Gallardía
Gallardía
Stripping out the existing ceiling runs at B/. 5.00 per m² and each maintenance access hatch at B/. 20.00. Installing the new ceiling depends on the system, and here we explain which one suits Panama.
Get your estimate in 2 minutes · Remodelling Cost Calculator| Activity | Unit | Installation price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Removal of modular suspended ceiling (PVC, drywall or acoustic) | m² | B/. 5.00 | |
| 40×40 cm access hatch (or specified size) for maintenance | u | B/. 20.00 | |
| Standard 12.7 mm plasterboard, both faces | m² | B/. 7.50 | |
| 12.7 mm moisture-resistant green board | m² | B/. 10.00 | |
| 12.7 mm fire-rated board, pink type | m² | B/. 10.00 | |
| Washable vinyl emulsion paint | m² | B/. 5.00 | |
| Haulage and final disposal of waste | m³ | B/. 45.00 |
Installing the new ceiling is quoted according to the system chosen and the working height, because a ceiling at 2.40 m in a house is not the same as one at 4.50 m in a warehouse needing scaffolding. Send us the square metres and we will give you the exact figure.
The cleanest finish: a continuous surface with no visible joints, painted like a wall. It allows coving, coffers for indirect lighting and stepped bulkheads. It is the one that looks expensive and elegant.
Its weakness in Panama is moisture and leaks. A drip from the roof or from an air conditioner leaves a permanent stain and, if it persists, the board sags. In damp areas you use moisture-resistant green board at B/. 10.00 per m².
This is where Panama's climate takes over. PVC does not absorb moisture, does not stain, wipes clean with a cloth and shrugs off the occasional drip. That makes it the favourite in bathrooms, kitchens, laundries, covered terraces, beach houses and commercial units.
Aesthetically it is more modest: the joints between planks show. But on durability against moisture, it wins outright.
The office classic: 0.60×0.60 m tiles on exposed grid. Its great advantage is access: lift a tile and you reach the air duct, the network cabling or the pipework. In a corporate building that is worth a great deal for maintenance.
It also helps with noise, which in an open-plan office is no small detail.
A drywall ceiling is a sealed surface. If pipework, cabling or an air conditioner drain runs above it and you left no hatch, the only way to reach it the day there is a leak is to break the ceiling open.
A 40×40 cm access hatch costs B/. 20.00 installed. Repairing a broken ceiling costs a great deal more, and the patch always shows. Leave a hatch wherever there is:
| Activity | Quantity | Unit price | Line total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Removal of existing modular ceiling | 25 m² | B/. 5.00 / m² | B/. 125.00 |
| 40×40 cm access hatches | 2 u | B/. 20.00 / u | B/. 40.00 |
| Final disposal of waste | 1 m³ | B/. 45.00 / m³ | B/. 45.00 |
| SUBTOTAL (strip-out and hatches) | B/. 210.00 |
Installing the new ceiling is added according to the system chosen. Ask us on WhatsApp with your exact square metres.
A suspended ceiling or partitions in a standard space normally takes 2 to 5 working days. Stripping the old ceiling is quick — half a day for 25 m² — but it is the dirty part: furniture and floors have to be protected, and the dust gets everywhere.
If the ceiling is drywall, add time for filling, sanding and drying before painting. PVC and modular go up and are finished the same day, with no wet trades.
Removing a modular, PVC, drywall or acoustic suspended ceiling is B/. 5.00 per m² in labour. Final disposal of the waste is charged separately at B/. 45.00 per m³.
For bathrooms, kitchens, laundries, terraces and beach houses, PVC: it does not absorb moisture, does not stain and wipes clean. For a continuous, elegant finish in dry areas, drywall. For offices needing access to services, modular.
B/. 20.00 per unit, in a 40×40 cm format or whatever size is specified. It is one of the best-value line items in the project: it saves breaking the ceiling open the day there is a leak.
Only with 12.7 mm moisture-resistant green board, installed at B/. 10.00 per m². Standard board in a bathroom swells and stains with the steam.
2 to 5 working days in a standard space. PVC and modular are finished the same day they are installed; drywall needs filling, sanding and drying before painting.
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