Homebuilding in the DR the inexpensive (Dominican) way

[headnerd]

Permit fees, bribes and taxes for construction

This is an excellent and useful thread. One of the things that has not been discussed, though, is the cost of obtaining permits and the other "taxes" that go along with building a home.

If you are building at the beach, you will need to deal with a fee for "La Marina". If you want to take down trees, there is a fee to "La Foresta". Both of these can be avoided, though, if you go to the capital and get a "Letter of No Objection" from a high-ranking official. You will also need one of these from your local town.

The latest twist that happened to me was a guy showing up from "Seguros Sociales" and demanding a huge fee. I sent him packing but still haven't figured out if it's legit or not.

Good luck!

 

[Texas Bill]

This is an excellent and useful thread. One of the things that has not been discussed, though, is the cost of obtaining permits and the other "taxes" that go along with building a home.

If you are building at the beach, you will need to deal with a fee for "La Marina". If you want to take down trees, there is a fee to "La Foresta". Both of these can be avoided, though, if you go to the capital and get a "Letter of No Objection" from a high-ranking official. You will also need one of these from your local town.

The latest twist that happened to me was a guy showing up from "Seguros Sociales" and demanding a huge fee. I sent him packing but still haven't figured out if it's legit or not.

Good luck!

Try to remember that guy's name and reaport him to the'Head Office" in Santo Domingo. H was just trying to scam you for money. The Seguro Sociales has NOTHING to do with "Building anything in the DR.

Texas Bill

 

[anitaemma]

I think that is legal some procents of total costs, but never pay to some guy coming to your house, always go to the municipal office to pay and figure calculations and demanding for example with permicion to build to see that they write it also to book not only make a receipt.
Btw, where are you building your house, have you got permit from CODIA ?

 

[suarezn]

Try to remember that guy's name and reaport him to the'Head Office" in Santo Domingo. H was just trying to scam you for money. The Seguro Sociales has NOTHING to do with "Building anything in the DR.

Texas Bill

That's not 100% correct. By law you're supposed to have insurance for the people working on your property, so any time you're building the insurance guys will show up and try to get you to buy this insurance. I had it happen with me when I was building. My Maestro told me that even if you pay the insurance if you have an injury in your premises the insurance company will give them the runaround and eventually pay nothing, so he preferred to cover his people himself.

If anyone needs a Maestro i have a really good one. He build my house and I'm very satisfied with him. He owns his own set of of wood frames used for pouring roofs (this is a very expensive part of construction). He's from Cotui, so he's relatively inexpensive.

 

[desmil]

Does anyone have any suggestions on where to purchase land at a reasonable price? What's the going rate?

 

[Richard Alberto]

I would say Barahona is going to be the next big area after Samana in relation to metric prices. Beachfront for $20+US mt2.

 

[desmil]

anything reasonable in santo domingo?

 

[chiquittabanana]

Cement

I am trying to get some work done in our house,, since I was building long distance, I loss a lot of money ( A los ojos del amo engorda el caballo) needless to say,,,, my horse still very skinny while the architects I had are "gordo & colorao" so.... decided to do it myself,, I have a Maestro and basically I will direct his work and he will direct the workers.

I am planing on doing the job by stages during the times I will spend in the DR,,, my question is how much area of "empa?ete" can I cover with 300 bags of cement? I am able to get a minimum of 300 bags per shipment at a better price from the cement fabric.

So my plan is to buy the 300 bags and get work done with that, for whatever area I can of empa?ete on the outside, plus the mochetas???? after I will contract the bars for windows & doors... and continue wrking on my next trip.

I am in no rush to finish the house, as our apartment in the city is quite comfy and I can't leave Canada just yet as my kid still receiving extremely importan IBI therapy,, but would like to get some work done.

Thanks


CB

 

[johne]

A word of caution

Don't let it rain on your parade---or those bags of cement you don't plan on using for a while. Keep off a damp floor and i n a dry place.
john

 

[johne]

In fact, they have a lot of value-need to lock up.

 

[chiquittabanana]

Thanks John

That is th reason for my question,,,I already finished a little backyard house and I have sfety bars & windws on it which I plan to use one of the rooms for storage,,,,,I am asking as I want to have some knowledge when I talk to the maestro,, sorry but due to the sour flavour from the previous people I hired,,, I trust NOBODY now.


CB

 

[johne]

Determining how much coverage you are going to get is going to be very difficult. It's just not as easy as figuring the cubic coverage as they will use the cement for a number of differen t reason. For example if you were laying down a patio-that's fairly easy. You would determine the cubic feet needed , the yield per bag and you would know the answer. But when they use the cement for bonding blocks and filling blocks I really don't know how a lay person would be able to calculate with any certainty.

So, after you think you're an expert and you go back and 100 bags are "missing", according to your calculations, what are you going to do??

john

 

[chiquittabanana]

Ball park

John,

As I said,, to be cost efficient-security-reason-time related,, I can only buy 300 bags,,so if I am short 100 bags,,, basically is OK,,, I cannot have 100 extra bags at the end of my stay in the DR.....if they finished the 300,,, the job is done..but this would be only for the first part of the project, once is done once,,, I would know how much time and cement approx. it would take for step two.

I kind of did the backyard house that way,,, they started working few days before I got there and were done by the time I was gone.....so I plan on doing the same.

The outside just need "empa?ete" and not fillings of the blocks is needed....basically I would like to know ballpark what is the yield per bag.

Thanks

CB

 

[bigbird]

...basically I would like to know ballpark what is the yield per bag...

A quick Google search will give you the answer. It all depends on the size of the bag and whether it is just cement in the bag or a cement/sand mix.

 

[Chip]

John,

As I said,, to be cost efficient-security-reason-time related,, I can only buy 300 bags,,so if I am short 100 bags,,, basically is OK,,, I cannot have 100 extra bags at the end of my stay in the DR.....if they finished the 300,,, the job is done..but this would be only for the first part of the project, once is done once,,, I would know how much time and cement approx. it would take for step two.

I kind of did the backyard house that way,,, they started working few days before I got there and were done by the time I was gone.....so I plan on doing the same.

The outside just need "empa?ete" and not fillings of the blocks is needed....basically I would like to know ballpark what is the yield per bag.

Thanks

CB

Get a good maestro to do the estimate for you for free. Also, it is not a good idea to buy a lot of cement to store on your site as eventually in a matter of days the moisture can damage. If you don't have a good maestro, let me know, I have a good friend who will do the estimate and will be glad to do the work at more than a resonable price. He works all over the island.

 

[lcanale1]

Good Thread.

 

[vonny93]

Homebuilding

Can anyone say if it is a requirement for all houses to have insect screens installed at all windows?

 

[montreal]

Can anyone say if it is a requirement for all houses to have insect screens installed at all windows?

That would be a big no

I'm not sure there are countries that REQUIRE them???

If you want them you get them made, if you dont want them then you don't.

 

[vonny93]

I thought as much. So what is the demand like in the Dom Rep. for insect screens and how much variety do you have there?

 

[jaitly3]

Undoubtedly the tips given are worth trying and saving money,while constructing a home .