House construction in Isla Mujeres
Design, licence and construction with a single contractor, for clients who live outside Mexico.
Isla Mujeres is small, already heavily built and sits on a fragile aquifer. Those three facts, not the design, decide what can be put up and how it runs afterwards.
Water is the first constraint
The island draws on a thin freshwater lens sitting over salt water. Over-drawing or contaminating it is locally irreversible, which is why wastewater treatment and discharge are scrutinised more closely than on the mainland. Own storage, treatment and sized consumption belong to the project from the outset, not to the services chapter.
Capped density and a lot of existing building
Much of the island is already built, so most projects are extension, replacement or deep renovation rather than new build on a virgin lot. That brings built party walls, narrow access and neighbours who keep operating. The municipality is Isla Mujeres and the coast sits in a marine park zone.
The ferry and restricted vehicles
Every material arrives by ferry from Puerto Juárez, and heavy vehicle circulation on the island is restricted. That forces consolidated purchasing, on-site storage and a work sequence that does not depend on last-minute deliveries. The programme is calculated against that reality, not against mainland productivity.
Realistic budget and programme in Isla Mujeres
The range here runs from MXN 14,500 to 30,000 per m² (roughly USD 790 – 1,630/m²), the highest in the northern area for three cumulative reasons: the ferry, restricted heavy vehicles inside the island, and the share of work on existing buildings, which yields less per m² than new build.
A typical programme is eleven to sixteen months for 200–350 m². On deep renovation the range widens, because what appears when old structure is opened up is not known until it is opened. That is why on existing buildings we price demolition and strengthening as line items with a unit rate and an estimated quantity, revisable against actual measurement.
What we deliver: design, licence and construction in one contract
We work turnkey. Lot survey and soil study, concept and executive design, licence filing with the responsible engineer, construction with our own crews, services, finishes, pool and landscaping, and handover with as-built drawings and equipment manuals. One contract, one point of contact and a programme that is not split across five suppliers blaming one another.
The budget comes out as line items with quantities and unit rates, not as a single lump figure. That way you can see where the money sits and what happens if a finish changes mid-build.
How it works when the client does not live in Mexico
Most of our clients are abroad while the house is being built. The system is designed for that: a weekly report with dated photographs, a fortnightly video call from site, a live budget where every change is signed off before it is executed, and payments against verified progress rather than against the calendar. We work in Spanish, English, German, French, Russian and Chinese.
If the property sits in the restricted zone, a bank trust (fideicomiso) is the usual holding vehicle; we coordinate with the notary and the bank so that the construction file and the ownership file advance in parallel.
The ground in Isla Mujeres: what it imposes on the project
- Municipality: Isla Mujeres
- Environmental regime: SEMARNAT + ZOFEMAT, marine park
- Ground: thin island limestone
- Water table: very high; fragile freshwater lens
- Salt exposure: severe
Small island on a fragile aquifer — water treatment and the ferry outrank every other decision.
- Federal SEMARNAT filing: the environmental resolution is the project’s critical path. Budget 4–8 months before the first excavation.
- ZOFEMAT frontage: the federal strip is not yours even if you buy the lot — it is concessioned separately and paid for annually.
- Very high water table: forget the basement. Compacted fill platform, raft foundation and negative-side waterproofing.
- Severe salt exposure: 316 stainless throughout the hardware, concrete cover above the code minimum and six-monthly maintenance. 304 pits within two years at this distance from the sea.
- Every material crosses by ferry: logistics owns the schedule. Consolidated purchasing and on-site storage stop being optional.
Compare with the other 41 zones in the zone checker.
Frequently asked questions
What about water and drainage on the island?
That is the critical point. The island lives off a thin freshwater lens, so wastewater treatment and discharge are scrutinised more closely than on the mainland. We size storage, treatment plant and consumption from the concept stage.
Most lots already have a building on them — do you handle that?
Yes: here the bulk of the work is extension, replacement and deep renovation, with built party walls, narrow access and neighbours still operating. It is planned with agreed working hours and protection of adjoining properties from day one.
Do you work on a fixed budget or on a cost-plus basis?
A line-item budget with unit rates and a contracted amount. Any change is priced and signed before it is executed, and payments go against verified progress on site rather than against calendar dates.
What warranty do you give on the finished house?
One year on services and finishes and five years on structure and waterproofing, delivered with as-built drawings, technical datasheets and manuals for the installed equipment.
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