Joan & Stephen
To whom it may concern: Virgilio and his company,”Constructora Virco S.A.” , have proven to me over the last three years to be the most reputable,reliable, and knowledgeable company in all of Bocas del Toro. His team moves quickly, timely, and gets the job done at the quoted price.
I can not recommend him highly enough. Feel confident that the job will be done correctly the first time. Joan & Stephen
Reid
Virgilio and his team turned a disaster, created from a previous unscrupulous builder, into a dream home. You’re welcome to visit my home with Virgilio anytime. He’s a pro who says what he will do and does what he says. He set forth a completely detailed budget, and lived by it to the penny. And for the few changes I had after the project began, he laid out the alternatives, fully priced, and let me choose. Projects in the U.S. should go as well as the work Virgilio did for me. Regards, Reid
Tom
To whom it may concern—
Virgillio and his crews have worked for us for at least the past 10 years supervising and overseeing numerous successful projects in Bocas Del Toro and Panama, including the construction of three houses, the development of a 36 lot subdivision, and rental management. In this time he has been entrusted with all aspects of construction, development, and management and has been consistently reliable, and trustworthy. We could not have done even one of these projects without his hands on management. I would highly recommend him to anyone contemplating a construction project in Bocas. For further information, Tom
Walt And becky chidsey
We hired Constructora Virco S.A., to finish the construction on our house at Saltcreek. Virgilio was easy to work with, honest , knowledgeable, and very dependable. His workers take pride in their work and it shows in the end product. They are especially good with natural wood finishes. Some of the nicest parts of the house are directly from suggestions by Virgilio. I strongly recommend Virgilio and his crew. He goes out of his way to make our visits enjoyable and productive. He always gave us a cost estimate for each unit of work before he started and then stuck by his estimate. Walt and Becky Chidsey
Jeff & fay stockton
My wife, Fay and I have been a successful business team for over 30 years. Like any successful business persons we have learned to look for, and do business with those that not only provide the obvious quality product and competitive pricing, but excellent service without the drama. As our house nears the end of construction we take great pride not only in the beautiful home and old world craftsmanship Virigilio and his crew have provided, but being in a honest position to encourage others to go forward with their dream. Our experience with Virgilio has been a welcome change to the all-too-familiar contractor horror stories one hears about most of the time. Admittedly, we take a little selfish pride at social settings being more often than not, the only ones that can say, “We have not had one problem, or issue that wasn’t worked out quickly, and above all, fairly.” Thank you, Virgilio for the wonderful Panamanian experience. Jeff & Fay Stockton
Mark and Joyce
On the advice of a trusted friend, we first contacted Virgilio Pineda of Virco, S.A. in January of 2008, regarding building a small home on Isla San Cristobal. We had a budget and a good idea of what general features we wanted, but being from a cold region of the United States, we had almost no knowledge of the particular design details that would make our tropic home comfortable, as well as affordable to maintain. Virgilio was attentive to our desires, and made very helpful suggestions about adapting our design to match the location. He also identified ways we could achieve some of our desires at a lower cost. We were able to incorporate his suggestions into the house plans, and as a result we are extremely satisfied with our home's design and livability. Before we decided on a builder, Virgilio met with us several times to answer questions, he visited the building site, and he took us to visit some of his completed homes and their satisfied owners.
Many people had properly warned us against having our home built when we were not in the country and able to personally supervise the construction. They told us that an absentee owner was doomed to disappointment, and that without our being on site daily, shoddy workmanship and delays were guaranteed. Virgilio was right when he said his company is different. We arranged a system in which Virgilio would email us photos weekly of the project progress, and we would then pay him in steps according to when defined stages were completed. This way we were reassured that the project was moving along properly. We also had the benefit of seeing the different stages of construction, so we could visually assess the quality of materials and workmanship. These pictures reinforced our feeling that Virgilio's building methods are excellent - comparable to American standards.
Virgilio is a good communicator in describing the issues that arise during construction. He always informed us when there was a major decision to be made, and was patient and willing to give us the time and the information we needed to make it. He explained in both words and pictures whenever there was a problem. He carefully itemized the costs involved in any changes, so that there was no confusion. He had helpful suggestions and an obvious wealth of knowledge and experience when we asked his advice. We learned to really listen hard when we heard him say “It is my personal opinion …” or “If I were making my own house …” We know our house came out much better because of his willingness to give advice, but not force his opinion.
Virgilio is an excellent planner, and kept the work on schedule even when faced with the inevitable materials shortages and weather delays. Our experience with Virco S.A. was far better in this regard than we have had working with American contractors back home. Virgilio treats us like a friend and a customer.
Virgilio takes deserved pride in his company's work, and is careful of his reputation. He has been very honest and fair with us. He knows that his good name will be far more valuable to him in the long term than any short-term benefit he could gain by cutting corners. We wholeheartedly recommend Virco, S.A. for your future building project.
Mark and Joyce