Building a house in the Dominican Republic requires a budget for the finished property you plan to use, including work and purchases that may sit outside the construction quote. A price per square meter is useful only when you know which area it measures and what it includes. Start by making competing proposals describe the same project.
Give each bidder the same brief
Provide the same drawings or preliminary scope to the professionals preparing estimates. Identify enclosed rooms, covered terraces, pool, parking and any proposed service buildings. State whether you expect the home to arrive furnished and ready for occupancy or whether you will arrange those items separately.
Record the drawing revision and date used for every estimate. A cheaper proposal based on an earlier, smaller design is not a comparable offer. If you change the brief, ask how the revision affects the price and schedule.
If you are still choosing a site, review the land buildability questions alongside the design.
Check what “per square meter” measures
Ask for the area calculation behind the rate. Does it include terraces, parking structures, circulation space or a roofed outdoor kitchen? Are those spaces priced at the same rate as the interior? A single headline number can conceal different measuring methods.
For example, an illustrative plan might contain 160 m² indoors and 40 m² of covered terrace. One proposal could quote a combined 200 m² while another prices the two areas separately. The floor areas are examples, not a local price survey. Compare the total scope and amount before deciding which proposal costs less.
Put costs into an owner’s budget
Scroll horizontally to read every column.
| Budget section | Items to clarify | Evidence to keep |
|---|---|---|
| Land and acquisition | Land price and purchase-related professional and transaction costs | Separate purchase estimate |
| Design and approvals | Drawings, technical studies, professional services and applicable applications | Written scope and responsibility list |
| Site preparation | Access works, excavation, drainage and any specified retaining works | Site-specific assessment and quantities |
| Building and installations | Structure, finishes, electrical and plumbing work, equipment expressly included | Itemized proposal and specifications |
| Works outside the main building | Pool, boundaries, landscaping and utility connections where needed | Separate included/excluded schedule |
| Setting up the home | Furniture, appliances, curtains, delivery and installation | Supplier quotations |
| Time and uncertainty | Funding costs, temporary accommodation and provision for unresolved scope | Owner’s assumptions, kept separate from quoted costs |
Do not count an item twice. If the contractor includes a connection or appliance, identify it in the main proposal and remove the duplicate allowance from your separate list. If the scope is unclear, keep the item unresolved rather than calling the budget complete.
Use official cost data for its stated purpose
ONE’s construction-cost index tracks changes for specified housing types in the Distrito Nacional and Santo Domingo province. It excludes several indirect costs, including land, design, permits and financing. It is not a quotation for a villa in Las Terrenas or on the North Coast. Source: ONE’s explanation of the ICDV.
Ask your estimator which prices are fixed, which are provisional and how long the offer remains valid. Where imported items are proposed, specify the product and clarify currency, delivery and substitution arrangements. A published index cannot settle those project choices for you.
Keep approval work separate from a promised start date
MIVHED describes a construction license as the authorization to execute a building project and identifies the professional and owner audiences for the service. Have the responsible professionals confirm the requirements and status of your application before treating a contractor’s start date as settled. Source: MIVHED construction-license service.
Ask who is responsible for each submission, response and inspection. Have your lawyer review the proposed payment stages, change process, completion obligations and treatment of delays. This is a list of issues to resolve, not a set of contract clauses.
Compare the handover as carefully as the starting price
Describe what you expect to receive: completed work, operating equipment, manuals, keys and the documents appropriate to the project. Agree with your technical adviser how work will be assessed and outstanding items recorded. A photo of a finished room does not explain the status of the rest of the house.
For buyers deciding between a completed home and an unfinished project, the Puerto Plata resale and construction comparison addresses that separate purchase decision. This budget guide is for organizing your own proposed build.
Questions before requesting estimates
Is there one reliable construction price for all of the DR?
A national headline rate cannot account for a particular site, design, specification and quote date. Request proposals for the same scope and compare the exclusions. This guide does not supply a market-average rate or a promised final cost.
Should every extra be treated as a change order?
Ask your lawyer and technical adviser how the proposed agreement distinguishes changes, provisional items and work already included. Keep written records of requested revisions and their effect on the agreed scope and amount.
Can Jean give me a construction quotation?
Jean’s role here is the property search. A construction estimate needs an appropriate professional and a defined project. Tell Jean your location and total land-and-build budget so the search does not use the construction allowance as the land budget.
Discuss your land-and-build search with Jean or browse the property catalog.