What to Check Before Renovating in Bali

Buying a villa is only the first decision. A good number of buyers plan to renovate before moving in or listing it for rent, and that is where a second set of checks becomes necessary — separate from the ones you already did to buy the place. Renovating a villa in Bali without confirming what permits the existing building holds is one of the more expensive mistakes we see, because problems that were invisible during the purchase can surface the moment contractors start opening up walls.

The core issue is this: if the building you bought was constructed without the correct permits, or with permits that do not match what is actually built, renovating it does not fix that problem — it can make it more visible to local authorities, and in some cases requires resolving the underlying permit gap before renovation work can legally proceed. Check this before you sign a contractor, not after.

Start with what permits the building already has

Before planning any renovation, get copies of the existing PBG (building approval, replacing the older IMB) and, where relevant, SLF (function-worthiness certificate) for the villa as built. Compare what these documents describe against what is physically on the property.

Discrepancies are common enough to expect them, not to be surprised by them: an extra room added without updating the permit, a pool built after the original approval, a rooftop structure that was never registered. None of these automatically block a renovation, but each one needs addressing, usually before new work starts, not folded quietly into the renovation itself.

Renovation vs new construction: different permit paths

Not all renovation work needs the same level of approval. Cosmetic work — repainting, replacing fixtures, updating a kitchen within the existing footprint — generally does not trigger new permit requirements. Structural changes, extensions, or anything that changes the building’s footprint or function usually does (as of 2026, verify current thresholds, since these have been updated in recent years and vary by category of work).

Ask your contractor and, ideally, a permit consultant to classify your planned work against this before you get a quote, since it affects both cost and timeline.

What to check before you start

1. Obtain the current PBG/SLF documents for the villa and compare them against what is physically built
2. Get written confirmation from a permit consultant on which parts of your planned renovation trigger new approvals
3. Ask contractors for quotes that separately itemise permit-related costs from construction costs
4. Confirm your lease or ownership documents do not restrict renovation without landowner consent, particularly on leasehold land
5. Set aside contingency budget — unpermitted existing work discovered mid-renovation is the most common cause of budget overruns

Renovating leasehold villas

If the villa sits on leasehold land, check the original lease for any clause about alterations. Some leases require landowner consent for structural changes; others are silent, which is not the same as permission. This is worth confirming with the same notary or lawyer who handled your purchase, since the lease terms matter here as much as the building permits do.

If you bought the villa through a lease transfer, this is also a good moment to revisit what you learned during that process about the lease’s actual terms — see our guide on transferring a Bali lease to a new buyer for what usually gets checked, or missed, at that stage.

Timing renovation around Bali’s building season

Contractor availability and material lead times shift through the year in Bali, particularly for imported fittings and higher-end finishes that are sourced from outside the island. Booking a reputable contractor well ahead of when you want work to start is generally more reliable than expecting to secure one on short notice, especially during periods when construction demand across the island is higher.

If your renovation depends on materials that need to be shipped in rather than sourced locally, build extra lead time into your planning specifically for that, since shipping and customs delays are a more common cause of schedule slippage than the construction work itself.

Budgeting realistically

We are not going to give you a per-square-metre renovation cost figure, because it varies enormously by scope, finish level, and how much of the existing structure you keep versus replace. What we can say from working with owners: renovation budgets in Bali most often blow out because of two things — discovering unpermitted work that needs resolving first, and underestimating how long materials and skilled labour take to source for higher-end finishes. Build both into your planning rather than treating the contractor’s first quote as the ceiling.

Choosing a contractor for renovation work

Renovation quality in Bali varies widely, and the cheapest quote is not always the safest choice, particularly once permit-related work is involved. When comparing contractors, it helps to look beyond the headline price:

• Ask for examples of completed renovation work, ideally villas rather than only new builds, since renovation carries different challenges
• Confirm whether the contractor’s quote includes permit-related paperwork or assumes you will handle that separately
• Check whether they are familiar with the specific area’s local requirements, since some regencies apply rules slightly differently
• Get a written scope of work, not just a price, so you can compare quotes on the same basis
• Ask how they typically handle unforeseen issues discovered once work starts, and how that affects cost and timeline

A contractor who is vague about permits, or suggests you can “just start and sort the paperwork later”, is a pattern worth being cautious about. It is a common shortcut, and it is also the single biggest source of the compliance problems that surface when a villa is later sold or listed for rental.

Renovating with rental income in mind

If you plan to rent the villa out once renovation is complete, a few decisions are worth making with that use in mind rather than purely as a personal residence. Layouts that suit short-term guests differ somewhat from those suited to a family home — think workspace provision, en-suite bathrooms per bedroom, and outdoor living space that photographs well. Finishes that hold up to guest turnover (durable flooring, robust fixtures) tend to cost less over time than ones chosen purely for aesthetics.

If villa management is part of your plan once renovation finishes, it is worth having that conversation with a management team before finalising the renovation design, not after, since small layout decisions can affect how easily the villa markets and operates. See our guide on villa management fees in Bali for how management arrangements typically work once a villa is ready to rent.

How this differs from the overall buying timeline

This guide assumes you have already bought the villa and are now planning work on it. If you are still weighing up how renovation plans should factor into your purchase timeline itself — for instance, whether to buy a villa that needs work versus one that is move-in ready — see our guide on the Bali property buying timeline for how the stages before and after purchase typically fit together.

What to do next

If you are considering a villa specifically because it has renovation potential, it is worth having that conversation before you commit to a purchase price, not after. Browse our villas for sale, and where a property might suit a renovation project, ask us what we know about its existing permit status before you factor renovation into your offer.

• Request existing PBG/SLF documents before planning any renovation
• Classify planned work against permit thresholds with a consultant, not just a contractor
• Check lease terms for alteration restrictions if the villa is on leasehold land