New Build & Turnkey Villa Construction in the Algarve
From foundations to handover, we build your villa in the Algarve with 20+ years of experience, quality materials and fully transparent pricing.
Building from Scratch
Complete new build projects from planning through to handover, across the Algarve.
Turnkey Construction
Full project management including architecture, licensing and all finishes.
Luxury Villa Construction
High-end builds in Quinta do Lago, Vilamoura, Vale do Lobo and beyond.
Swimming Pool Construction
Custom concrete pools built into new projects or existing properties.
What is included in a turnkey new build?
A turnkey new build means you deal with one company from the first site visit to the day you receive the keys. We coordinate the architect and the engineers, follow the licensing process with the câmara municipal (the local council), build the house and hand it over ready to live in.
VRconstroi has been building in the Algarve since 2004 and holds IMPIC alvará no. 98638-PAR, which you can check on the public IMPIC register.
- Site visit and plot check
- Coordination of the architectural design and engineering projects
- Licensing with the câmara, up to the habitation licence
- Earthworks, foundations and reinforced concrete structure
- Walls, roofing, insulation and waterproofing
- Water, drainage, electrical and other installations
- Windows, finishes, kitchens and bathrooms
- Pool, terraces and outdoor works, if wanted
How does building a house in the Algarve work, step by step?
The order is broadly the same on every project. What changes is how long each stage takes, which depends on the plot, the design and the câmara.
Site visit: we walk the plot with you and talk through the house you want to build.
Plot check: we look at what the PDM allows and whether constraints such as RAN, REN or coastal protection apply.
Quote: you receive a free, detailed written quote.
Design: the architect develops the house with you, and the engineers prepare the structure, water, drainage, electrical, thermal and other projects.
Licensing: the project is submitted to the câmara and we follow it until the construction permit is issued.
Schedule: before work starts you receive a schedule with the phases of the work.
Construction: the house is built phase by phase, with a technical director of works and the official site book (livro de obra).
Habitation licence: after the final inspection, the câmara issues the licença de utilização.
Handover: we walk through the finished house with you and hand over the keys.
What are the phases of building a villa?
Once the permit is issued, the work moves through earthworks and foundations, the reinforced concrete structure, walls and roof, the installations, and then finishes, glazing and fit-out. Outdoor works, landscaping and the pool usually close the job, before the final inspections.
Construction typically takes 12 to 18 months after licensing, and licensing can add 6 to 12 months before it, depending on the câmara and the project. Some phases overlap, and the schedule you receive shows how they fit together on your house.
How much does it cost to build a house in the Algarve?
Quality construction costs from €2,500/m² of gross building area, depending on each project. That figure is a guide, not a price: what counts is the written quote we send after visiting the plot.
- Size, shape and number of floors
- Slope and ground conditions, including rock and retaining walls
- Site access for machines and deliveries
- Level of finishes, glazing and equipment
- Pool, terraces and outdoor works
- Changes requested after work has started
Do I need a permit to build a house in Portugal?
Yes. New construction in Portugal is governed by the RJUE (Decreto-Lei 555/99), and the PDM of each municipality sets what can be built on a plot. The 2024 Simplex Urbanístico reform (Decreto-Lei 10/2024) changed several procedures, so the route for each project is confirmed with the architect and the câmara.
We follow the process with the câmara through to the habitation licence. If you live abroad, you will also need a NIF (tax number) from the tax authority to buy land and sign contracts, and many non-residents appoint a fiscal representative.
Which materials do you use for a house near the sea?
We build on a reinforced concrete structure, with careful waterproofing of foundations, roofs and terraces, and thermal insulation in walls and roof. Strong sun, salt air and winter rain are hard on a house in the Algarve, so render, paint, window frames and finishes are chosen to stand up to them.
Our work includes a single-storey house in Mexilhoeira Grande with an arched porch over the pool, a contemporary house in Silves on a sloping plot and a Carvoeiro hillside house built in terraces down to the pool.
Where in the Algarve do you build?
We are based in Armação de Pêra and build across the central and western Algarve, from Loulé, Vilamoura and Quinta do Lago to Albufeira, Silves, Lagoa, Portimão and Lagos. The towns we work in are linked below.
Where we do this work
LouléVilamouraQuinta do LagoAlbufeiraFaroArmação de PêraSilves
From €2,500/m² for quality construction, depending on the project and the location. We provide a free, detailed quote after visiting the plot.
Typically 12 to 18 months of construction after licensing, which can add 6 to 12 months depending on the local council.
No, and it often pays to talk first. We can visit a plot with you and look at what the PDM allows, the slope, the access and any constraints such as RAN, REN or coastal protection, to be confirmed with the architect and the câmara. Checking a plot before the deed avoids buying land where you cannot build what you planned.
In a turnkey build with VRconstroi, we coordinate the architect and the engineers and follow the licensing process with the câmara municipal up to the habitation licence. The project is formally submitted by the designer, usually the architect, but you keep one point of contact for design, licensing and construction.
Yes. Many clients live abroad during the build and are followed with regular photo reports, video calls and a single point of contact in Portuguese or English. To buy land and sign contracts you need a Portuguese NIF (tax number), and non-residents often appoint a fiscal representative.
On a new build, payments are usually staged and tied to the progress of the work, for example on completion of agreed phases, rather than paid up front. Whatever the schedule, it should be written into the construction contract so both sides know what is due and when.
Yes. Turnkey means one company handles design coordination, licensing, construction and finishes through to handover, and a custom concrete pool can be part of the same project. Including the pool from the start keeps it in the same licensing process and shares excavation and site access, which usually costs less than adding it later.
- What it costsFigures per square metre from real projects, and what they do and do not cover.
- How Much Does It Cost to Build a House in the AlgarveWhat does it cost to build a villa in the Algarve? Price per m², what is and is not included, and the costs most people forget. A guide from VRconstroi.
- How Long Does It Take to Build a VillaRealistic timescales for building a villa in the Algarve: licensing, the construction phases month by month, and what actually causes delays.
- Building in the Algarve as a Foreign Buyer: the Process Step by StepHow foreign buyers build a house in the Algarve, step by step: NIF, checking land, architect, licensing, choosing a builder, construction and handover.
- How to Choose a Builder in the Algarve: A ChecklistA checklist for hiring a builder in the Algarve: the alvará in the IMPIC register, insurance, itemised quotes, contract terms, references and red flags.
- IMPIC licence 98638-PAR (check)
- Tax no. (NIF) 515473111
- Since 2004
- Founder Veaceslav Rusu