Builder bids · Weekly site visits · Change orders
Construction Management
The contract sets the price. Someone on site every week is what keeps it there.
Overview
Once design and permits are in hand, the risk moves from the drawings to the job site. Construction management puts us between you and the builder for the whole build. We bring qualified builders to bid on your permitted plans, compare and negotiate the offers, and write a contract with clear payment milestones and a schedule. Then we stay close: in contact with the contractor almost every day, on site every week, and reporting to you weekly with photos. Payments are released against verified progress, change orders are priced before work proceeds, and nothing is signed off until the punch list is closed. On the coast, where salt air governs the specification, that includes checking that the marine-grade materials specified are the ones actually installed.
What's included
- Bids from qualified, vetted builders on your permitted plan set
- Side-by-side bid comparison, negotiation and a selection recommendation
- A clear contract with milestone payments and a construction schedule
- Near-daily contact with the contractor and a site visit every week
- Weekly progress reports with photos and the next steps
- Live video walk-throughs for owners who are abroad
- Tracking of site progress, inspections and the punch list through to completion
- Change orders reviewed, priced and approved by you before work proceeds
- Warranties, as-built documents and a complete handover file
How it runs
Four stages, in this order.
- 01
Builder bids
Qualified builders price the same permitted drawing set, so the offers can be compared line by line.
- 02
Contract & schedule
We negotiate scope and price, then put a contract in place with milestone payments, a schedule and a change-order procedure.
- 03
Oversight
Near-daily contact, weekly site visits and a weekly photo report, with payments released only against verified progress.
- 04
Close-out
Final inspections, the punch list completed, warranties collected and a handover file delivered with the keys.
Who we work with
For owners building in Costa Rica — often from somewhere else.
Bilingual, start-to-finish project management for expats and investors building in Costa Rica.
International buyers & expats
Building a home to live in full time, or a vacation house to come back to every year.
Real estate investors
Developing vacation rentals or properties held for long-term return.
Eco-community builders
Building in Alegría Village, Ecovilla, Serena or another community with its own design rules.
Remote owners
Running a project from abroad and needing someone trustworthy on the ground between visits.
Local practice
Built to Costa Rican standards, not imported ones.
Whatever the service, the underlying method is the same. Structure is reinforced concrete block and beam or light-gauge steel, sized against the seismic zone your lot sits in. Overhangs are deep enough to keep driving rain off the walls. Foundations are raised and drained. Timber is treated or naturally resistant, and detailed to stay out of ground contact.
These are not preferences. They are what has been shown to survive here, and they are why we do not simply execute a set of plans drawn for a different climate without redesigning the parts that would fail.
See the full build standard- Delivered in
- Santa Ana Lindora · Pozos · Río Oro
- Escazú San Rafael · Guachipelín · Jaboncillos
- Santa Cruz Tamarindo · Playa Langosta · Senderos
- Carrillo Playas del Coco · Playa Hermosa · Ocotal
- Curridabat Guayabos · Lomas de Ayarco · Hacienda Gregal
- Belén Cariari · La Asunción · San Antonio
- Garabito Herradura · Los Sueños · Jacó hills
- Peninsula Papagayo Nacascolo · Papagayo master plan
- Nicoya & Cóbano Nosara · Playa Guiones · Santa Teresa
Questions
Construction Management in Costa Rica
How often will you be on site?
At least once a week, with contact with the builder by phone or message nearly every day. Critical moments — foundation pours, structural inspections, the roof — get additional visits. After each visit you receive a written report with photos.
How do you control change orders?
Every change is written up with its cost and schedule impact before any work proceeds, and nothing moves forward without your written approval. Verbal agreements on site are where most budget creep starts, so on our projects they do not count. Our cost guide shows which line items move the most.
What happens if the builder falls behind or quality slips?
We document the issue against the contract and the schedule, raise it with the builder immediately and agree on a corrective plan with dates. Because payments are tied to verified milestones, the contract itself gives you leverage, and we use it on your behalf.
Next step
Tell us about the lot.
Send us the plano catastrado and a rough idea of what you want to build. We will come back with a feasibility read on what the site actually allows, what it is likely to cost, and how long permitting will take in your cantón.
Replies within one business day. Consultations in English or Spanish.