Home Design

Concrete-frame construction allows far more design flexibility than wood
framing, and lower local labor costs make full customization affordable in a way it
rarely is in the US or Canada.

Both can be engineered to perform, but reinforced concrete dominates
residential building here because it resists coastal corrosion, termites and humidity in
ways steel doesn’t.

Well-built reinforced concrete homes commonly last 50 to 100+ years with
proper maintenance, and that maintenance falls on finishes and waterproofing, not
the structural core.

Wood construction is legal, but it demands special engineering and
continuous maintenance to survive humidity, termites and hurricane exposure, which
is why concrete stays the default.

Reinforced concrete handles the region’s humidity, termites and hurricane
winds far better than wood, and lasts significantly longer with less maintenance in a
salt-air coastal climate.

Buying land without verifying zoning, hiring builders without verified local
experience, and underestimating infrastructure costs cause most of the expensive
problems foreign buyers run into.

Significant structural renovations and additions need municipal approval
before work starts, usually reviewed under the Ampliación y/o Modificación category
rather than a simple remodel permit.

Generally 3 to 8 weeks once architectural and engineering documents are
submitted. Solidaridad’s fast-track program can approve low-impact projects in as few
as 10 business days

The core permit is the Licencia de Construcción from your municipality, plus
Uso de Suelo zoning verification, stamped architectural and engineering plans, and
environmental approvals where applicable.

A fideicomiso is a Mexican bank trust that lets foreigners hold full rights to
property inside the restricted coastal zone, which covers most of the Riviera Maya,
including Playacar.