Escazú · San José · Kiln-dried · Termite-treated · Shop-built
Tropical hardwood is the most beautiful material on a Costa Rican job site and the least forgiving of shortcuts.
Building in Escazú
Escazú runs its own municipal review and is among the stricter cantones in the country on slope studies. Hillside lots above San Antonio routinely require a geotechnical report before the permiso de construcción is issued, and the municipality enforces its setback and height rules closely.
Steep volcanic terrain with variable bearing capacity. Retaining structure is a major cost line on most lots, and stormwater management matters more here than almost anywhere in the Central Valley — water arriving from uphill neighbours is a real design input.
The deepest luxury resale market in Costa Rica, with buyers who compare finish quality directly against Santa Ana. Land basis is high enough that acquisition discipline decides project viability.
Overview
Guanacaste, cristóbal, cenízaro and teak are extraordinary to work with and unforgiving if handled badly. Wood that has not been properly kiln-dried will move in a Central Valley house and split in a coastal one. Wood that has not been pressure-treated or naturally selected for resistance will be found by termites. Our millwork is built in a controlled shop from documented, legally harvested stock, then treated and finished for the specific humidity band the house sits in.
Local practice
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 standardLocal questions
Escazú runs its own municipal review and is among the stricter cantones in the country on slope studies. Hillside lots above San Antonio routinely require a geotechnical report before the permiso de construcción is issued, and the municipality enforces its setback and height rules closely.
Steep volcanic terrain with variable bearing capacity. Retaining structure is a major cost line on most lots, and stormwater management matters more here than almost anywhere in the Central Valley — water arriving from uphill neighbours is a real design input.
We build throughout Escazú, with most of our work concentrated in San Rafael, Guachipelín, Jaboncillos and San Antonio hills. The deepest luxury resale market in Costa Rica, with buyers who compare finish quality directly against Santa Ana. Land basis is high enough that acquisition discipline decides project viability.
Teak is the benchmark for exterior and marine exposure because of its natural oil content. Cristóbal and cocobolo are exceptionally dense and stable. Guanacaste and cenízaro are beautiful for interior slab work but want more protection near the beach.
Escazú enquiries
Send us the plano catastrado and we will come back with what the Escazú municipal rules actually allow on that lot, a realistic cost band, and a permitting timeline for this cantón specifically.
Replies within one business day. Consultations in English or Spanish.
