What are the construction standards in Puerto Vallarta?

I do not know much about construction but my father is an engineer and one thing that I remember about the houses that he built on the coast of Puerto Vallarta is that they are all up to seismic standards and could withstand hurricanes.

 

For you to be able to build in Puerto Vallarta or in Riviera Nayarit (an area just northwest of Puerto Vallarta), you have to obtain a building permit from the government. You have to tell them what kind of house you are...

I do not know much about construction but my father is an engineer and one thing that I remember about the houses that he built on the coast of Puerto Vallarta is that they are all up to seismic standards and could withstand hurricanes.

 

For you to be able to build in Puerto Vallarta or in Riviera Nayarit (an area just northwest of Puerto Vallarta), you have to obtain a building permit from the government. You have to tell them what kind of house you are going to build and in which location. If your building plans are not to their requirements, then they will not give you a permit.

 

As you are building your house, the government comes to check.  If they see that you are not building as they required, they might close down your construction. The building standards have been this way ever since tourists started coming into Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit.

 

All of the houses here built to good standards so that they are made to stand forever. The only difference that you will see in the houses here are on the designs because that depends on the taste of the owner. The Mexican-style houses are still built to high construction standards.  

 

(Holiday villa in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, pictured.)

Many of the homes in Puerto Vallarta are very solid; built of solid cement walls and solid cement roofs. They insulate well. They’re a little bit more expensive to build than some of the new stuff that is happening now, but most of the construction is very good.

 

There are some super Mexican architects who are doing some incredibly beautiful architecture these days and the quality of the construction is incredible. Since I moved here in 1999 Puerto...

Many of the homes in Puerto Vallarta are very solid; built of solid cement walls and solid cement roofs. They insulate well. They’re a little bit more expensive to build than some of the new stuff that is happening now, but most of the construction is very good.

 

There are some super Mexican architects who are doing some incredibly beautiful architecture these days and the quality of the construction is incredible. Since I moved here in 1999 Puerto Vallarta has grown, and so have the materials that contractors are able to use.  A lot of the construction that’s going on in Puerto Vallarta is world class and it’s just as good as anywhere you can find in the world. 

 

We have to pull permits but we don’t have the building code restrictions that we’re used to having in the States. So you can do more, which allows the Mexican architects to do some more creative design work and you can find some fun and exciting things in Mexican architecture because they have a little bit more freedom. 

 

When we take a client out and they find a property that they like, we always do a physical inspection of the property which includes drainage, electrical, plumbing, and the utilities; a top to bottom inspection of the property so that our clients know exactly what they’re getting when they puchase their home. By the time we get through showing our clients the properties that are available and things they like, most of them don’t necessarily want to do renovation projects. They like to know what they’re getting when they’re purchasing because they don’t want to have problems to deal with after they close.

 

I am in a building right now that was constructed by a California developer that was built to California state code seismic recommendations. It’s sitting on 216 pylons that go 30 to 60 feet into the ground.  It has an outlet every 6 feet, etc.; all the code standards that we’re used to in California. This is not all that unusual; there’s a lot of really good construction here in Puerto Vallarta.  

 

(Penthouse overlooking Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, pictured.)

The construction standards in Puerto Vallarta are excellent. I wouldn’t say they’ve been always excellent but there was an earthquake in 1995 that shook things up a bit.   Fortunately, there was no major damage or loss of life.

 

Consequently, post 1995, construction laws, norms, and practices really got beefed up. As a result, where in the past you might have seen a lower grade of rebar prior, now you’re seeing thicker and more...

The construction standards in Puerto Vallarta are excellent. I wouldn’t say they’ve been always excellent but there was an earthquake in 1995 that shook things up a bit.   Fortunately, there was no major damage or loss of life.

 

Consequently, post 1995, construction laws, norms, and practices really got beefed up. As a result, where in the past you might have seen a lower grade of rebar prior, now you’re seeing thicker and more substantial rebar and reinforced concrete.  It’s just something to be aware of if you are looking to buy a home or condo.  Your property inspector would be a great asset in determining the quality of construction.

 

The building permit process is fairly structured and there are site inspections just like in the US and Canada. With that said, we’ve built several homes in the US and in Mexico.  Generally, the US is more rigid with a lot of paperwork and stricter zoning laws. It is a little easier in Puerto Vallarta and Mexico as a whole.  But there are still laws and practices to abide by.

 

(Pool overlooking the "romantic zone" in an apartment/hotel, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, pictured.)

The construction standards in Puerto Vallarta are incredibly high. Things have changed considerably, because back in the 70’s or 80’s there were earthquakes that caused a lot of damage in Mexico City. These earthquakes caused a lot of changes to be implemented in building regulations. 

 

The building that I live in here in Puerto Vallarta is a 6-story condominium on the ocean, and it is built in a way that if there are tremors from...

The construction standards in Puerto Vallarta are incredibly high. Things have changed considerably, because back in the 70’s or 80’s there were earthquakes that caused a lot of damage in Mexico City. These earthquakes caused a lot of changes to be implemented in building regulations. 

 

The building that I live in here in Puerto Vallarta is a 6-story condominium on the ocean, and it is built in a way that if there are tremors from earthquakes, it will sway and not crumble. I was on the top floor of this building when there was a 5 - 5.5 magnitude earthquake in Puerto Vallarta, and the building just swayed but acquired no damage. 

 

I’m seeing that more and more buildings here are being built in Puerto Vallarta in the same way, wherein they sway and not crumble in case of a tremor, which is fantastic. A lot of the buildings here in Puerto Vallarta are also built higher so that the first floor is one story up, which takes into account that should there be any swells in the water, it won’t cause any issues. The issues will just be in the main and common areas of the building, which is another great thing about how they construct buildings that’s happening here in Puerto Vallarta.

 

A lot of new condominium projects that are going up right now in Vallarta are all being built to very high standards, and engineers are involved in every one of these builds. I’m not an expert in this particular area, but I can certainly see as they’re building how much goes into making sure that the buildings here in Puerto Vallarta are safe.

 

(New condo project, Vallarta Nayarit, Mexico, pictured.)

Construction standards in Puerto Vallarta are different than what we have in the States. In the States, we use a lot of sheetrock and wood for the principal construction. In Puerto Vallarta, you'll find some sheetrock in new construction. Old construction used reinforced concrete and concrete blocks. You don't have real issues with fire insurance in Puerto Vallarta because there's nothing to burn. 

 

There is recent construction in Puerto Vallarta...

Construction standards in Puerto Vallarta are different than what we have in the States. In the States, we use a lot of sheetrock and wood for the principal construction. In Puerto Vallarta, you'll find some sheetrock in new construction. Old construction used reinforced concrete and concrete blocks. You don't have real issues with fire insurance in Puerto Vallarta because there's nothing to burn. 

 

There is recent construction in Puerto Vallarta which uses steel structures. We have one building like that going up now, but most of the buildings are made of reinforced concrete with pilings that go deep into the ground.

 

In Puerto Vallarta, many of the new buildings are built with similar, if not more, qualifications as the US, such as earthquake construction standards in California, that would withstand hurricanes, earthquakes, and fire.

 

Expats coming to Puerto Vallarta intending to buy a house or condo need not be concerned that what they're buying may be so poorly constructed that it's just going to fall down. Buildings are concrete. It's interesting because you don't have all of the regulations that you would in the US, but you're getting a better product. You're not getting a wooden house with shake shingles on the roof that would burn up in 10 minutes. You've got a concrete building. Even if it were a very simple building, these are buildings built to withstand different weather conditions. 

 

 

 

As in Europe, you don't see a lot of sheetrock in Puerto Vallarta. The sheetrock that is used now in new construction is used for the overall look, as a niche, or for decorative architectural designs within the properties. Designers use sheetrock to do the design rather than do it in concrete. The building's main structure is heavy concrete, but we are now seeing some structures with steel.

 

(Condos in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, pictured.)