Building & Construction in Spain
- 17 December 2025
- Posted by: Daangroen.com
- Category: Construction
I frequently get asked by my clients to what extent the way of building in Spain is different to the UK, Netherlands or Germany. With existing homes, they also want to know what the renovation options are, so the conversion soon leads to the topic of construction. What are the differences? Well, it´s time to delve a little deeper and provide an in depth explanation.
Within the EU, there are general construction standards that must be met by builders. This includes, for example, what the required minimal values are for temperature and sound insulation. During the design phase of a new project or individual villa, the architect already takes into account both these standards and the rules included in the Spanish building laws, as well as the regulations per municipality, such as the distances to the field boundary, maximum heights, etc.
Climate
Even though the EU has created construction standards and guidelines, there may be factors within an individual country where an adjustment to the implementation of those standards is necessary (without compromising the required standards). A warmer climate automatically involves a different way of isolation and the geological condition of the soil creates a different foundation. The actual construction of a Spanish home actually consists of 3 phases, ie. the structure, the masonry and the finish.
Structure
The structure forms the basis of every home and for that reason already begins in the ground. The foundation of a Spanish house consists of reinforced concrete in which the feet of the various pillars are placed.
This foundation is not only installed at the site where the walls will be built, but is also interconnected in various places in order to obtain a solid and stable structure. By means of formwork, the pillars, which are also of reinforced concrete, are erected and then connected to the first floor.
The first floor (and every subsequent floors) is made up of preformed concrete beams, with the reinforcement being applied over it, after which the concrete floor is poured through the formwork. So the structure consists out of the foundation, the pillars and the floors. Which together form one solid piece of reinforced concrete.
Masonry and isulation
As soon as the structure is completed, the masonry work can begin. With masonry work the rule is to work from the inside out. Beginning from inside, the first sheet that is placed is the cavity wall, whereby, of course, the recesses for windows and doors are incorporated. When the outer leaf is ready, the mandatory insulation is applied. In general, the insulation is ‘projected’, whereby a kind of synthetic foam (pur) is applied under high pressure. The advantage of this is that no spot can be skipped and the cavity walls are optimally insulated. Because of the sunny Spanish climate, people try to keep out the heat as much as possible and that is why the insulation is applied to the inside of the outer leaf of the cavity wall, where in the UK, Netherlands and Belgium the inner leaf is insulated to keep the heat inside.
Finish
After the rest of the masonry work has been completed, the tubes and wiring for water and electricity are laid out. Everything is milled into the walls or processed into the floor. When the screed is poured, the tiles are applied. Floors in Spain are generally finished with tiles. Nowadays there are even ceramic wood tiles with the same structure and look of wooden floors, but they can be used indoors as well as outdoors. The good thing about the absence of night frost on the Costa Blanca is that indoor tiles can also be extended out onto the terraces, but you will need the no-skid version.
Once the windows are placed, which are mainly made of aluminium, always double glazed and if required can be made of safety glass, the rest of the finish will follow. Things such as the spraying of the inner walls and the painting of the outer façade. Almost all windows are equipped with (roller) shutters or special sun protection glass to keep the sun out and therefore the heat out.
TIP: Find someone to guide you
Just like when you purchase an existing home, and perhaps even more so in the construction of your own villa in Spain, it is important to have a trusted and competent partner to guide you through the process. The Daan Groen construction company provides such guidance and will address all your questions, so that your wishes for your dream home are realized through the professional design of your villa, by a professional team.