How much is it to build a house in Boquete, Panama?

The cost of construction in Boquete depends on whether you are building to Panamanian standards or international standards.

 

Traditional Panamanian construction is simpler and less expensive than international quality. Instead of granite counter-tops, you will get ceramic tiles. Instead of a  shingle roof, you will get sheets of steel. There will be no expensive wooden trim on doors and windows. There will be no hot water heater. There will be no enclosed garage...

The cost of construction in Boquete depends on whether you are building to Panamanian standards or international standards.

 

Traditional Panamanian construction is simpler and less expensive than international quality. Instead of granite counter-tops, you will get ceramic tiles. Instead of a  shingle roof, you will get sheets of steel. There will be no expensive wooden trim on doors and windows. There will be no hot water heater. There will be no enclosed garage with remote control. Sinks and toilets will cost a fraction of the high-end ones you would buy for an international quality home.

 

This is not to say there is anything wrong with Panamanian construction. Your Panamanian house will hold up just as well and just as long as a American or Canadian home, but it will be less luxurious.

 

And it will cost half as much.

 

You can build a Panamanian style home, anywhere in Panama, for about $40-$50 per square foot for interior space, less for car ports and covered patios.

 

An international quality house will cost about $80-$100 per square foot, depending on how much you want to spend on things like imported floor tiles, bathroom fixtures, etc.

 

 

 

 
 

Building a in Panama can be both challenging and rewarding if you work with the right builder.  Here in Boquete we have several good, reputable builders but they don't come super cheap.  In my opinion if you create a nice house it adds real value to the property so the little bit extra you pay gives you more in value than you pay. Expect to pay $880 to $900 / square meter ($74 to $84 / square foot) for a high standard of finish. I paid this and a little bit more for my...

Building a in Panama can be both challenging and rewarding if you work with the right builder.  Here in Boquete we have several good, reputable builders but they don't come super cheap.  In my opinion if you create a nice house it adds real value to the property so the little bit extra you pay gives you more in value than you pay. Expect to pay $880 to $900 / square meter ($74 to $84 / square foot) for a high standard of finish. I paid this and a little bit more for my building and I get great comments on how good it looks.  (Picture of my place-- The Haven, to the right.)
 

The cost to build a house in Boquete depends on the finishes you choose.  However, a good average is approximately $700 per square meter ($65 per square foot) for the construction area.

 

At this price, you would get a house with aluminum windows, a gypsum ceiling, a metal roof, wood doors, imported floor and wall tiles, wood kitchen cabinets and closets, and a granite counter top. It would not include air conditioning or heating...

The cost to build a house in Boquete depends on the finishes you choose.  However, a good average is approximately $700 per square meter ($65 per square foot) for the construction area.

 

At this price, you would get a house with aluminum windows, a gypsum ceiling, a metal roof, wood doors, imported floor and wall tiles, wood kitchen cabinets and closets, and a granite counter top. It would not include air conditioning or heating because neither is needed in Boquete.  As a further example, the house pictured above is about 300 square meters (3.230 square feet), which would cost approximately $210,000 to build.

 

To these costs, you must also of course add the purchase the land.  The cost for the land ranges anywhere from $50 to $100 per square meter (very roughly $50,500 to $101,000 for a quarter of an acre).

 

 

Years ago, there was no inventory of houses that would satisfy an expat so most...

Years ago, there was no inventory of houses that would satisfy an expat so most people who come here built their own house just to get the amenities that they needed. Now, there is a larger inventory of these types of houses because some of the previous owners may have died or have gone back to the US. There are houses on the real estate market that are beautiful. You will see two-bedroom houses to eight-bedroom houses. Because of the problems people had in the past associated with construction, people tend to buy already built houses. More and more people are coming and renting first just to see if they like it. 

When we built our house here in Boquete, which is a pretty high-end house, it what turned out to be about US $100 per square foot. That is just the building; it does not include the land. We have American-style furnishings and this is the nicest house I have ever lived in. We have granite countertops, tile roofs; and the wood craftsmanship here is superb. The windows and doors that are big sliders, were all manufactured here in Boquete. All our woodwork...

When we built our house here in Boquete, which is a pretty high-end house, it what turned out to be about US $100 per square foot. That is just the building; it does not include the land. We have American-style furnishings and this is the nicest house I have ever lived in. We have granite countertops, tile roofs; and the wood craftsmanship here is superb. The windows and doors that are big sliders, were all manufactured here in Boquete. All our woodwork was manufactured here in Boquete as well. The plumbing is of PVC pipes and the gas pipes are metal. Because it is a good idea, a lot of people put in whole house surge suppressors. Overall, the craftsmanship was what really impressed me.

 

If you are building a mid-range American style home, your cost to build would be around $70 per square foot.

There are 3 types of construction in Boquete. The cheapest one, which costs around $500 per sq. meter (roughly $46 / square foot), is built with the standard A-frame aluminum roof with no anti-rust coating, half of the bathroom wall is tiled, you get the cheapest tiles for the kitchen counter and the floor, and your ceiling is covered with the cheapest 2x2 suspended ceiling tiles. 
 
The mid-range type of construction for a house in Boquete, which costs around US $650 per...

There are 3 types of construction in Boquete. The cheapest one, which costs around $500 per sq. meter (roughly $46 / square foot), is built with the standard A-frame aluminum roof with no anti-rust coating, half of the bathroom wall is tiled, you get the cheapest tiles for the kitchen counter and the floor, and your ceiling is covered with the cheapest 2x2 suspended ceiling tiles. 
 
The mid-range type of construction for a house in Boquete, which costs around US $650 per sq. meter, (about $56 / square foot) is built with a treated aluminum roof which would look like Spanish tiles, flat gypsum ceiling, tiles for the kitchen and floor (US $10 to $15 per sq. meter / 92 cents to about $1.40 per square foot), metallic fixtures, and even a hot water connection, too.
 
The third type would cost you around US $800 to $900 per square meter ($74 to $83 per square foot), which includes a more complex metallic roof, gypsum ceiling, a good kitchen with a granite countertop, a bathroom with a hot water connection, a better quality of fixtures, windows, etc.  

 

(Pictured: home construction in Boquete.)

I know how much it costs to build a house in Boquete because I just bought a hectare of land (which is about two and a quarter acres) adjacent to my home. I already met with an architect and designed two different house plans. I’m building 6 houses on the land, which I’m going keep as rental properties.
 
I met with several builders, both expat and Panamanian, and received bids. For the Panamanian builder I chose (who has been in business for 20 years), the cost for a...

I know how much it costs to build a house in Boquete because I just bought a hectare of land (which is about two and a quarter acres) adjacent to my home. I already met with an architect and designed two different house plans. I’m building 6 houses on the land, which I’m going keep as rental properties.
 
I met with several builders, both expat and Panamanian, and received bids. For the Panamanian builder I chose (who has been in business for 20 years), the cost for a 1,200 square foot house, not including the cost of the land, turnkey, with the cabinets and everything, was $37,500.   The house will be built out of concrete blocks, have a cement tile roof, tile countertops, a water heater with hot water at all faucets, and a laundry room.  All ceilings will have sheetrock.  The living room, dining room and kitchen all have tall vaulted ceilings with large windows to let in a lot of natural light.  There will be a nice covered patio.  All doors will be solid wood with wood trim.  Cabinets will be solid wood.  The prices from the expat builders came in at $90,000 to $120,000 for the same house with the same floor plan.  It pays to get a lot of recommendations for builders before you pick one, and certainly get a lot of bids before you pick a builder.
 
The rough cost to build per square foot is about $35 or less, as in my example.  If you’re going to do something really fancy with the granite countertops and high-end items, it may cost you around $65 a square foot using a Panamanian contractor.  That’s about half what it costs in the US for equivalent quality.
 
The other thing that you should know is that there is drastic difference for land prices depending on where you’re buying land. On the east side of the valley in Boquete, towards Panama City, is the Jaramillo Mountains. Much of the property over there has a Pacific Ocean view in addition to the mountain view so there’s a premium for that. Land over there is usually about $45 up to $90 a meter ($45,495 to $90,990 per quarter acre), depending on your view. Land over on the Volcancito side of the mountains is anywhere from $10 to $45 a meter ($10,110 to $45,495 per quarter acre). So where you’re buying your land is going to have a very large impact on the price. If you’re in Alto Boquete, which is a little bit south of town, or even in Potrerillos or Cordillera, you can get land for $4 to $5 a meter ($4,044 to $5,055 per quarter acre) in some of those areas. 
 
I know a guy who just bought a nice 1,800 square foot house on about an acre land in Cordillera. It needs a little bit of work but he didn’t pay much—only $35,000.  It’s 10 minutes to downtown Boquete from Caldera. 

 

(Pictured: large home in Boquete.)

 

 

The price to build a house in Boquete can vary depending on what kind of house and quality you want. The general range for a North American would be about $70 to $120  per square foot.
 
In building our house, we did lots of things wrong but everything turned out. However, we did our research around what architect and builder we wanted. We talked to a number of people and looked at what they recently built. We had a shortlist of a couple of architects and a couple...

The price to build a house in Boquete can vary depending on what kind of house and quality you want. The general range for a North American would be about $70 to $120  per square foot.
 
In building our house, we did lots of things wrong but everything turned out. However, we did our research around what architect and builder we wanted. We talked to a number of people and looked at what they recently built. We had a shortlist of a couple of architects and a couple of builders and picked one of each.
 
We knew that we needed to keep working and making money in the US while we were building our home here in Boquete, which was going to be a large home because it was going to function as a B & B. We basically managed the building process remotely and had somebody here in Boquete who also would periodically come in and monitor what was being done. We would get pictures every Friday from our builder and we would have a Skype call every Friday without fail for the whole year that we were building remotely. As a result, we had a structure, expectations, and follow through, and we kept our builder to his timeline and our building expectations. 
 
Our B & B is 6,000 feet of covered construction. Some of the areas are outdoor, covered areas, and a lot of the covered areas are rooms. Our construction cost ran to the high end of the $70 to $120 per square foot range.  
 
You can get granite and nicer fixtures in Boquete but there are limited choices here. You may go to the store and you will find, maybe if you’re lucky, one thing that you’ll like out of the options available. You may go out with your builder to the store and then you may find one thing that you like and you purchase it right away because it might not be there tomorrow and no stock coming for a while.

 

You can get granite and you can get higher end finishes, but most of the builders will not do the higher quality of work that you would expect somebody to do but they will get close to New York standards if you pay $100 a square foot.  However, your structure here in Boquete would probably be sturdier than the homes in the US because they’re built with a lot of concrete.  

 

(Manzar Lari's home and bed and breakfast, Boquete, Panama, pictured.)

Interior finishes can make the cost vary quite a bit. You may be able to save a considerable sum by going for alternatives that gives you the look...

Interior finishes can make the cost vary quite a bit. You may be able to save a considerable sum by going for alternatives that gives you the look and attributes you're after.

 

(House and backyard in Boquete, Panama, pictured.)

 

 

 

 Building Costs in the Boquete Area Vary and Costs Have Increased But Are Still Much Lower Than Many Areas of North America or Europe

I have lived in Boquete since 2004 and have seen the costs of land and building raise considerably higher, especially the cost of land near the town of Boquete or City of David.
 
My husband and I built five homes in the Boquete area but that was back in 2004 to 2009.  At that time to build a good quality home with...

 Building Costs in the Boquete Area Vary and Costs Have Increased But Are Still Much Lower Than Many Areas of North America or Europe

I have lived in Boquete since 2004 and have seen the costs of land and building raise considerably higher, especially the cost of land near the town of Boquete or City of David.
 
My husband and I built five homes in the Boquete area but that was back in 2004 to 2009.  At that time to build a good quality home with higher end finishes the cost was about $60/ sq ft.  Now that same nicely finished home will cost you $80 to $100 per sq ft.  Why? The cost of fuel went up, therefore the cost of most building materials and cement went up. Labor has gone up some too but not near the percentage of building materials and labor is much less expensive here than in North America and Europe; thus your savings.
 
The cost of construction obviously varies as to the kind of finishings and fixtures one chooses and the complexity of your architectural design. For example, you can buy a good American Standard toilet for $100 or a fancy one for $400. You can install aluminum windows for a lot less than the PVC windows that are German engineered.  Building a two story house is more expensive than a one story. Building on a side of a hill is more expensive then building on flat land. And so on.
 
One product here that is much less expensive than North America is wood products; doors, kitchen cabinets, vanities, and libraries can all be made in local wood shops and there are some very skilled craftsmen here that can make them for your building, just make sure you go with a reputable woodshop. Cedro (cedar) is a common hardwood used here and makes beautiful doors and cabinets.  I don’t recommend wood for windows because the wood can take a life of its own with the weather changes.
 
Building your own home can be fun and rewarding. In the end you get what you want and or need. However, I do not recommend building if you don’t like to shop. You have to shop for your floor and bath tiles, your plumbing fixtures, your type of roof, your light fixtures, your doors and windows, kitchen cabinets. This must be done by the client, not the builder. How would the builder know your tastes? He/she can guide you but not choose for you. And here is where you get to costs.
 
There are many building supply stores in the David area now (about half an hour from Boquete by car), a lot more than there was back in 2004. You can get most or all of your building supplies in David. Or, you can also shop in Panama City and have your building supplies shipped to Boquete area where you will be building. There are plenty of building supplies in the city.
 
Finally, most important, to make your building experience a successful one make sure you choose a reputable builder. Get recommendations from people and go see that builder's work. See how you like the construction he/she has done. You can talk to former clients of the builder. Boquete is still small enough a town you can do this.
 
One more point on cost and a suggestion I have learned from experience; make sure you go through your building contract with your builder with a fine tooth comb.  The contract should state the phases of construction and the payments made according to progress. That way you will have no surprises. And oh, if you are one of those kinds of people who changes your mind a lot, be prepared to pay extra for changes. Stick to your contract and you should be fine on cost. The contract should spell out everything and its cost.
 
And one last final comment: do not choose a builder that does not speak your language. So, if you don’t speak Spanish make sure you get a builder that speaks your language!
 
(Photo of a home I helped owners build at River Ranch Farms on a lot they purchased)

1. The size of the project. This is a fixed cost because it depends on the amount of building materials that are going to be needed. The bigger the house, the more materials you will need such as blocks, cement bags, rebar, beams, etc., and the respective transportation to the site.
2. Finishes such as floor tiles, ceiling, plumbing fixtures and...

1. The size of the project. This is a fixed cost because it depends on the amount of building materials that are going to be needed. The bigger the house, the more materials you will need such as blocks, cement bags, rebar, beams, etc., and the respective transportation to the site.
2. Finishes such as floor tiles, ceiling, plumbing fixtures and so on, are things that depend on what the client wants and style of home that he is looking for. There are a lot of esthetic solutions and a whole range of prices depending on what and where you buy. This is were you can balance the property cost and save some money.