Building your own villa on a Sienna lot? Here's what your architect should submit, how plans are checked against the building guidelines, and the rejection triggers behind costly redesigns.
If you're building your own villa on a Sienna lot, your architect's plans go through design review before any construction starts. The drawings are checked against Sienna's building guidelines: earth-tone walls, flat or low-slope roofs, solar equipment within the 40 cm roof cap, and column foundations on sloped ground. Most costly redesigns come from one mistake. The architect saw the guidelines after the first sketch, when they should have had them before it.
What You Need to Know
- Design review checks a self-build design against Sienna's building guidelines. It comes before the Dominican building licence and does not replace it.
- Four rules shape most designs: earth-tone walls, flat or low-slope roofs, the 40 cm solar cap, and column foundations on slopes.
- Give your architect the guidelines and a topographic survey of your lot before concept design starts.
- How long approval takes depends mostly on how complete your first submission is.
- Self-builders get CONFOTUR relief on land value only (Sienna's status is provisional). The villa and its rental income stay taxable.
How Does the Design Review Process Work for a Custom Villa in Las Terrenas?
Design review is the stage where your plans are checked against the community's building guidelines. You need that approval before you apply for the Dominican building licence.
Why does a hillside development need it at all? Zone 1 has 30 lots spread over a 70-acre site, and 28 of the 30 have ocean views. Each villa sits in someone else's view. One bright white house with a steep aluminium roof would change the outlook from every lot above it. The guidelines protect that shared view, and that is why they also protect your resale value.
The sequence, in order
- Brief your architect with the guidelines before any sketching starts.
- Share an early concept (site plan, massing, roof form, colour direction) so problems surface while changes are still cheap.
- Submit the full package of drawings and specifications.
- Respond to comments and resubmit the revised sheets.
- Receive written approval, then go to Dominican licensing. In general, plans for the licence must be signed by a professional registered with CODIA, the Dominican college of engineers, architects and surveyors.
- Build to the approved set, and resubmit any change to the exterior, the roof, the footprint or the foundations.
The concept stage is the one most people skip, and the one that saves the most money.
What Do Sienna's Building Guidelines Require?
Four rules decide most approvals. If your design meets these, everything else is detail.
Earth-tone walls, never white
Exterior walls use earth-tone palettes that blend into the green of the El Jamito hills. White and bright colours are not permitted. Seen from Playa Cosón or the road up from town, a white wall on a hillside at 150-300 m stands out from a long way off. Ochres, warm greys, clay and natural stone don't.
Flat or low-slope roofs
Roofs are flat or low-slope, which keeps the profile low against the slope and leaves space for solar panels and, where wanted, green roofs. Aluminium roofing is not allowed. Roof form also affects energy use. The International Energy Agency puts buildings at roughly 30% of global final energy consumption, so deep overhangs and a roof that sheds heat do real work in the Samaná climate. They are more than a style choice.
The 40 cm solar cap
Solar panels and their mounting have to stay within a 40 cm height cap above the roof. Almost every villa will carry panels: IRENA's renewable power cost reports show utility solar PV costs falling by around 90% since 2010. So this rule affects nearly everyone. Tilted racks on tall frames are the classic way to break it. Flush or low-profile mounting, set behind a parapet, stays within it.
Column foundations on sloped lots
On slopes, villas sit on columns instead of large cut-and-fill platforms. Columns protect roots, keep natural drainage paths open and leave the topography largely intact. On a site whose flora inventory lists 153 plant species, that matters. Our guide to column foundations on sloped terrain explains the engineering.
What Should Your Architect Submit for Design Review?
Submit a complete package the first time. Incomplete submissions are the main reason reviews drag on. Confirm the current checklist with the team before you start, but a full submission usually includes:
- Topographic survey of your specific lot, with mature trees marked
- Site plan showing setbacks, footprint, driveway, drainage and tree protection
- Floor plans, elevations and at least two sections cut through the slope
- Roof plan with the solar layout and mounting heights drawn against the 40 cm cap
- Materials and colour schedule with real samples or manufacturer references, not just "earth tone"
- Foundation concept showing column positions relative to roots and drainage
- Landscape plan consistent with Sienna's 70% native plant approach
- Water and wastewater concept (cistern placement, treatment unit, overflow route)
Your construction method also has to fit the environmental conditions the site was licensed under, including erosion control, tree protection and runoff management.
Say your architect works abroad and has never designed on a tropical slope. Send the survey and guidelines together on day one, and have them draw the roof plan and sections before they finish the interior layouts. Those two drawings are where hillside designs most often fail.
Why Do Self-Build Plans Get Rejected?
Most rejections are predictable. They usually come from a design drawn for a flat lot elsewhere and then adjusted for a hillside with rules. The table below lists the common triggers and how to avoid them.
| Guideline | What reviewers check | Common rejection trigger | Fix before submitting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wall colour | Exterior palette and finishes | White or bright render; only a vague "neutral" written down | Specify named earth-tone colours with samples |
| Roof form | Pitch, profile, material | Steep pitched roof; aluminium sheeting | Flat or low-slope roof with an approved material |
| Solar cap | Panel and rack height above roof | Tilted frames higher than 40 cm | Low-profile mounting behind a parapet |
| Foundations | Structural approach on slope | Large cut-and-fill pad or retaining walls | Column foundations following the grade |
| Trees and site | Protection of existing canopy | Footprint drawn over mature trees | Shift or rotate the footprint using the survey |
| Completeness | Full drawing set | Missing sections, roof plan or survey | Submit every sheet in the checklist |
Most rejected designs were drawn first and checked against the rules afterwards. Approval goes faster when the rules come first.
If you are still choosing a lot, look at its slope and tree cover with your architect in mind. The available Zone 1 lots vary, and a gentler slope or a clearing between trees can make a design much easier to fit.
How Long Does Design Approval Take?
There is no honest single number to quote. Turnaround depends on how complete the first submission is and how many revision rounds follow.
What speeds it up
- An early concept check that catches roof and colour problems before detailed drawings
- A complete first submission, with every checklist item included
- Comments answered in one revised set, not sheet by sheet
What slows it down
- Missing surveys or sections, which mean nothing can be checked yet
- Changes to roof form or foundations late in the process, which reopen the structural review
- An architect who is overbooked. Construction demand is steady in a country the World Bank describes as one of the fastest-growing economies in Latin America and the Caribbean, and good local professionals book up.
Ask for the current review window in writing when you submit. Then work it into your schedule: don't commit to a contractor's start date until you have the approval letter and the Dominican licence.
How Does Self-Building Change Your CONFOTUR Position?
A self-build buyer gets CONFOTUR relief on the land value only. The villa you build with your own contractor is not exempt.
Sienna holds a provisional CONFOTUR classification under Resolution 203-2024, extended by Resolución 61-2026. The definitive classification was filed in July 2026 and is still pending. The benefits take effect only once it is granted, apply only to the first buyer purchasing directly from the developer, and run for up to 15 years from completion of the project's works.
| Tax | Lot + Sienna-built villa (first buyer) | Lot + self-built villa |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer tax (standard 3%) | Exempt on lot and villa | Exempt on land value only |
| Annual property tax, IPI (standard 1%) | 0% for up to 15 years from completion of the works | Exempt on land value only; normal rules on the villa |
| Rental income tax | Relief applies | Fully taxable |
| On resale | Benefits don't pass on; buyer pays 3%; capital gains not exempt | Same |
For scale: on a lot at the $74,100 entry price, the standard 3% transfer tax comes to $2,223. A self-builder saves that, plus the IPI on the land, once the definitive resolution is issued. A lot buyer who uses Sienna's own construction contract qualifies for the wider exemption, worth $50,000+ over the period. You still have to file your tax returns even when a tax is exempt. If you're weighing the two routes, compare them in land vs turnkey villa in Las Terrenas. This is general information, not tax advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use an architect from my home country?
Yes. Many self-builders do. Pair them early with a Dominican professional registered with CODIA, who can adapt the drawings to local codes and sign the licence application. A Dominican partner who knows the guidelines can also catch roof and foundation problems before they reach review.
Can I have a pitched roof on a self-built villa?
A steep pitched roof does not meet the guidelines, which call for flat or low-slope roofs. A low slope that drains well and keeps panels within the 40 cm cap is the safe route.
Does Sienna's design approval replace the government building permit?
No. Design review confirms your plans meet the community's building guidelines. You still need the Dominican building licence, which in general involves the municipality and national licensing. Sienna's approval comes first.
What happens if I want to change the design during construction?
Resubmit any change that affects the exterior, the roof, the footprint or the foundations before you build it. Interior layout changes that don't touch these usually carry less risk, but confirm with the team before you assume a change is exempt.
The Bottom Line
Most approvals come down to four rules: earth tones, low roofs, solar within 40 cm, and columns on the slope. Brief your architect on them before the first line is drawn and redesigns become rare. To check your concept on site, book a Discovery Tour. You walk the lots, have dinner at ETNO and meet a lawyer with your questions.
This article provides general information about property in the Dominican Republic and is not personal financial, legal, or tax advice. Figures such as CONFOTUR benefits, taxes, and returns depend on your circumstances and can change — confirm specifics with a licensed Dominican attorney, tax advisor, or the relevant authority before making a decision.
Have questions about this?
Talk to our sales team directly — we'll answer on WhatsApp or by phone.
Written by
Sienna Terrenas Editorial Team
The Sienna Terrenas editorial team covers buying, owning, and living in Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic — from the purchase process and CONFOTUR tax strategy to villa construction and Caribbean community life, drawing on the team's on-the-ground experience in the area. Meet the Sienna Terrenas team.
