I've just purchased a lot in Sabal Palms and now I need some information about building a house. I'd like to find some house plans and gather some information about good quality contractors. I'm thinking of having someone put in the foundation and then doing some of the building myself. Regardless, I'll have to build the house in stages. At the moment house plans and the name of contractors would be really useful and I'd appreciate any assistance I could get. Thanks

Hi Roy, You will notice that when you ask around here that we have about 12000 contractors (same nr as citizens) who do better then the others. Building on Bonaire is completely different because depending on the area the ground is different. I can give you some addresses but think I have to email them to you becuz it's not allowed to advertise on Bonairetalk. you can email me at rob@vandevechte.com
regards Rob

Roy, congratulations (and welcome to Bonaire Talk)

Rob, you can post the information on the contractors, etc., as long as you aren't affiliated with, don't make a profit from any of the companies

Also check with Ann Phelan who lives in Bon and has recently built a very lovely home.

Please contact:
Caribbean Building
Frits Gruter
Phone +599 717 6429
Cel +599 786 2580
email: caribbeanbuilding@telbonet.an

This is a professional architect who has build a lot on Bonaire

Rob

Where is Sabal Palms?

Sabal Palms is located on the road from Belnem to Sorobon.

I live near Sabal Palms..great area to power walk up there...lots building up fast. I would love to share my experience. Everyone told me DON'T DO IT..buy a ready made house..my foundation went up in Nov. they took a Xmas break for 5 weeks and Jan. - July it was done. I moved in July 1. I had no septic for 2 weeks but it was a blast. My one year anny is tomorrow. It was a wonderful experience. I had two Dominican men build my house. You have to be very careful who you choose. Email me for more on my experience: ann@bonairecaribbean.com

Happy Anniversary and congrats, Ann! Carole

We were very pleased with our architect/project manager, Elton Augusta. Email elton@augustanv.com. Speaks 4 languages fluently and will provide a free consultation.

:-) Carl

Hi Roy,
We are currently building in Sabal palms. We are using Elton Augusta,who is great. He found our contractor,Tony Marchena Quimar. Our house is scheduled to be complete November 15. We have been receiving email photos of the progress. We are currently in Bonaire for the second time this year for our annual trip and of course to check the progress. We are pleased. Which lot did you buy,if you don't mind me asking? Our lot is number 72, but our address will be sabal palm 62. If you have questions regarding the building process, just email.
Good luck,
Teresa

Thanks to everyone for the information. I appreciate it very much. To Teresa and Carl: Thanks for the name of a contractor, I'll be in Bonaire in August and I'll check with him - Carl also recommended the same contractor. Teresa, my lot number is 90 - south east side of the development. I'm saving up my pennies and hoping I can start building plans very soon.

teresa, how is your place going? i remember when you and karen were there picking out tile and lighting fixtures. i'm sure i'll run into karen at the dive shop here in the states this summer. good luck...hope to see you back on bonaire next winter.

Roy,
We developed our house plans with Elton. We told him what we had to have in a house and he designed it. He will build you whatever you want. I do suggest that you start sooner than later. There will be changes coming in July 2007, with the possibility of the guilder no longer existing and the Euro becoming the currency of Bonaire. There are other threads regarding this, check it out.

Pat,
Our house is going well. It will be finished in November and we will of course be here on the 18th!!!! It was great meeting you at Gibi's. Look forward to seeing you again,
Teresa

Roy,
We are just completing our house and can share some things we did right and decisions we regret.

Also, we can share some insights regarding the process and the people we found who were reliable and trustworthy...and those who were not.

It really is key to find a builder who will not cut corners and cover things up if you are not here each day to see the work.

We live here and were at our house every day...but when we were in the USA for a couple of weeks our contractor used a Gunite or Shotcrete method to build our pool...unfortunately...we just found out that there are six MAJOR cracks in the bottom that he plastered over and did not repair properly. He will not stand behind the work.

Just an example of the need to be here or find a very trustworthy contractor (and there are many on Bonaire).

Good luck with your planning process.

Scott

We need advice or suggestions. My husband and I hope to buy a home on Bonaire but we do not know where to get financing. I have checked with mortgage companies and banks in the USA but they will not finance a construction loan then convert it to a mortgage, for an out of the country property. Does anyone know of a financing institution in the US that they have used to purchase their home in Bonaire? We thank you for any suggestions.
Suzie

I have never heard of anyone being able to use a home in Bonaire as collateral for US or Netherlands based loan. MCB Bonaire holds the mortgage on my hotel. They are happy to finance local property, but you will find the rates much higher and terms much shorter than US rates.

My husband and I bought a lot in Santa Barbara. We are considering building and would like advice on construction costs and where you picked out materials and stoves,ref. etc. How does tax structure work and is there a US/South American Retirement population starting.Any advice would be helpful randy

I was able to get financing from Fortis Bank in Curacao. I think they have just recently begun to give loans for homes on Bonaire. (I don't know about construction loans).
Suzy, if you have questions e-mail me. I can give you my contact there. Bob at ReMax also knows him and can give you the info as well.

Hi- we recently bought a house on Bonaire that needs repair. we emailed a contractor but were told it was the busy season and they could not do it right away. we considered a trip to do the work ourselves, and want to know, when we get there---what is the availability of building supplies, mainly plumbing,--pipe, fittings, wrenches-shovels, picks etc.? Could we reasonably expect to be able to walk into a hardware store, buy what we need and go do the work in a few days? Or are plumbing supplies hard to get? Thanks Randy

Basic building supplies are reasonably available on the island. We periodically run low on concrete, though.

I hope you understand what you are getting into. Bonaire construction isn't timber/drywall, or even concrete block with firring strips and drywall ... it's concrete block plastered with concrete on both sides, and poured concrete floors. Anything but the simplest plumbing job requires concrete saws, jackhammers, and concrete repair.

Randy, everyone shuts down til mid January really. Not much building now. It's best to come here and CAREFULLY select who to work with. It's pricey to get tools and supplies vary according to the season. Kooymans's and Playa Trading as well as Caribbean Fastener have most tools you need. Have fun and good luck.

Can anyone tell me if there are building codes on new construction? Also if you have to have a permit to do remodeling or repairs on existing houses? Does anyone use pvc pipe on the island? Thanks Randy

There are codes, inspections, permits, etc just like any other country...PVC is readily available.

Michael- thanks for the info- we bought a house and it needs a new water line from the meter to the house, and maybe even in the house. My wife and I are coming in March to access what needs to be done.
Will we need a permit to do repairs on the water lines? I can do the plumbing and re-plumbing --just need the info as time will be limited. Thanks Randy

Generally, plumbing needs permits and inspections. What you are talking about is repair and you should not have a problem. You could contact WEB and ask but sometimes it is better to just do the work and as long as it is on your property and does not interfere with anything before the meter, you are pretty safe to just do the work.

As Michael says, repair generally doesn't require permits. House main lines are typically 3/4" copper with compression fittings. You will see a lot of compression fittings here compared to the norm in the states. Partially a European influence, and partially because trying to solder in a 30 knot wind is annoying. I gave up on soldering outside after putting in a 50 meter gas line and having to relight my torch upwards of 30 times.

Kevin-Michael: thanks for the info. How high is the water pressure from WEB? Would PVC handle the situation? Or is this not a good idea? thanks Randy

Not very high, and PVC certainly could handle it. That said, I only see copper used for feed lines, and PVC/ABS for drain. I suspect it's a code requirement.

the grey pvc will not hold very long and when used in the sun, gone in a couple of years. please use copper to avoid problems.Kevin gave you the right advise. You could slide a pvc pipe over the copper one which goes from the meter to your house so avoid damage.