Baja Property Insider · Building · Stage Worksheet

Choosing professionals

Last reviewed September 2026 · bajapropertyinsider.com

You are selecting an architect, a builder, and the licensed professional who takes legal responsibility for code compliance. Who you pick shapes almost everything that follows.

What usually happens next

1. 01 — Ask for finished projects of similar size and go see them.

   Renders and photos show intention; a finished, occupied building shows workmanship, how materials age, and whether the budget held. Ask the owners how the process went — whether the price stayed the price, and how problems were handled. That conversation is worth more than any portfolio.

2. 02 — Confirm licensing and registration, including the DRO of record.

   Architects and engineers hold federal licences (cédula profesional) you can verify by number. The DRO — director responsable de obra — is the licensed professional who signs legal responsibility for code compliance with the municipality. Ask who the DRO will be and verify the registration; a build without one cannot be properly permitted.

3. 03 — Ask how they bill: fixed price, cost plus, or stage payments — and what triggers each payment.

   Each structure puts cost risk somewhere different. Whatever the structure, payments should follow completed, verifiable work — never the calendar. The billing answer you get in the first meeting should match what later appears in the written contract.

4. 04 — Check that workers will be properly registered for social security and insurance.

   In Mexico, unregistered construction workers can create liability that reaches the property owner if someone is hurt. Ask for proof of IMSS registration and insurance for the crew. Reputable builders produce it readily; reluctance here is a reliable warning.

What to watch for

• Large upfront payments before work starts.
• No written contract, or a one-page contract with no scope attached.
• A builder unwilling to name subcontractors or show insurance.

Papers and people

• Who is involved: Architect · Builder · DRO · Attorney
• Documents that show up: Proposals · Licences and registrations · Insurance certificates · References

Notes

Gerardo Sánchez Aramburu

Independent Attorney Partner

Some steps on this sheet are judgment calls, not paperwork. When one of them turns out to matter for your transaction, an independent Mexican attorney is the right next reader — someone answerable to you, not to the deal. Gerardo works directly with foreign buyers and owners in Baja California Sur, in private 30-minute consultations.

Book directly: bajapropertyinsider.com/legal-guidance

Sources and last reviewed

Last reviewed September 2026. Laws, rates, and municipal requirements change. Treat this page as a starting point and confirm anything you intend to rely on with your notario or an independent Mexican attorney.

• Article 27, Constitución Política de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos — Foreign nationals cannot hold direct title inside the restricted zone; the bank trust exists because of this article.
• Municipal planning and land-use offices, Baja California Sur — Land use (uso de suelo), construction licensing, and permit requirements differ by municipality.
• Ley del Notariado para el Estado de Baja California Sur — Defines what a notario must verify, certify, calculate, and file for a property transfer.

A finished checklist is a well-prepared file, not a verified transaction. Baja Property Insider — bajapropertyinsider.com