Home renovation in Cozumel
Survey, permits and renovation with one contractor, for owners who live outside Mexico.
Cozumel has an established housing stock — town houses in San Miguel, condos on the hotel strip and villas along the coast — and every renovation crosses the water. Planning purchases around the ferry and working with salt from all sides is what makes island renovation succeed.
Everything crosses by ferry
Tiles, glazing, kitchens and equipment come from the mainland by car ferry. We consolidate purchases, order long-lead items before demolition starts and keep a site store, so a missing box does not stop a crew for a week.
Salt on every side
On an island the wind brings salt from every direction. Corroded railings, window frames and air-conditioning units are the most common complaint; we replace them with 316 stainless, coastal glazing and coated condensers, and repair spalling concrete before finishes.
Town houses and condos
Houses in San Miguel are often older concrete homes on narrow lots with neighbours on both sides; condos on the hotel strip come with administration rules and shared systems. We protect adjoining walls in town and coordinate with the administration on the strip.
Realistic budget and programme in Cozumel
A full renovation in Cozumel runs at MXN 9,000 to 18,500 per m² renovated (roughly USD 490 – 1,010/m²), including an island premium of eight to twelve per cent from ferry freight and storage.
A typical house or condo takes three to six months. Structural and façade changes need the Cozumel municipal licence; condominiums need the administration’s approval.
What we renovate: from a survey to a finished house
Every renovation starts with a survey of what is there: structure, rebar corrosion, slabs, waterproofing, installations and windows. We report what must be fixed, what should be upgraded and what can stay, with a line-item budget for each, before anything is demolished.
We then handle the whole job: permits or condominium approvals, demolition, structural repairs, waterproofing, electrical, plumbing and air conditioning, kitchens, bathrooms, joinery, pools and finishes. One contract, one site manager, and a programme that tells you when each room is back in use.
Renovating while you are abroad
Most of our renovation clients are not in Mexico during the works. You receive a weekly report with dated photographs, a video call from site when decisions are needed, and a live budget where every change is priced and signed before it is executed.
If the house is rented, we phase the work to protect bookings where possible, and we hand over with photographs of hidden work, warranties and manuals, so the next guest or tenant finds a house that works.
The ground in Cozumel: what it imposes on the project
- Municipality: Cozumel
- Environmental regime: SEMARNAT + ZOFEMAT, marine park
- Ground: island limestone
- Water table: high on the coast
- Salt exposure: severe
- Access: ferry from Playa del Carmen — the only freight route
- Development regime: municipal density; hotel zone has its own rules
Every material arrives by ferry — logistics, not design, sets the schedule and the overrun.
See the 47 mapped zones of the corridor in the zone checker.
Frequently asked questions
Why is renovation more expensive in Cozumel?
Mainly because materials and equipment cross by ferry and are stored on site. The labour cost is similar to the mainland; freight and planning make the difference.
How do you avoid delays from the ferry?
By ordering long-lead items before demolition, consolidating deliveries and keeping a site store of critical materials.
Do I need a permit to renovate?
Repairs and finishes usually need only a notice or a minor-works permit; structural changes, extensions and façade changes need a municipal licence, and condominiums need the administration’s approval. We confirm which applies before quoting.
What warranty do you give on a renovation?
One year on finishes and installations and five years on structural repairs and waterproofing we execute, with photographs of hidden work and manuals for new equipment.
House construction in Cozumel · Luxury villas in Cozumel · Villa and Hotel Construction in Cozumel · Commercial construction in Cozumel · Home Renovation in Playa del Carmen · zone checker