Costa del Sol
Marbella, Estepona and the Málaga coast
Spain's most established British coast — and the most active reform market in the country. From luxury villa overhauls in Marbella to townhouse renovations in Fuengirola, our Costa del Sol builders are used to working in English, on European spec, with British budget expectations.
Costa del Sol · at a glance
- Vetted builders
- 2
- Avg. rating
- 5.0 ★
- Reviews collected
- 128
- Projects delivered
- 210
Latest news from Costa del Sol
All Spain news →- Spanish Property Insight · 3 JulForeign buyers flock to Spain’s ultra-prime hotspots
Five locations dominate Spain’s market for homes priced above €3 million, underlining just how concentrated the country’s super-prime property sector has become. According to new analysis from Idealista, the undisputed leaders are the Costa…
Why it matters here
What we vet for in Costa del Sol.
Costa del Sol's British community is the oldest in mainland Spain, which means clients here know what good looks like — and what 'una semana más' really means. Every builder on our Costa del Sol network has at least three years of British clients on the books and quotes in writing, in English, with line items.
Typical projects
- Full villa reforms
- Kitchens & bathrooms
- Pool builds
- Terrace & outdoor
- Smart home retrofit
Cities & towns served
- Marbella
- Estepona
- Benahavís
- San Pedro
- Mijas
- Fuengirola
- Sotogrande
- Manilva
- Málaga
- Malaga
- Nerja
- Torremolinos
The network
2 vetted builders in Costa del Sol
Why Costa del Sol
What to expect from a reform in Costa del Sol
The Costa del Sol is Spain's longest-running British coast — Marbella's modern British community dates back to the 1960s, and that history shows in the local building trade. You'll find more English-speaking contractors here than anywhere else in mainland Spain, and the demand for villa reforms, kitchen overhauls and pool installations is the highest in the country. Property prices in Marbella, Estepona and Benahavís rose 18-25% between 2020 and 2025, which has pulled the reform-and-flip market with it. Quality contractors are now booked out 3-6 months ahead. The flipside is that the volume of bad operators is also highest here — guides to 'avoiding Marbella builder scams' fill every expat forum.
Typical projects
What things cost in Costa del Sol
2026 market rates for builders working with English-speaking clients on properly-permitted projects. Your actual quote will depend on spec, finishes and any unusual structural work.
Full villa reform (3-bed, 200m²)
€150,000 – €350,000
Typical duration · 6-12 months
Includes structural work, full electrical rewire, plumbing, new kitchen, two bathrooms, pool refurbishment. Bring an architect in early — the licencia mayor process is slow without one.
Kitchen reform
€18,000 – €45,000
Typical duration · 4-8 weeks
Mid-range Spanish cabinetry (Cesar, Cocinas Tello) with Silestone or Dekton worktops, integrated Bosch / Siemens appliances. Imported British or German cabinets push the top range to €60k+.
Bathroom renovation
€6,000 – €15,000
Typical duration · 2-4 weeks
Includes new tiling, walk-in shower, vanity, electrics. Wet-room conversions add €2-4k. Avoid the cheapest end — the labour cost difference is small, the finish difference is huge.
Pool build (8x4m liner pool)
€35,000 – €70,000
Typical duration · 8-14 weeks
Includes excavation, structure, plant room, paving. Requires a separate pool licence on top of the standard works licence. Heated saltwater systems add €4-8k.
Terrace + outdoor kitchen
€12,000 – €30,000
Typical duration · 3-6 weeks
Covered pergola, BBQ island, plumbing for sink, electrics for fridge and lighting. Materials matter — local stone (piedra de Mijas) wears better than imported porcelain in the heat.
Permits & paperwork
Permits in Costa del Sol, explained
Marbella, Estepona and most coastal town halls require permits for any work that changes the property's structure, services or footprint. Interior cosmetic work (paint, replacement of like-for-like fittings) generally doesn't. The town hall (Ayuntamiento) charges between 2-4% of the project's declared value as the permit fee, plus a smaller technical visit fee.
Licencia menor
For cosmetic + small reforms
Licencia de obra menor — covers reforms that don't touch structure or change room layouts. Typical processing time: 4-8 weeks. Cost: ~2% of works value. Good builders apply for this before quoting their final price.
Licencia mayor
For structural + extensions
Licencia de obra mayor — required for structural changes, extensions, demolitions and new builds. Requires a project signed off by a registered architect (arquitecto técnico). Processing time: 3-9 months for Marbella, faster for smaller town halls. Cost: 3-4% of works value + architect fees (~5-8% of build cost).
Common pitfalls
What goes wrong in Costa del Sol reforms
Real patterns we see when reforms go sideways here. Most are easy to avoid if you know to look for them.
Verbal quotes
If a Costa del Sol builder won't put the quote in writing with line items, walk away. We see this fail every month — owner pays a third up-front, builder starts work, and the 'scope' expands to two or three times the verbal figure.
Deposit larger than 30%
A reasonable upfront deposit on the Costa del Sol is 25-30% to cover materials and mobilisation. Anything above 40% is a flag. If they need 50% just to start, they're funding the previous project with your money.
Skipping the licence to save time
'We'll start now and apply for the licence in parallel' — common, illegal, expensive. If the Ayuntamiento serves a paralización (works-suspension order) mid-project, you can lose €30-50k before things restart. Always confirm the licence number is in the quote before signing.
No boletín eléctrico at handover
Without the electrical conformity certificate (boletín eléctrico), you can't legally connect new circuits to the grid and you can't resell the property cleanly. Insist on it being included — not a €600 extra at the end.
When to reform
Best time of year for a reform in Costa del Sol
October through March is the best window on the Costa del Sol. Temperatures are 12-22°C, contractors are less booked than peak season (Apr-Sep), and curing times for cement, render and tile adhesive are reliable. Avoid mid-July to late August — most local builders take 2-3 weeks off, work pauses, and the heat makes outdoor concrete pours problematic.
Frequently asked
Owners in Costa del Sol ask us
- Do BuildSpain builders in Costa del Sol speak English?
- Yes — every builder on our Costa del Sol network has been vetted for spoken and written English. They handle quotes, contracts, and on-site communication in English so there's no translation gap on your project.
- How quickly will I get a quote from a Costa del Sol builder?
- Most owners hear back within a working day. Costa del Sol builders on BuildSpain typically reply to new leads in 1h 30m on average.
- What does BuildSpain's vetting process include?
- Every Costa del Sol builder is checked for: valid Spanish business registration (CIF/NIE), at least three years of British or English-speaking clients, written quotes in English, and reference projects we can verify with past owners.
- Do Costa del Sol builders handle permits and paperwork?
- Yes — all BuildSpain builders in Costa del Sol handle permit applications, the licencia de obra, and end-of-project paperwork including the boletín eléctrico where relevant. You don't have to deal with the Ayuntamiento yourself.
- What kind of projects do Costa del Sol builders typically take on?
- Costa del Sol builders on BuildSpain specialise in full villa reforms, kitchens & bathrooms, pool builds and similar reform work. Projects on the platform range from €5k bathroom refits to €250k full villa reforms.