Exuma is now Import Duty exempt, but only until June 30, 2026! Previously, under the Family Island Development Encouragement Act, a handful of Bahamian Islands, including Long Island, Cat Island, Andros, Rum Cay, San Salvador, Crooked Island and others (click HERE to see complete list) were the only islands exempt from duty on building materials – also ending mid-year 2026.
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If you are considering building on Great Exuma or Little Exuma – or on any of the other duty exempt islands, there has never been a better time or reason to get your home building project underway. With a limited number of reliable builders available on these islands, many are already booking projects into 2022. Builder availability will become an issue as 2022 approaches – so time is of the essence if you wish to beat the deadline and save up to 35%!
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Topsider Homes has been building in the Bahamas for over 50 years. Because we understand the Bahamas and the challenges there, we have developed a unique and comprehensive approach and package of services for our clients. It begins with FREE Cost Estimates for any of our online house design concepts, so that prospective clients have a starting point from which to work for design and budgetary consideration. These estimates include the cost of Topsider’s delivered house package plus a detailed breakdown of estimated local construction costs.
 This beachfront Topsider home is a combination of a two-story house and pedestal home design built on Cat Cay, Bahamas. |
 This oceanfront short pier (stilt) hurricane house is a good example of the type of Topsider homes built in the Bahamas. |
Once clients are comfortable with a preliminary design and budget, we begin the “design phase” during which we develop house plans and detailed building specifications. This is followed by construction documents (blueprints), engineering and other technical data and details needed for builder bids, building permits and so on. This is all handled in-house by our design and technical staffs. Also during the design phase, we recruit and pre-qualify builders to bid on projects – a process we oversee and coordinate. We have many experienced builders in the Bahamas, but we regularly recruit new ones so that clients have a good selection.
 This small, efficiently built Bahamas house has two living spaces and was built on Great Exuma, Bahamas. |
 This private family estate features three elevated oceanfront houses built on Great Exuma, Bahamas. |
Once all the plans and builder bids are in and the costs tied down (including items such as water-catchment, septic, power to the building site, etc.) clients then engage us to fabricate the pre-engineered house components in our factory for shipment. But our services don’t stop at our door, we take the technical lead for building permits and approvals, arrange all logistics and coordinate the ongoing project with the local builder until it is complete.
We understand building in the Bahamas. Our homes are designed to be low-maintenance, hurricane-resistant and efficient to build by local contractors. All of this ensures a higher level of cost control and quality than the typical “stick built” construction approach. Topsider offers a comprehensive package from design and materials to project coordination, but all of these important elements and steps take time. With the June 30, 2026, deadline looming on the horizon, now is the time to get in touch with us and begin the preliminary steps to get the ball rolling!
