U.S. Virgin Islands

A Virgin Islands construction company, headquartered where it builds.

Stabilis Builders is based in St. Thomas, and most of our team lives in the U.S. Virgin Islands. We build hospitality and commercial projects across the territory, plus the water, power, and waste systems that keep them running.

Home market

The Virgin Islands is our home market

The U.S. Virgin Islands is where we are headquartered, where we have built the most, and where most of our team lives.

That matters on an island. The contractor already here, with its own crews, its own equipment, and its own shipping, is the one that can hold a schedule when a barge runs late or a storm is coming.

We are that contractor, and we have been building in the territory for years.

What we build

What we build in the Virgin Islands

From ground-up buildings to full resort infrastructure, delivered by one accountable team.

Hospitality and resorts.Ground-up hotels, resort buildings, and renovations that have to open on time and on brand.
Commercial construction.Commercial buildings, renovations, and tenant improvements across the territory.
Resort infrastructure.Desalination and water treatment, wastewater, on-site power, and solar.Resort Infrastructure overviewEvery delivery method.General contracting, construction management, pre-construction, design-build, and owner's representation.See How We Deliver

Why local

Why owners build with a local team

We are already here.Headquartered in St. Thomas, with 85 percent of our team living in the territory, so your project is run by people on the ground, not managed from the mainland.
We self-perform and ship our own materials.Our own concrete crews and our own shipping mean a late boat or a scarce subcontractor becomes our problem to solve, not a hole in your schedule.
We build for hurricanes.Every structure is engineered for the territory’s wind loads, with hardened connections and impact-rated openings, because the storm season is not optional here.
We build the utilities too.Where the grid and the water main do not reach, we build the desalination, power, and wastewater systems that let a property stand on its own.
A century of Virgin Islands experience.The team carries more than 100 years of combined U.S. Virgin Islands construction experience, on the territory’s most demanding sites.

Local knowledge

We know how to build in the Virgin Islands

Building here is not like building on the mainland, and the difference is exactly where projects get into trouble. We plan for it.

01Logistics.Most materials are imported and shipped in. We plan procurement around barge schedules and long lead times, and we run our own shipping to control it.
02Permitting.We work through DPNR building permits, and Coastal Zone Management approvals for coastal sites, and build the timeline into the schedule.
03Hurricane-grade construction.We build to the territory’s high wind-load standards, with the roof connections, wall-to-foundation continuity, and opening protection the code demands.
04Self-sufficiency.Cisterns, on-site water, and power are part of building here, not extras. We design them in from the start.

Who we build for

Who we build for in the Virgin Islands

Red-roofed building on a wooded hillside

Hospitality and resorts.

The territory's hotels, resorts, and guest-facing spaces.

Resort lobby with reception desks and woven pendant lighting

Commercial.

Commercial buildings and fit-outs for owners and businesses across the islands.

A finished island kitchen with a stone worktop and full-height glazing

Private residences.

Hillside homes built to a finish standard, on sites where the view is the reason the house is there.

The hardest sites in the territory are the ones we are built for. Take a look.

View Capabilities→

Where we work

Across the territory

We are based in St. Thomas and build across the territory. Tell us the island and the site, and we will tell you what it takes to build there.

FAQ

Questions about building in the Virgin Islands

How much does it cost to build a hotel or resort in the U.S. Virgin Islands?

It depends on size, finish level, site access, and how much infrastructure the property needs. Island conditions add cost the mainland does not, so there is no reliable per-foot figure. The real number comes out of pre-construction, priced against your site and program.

Why does building in the U.S. Virgin Islands cost more than on the mainland?

A few island factors stack up. Most materials are imported and shipped in, the local labor pool and supply chain are limited, energy costs are high, and buildings must meet strict hurricane standards. The territory’s tax structure and import costs add to it as well.

What wind load and hurricane standards must construction in the U.S. Virgin Islands meet?

The territory is one of the highest-wind jurisdictions in the United States under ASCE 7. Buildings must be engineered for major hurricanes, with hardened roof and foundation connections and impact-rated openings. We build to those standards, and beyond them when a project calls for it.

Do you need a license to be a general contractor in the U.S. Virgin Islands?

Yes. General contractors must be licensed through the V.I. Board of General Construction Contractors, which requires passing national and territorial exams and carrying proper insurance. Stabilis is a licensed general contractor in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

What building code and permits apply in the U.S. Virgin Islands?

The territory builds under the International Building Code with local high-wind amendments. Building permits are issued by the Department of Planning and Natural Resources, and coastal projects also need a Coastal Zone Management permit. Rainwater cisterns are required, so water storage is planned in from the start.

Talk to our team

Planning a project in the Virgin Islands?

This is our home ground. Email the team and tell us about your site, or send the details through our Request for Quote form.

See the work on Capabilities, or read how we are licensed and credentialed on Capabilities and Credentials.

We build where others can't.