Renovation is a different discipline from new build. You are working with decisions someone else made, often decades ago, and in Jamaica that usually means uncovering what the drawings never showed: spalling concrete and corroded reinforcement in coastal properties, roof structures fixed below current wind standards, and electrical installations that were extended rather than designed.
We survey the property before quoting, so the scope you agree reflects the building you actually own.
A condition survey first: structure, roof, damp, reinforcement and services. You get a scope based on what is there, not an estimate that moves the moment work starts.
Older Jamaican properties often predate current wind and seismic provisions. Renovation is the natural moment to bring roof fixing and structure up to the National Building Code.
Where you need to stay in the property, we phase the work, seal off active zones, and keep water and power running.
From a single room through to stripping a property back to structure and rebuilding it to current standards.
These are the six findings that most often change a renovation scope on this island. We look for all of them at survey stage, price them openly, and tell you which are urgent and which can wait.
It depends almost entirely on the condition of the structure. Where foundations, columns and beams are sound, renovation is usually the cheaper route. Where reinforcement has corroded through or the frame needs substantial strengthening, rebuilding often costs less than repairing. Our survey gives you both figures so the decision is informed.
Cosmetic work generally does not require approval. Anything structural — removing or forming openings in load-bearing walls, adding a storey, extending the footprint, or changing the roof structure — needs Municipal Corporation approval. We tell you which category your project falls into at survey stage.
Often, yes. We phase the work room by room, dust-seal the active area, and maintain water and power. Full rewiring or roof replacement usually needs a short period out of the property, which we schedule in advance so you can plan around it.
Spalling is treated properly rather than covered over: break out to sound concrete, clean and treat the exposed reinforcement, replace steel where section loss is significant, then reinstate with a bonding agent and repair mortar. Rendering over spalling without treating the steel simply hides it for a year or two.
A single-room remodel typically runs two to four weeks. A full house renovation usually takes three to six months depending on whether structure, roof and services are involved. We issue a programme with the quotation so you can see the phasing before committing.
Renovation projects commonly extend into one or more of these.
Replacement roofs with hurricane fixing brought up to standard.
Specification and finishes for tropical, coastal conditions.
Retrofitting older buildings to current wind standards.
When rebuilding turns out to be the better option.
Start with a condition survey. You will get an honest picture of the building, a priced scope, and a clear view of whether renovating or rebuilding makes more sense.
