This site explains what a renovation in Málaga province costs without quoting prices, because the cost depends on scope, the state of the services, materials, debris, access, occupancy and timing. In Spain a good quote is a “presupuesto por partidas”: every task on its own line with unit, quantity and description, and VAT shown separately. We prepare these quotes free and without obligation; photos and an approximate floor area are enough for a first assessment, followed by a visit.
Why is there no price list on this site?
Most foreign owners start their search with one question: how much per square metre? It is a fair question, and the honest answer is that any figure given without seeing the property is a guess dressed up as a fact. A per-metre number assumes that every flat has the same pipes, the same walls, the same access and the same taste in tiles. None of them do.
What we can give you instead is the structure behind the number. Every renovation quote in Spain is the sum of measured tasks, and each task moves for identifiable reasons. Once you know those reasons, you can read any quote — ours or a competitor’s — and see whether it is complete. That is more useful than a figure that will not survive the first site visit.
What is a “presupuesto por partidas”?
It is the normal format for a professional renovation quote in Spain. The job is divided into chapters (capítulos) such as strip-out, plumbing, electrics, masonry, tiling or painting, and each chapter into lines (partidas). Every line has a description, a unit of measurement, a quantity, a unit price and a line total.
- m² for surfaces: tiling, plastering, flooring, painting.
- ml (metro lineal) for skirting, worktops, cornices or channels.
- ud (unidad) for single items: a toilet, a socket, a door.
- PA (partida alzada) for a lump sum where measuring is not practical — useful, but worth questioning when there are many.
Our page on the itemised quote shows sample lines without figures so you know what to look for.
What actually drives the cost of a renovation?
Seven factors explain most of the difference between one quote and another. Scope: which rooms and which layers — surface only, or down to the services. Condition of the services: original pipes and wiring change everything. Materials: the gap between a standard and a premium tile is often larger than the labour to lay it. Strip-out and debris: how much comes out and how it leaves the building. Access: floor, lift, parking, skip permits. Occupancy: working around residents costs time. Timing: a fixed deadline before the rental season limits how work can be sequenced.
Each one is explained in depth on cost factors.
How does VAT (IVA) appear on a Spanish quote?
Spanish quotes usually show the base amount and then IVA on a separate line, or carry the note “IVA no incluido”. Always check which one you are reading before comparing two quotes; it is one of the most common reasons two totals look further apart than they are.
The Spanish Tax Agency (AEAT) sets out a reduced rate for renovation and repair works on homes when the client is a private individual using the property privately, the building was finished at least two years before the works start, and materials supplied by the contractor stay within a limit of the taxable base. A home that is let out does not qualify. Our guide on VAT and grants sets out the conditions with the official source and date.
Can you quote from photos?
From photos and an approximate floor area we can give you a first assessment: which chapters the job is likely to need, what is still unknown and which decisions will move the figure. That is often enough to decide whether to go ahead and how to plan the budget.
A firm, itemised quote needs a visit. We measure, check the services, look at access and debris routes and agree the scope with you. If you live abroad, photos and floor area by email or WhatsApp are the natural first step; our guide on how to measure for a quote explains what to send.
How should you compare two quotes?
Not by the total. Put the quotes side by side and check, chapter by chapter, that both cover the same work: is debris removal included, is the plumbing renewed or only reconnected, who supplies the tiles, is VAT included, is the final clean there? A cheaper total often means a shorter list.
Then compare quantities. If one builder measures noticeably more square metres of tiling than another for the same bathroom, ask why. Our guide on comparing quotes turns this into a step-by-step method, and the blog explains why quotes differ so much.
What happens when something unexpected turns up?
On older properties it is normal to find things that were not visible during the visit: corroded pipes inside a wall, an uneven screed under the floor, a soil pipe in poor condition. A good quote does not pretend this cannot happen. It names the areas of uncertainty and explains how they will be handled.
Our rule is simple: we stop on that point, send you photos, propose a solution as a new line in the quote and wait for your written approval. Nothing is added to the bill without it. See unexpected costs for how to plan a contingency without inflating the budget.
How are renovation payments usually staged in Spain?
Payments are normally linked to stages of the work rather than to dates: a payment on signing, further payments as chapters are completed, and a final payment on handover. The exact stages should be written into the contract together with the scope and the way changes are approved.
Be wary of anyone asking for most of the money before the work has started. Our guide on the payment schedule explains what a reasonable structure looks like and what Spanish consumer rules say about information and contracts.
What if the quote is higher than your budget?
Cutting the price by cutting lines at random is the most expensive way to save. A better approach is to protect what is hard to redo later — services, waterproofing, levelling — and adjust what is easy to upgrade afterwards: some finishes, lighting fittings, built-in furniture.
Phasing the work, keeping a sound kitchen, or choosing a standard format instead of a large-format tile can all bring a quote closer to your budget without hidden compromises. Our guide on adjusting a budget goes through the options, and the blog looks at what to do when the budget falls short.
Who prepares the quote and who does the work?
The quote and the work come from the same contractor: Bauman Raymond Attila, an autónomo builder with an office in Marbella. We coordinate the trades, can buy the materials, organise a final clean and remain your single point of contact. Electrics, gas and heating installations are carried out by authorised partner installers under our coordination.
We work with a guarantee and public liability insurance. We do not prepare technical projects, apply for licences or issue energy certificates; where your job needs an architect or surveyor, we tell you at the start so it appears in your budget. For the renovation itself, see our sister site on full renovations.
