Scope & budget · Architect bids · Permits
Design Management
Most cost overruns are designed in. This is the phase where they get designed out.
Overview
Before a single block is laid, the decisions that fix most of what your house will cost and how long it will take have already been made: which lot conditions matter, which architect you hire, what you ask them to draw, and how cleanly the permit file moves through the CFIA and the municipalidad. Design management puts an owner-side advocate in charge of that phase. We set the scope and budget with you, check the lot before design starts, run competitive bids for the architect, review the design at every milestone and carry the approvals — so construction starts from a complete, permitted plan rather than a hopeful one. On hillside lots like those in Escazú, that includes the soil and slope work.
What's included
- Your goals, scope and budget written into a brief the architect designs to
- Lot review: access, slope, utilities and a feasibility read before design starts
- Competitive architect proposals compared side by side, with our recommendation
- Architect onboarding and a formal review at each design milestone
- Permit management: CFIA, municipal permit, uso de suelo, water and power letters, INS coverage
- Coordination of vendors, topographers, engineers and inspectors
- Material guidance for your lot's climate and for what is actually available locally
- Preferred pricing through our vetted vendor database
- Bilingual representation in every key meeting, with each step explained
How it runs
Four stages, in this order.
- 01
Brief & budget
What you want becomes a written scope with a budget range tied to your cantón, your finish level and your lot.
- 02
Lot & feasibility
Uso de suelo, setbacks, slope, access, and water and power availability confirmed before money goes into drawings.
- 03
Architect selection
Several CFIA-registered architects propose on the same brief; we compare fee, scope and fit, and recommend one.
- 04
Design & approvals
Milestone reviews from anteproyecto to construction drawings, then the permit file through the CFIA and the municipality.
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
Design Management in Costa Rica
Why hire a design manager if I already have an architect?
Your architect designs the house; a design manager protects the brief and the budget around that design. We check that each milestone stays within scope and cost, coordinate the engineers, surveyors and utilities, and make sure the drawing set is complete enough for builders to price accurately — the step that is easiest to rush and most expensive to get wrong.
What permits does a new house in Costa Rica need?
Typically a uso de suelo certificate, a water availability letter from AyA, the local ASADA or the municipality, confirmation of electrical service from the distributor, CFIA registration of the plans through the APC platform, and the municipal construction permit. Depending on the lot, SETENA environmental approval may also apply — common on coastal and vegetated lots in Santa Cruz and Nosara and Santa Teresa — and an INS riesgos del trabajo policy must cover the workers before construction starts.
How do you choose which architect to recommend?
Several CFIA-registered architects propose on the same written brief. We compare fee, scope of services, relevant built work, experience with design review committees — essential in places like Peninsula Papagayo — and availability, then send you the recommendation in writing with our reasons. The decision is always yours.
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.