Should a good Maestro be able to take care of all the plumbing and wiring details? Are there plumbing and wiring codes, and final inspections to verify that work is to code? Are there "licensed" plumbers or electricians, or do the Maestros just learn from experience which ones are the best, and use them?
As far as following codes here in the DR, I can't tell you. There is a lot of homebuilding here in Santiago and I have as of yet to see an inspector. the education of Maestros will vary greatly, but they do most of the work. For big projects it will be a good idea to have an Engineer or Architect involved, but for homes, like in the US it is really unecessary for the most part.
Should a good Maestro also know enough about architecture to be sure the walls of the original home are reinforced properly to handle the load of the new second story, etc.?
That would depend on the maestro.
And, given that the two floors will be made 100% of concrete, what approaches other than air conditioning have you seen for reducing the heat buildup in block homes? Roof materials should be an important factor, and vent fans?
That is a difficult one and will depend on the area in which you live. there are two components to heat, the radiance and the ambient temperature. If you live in close proximity to a lot of other buildings, the radiant load will maintain the temperature higher than a house on it's own in the campo. That is because concrete soaks up the heat during the day(because they are cooler that the surrounding temp) and then as the temp drops it releases the heat energy typically from 8 to 12 pm in the evenings. The only solution will be to have adequate ventilation and shade if possible. These can be effected by windos and fans and awnings, etc.
If you want a good maestro, I recommend my buddy Anjito. He travels all over the island and is honest and trustworthy. He is currently available as I talked to him last night - give him a call 829-964-1507. He also has a friend who is an engineer who can check your house and do whatever plans are necessary. This guy will charge you Domincan prices.
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