How much is it to build a house in Los Cabos - La Paz, Mexico?
Lana Nixon - La Ventana Bay Properties
It costs a lot more to build a house in Los Cabos than it is here in La Paz. Building a modest construction would cost around US $150 per square foot in Los Cabos while it costs around $85 per square foot in La Paz. That does not include the land. That house would be a basic construction with 8 or 9-foot high ceilings, tile counters and floors, basic cabinetry, quality fixtures, etc. There are a lot of options when it comes to construction here in La Paz....
It costs a lot more to build a house in Los Cabos than it is here in La Paz. Building a modest construction would cost around US $150 per square foot in Los Cabos while it costs around $85 per square foot in La Paz. That does not include the land. That house would be a basic construction with 8 or 9-foot high ceilings, tile counters and floors, basic cabinetry, quality fixtures, etc. There are a lot of options when it comes to construction here in La Paz. You can basically have anything you want. If you want granite countertops, top quality fixtures, and spectacular architecture, you can have that, too. If you want to find a Mexican who will build you a home within your budget, you can find that. They are block construction homes but you can do insulated construction as well. Some people do that but that would cost more than $85 per square foot.
The cost to build a house in Los Cabos and La Paz also differs based on the neighborhood you are building in. You start to get to a certain feeling of a certain neighborhood that you want to be in and you want to build something similar to what other people are building. We are a very new area and I can speak for La Ventana because I know it better than the other places. (La Ventana is where I live and work, on the ocean, about 40 minutes from La Paz and two hours from Los Cabos.) It’s all very new here and remains to be seen how it’s going to develop over the next 5 or 10 years because things have just been exploding in our area and it is really changing quickly.
The cost to build a house in La Paz would be similar to the cost to build in La Ventana but I think, depending on where the labor is coming from, the cost changes. You can get a local builder who is skilled and less regulated. In places like Cabo, people usually go to larger construction companies, which increases the costs.
(Home in La Ventana Bay, Baja Mexico Sur, Mexico, pictured.)
Posted May 10, 2016
Alfonso Reynoso - Jabre Construcción
The most expensive place to build the areas in Baja Sur from La Paz south is in Cabo. The cost to build a house in the luxurious places in Cabo could be around US $200 to $400 per square foot without the land. The cost to build in La Paz and La Ventana (a small town 40 minutes southeast of La Paz) is lower than the cost to build in Cabo. In general, the cost to build in La Paz and La Ventana is not higher than $100 per square foot. Sometimes, what makes...
The most expensive place to build the areas in Baja Sur from La Paz south is in Cabo. The cost to build a house in the luxurious places in Cabo could be around US $200 to $400 per square foot without the land. The cost to build in La Paz and La Ventana (a small town 40 minutes southeast of La Paz) is lower than the cost to build in Cabo. In general, the cost to build in La Paz and La Ventana is not higher than $100 per square foot. Sometimes, what makes building in this area more expensive is the type of finishings being used in the houses. The architectural style also makes a difference. The cost to build a desert style house is different from building a modern, California style house. There are also people who want the traditional Mexican style with Mexican finishes, which tend to be more expensive. If someone asks us how much it is to build here per square foot, we say it is between $70 and $75 per square foot, including all the finishes but we tell them that it this price does not include granite countertops, for example; this price is only with cement countertops.
For $80 per square foot, your home could be taller than the traditional houses here; it could be 14 feet high. It would be a big house with nice quality solid doors, nice French windows, and it would have high quality tile floors and a nice countertop. The kitchen would have wood cabinets. However, the bathroom would not have granite countertops. It would have good lighting and a nice terrace, too.
Having a terrace is a good investment in Baja California Sur because that is where you will be most of the time. The space of the bedrooms would be 15 feet by 16 feet. It would have cabinets and closets but it would not have all the complete details; it would be good enough for a vacation house.
The houses that are built here for $80 a square foot are not made of wood and plaster like in the US. They are made of reinforced concrete, which is common in Mexico. That is how we build here in Mexico. We use either reinforced concrete or bricks and cement.
The houses that are meant to be vacation homes and houses that are meant for long-term use are different. The main difference is in the spaces. The kitchen would be different, as you would need a bigger space for the pantry if you were going to live here for a long time. You don’t need big pantries if you are not going to live here for a long time. You don’t need big closets if you are not living here for a long time so closets for vacation houses are smaller.
People ask me what they need if they will live here, and I say, “A big garage.” They ask, “Is that for cars?” I answer, “No, for toys.” You will need a big garage for your kayaks, wind surfboards, kite boards, etc. You will need space for these things if you are going to live here in Baja Sur because without a doubt, you will buy these things when you live here.
(Desert home in La Ventana Bay, Baja California Sur, Mexico, pictured.)
Posted July 1, 2016
Ana Maria Carranza - Diamante Associates
In La Ventana (a village about 40 minutes south of La Paz), La Paz, and Los Barriles (about half way between La Paz and Cabo) you can build for between US $85 and $100 square foot depending on your finishes. For an average of $90 per square foot, you could build a house with standard, average finishes but not granite countertops. It will have finished with tiles, wood cabinets, etc. If you build a house that is like a standard tract home in San Diego, it...
In La Ventana (a village about 40 minutes south of La Paz), La Paz, and Los Barriles (about half way between La Paz and Cabo) you can build for between US $85 and $100 square foot depending on your finishes. For an average of $90 per square foot, you could build a house with standard, average finishes but not granite countertops. It will have finished with tiles, wood cabinets, etc. If you build a house that is like a standard tract home in San Diego, it would cost about $95 to $100 per square foot. Overall, for $100 per square foot, you will get an American-standard type house except that it would be made of block and cement instead of wood, which is better, especially for this area because of the hurricanes that could land here. You wouldn’t want a lightweight house here and then get hit by a hurricane.
The guys next door to our office in La Ventana make a block out of recycled polyurethane with a very high R Factor, which means that it would be good for insulation. The regular block though, is not good for insulation as the walls could get very hot. You could stand next to the wall and feel the heat. What these guys do to do is put in Styrofoam in the ceiling to help insulate.
What is also good for insulation is rock. There is a house that is for sale nearby that is completely made out of rock. They don’t have any air-conditioning in that house but it is always cool. However, it costs a lot to build out of rock. It costs about $250 to $300 per square meter (around $23 to $28 per square foot) of surface area for a completely done rock wall. In contrast, a regular block is 9 pesos (about US 50 cents) per small block.
(Custom homes at Hacienda Palo Verdes, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico, pictured.)
Posted July 17, 2016
Paul Clark - East Cape Homes
The cost to build a simple home of 1,000-1,500 square feet with 1-2 stories in Los Cabos is $100 per square foot. This does not include costs to level the lot and other expenses. This is the usual rate for normal sized houses in Los Cabos. If you have a lot of marble, granite, expensive bathroom fixtures and high end kitchen items, then that would be double the cost.As opposed to the costs of building a simple home in Los Cabos, construction in British Columbia would cost...
The cost to build a simple home of 1,000-1,500 square feet with 1-2 stories in Los Cabos is $100 per square foot. This does not include costs to level the lot and other expenses. This is the usual rate for normal sized houses in Los Cabos. If you have a lot of marble, granite, expensive bathroom fixtures and high end kitchen items, then that would be double the cost.As opposed to the costs of building a simple home in Los Cabos, construction in British Columbia would cost around $120 per square foot. The difference is we don’t need huge heating appliances in Mexico as we do in Canada. In conclusion, the cost to build a house in Los Cabos and La Paz is about 20% less than what it would cost in British Columbia.
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(Tiled bathroom, East Cape, Baja California Sur, Mexico, pictured.)
Posted November 3, 2017