How to choose a builder in Las Terrenas

Start by defining your project

The clearer your project, the easier it is to compare offers.

• What you are building: a house, an extension, a pool, a major renovation; to live in or to rent out.
• Your budget: an overall figure, with some margin for the unexpected.
• The plot: title deed, boundaries, access, water, electricity, slope and type of ground. Have these points checked by qualified professionals.
• The plans: an architect turns your ideas into drawings and a detailed specification. These become the basis for every quote.

Permits and paperwork: find out first

The formalities depend on the project and its location. This guide deliberately gives no regulatory information: check with the relevant authorities and with a local architect, lawyer or notary before you commit. Make sure it is written down who is responsible for obtaining each permit, and know where things stand before work begins.

Check references

• Ask for a list of completed projects, ideally similar to yours, with clients you can contact.
• Talk to those clients: did the builder stay on budget and on schedule? Was communication clear? How did they handle problems after handover?
• Visit finished projects and, if possible, a site in progress: organisation, tidiness, safety, quality of finishes.
• Find out about the business: who runs the site day to day, which work is subcontracted and, if it is a company, its RNC number.
• Watch for warning signs: a price far below the others with no explanation, pressure to sign quickly, a large cash payment demanded before any work starts, or reluctance to put things in writing.

Compare quotes that are genuinely comparable

• Give every builder the same plans and the same specification.
• Ask for itemised quotes (earthworks, foundations, structure, roof, plumbing, electrics, doors and windows, finishes…), with quantities, materials and labour.
• Ask what is not included: utility connections, permits, fees, landscaping, waste removal.
• Check the currency of the quote (USD or DOP) and what happens if material prices rise.
• Ask for an estimated schedule.

The cheapest quote is not always the most economical: a forgotten item can come back later as an extra.

Insist on a written contract

Have a local lawyer or notary review the contract before you sign. At the very least, it should set out:

• who the parties are, the address of the plot, with the plans and specification attached;
• the price, what it includes and any conditions for revising it;
• a payment schedule tied to the stages of the work;
• the estimated schedule and what happens in case of delay;
• how changes are handled: every change is priced and approved in writing before it is carried out;
• the insurance the builder says they hold (ask for a copy);
• the warranties offered: what they cover, for how long and how to claim;
• how handover works and how disagreements are resolved.

Pay in stages

• Do not pay the full amount, or a large share of it, before work starts.
• Tie each payment to a stage that can be checked, by you or your representative: foundations, structure, roof and so on.
• Prefer traceable payments (bank transfer, signed receipt) and keep every receipt, invoice and message.
• You can propose holding back part of the final payment until the defects noted at handover are fixed, and write this into the contract.
• If you buy some materials yourself, agree who orders, receives and stores them.

Keep an eye on the work

• Have a single point of contact on the builder's side. If you are not in the country, appoint someone to represent you: an architect, an independent site supervisor or a person you trust.
• Ask for regular updates with dated photos and videos.
• Have key stages checked before they are covered up: foundations, reinforcement, pipes and wiring before plastering, waterproofing before tiling.
• Record decisions and changes in writing, including those agreed on site.
• If something looks wrong, raise it straight away, in writing.

When the work is finished

• Do a handover walkthrough and draw up a written list of defects to be fixed.
• Ask for updated plans, especially of the water and electrical systems, along with equipment manuals and warranties.
• Keep these documents with the contract: you will need them for maintenance and if a problem comes up.

The professionals in our directory are independent: they are not our employees and we do not certify them. That is why the checks in this guide still matter.

Good practice

• Ask for a written quote with details, and compare several prepared on the same basis.
• Do not pay the full amount up front: a deposit, then payments tied to progress.
• Check references: sites visited, clients contacted.

Finding a professional

Planning a build? Send a request: only your WhatsApp number is required. Our team will call you back to understand your project and suggest a professional; your request is only passed on to them with your consent. A request is neither an order nor a commitment.