General Contractors · Portugal
Find a trusted general contractor in Portugal
A full renovation touches structure, every trade, and the permit process at once, from €3,000 for a single room refresh to €150,000 and up for a full renovation with an extension. remodel matches you with a vetted and verified general contractor whose licence actually covers a project this size, and checks the quote against regional project data before you see it.
Tell Us About Your ProjectRenovating in Cascais? See Cascais-specific pricing and considerations → · Renovating in Lisbon? See Lisbon-specific pricing and considerations →
What a general contractor covers
The scope of the trade
Full property renovations
Gutting and rebuilding an entire home, kitchen through bathrooms through finishes, under one contract and one point of accountability.
Structural changes and extensions
Removing load-bearing walls, adding floor area, or altering the building envelope, all of which require alvará coverage matched to structural work and a câmara municipal permit.
Multi-trade coordination
Sequencing electricians, plumbers, tilers, and finishers so each trade’s work is ready for the next, rather than the owner scheduling and troubleshooting the handoffs.
Permits and compliance
Filing for and managing the building permit (licenciamento) process, including any heritage-zone or condomínio approvals a project needs.
Subcontractor licensing and liability
Every subcontractor working under a general contractor’s alvará is that contractor’s responsibility, not a separate liability the owner has to verify trade by trade.
Typical costs
What a full renovation costs in Portugal
| Scope | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Single room refresh | from €3,000 |
| Partial renovation (1–2 rooms, minor structural) | from €25,000 |
| Full property renovation | from €85,000 |
| Full renovation with extension | from €150,000 |
| Project management only (coordinating existing trades) | 7.5% to 15% of project cost |
Common mistakes
What goes wrong when hiring a general contractor
Hiring an alvará class that doesn’t cover the project value
An alvará is graded by class and category. A contractor licensed for smaller-value work isn’t automatically authorised for an €85,000+ renovation, where a licence applies, we confirm this before any contractor joins the network.
No written, staged payment schedule
A full renovation without milestone-based payments puts most of the money in the contractor’s hands well before most of the work is verified complete.
Skipping independent inspection at each milestone
Structural and electrical work gets sealed behind walls and tile by the next trade. An inspection before that point catches problems for the cost of a delay, not a demolition.
An unclear or verbal scope
Finishes, materials, and what’s actually included should be written down in the same document as the price. This is where most full-renovation disputes start.
Skipping permits for structural work
Removing a wall or altering the floor plan without a permit creates a legal liability for the property owner, not just the contractor, and can complicate a future sale.
How we vet
Every general contractor meets the same standard
Vetted and verified, Every contractor is vetted and verified by remodel before joining the network. Where the work legally requires a construction licence (alvará), we confirm it.
Insurance in writing, proof of liability insurance requested before work starts.
Track record on comparable-scope projects, references and photos from full renovations, not just smaller single-trade work.
English on request, English-speaking options are available on request, enough to manage scope, sequencing, and changes across a multi-month project without confusion.
Questions about hiring a general contractor
Need a general contractor you can trust?
Tell us about your project and we'll match you with a trusted professional, vetted and verified, and ready to quote.
Tell Us About Your Project