Forums > Specific Focus > Home, Garden & Construction in Mexico

steve2709564

Feb 15, 2005, 6:57 AM

Post #1 of 21 (6981 views)

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construction costs in zihuatanejo area?

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hi everyone, i'm narrowing down areas of mexico to build a second home. i've found a lot that i like in the zihuatanjo area,but the part of the equasion that i can't find are rough square foot/or meter costs for this area, as a general contractor in california i probley know enough to be dangerous! the home i plan to build would be classic mexican pacfic architecture in the vein of marco aldaco, or homes in the costa careyes area, but not so highly finnished, in calif. we'd call it B quality. the numbers i'm looking for are as if i hired a maestro to take my plans and construct it with a normal profit for himself, all i need are rough numbers. anyone have any experience with that? steve

ReneePoffenroth

Mar 4, 2005, 9:57 AM

Post #2 of 21 (6919 views)

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Re: [steve2709564] construction costs in zihuatanejo area?

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I have also been trying to find out costs per square foot for building in Mexico. Just looking for an approximate
as I understand that there are many variables. We are also in construction (Concrete) in Canada though and
are trying to get some kind of idea of building costs and compare to buying existing home. Also still wondering if anyone knows the cost of concrete? Ready mix (that is delivered already mixed in a concrete mixer). Any information would be great.

Renee

patricio_lintz

Mar 5, 2005, 5:15 PM

Post #3 of 21 (6888 views)

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Re: [ReneePoffenroth] construction costs in zihuatanejo area?

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We are getting ready to start our house in Vista del Lago, near San Nicholas (north shore of Lake Chapala). We will be posting costs as we build.

For a starter, material costs for the shell of our 2400 sq ft house using all RYMSA foam construction, including all steel, but not foundation, and without cement on outside & inside is $176,000 pesos. Construction permit fees are $20,000 pesos and a $50,000 peso deposit is required by the colonos. RYMSA says as a rule of thumb, double the material cost for a finished shell. See earlier posts on foam construction.

The foundation materials & labor is approximately $100,000 pesos. The lot is steep, on a "mountain" with a view of the lake & we can see the snow covered, Volcan Colima approximately 200 kM away.

Lot prices for the few remaining view lots are $245,000 pesos for 850 meters. square.

Will be posting other data as we get it.

(This post was edited by patricio_lintz on Mar 5, 2005, 5:16 PM)

tonyburton

Mar 5, 2005, 5:36 PM

Post #4 of 21 (6883 views)

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Re: [patricio_lintz] construction costs in zihuatanejo area?

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Lest people think the air is unusually clear around Lake Chapala, it should be noted that the Colima volcanoes are almost exactly 120 kilometers from Chapala as the crow flies. Good luck with the house project; look forward to the updates!

patricio_lintz

Mar 5, 2005, 6:45 PM

Post #5 of 21 (6874 views)

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Re: [tonyburton] construction costs in zihuatanejo area?

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I just took a scale from my map and it looked close to 200 Km or 120 miles from VdL. But I'll take your word for it, since this was very rough measurement.

ReneePoffenroth

Mar 6, 2005, 9:23 AM

Post #6 of 21 (6852 views)

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Re: [patricio_lintz] construction costs in zihuatanejo area?

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Thank you for your reply, with a little more digging I should have some kind of idea of
the costs we are looking at to build, at least a ball park. It seems from what I am hearing
so far that building is far slower than at home but almost half the price of purchasing an
existing home. Plus you can build what you want not what somebody else wanted. I
know that I have to have proper cupboards in my kitchen and lots of them as I love to
cook. I hope cabinetry is not in short supply in Mexico. Real cabinets not open shelves.

Thanks again

Renee

Esteban

Mar 6, 2005, 9:44 AM

Post #7 of 21 (6851 views)

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Re: [ReneePoffenroth] construction costs in zihuatanejo area?

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You can get a home built quickly, if you so desire. It's a matter of hiring more workers and planning. As far as costs go, it can vary WIDELY, no matter where you are in Mexico. You'll need a good set of plans, including electrical and plumbing drawings. Then, one of the most important aspects of building in Mexico, you should be on the job, daily and do your own accounting of materials and labor. You'll also have to take care of ALL the workers legal pay benefits. You'll need to verify workers names with the agencies involved. Get contracts on every aspect and make sure there are no miscommunications with expectations. Changes and miscommunication can be attributed to going grossly over budget from what I've seen and experienced in Mexico. As you know, in the US, a builder who builds custom homes has to deal with clients idiosyncrasies. That is what your maestro or architect will be doing with you. However, unless you are fluent in Spanish, multiply his frustration by 100. Good Luck!

Cynthia7

Mar 6, 2005, 11:29 AM

Post #8 of 21 (6841 views)

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Re: [ReneePoffenroth] construction costs in zihuatanejo area?

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There are kitchen cabinets in Mexico. Wood is expensive and quality varies. We can even get drawers that roll on rollers now. Getting an overhang on countertops so you can wipe them without getting everything on the floor and getting toe space under the cabinets is another issue. That can be very difficult in some areas of Mexico. The builder often jams the faucet and he sink together so it is almost impossible to clean around them. Building in Mexico can be a spiritual awakening. It is not for the faint of heart.

Rolly / Moderator

Mar 6, 2005, 11:54 AM

Post #9 of 21 (6838 views)

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Re: [Cynthia7] construction costs in zihuatanejo area?

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The biggest problem on my building projects was dealing with the cabinet makers. Second was dealing with IMSS.

Cynthia is certainly right -- "It is not for the faint of heart."

And Esteban is right that you need to be on the job site EVERY day. Take nothing for granted. If you don't understand what is going on, do not make the mistake of assuming the maestro does -- check it out for yourself. If you want it done your way, you must be there and alert. Every mistake in my building projects, and there are several, resulted from my not double checking the workmen.

See what I built here: http://rollybrook.com/building_directory.htm

Rolly Pirate

Judy in Ags

Mar 6, 2005, 2:09 PM

Post #10 of 21 (6828 views)

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Re: [ReneePoffenroth] construction costs in zihuatanejo area?

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It is correct that building can go faster if you use more workers. We are using just our limited retirement income, so we have paced ourselves accordingly. We are using just one bricklayer and his son. We also had a plumber/electrician for quite a length of time. One thing to remember is that with increased laborers, the cost of social security is also greatly increased.

Whoever said building a house here is not for the faint of heart was correct. My husband speaks Spanish quite well and certainly knows a lot about building, but building here is something like learning to walk all over again as the process is so different from north of the border.

I will also second the need to be on the site EVERY DAY and even if you have confidence in those building for you, check each step. I stayed home for days while our tile countertops were being installed and the very last day I had to leave, so I explained explicitly how I wanted the last little part of the project done. When I got home, it was finished, but not the way I wanted it. It wasn't the end of the world or anything, but just a confirmation to stay on top of it all the time.

I make one more suggestion: Don't expect your house to be perfect. Several little things in ours would have been better if we had been able to anticipate all the little factors that have arisen, but there just is no way to do that, so be ready to be happy with little imperfections. Our bricklayer is absolutely great--extremely experienced, talented, and on and on, but his standard of perfection, although MUCH higher than a lot of work we've seen here, is still not as high as ours.

Best wishes to all who are building!!!

not_ally

Mar 11, 2005, 8:09 PM

Post #11 of 21 (6766 views)

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Re: [Judy in Ags] construction costs in zihuatanejo area?

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Unfortunatly, I'd get that wrong too.