L&R Developers Limited
Building Construction in Jamaica
One contractor from the first cut in the ground to the day you get the keys. We build houses, commercial space and warehousing across Jamaica, and we supervise every stage ourselves.
Our own supervisor
On site every working day, not a subcontractor you never meet.
Written scope first
A priced breakdown by stage before anyone breaks ground.
Weekly photographs
You see progress whether you are in Kingston or overseas.
Free first visit
We come and look at the site and quote at no cost.
The service
A building company that answers for the whole job
Most construction problems in Jamaica are handover problems. The mason blames the drawing, the plumber blames the mason, and the owner is left holding a half finished building and three phone numbers. We take building construction jobs as a single contract so there is one company answerable for the result.
That covers everything from clearing and setting out through the concrete frame, the roof, the services and the finishes, to the snag list being signed off. If we also did your drawings and structural design, the engineer who sized the steel is the same person checking it before the pour.
- New houses, extensions and second storey additions
- Shops, offices and small commercial buildings
- Warehouse and light industrial space
- Renovation and remedial work on existing buildings
- Boundary walls, driveways, patios and external works
What is included
What a building contract with us covers
Everything below is part of the service. If your project needs something that is not listed, tell us and we will say plainly whether we can do it.
Setting out and substructure
Site clearing, setting out to your boundary, excavation, footings, foundation walls, hardcore fill and the ground floor slab.
Concrete frame and block work
Columns, beams, suspended slabs and block walls, poured at the specified mix with reinforcement checked against the drawing first.
Roof and weatherproofing
Roof structure, sheeting or tiles, flashings and rainwater goods, detailed for hurricane uplift and heavy rain.
Plumbing and electrical
First and second fix by our own trades, tested before the walls are closed and again before handover.
Plaster, tiling and finishes
Rendering, screeding, tiling, joinery, painting and the kitchen and bathroom fit out.
External works
Driveways, paths, drainage away from the building, boundary walls and gates.
Why L&R
Why owners give us the whole build
The price holds
We price from a written scope, not a guess. Where something is genuinely unknown, such as ground we have not opened yet, it is listed as a provisional item so you can see it rather than meeting it later as a surprise.
The programme allows for rain
Anyone can promise a date in March. We build the wet season into the programme, which is why our dates tend to hold when other people are explaining themselves.
Nothing gets covered up quietly
Reinforcement, formwork and compacted fill are photographed before concrete goes over them. You get that record, and so does your bank if they ask for it.
One number to call
You are not chasing five trades. You call us, and it is our job to have the answer.
How it runs
How a build runs with us
Every job follows the same order, so you always know which stage you are in and what happens next.
1
Site visit and brief
We walk the site with you, look at access, ground and services, and get clear on what you want built and what the budget actually is. This visit is free.
2
Drawings and pricing
You get a scope of works, a priced breakdown by stage and a programme. If what you want does not fit the budget, we say so now rather than halfway up the walls.
3
Construction
Our supervisor is on site through the working day. You get a written update with photographs every week, and any change is agreed in writing before it happens.
4
Handover
Joint inspection, a written snag list, then the snags cleared before the final payment. As built drawings and test certificates come with the keys.
In detail
The detail, stage by stage
The technical detail behind the service, for anyone who wants to understand what they are paying for.
We open trial holes where the ground is uncertain rather than assuming. Footings are sized for what is actually there, fill is compacted in layers, and the slab is poured on a properly prepared bed. On sloping sites this stage usually decides the cost of the whole job, which is why we look at it before quoting.
Reinforcement is fixed to the schedule, with laps, cover and links checked before the pour. Concrete is ordered at the specified mix from a batching plant where the job warrants it, and cubes are taken for testing on structural pours.
Jamaica is in the hurricane belt, so roof fixings and strapping matter more here than the sheeting does. We detail hold down straps, use the right fixing centres and seal the penetrations properly, because that is where water finds its way in.
Plaster, screeds, tiling and joinery to the standard you agreed at the start. We agree the finish level in writing early, because two houses of the same size can differ enormously depending on what goes on the floors and in the kitchen.
Scope of works
What we are usually asked to price
We price every job from a written scope after seeing the site, so the figures below are quoted rather than listed. The first visit and the quotation cost you nothing.
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New house build
On quotationTwo to four bedroom, foundation to handover, including external works.
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Second storey addition
On quotationStructural check on the existing building first, then the addition built and tied in.
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Commercial or retail unit
On quotationShell and core, or a complete fit out ready to trade from.
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Warehouse or light industrial
On quotationSteel portal frame, cladding, ground slab and hardstanding.
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Renovation and remedial
On quotationRepairs to cracked, leaking or settled buildings, with the cause fixed rather than covered.
Our work
Recent projects
Work at every stage, from the first cut in the ground through to handover.
Where we work
Building Construction across Jamaica
We take building construction work across Jamaica. Most of our projects are in Kingston, Saint Andrew and Saint Catherine, and we travel to the other parishes where the project justifies it.
Parishes we cover: Kingston, Saint Andrew, Saint Catherine, Clarendon, Manchester, Saint Ann, Saint Mary, Portland, Saint Thomas, Saint Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Hanover, Trelawny and Saint James.
Questions
Frequently asked about building construction in Jamaica
How much does it cost to build a house in Jamaica?
It depends far more on the finish level than on the square footage. Two houses of identical size can differ by a wide margin once you compare floor finishes, kitchens, joinery and external works. We price from a written scope so you can see exactly what is included, and we will tell you honestly if the budget and the brief do not match.
Do you build outside Kingston?
Yes. Most of our work is in Kingston, Saint Andrew and Saint Catherine, and we take building construction jobs in the other parishes where the project is worth the travel. Tell us where the site is and we will say plainly whether we are the right contractor for it.
Can you build from drawings I already have?
Yes. Bring whatever you have, approved or not. We will review the drawings, tell you if anything is missing or will cause trouble on site, and price the build from them.
Do I need approval before you start?
For most new build and extension work in Jamaica you need parish council approval. We can prepare and submit the drawings for you, or work from a set your own draftsman has already had approved.
How are payments staged?
Against work actually completed on site, not against the calendar. Each stage is inspected before it is invoiced, so you are never paying ahead of what has been built.
What happens if I am overseas during the build?
A good part of our work is for Jamaicans living abroad. You get the same weekly written update with photographs as a client who could drive past, and we will get on a call whenever you want to talk something through.
Get started
Tell us about the project
Send us the location and what you need. We will come and look at the site, and come back to you with a written scope and a price. The visit and the quotation cost you nothing.
Telephone
Office hours
Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm
Request a quotation
Works with this
Services people usually pair with this
Architectural Drafting
Measured drawings, floor plans, elevations and sections, drawn to the standard your parish council expects to see for approval.
Structural Engineering
Structural design and checks for new builds, extensions and remedial work. Beam and column sizing, foundation design, and drawings you can build from.
Civil Engineering
Roads, drainage, culverts, retaining walls, site clearing and earthworks. The work that has to hold up when the rain comes.