Gallardía
Gallardía
Waterproofing an external wall costs B/. 7.50 per m², with either an elastomeric acrylic or a polymer-modified cementitious coating. But before applying anything, you have to find where the water is really getting in.
Get your estimate in 2 minutes · Remodelling Cost Calculator| Activity | Unit | Installation price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waterproofing of exterior walls with elastomeric acrylic coating | m² | B/. 7.50 | |
| Waterproofing of exterior walls with two-part polymer-modified cementitious coating | m² | B/. 7.50 | |
| Base damp-proofing (bituminous or plastic barrier over plinth beam) | m² | B/. 5.00 | |
| Watertightness test by bays (controlled hose testing) | u | B/. 60.00 |
It forms a flexible film that stretches and contracts with wall movement. That makes it ideal where there are hairline cracks or where the structure works with temperature swings — which in Panama are daily: fierce sun at midday, downpour at three.
It performs well on façades, exposed walls and surfaces in direct sun. Its limit: it does not withstand sustained water pressure or immersion.
This is a modified mortar that bonds to the substrate and resists water pressure, including negative pressure — the kind that pushes from inside. It is what you use on retaining walls, basements, tanks, planters and terrace bases.
Same labour price: B/. 7.50 per m². The choice is not about budget, it is technical.
This is the mistake that costs the most money in Panama: waterproofing the stain instead of the source. Water travels. A stain on the living room ceiling can come from a badly sealed lap six metres away on the roof, or from a blocked gutter, or from an air conditioner drain.
That is what the watertightness test by bays with controlled hosing is for, at B/. 60.00. The roof is wetted section by section, in a set order, and you watch where the water appears. Sixty balboas well spent: it saves you waterproofing 80 m² of roof when the problem was two metres of flashing.
On metal roofs, water almost never enters through the middle of the sheet. It enters at the junctions:
| Activity | Unit | Installation price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24-gauge metal ridge cap installed (seals and laps included) | m | B/. 5.00 | |
| 24-gauge front or rear flashing installed | m | B/. 5.00 | |
| 24-gauge side flashing installed | m | B/. 5.00 | |
| Side or front cover flashing installed (foam closures included) | m | B/. 5.00 | |
| Foam closures for metal roof sheeting | m | B/. 5.00 | |
| Anti-corrosion paint applied to cuts and drilled holes | m | B/. 5.00 | |
| Cleaning of gutters and downpipes | m | B/. 5.00 |
Replacing 8 metres of side flashing costs B/. 40.00 in labour. Rebuilding the ceiling ruined by two years of dripping costs vastly more. The lesson: deal with the leak in the first season, not the third.
A good share of the leaks we get called out to inspect in October are, in reality, saturated gutters. The water backs up, gets in at the roof-to-wall junction and runs down inside.
| Activity | Unit | Installation price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24-gauge metal gutter installed (6" girth) plus brackets and straps | m | B/. 7.50 | |
| 24-gauge metal gutter installed (8" girth) plus brackets and straps | m | B/. 10.00 | |
| PVC gutter installed (6" girth) plus brackets and straps | m | B/. 7.50 | |
| PVC gutter installed (8" girth) plus brackets and straps | m | B/. 7.50 | |
| Ø 3" PVC downpipe installed plus brackets and straps | m | B/. 5.00 | |
| Ø 4" PVC downpipe installed plus brackets and straps | m | B/. 5.00 |
In Panama, with the rainfall intensity of the wet season, the 8" girth is not over-engineering: it is the prudent choice on large roof areas. And cleaning gutters before the rains start, at B/. 5.00 per metre, is the best-returning maintenance there is.
| Activity | Quantity | Unit price | Line total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watertightness test by bays | 1 u | B/. 60.00 / u | B/. 60.00 |
| 1:4 render to damaged areas | 12 m² | B/. 7.50 / m² | B/. 90.00 |
| Perimeter sealing with silicone or acrylic | 18 m | B/. 5.00 / m | B/. 90.00 |
| Waterproofing with elastomeric acrylic | 60 m² | B/. 7.50 / m² | B/. 450.00 |
| TOTAL LABOUR | B/. 690.00 |
B/. 7.50 per m² in labour, with either an elastomeric acrylic or a two-part polymer-modified cementitious coating. Base damp-proofing over the plinth beam is B/. 5.00 per m².
Elastomeric acrylic is flexible and suits façades and exposed walls with hairline cracks. Polymer-modified cementitious resists water pressure and is the right choice for retaining walls, basements, tanks and planters. The labour costs the same.
With a watertightness test by bays using controlled hosing, at B/. 60.00. The roof is wetted section by section in a set order until you identify where the water gets in, instead of waterproofing blind.
Almost never through the middle of the sheet, but at the junctions: ridge caps, front and side flashings, cover flashings and foam closures. Replacing each runs at B/. 5.00 per metre.
Yes, and it is one of the most common causes in Panama. The water backs up and gets in at the roof-to-wall junction. Cleaning gutters and downpipes is B/. 5.00 per metre.
On large roof areas, the 8 inch girth. An 8" metal gutter is B/. 10.00 per metre and the PVC version B/. 7.50 per metre.
Replacing a metal roof Painting a house Installing a suspended ceiling General maintenance All questions