Every June in Ensenada, Mexico

We build a house of love.

Friends from Southern California spend four days in Mexico building a safe home for a family living in poverty.

Join the 2027 trip Watch the film
The family's tarp shelter stands next to their brand new turquoise house
June 2026. The first climb into his new loft.

A few hours south of the border, families who came north to work the fields live in shelters of plywood, pallets and tarp. For about ten summers, our friends have spent four days changing that for one family at a time.

The family's home before the build, a shelter of plywood and black tarp
Saturday, June 13, 2026. Where the family was living when we arrived.
The 2026 team and the family in front of the finished green house
Monday, June 15. Our team and the family in front of their new home.
3 days

From a bare concrete slab to keys in the family's hands.

16×20

Feet of insulated home, with bedrooms, windows and a door that locks.

$10,000

Builds a family's house, with every material included.

1500+

Homes Baja Bound has built with volunteer groups like ours since 1993.

From bare slab to front door.

Volunteers bend over a wall frame, nailing the studs together
1

Frames and panels

We start on a bare concrete slab. Crews frame the walls, cut siding and paint every panel on the ground.

2

Walls up

On a count of three, the walls swing up into place. Everyone gets a hand on something.

Volunteers lay shingles while a teammate climbs the ladder
3

A roof overhead

Trusses go up, then plywood and shingles, while windows and doors go in below.

A volunteer fits insulation between the wall studs
4

Insulation

Insulation fills every wall so the family stays cooler in summer and warmer on winter nights.

Volunteers hang drywall inside the new house
5

Drywall

Crews measure, cut and hang drywall, then tape and mud every seam until the rooms take shape.

Two volunteers hold paint rollers in the freshly drywalled room
6

Paint

Rollers come out for the walls and trim, and nearly everyone goes home wearing a little of it.

7

Keys in hand

We gather with the family, pray over the home, and watch them walk through their own front door.

See it for yourself.

Five minutes from our 2022 build: the slab, the walls, the roof and the family who moved in.

Baja Bound 2022
5 min 28 sec

The moments that stay with you.

The first few minutes in a new bedroom, 2026.
A toddler rests her chin on her brand new mattress
A brand new mattress, already tested.
A teen volunteer shares a laugh with a young boy
Friendships that need no translation.
A volunteer paints a design on a young girl's cheek
Face paint, crafts and new friends while the house goes up.
The team places their hands on the house and prays
Praying over the house before the keys are handed over.

In the family's words

The family, including a mother holding her baby, stands at the door of their new home

Un hermoso hogar que nos regaló este gran grupo de personas con un enorme corazón.

A beautiful home, given to us by this great group of people with enormous hearts. Forever grateful for your effort and dedication.

ParcibalHomeowner, June 2022 build

See his post on Facebook
The 2024 team in front of the finished blue house, beside the family's old shelter
The next trip

Come build with us in 2027.

Spots are limited, and when the trip fills up, it's full. If you're even thinking about it, let us know now.

When
June 12-15, 2027Four days in Ensenada. Payment due June 1.
Where
Ensenada, MexicoAbout 90 miles south of San Diego.
Cost
$900 per personLodging, meals and your share of the house.
Who
You, and your peopleFriends, families and first-timers. No experience needed.

How the $900 works

A house costs about $10,000 to build, and your trip cost covers your share of it, plus lodging and meals. We encourage everyone to invite family and friends to help.

$900$700$200 trip costraisedfrom you

Tell us you're interested

No commitment yet. Let us know who's coming and we'll follow up with next steps and how to save your spot.

Please tell us your name.

Please enter an email we can reach you at.

We'll only use this to plan the trip.

Good questions.

Still wondering about something? Email us at casadeamorbajabound@gmail.com and we'll get back to you.

Do I need construction experience?

Not at all. Baja Bound's staff lead every step and teach as we go. If you can hold a paintbrush or swing a hammer, there's a job for you, and plenty of us learned everything we know on that slab.

Where exactly do we go?

The farming communities around Ensenada, Baja California, about 90 miles south of San Diego. Baja Bound selects a family who is ready for a home and pours the concrete slab before we arrive.

Is it safe?

Baja Bound has hosted more than 37,000 volunteers since 1993, and their staff are with us throughout the build. We travel, work and stay together as a group. As with any trip outside the country, we strongly recommend travel insurance.

Where do we sleep and eat?

At Baja Bound's beach house basecamp, about 100 yards from the Pacific. Meals are cooked for us, and evenings mean bonfires, s'mores and sunsets over the ocean.

What does the $900 cover?

Your lodging and meals for the trip, plus your share of the family's house. A home costs about $10,000 to build, and the whole team covers it together.

Can I fundraise for my trip?

Yes, and we encourage it. Parents, grandparents, neighbors and coworkers often love to be part of something like this. If you raise $700 from family and friends, your own part is $200.

Gifts go through Baja Bound Ministries, a 501(c)(3), so they're tax-deductible. Our Team page has a message you can copy and send.

Do I need a passport?

Yes. A valid passport is required for everyone, and no passport means no build day. Check the expiration date now, because renewals can take weeks.

Can kids come?

Yes, ages 10 and up. Families come with us every year, and kids work right alongside everyone: painting, hammering and making friends with the neighborhood children.

Anyone under 18 needs a parent or guardian on the trip, or a signed consent letter from their parent or guardian.

Do I need to speak Spanish?

No. Baja Bound provides interpreters, and a smile and a few words go a long way. You'll probably come home knowing more Spanish than you left with.

How do I save my spot?

Two steps: complete the Baja Bound participation form, and pay your $900 by June 1, 2027. Your spot is confirmed when both are done. Everything you need is on our Team page.

What should I pack?

Your passport first. Then work clothes you don't mind ruining (the paint is permanent), work shoes, warm layers for the evenings, sunscreen, a hat, a refillable water bottle, toiletries and insect repellent. The full list is on the Team page.

I can't go. Can I still help?

Absolutely. You can give toward the 2027 house or help a friend on the team cover their trip. See ways to give below.

How is Casa de Amor connected to Baja Bound?

Casa de Amor is our group of friends, not a separate charity. Baja Bound Ministries organizes the builds, selects the families and handles all trip payments and donations.

Can't make the trip? Help build the house.

Every gift goes through Baja Bound Ministries toward the materials for our 2027 family's home.

Give toward the 2027 houseDonate through Baja Bound and mention Casa de Amor.
Sponsor a teammateHelp someone on the team cover their $900.

Baja Bound Ministries is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, EIN 33-0775616. Gifts are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

A toddler climbs onto her new bed beside two teddy bears