House building
Building your own house: plot, permissions and the right builder in Malta
One local tradesperson gets your request – no ring-round.
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Each route shares out the risk differently between you and the contractor. Describe your plot and plans once, and we pass the request, without your name, to builders who work in your area. One of them can take it on.
- Exactly one business. Your request is handed out once. After that, no other business sees it.
- You know who will be in touch. Before the business receives your contact details, we send you its name, address and phone number.
- Withdraw at any time. You can withdraw your consent at any time – using the link in our email.
Self-build, custom build and turnkey
The law does not really separate self-build from custom build. Government guidance treats both as homes where the first owner has the main say over design and layout, from the person who lays blocks at weekends to the person who hands an architect's drawings to a contractor and moves in when the keys arrive. Buying a house off plan from a developer does not count.
A shell-only contract leaves the internal work, services and finishes to you, which saves money only if you have the time and trades lined up to finish it.
Before approaching builders, be clear about who carries the design risk. With a design-and-build contract the builder answers for the design as well as the workmanship; with an architect's design and a separate builder, gaps between drawings and site become arguments about extras.
What a builder's quote for a new house should show
A quote for a whole house is only comparable with another if the scope is identical. Ask for a priced breakdown, not one figure, and for a list of what is excluded.
- the drawings and specification revision the price is based on
- foundation design and what happens if ground conditions differ from the site investigation
- drainage, service connections and who applies to the water company and network operator
- provisional sums and prime cost items, and how they are adjusted
- the programme, payment stages and retention
- insurance during the build and the warranty provider
In Malta: permits, licences and the business behind the quote
Whether the project needs a development permit from the Planning Authority depends on what is built and where; in apartment blocks, the rules of the condominium also apply. Ask before you commit, and let the business tell you which documents it needs from you.
Electrical installation work is carried out by licensed electricians; ask to see the licence and the certificate for the finished installation. Maltese businesses are registered with the Malta Business Registry, so ask for the company registration and VAT numbers, and check whether the quote includes VAT.
Source: mbr.mt
What happens to your request
You confirm your mobile number with a text code and your email address with a link. We then show the request to businesses in your area, without your name or contact details. Only one business can take it on; it pays Offrano for the request, and it costs you nothing.
Before that business sees your details, we email you its name, address and phone number. We check only that it is a registered business, for example through its Malta Business Registry entry or VAT number, not the quality of its work. We cannot promise that a business will respond; if nobody takes the request within 21 days, we withdraw it. Offrano is not a party to any contract for the work.
Related services
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a structural warranty for a self-build?
It is not a legal requirement, but most mortgage lenders ask for a warranty or a professional consultant's certificate, and buyers' solicitors will ask later. It has to be arranged before building starts, because the provider inspects the work as it goes.
What does it mean if the builder offers a shell only?
The builder puts up the structure and makes it weathertight, usually walls, roof, windows and external doors. Plumbing, wiring, plastering, flooring and kitchen are left to you.
Will several builders contact me?
No. The request goes to one business only, and we tell you by email who it is before it sees your details. If none takes it within 21 days, it is withdrawn.
How do I check a business in Malta?
Ask for its company registration number, which you can check with the Malta Business Registry, and its VAT number.
Source: mbr.mt
Can I withdraw my request?
Yes, through the link in any email from Offrano. If a business has already taken it on, we pass your withdrawal to it straight away.
What does the request cost me?
Nothing. The business that takes on your request pays Offrano for it. Whether you accept its quote is entirely up to you.
Ready to make your request?
Describe your project – your request goes to exactly one business.
Make a request