo Server help?

Server Construcciones, the founding company of Grupo Server in 1966, is a contractor for land development, paving, bridges and industrial buildings in Saltillo. Promotora Server, since 1982, manufactures the structural and facade concrete block used in the shell stage. For questions about a project or the building process, you can write in through the [contact page](https://gruposerver.com.mx/en/contacto/) or review the site's [construction](https://gruposerver.com.mx/en/construccion/) section.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is obra negra, obra gris and obra blanca?

Obra negra ('black work') is the structural shell — foundation, structure, walls and slabs — with no installations or finishes. Obra gris ('gray work') adds electrical and plumbing rough-in, plastering and floor screeds. Obra blanca ('white work') is the final finishes: flooring, paint, carpentry and bathroom and kitchen fixtures.

### What permit do you need to build a house in Saltillo?

Homes of 60 to 1,000 m² require the Major Building Permit (form F-VNT-10) from the Dirección de Desarrollo Urbano. Full requirements and costs are covered in the article on the Saltillo building permit.

### What are the stages to build a house?

Design and budget, permits, site work and foundation, shell (obra negra), rough-in (obra gris), finishes (obra blanca) and handover. Each stage depends on the previous one being finished and, for the foundation and structure, inspected.

### What standards govern the concrete block and cement used on site?

Structural concrete block is specified under NMX-C-404-ONNCCE-2012, in force since February 11, 2013. Cement follows NMX-C-414-ONNCCE-2017, published in the Official Gazette of the Federation on January 4, 2018.

### Does Grupo Server publish a construction cost per square meter?

No. Grupo Server does not publish a cost per square meter of construction; price depends on the project, finishes and construction system. Vermat, the group's materials chain, quotes supplies by branch.

### Who can sign the plans for a building permit?

A Director Responsable de Obra (Responsible Works Director). Saltillo's Major Building Permit requires three sets of plans signed by that professional, along with a valid alignment certificate and the deed registered with the Public Property Registry.

## Topics

- Saltillo
- Coahuila
- Dirección de Desarrollo Urbano
- Server Construcciones
- Promotora Server
- Vermat

## Sources

- [Major Building Permit requirements (form F-VNT-10)](https://tramites.saltillo.gob.mx/docmicrositio/requisitos136.pdf)
- [Urban Development and Construction Regulations for the Municipality of Saltillo](https://documentostransparencia.saltillo.gob.mx/transparenciaMSC/Articulo_65/1.-_I.-_El_marco_normativo_aplicable/06.REGLAMENTOS/)
- [NMX-C-414-ONNCCE-2017, Hydraulic cementing materials](https://dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=5510053&fecha=04/01/2018)
- [NMX-C-404-ONNCCE-2012, Masonry — Structural concrete blocks and bricks](https://platiica.economia.gob.mx/normalizacion/nmx-c-404-onncce-2012/)
- [NMX-C-111-ONNCCE-2018, Aggregates for hydraulic concrete](https://dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=5543504&fecha=12/11/2018)
- [NMX-C-077-ONNCCE-2019, Aggregates — Sieve analysis](https://dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=5591694&fecha=16/04/2020)
- [NMX-C-170-ONNCCE-2019, Aggregates — Sample reduction](https://dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=5572275&fecha=13/09/2019)
- Grupo Server companies

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