Building Homes in PR

Building is more expensive. Materials have gone way up and manual labor has gone way up since Maria. Also you need a lot to build o and that is not cheap either.

it would be cheaper to purchase a home with a good size yard or a farm house with a bunch of land than building.

The benefit of building is having a place designed to your likes, where everything is new and build (hopefully) to the latest construction standards.

on the other side, old homes are build to the needs or likes of someone else, some of the decisions made by the prior owner won’t make sense. A lot of old homes were build by the owner and friends, so no standards and no permits were used. A lot of old homes have no plumbing for hot water, so you may have to break some walls and run tubes to get hot water to showers, dishwashers, washing machine. Most people in PR use cold water and may add an electric heater to the shooter head to get the chill out.

So there are advantages and disadvantages to building or buying old.

When buying you get the land and structure for a single low

By the way, there are plenty of available homes 2-3 bedrooms, 1 bath about 500-1000 square feet made of concrete for 80-140k most with plenty of land for a large patio or even a small home farm.

I would not suggest you buy a wooden home, not at all.

Thanks Sandra, the reason I want to build is I already have the land that is next to my wife's family. I read a lot about shipping container home and with hurricanes it seemed the way to go. Looking to build a very small house so 2 long shipping container should work. Secure it to concrete slab and insulate well and should be fine??? Or I can have a small concrete house built-500sq/ft.

Thanks Rey, I did see your reply when I replied to Sandra. As you can see I already have land so this is why I want to build or use shipping containers for tiny home.

You are going to need a place for tools and junk you want to keep. Could be detached of part of main building. We don’t have basements in PR.

I really recommend checking into an earth ship home or a sand bag home. These are both very inexpensive but labor intensive and self sustainable.  These are both new projects on the island.
I wish you the best no matter what you choose to do.  I do never to let you know most cargo containers are very toxic. So you will want to make sure remove these toxins
Also you will have to find a person who specializes in cargo containers.  These people are cheap and can also still mess up

There is a home created with shipping containers right on the beach in Aguada. right off the 441, near Table Rock.
Perhaps you can pay them a visit and see if you can pick their brain.

Thanks again everyone, I retired early so I have all the time in the world. I'm going to build a container home by myself! I'm removing all wood flooring and sand blasting inside down to bear metal to avoid any toxic issues. Also going to get a one trip container. Going to use a 40' and a 20' containers in an T shade for just under 480 sq/ft. I will be attaching to concrete slab. I will be sure to check out one one shore that you mentioned

I considered buying a container for transporting house hold stuff, then using the container for storage and a work shop. 

Gunner  at the smoke house in Isabela put one on the restaurant ,  you can talk to him about getting a container. I think they are a good low cost option for living or storage space.  😎

Hi Everyone

the place - Aguada. right off the 441, near Table Rock. Does anyone have information on how to contact them or building shipping container home in Puerto Rico

Hello Everyone, we are thinking about buying a property on PR east coast, hopefully with an existing building that requires work, but is in structurally in sound condition. We would like to expand to the total of about 3,000-4,000sf. Can anyone advise about order of magnitude of architectural/ engineering fees associated with such project? I see from other posts that per SF construction cost might be within $125 range at the present time, but I was wondering what are my soft pre-con costs... is it worth hiring a firm that's local to the house location or better to shop around in vicinity a bit further away?

Jasman25 wrote:

Hello Everyone, we are thinking about buying a property on PR east coast, hopefully with an existing building that requires work, but is in structurally in sound condition. We would like to expand to the total of about 3,000-4,000sf. Can anyone advise about order of magnitude of architectural/ engineering fees associated with such project? I see from other posts that per SF construction cost might be within $125 range at the present time, but I was wondering what are my soft pre-con costs... is it worth hiring a firm that's local to the house location or better to shop around in vicinity a bit further away?

If interested I can give you info on my contractor, his people do the engineering, the 3D design and the entire project including permits in your name and project management.

Assuming a 3000 to 4000 sq feet you are probably looking at 400k to 600k (absolute guess on my part). The type of windows, the type of doors, the bathroom fixtures, the lighting used and how many, the design and cabinets for the kitchen and the type of construction all have huge differences in price, so it could be less or a lot more, o I forgot the flooring, some tiles are inexpensive while others are 3 to 5 times as much.
For PR a 3000 square foot home is huge, 4000 a palace. You are looking at a home you can sell for 800 to 1 million or more when done, depending on the area, view and design. Wide halls, ramps and other details for people on wheelchairs can also rise your future enjoyment and future sale price.

If I understand correctly they include project documentation fees in the overall construction cost? Maybe we are reaching too far with the size of the house and need to consider scaling down a bit. Contact info would be great! Thank you

Jasman25 wrote:

If I understand correctly they include project documentation fees in the overall construction cost? Maybe we are reaching too far with the size of the house and need to consider scaling down a bit. Contact info would be great! Thank you

Most houses in PR are 900-1500, some around 2000-3000 if you are rich. A couple and even a family of 4 will do fine with a 3-5 br house and 2 baths, kitchen, living room, dining room, and car port, that is about 1500 SQR feet. Depending on fancies your cost would be around 150-300k.
I will private message you his name and phone, write down what you want, make sure what you want. He can do a rough design based on your needs and you can then get together to work out details and changes.

Hello Everyone,  We have talked with several builders in the area of Aguada but have not selected the right one for us.  In the meantime our lot  which is ocean front.  We added dirt and had the lot completely cleaned up.  But in less then a year it is now over run with weeds, plants and trees. 

Can anyone suggest how we can keep the vegetation from taking over while we preparing to build?

Thanks

I am looking at the possibility of putting Solar power into our new home build.  The first quote we recieved was $46k for only a 6.0kw. 

I am wondering if anyone else has looked into solar?

Out of curiosity which company quoted you. That seems a bit high but depends on the products included with the quote. Does that include a servicing of the equipment, extended warranties etc. Was this a full off grid solution or grid tied with battery back up etc. If there are batteries involved depending on what type they are the expense will vary. 

We are fully off grid and had a 4KW system installed in 2014 for about half of what you have been quoted so unless there are a number of additional services tied into your quote I would for sure seek out a few more.

That seems high to me as well Larry, although a 6KW system is pretty big.  Coach, have you measured your electricity usage?  Sure you need that much?

Anyway, I'm confident you can find a better price.  Here's an easy and convenient source for information and prices.  As an example, they offer a complete 9.6kw grid-tied with battery backup system for $31,000.

There is a new wind device, it only requires 3 mile an hour winds to generate 1 kWh, they run around 2600 each, so 6 of them would do it for you. Unlike big units that require constant 12 mile an hour winds

I have seen 5kwh solar systems quoted at around 19k including everything cables, panels, electronics, batteries, and the labor. those guys I think are ripping you off.

If I wanted to add an addition to a concrete home, what is your opinion of a concrete foundation, concrete walls, wood or steel floor trusses with wood subfloor, and steel roof trusses with metal roofing ensuring the trusses use hurricane straps attached to the concrete walls.

My advice would be to talk to a licensed contractor on the island, but I grew up in the building trades, and it seems to me that you'd be in pretty good shape.  Slab foundations are quite common, as are concrete walls, either block, tilt-up, or poured in place.  Regarding floor framing, wood joists should not rest directly on concrete which is in direct contact with the ground as the joists will wick moisture out of the concrete and rot.  Use a sill gasket between any floor joist and the slab. 

Regarding the roofing, I imagine that steel trusses and metal roofing should prove reliable, provided that the trusses are hurricane strapped to the walls.  As I remember it, the walls also have to be mechanically secured to the slab.

The company is call Pura Ennergia,  the system included: Sun Power Solar panels, Inverters, Sonnen Ecolinx Storrage, Pura Energia Automatic Transfer Switch and permits.  It has a 25 year guarantee for Solar Modular Production System.

They said it was the top level system, but that is out of our budget for sure.

Does anyone have another company they would recomend?
Thanks

I would like that persons contact information as well. I am building a home on the beach in Jobos. The information you provide will be greatly appreciated. thank you.

SAMG333 wrote:

I would like that persons contact information as well. I am building a home on the beach in Jobos. The information you provide will be greatly appreciated. thank you.

With the lockdown construction is at a stand still.

We just moved into our newly build house in Quebradillas . It has a fantastic 180 ocean view and I can see both, the sun rise and the sun set.
Now, do not build a house unless you are willing to be fully engaged with the process. It is a full-time job dealing with all the administrative  issues (water, electricity, gas, permits,....), buying or selecting all the materials (tiles, windows, doors, appliances and dozens of smaller items. Unless you have enough money to hire a construction manager in addition to an architect, an engineer and obviously a contractor. Not speaking Spanish makes things more difficult but not impossible.  My contractor spoke perfect English. Some do not speak English at all. Building in P.R. is much cheaper than in the U.S. due to lower wages and simpler requirements.  No need for heating or insulation...land is much cheaper.
Running over time and over budget is typically not a big problem here since the contract specifies clear deadlines and the contractor pays a penalty for every day he is late. If you finance through a credit union (highly recommend) they pay segment by segment and only after their engineer has confirmed that all the work is done.   It sure is an adventure and at  times stressful but also very rewarding.

We went with Maximo Solar (Aquadilla) . They are middle range price-wise and gave us a good deal for a 7 Kilowatt system. Very professional.
We are still waiting to have the net-metering completed.

Hi Chris1304:

Congratulations on your new home!  I am from NYC and I am interested in building a new home in eastern Puerto Rico and was hoping you could share some resources with me.

1) Who was your architect, engineer and contractor?
2) Where did you purchase your building materials?
3) Where did you purchase all your other finishing materials "(tiles, windows, doors, appliances and dozens of smaller items"?
4) Did you use a construction loan through a bank or credit union - if so which one did you use?
5) How long was the construction process take?
6) Is the per square feet costs still around $125 or do you have a different amount?

Thank you so much!

Dear Daniella,

We paid just under $80 per square foot.
We financed through the Coop Isabella.  Cooperatives are credit unions and your best bet.
Our ingeniero was Ruben Ortiz Gallorza from Hatillo. He owns Tropical Concrete and supplied the Blocks. A well respected professional.
Our contractor was Eddy Soto from Tropical Dream builders in Isabella.  Speaks perfect English, is honest and knows his stuff.
We went all over the island to find all the perfect materials....that would be a longer conversation. Most tiles came from Paradise Tile.  We used at least 10 different kinds of tile.
It was supposed to take one year but - in part due to Covid19- it took 18 month. You can contact me if you need more info.
Good luck!

Chris:

Thank you so much for the quick and succinct response. I would love to have a longer conversation if you are willing. I will be scouring puerto rico in August 2020 for 1 month looking for the "perfect materials." Would you be open to private messages?

Sure. Text me at *** when you are ready. We might be traveling at the end of August.

DO NOT BUILD !!!. For endless reasons.First you may never live to see the permit approved to build or you would simply run out of money lining everyone's pockets. Secondly good luck finding a contractor that's not going soak you because your gringo. My neighbor bought a repo house recently and he's a local, sets on his front porch daily waiting and hoping his contractor will come that day. I've bought 2 repo homes here and learned quickly I had to do ALL the work myself. Example I had a contractor come give me a estimate for a simple concrete wall 8 ft. Tall 140 long.simple project right? I explained to the contractor before you come to give me the estimate don't waste your time or mine. He shows up and looks and says he would email me the estimate. 3 weeks later he emails me and guess how much
......$50,000 . locals get there decimal confused with math at times. So I think he meant $5,000 right. No he meant $50,000 the Donald Trump rate. So I did the job for under $1,500 myself. Truth is most locals think all gringos are lottery winners and with hustle you . It's truly better to look for a repo from a bank or Fannie Mae online. I can suggest many agencies here if you are interested.

Our colonial house in Ponce was destroyed with the earthquakes. Fortunately we had a small mortgage and the bank secured earthquake insurance. We were going to build on our farm but I knew it would be complicated. We found a repo from Fannie mae and are in contract now. Great potential and in need of walls too. The house had been vacant for 3 years.  Most of the work is cosmetic and not needing a permit.
I usually self contract using local help. I will not use contractors. Referrals can work and I give them small jobs to see the quality of the work and their character before doing the bigger jobs. We should be closing in a week or so. I will share my experience.

We have been trying to build in Aguada for over 2 years.  We hired the wrong architect and have been having trouble ever since.  We had a very specific plan in mind which should have made his job very easy. 

We have talked to several different builders and the best price we have seen so far is  around $150 per sq foot that is with me completing the inside myself.  We have reduced the size of our build to around 2200 Sq Feet with a 700 sq foot garage. 

We have been waiting for over 7 months for the final change in our plans.

7 months......sorry to say your just in the beginning of your nightmare. The plan here is to drag every project out as well as soak you financially. You are seriously better off looking for a repo or a house for sale in the area. Trust me I been through it all here and the games continue.

I hear your pain from so so many people trying to build here and get hijacked! So bad I am thinking about getting back in the contracting business to help people like yourself. I had a disaster reconstruction business in the states for over 30 years .sold that business retired here then maria struck and went back to work under fema .So I see the strong need of legitimate contractors here . typically if you even d
Find one they only work a day or so then go to other sites and do the same part of why it can take actual years to completion.

Mrkpytn wrote:

Our colonial house in Ponce was destroyed with the earthquakes. Fortunately we had a small mortgage and the bank secured earthquake insurance. We were going to build on our farm but I knew it would be complicated. We found a repo from Fannie mae and are in contract now. Great potential and in need of walls too. The house had been vacant for 3 years.  Most of the work is cosmetic and not needing a permit.
I usually self contract using local help. I will not use contractors. Referrals can work and I give them small jobs to see the quality of the work and their character before doing the bigger jobs. We should be closing in a week or so. I will share my experience.

Sorry to hear about your place

As I mentioned before we had a different experience.  Building a house requires serious planning, careful selection of engineer and construction company and realistic expectations.  I made the plans for our house myself and thus avoided an architect. We interviewed 6 engineers before we found the right one. Number one factor: trustworthiness.
We also met with and talked to 7 construction companies after we checked their credentials and DACO licence online. When you finance through a credit union they write a detailed contract which specifies what work needs to be completed for each of 5 steps. Their engineer checks each time and there is no payment to contractor until you sign off. Little room for cheating.  We paid $80 per square foot and now have a beautiful house. Now obviously there are lots of little problems and You need to around to check especially for the second phase.  Also lots of paperwork to take care of for water and electricity.  My house is 100% solar and has a cistern with a water filtration.
People here are friendly in general if you treat them with respect and certainly less corrupt than in the U.S..  I had construction done in U.S. and it was much worse.  Attitude matters. If you approach everyone with suspicion and a negative expectation it will reflect back on you. Also remember that building a house is fun. You see something grow which will become your home.  But it is not for everyone and a repo or home for sale are good options as well. Quicker and maybe cheaper.

Well said Chris. Attitude is everything.
AnyOne moving to Puerto Rico needs to understand it’s going be a little different here than in the states.
You need to adapt to your new environment, not the other way around.
I work with a builder in Aguada, he just finished a vacation home for a client in Aguada. It Took 18 months. It’s beautiful and they couldn’t be happier. Attitude goes a long way.

Hello, my boyfriend and I are planning to relocate to PR after i retire.  He is currently retired, I still have a few more years, but interested in building a new home.  We have the opportunity to build on top of an existing structure where my parents built about 30 yrs ago.  My parents are older and honestly not as resourceful to what we would need to begin the process.  You you be so kind as to advise me what we will need to get the building process started and any reliable resources you would highly recommend.   It would mean so much, I too am very concerned with trusting anyone to do right by us in the process.  Im hoping to design my own interior floor plan designs but need help with everything else.  Would greatly appreciate any feedback.  I do travel often to the island to check on my Dad and help him with the property.  Think its time to set myself up there sooner than later.  Greatly appreciate any info you can provide to make the building process as pleasant as possible.  Thank you.
Kind regards
Mkvergaras

Hi Fburgos, I'm looking to build in Aguadilla  which is not too far from Aguada, woyld you mind sharing the contractor you were looking to refer to Tim.  I need to look into 4 businesses myself to be able to move forward with my plans.  Greatly appreciated
Kindest regards
Btw, yes I do speak Spanish as well.