We work throughout Costa Rica, and Arenal is one of the areas where we already have built work. A house here starts at about 1,800 USD per m², more on a hillside, and the permit is filed in Tilarán, which takes about 30 days. On Casa El Sueño the local ASADA did not reach the lot and we processed a well concession.
| Cost per m² | 1,800 USD as a base · more on a hillside |
|---|---|
| Municipality and time | Tilarán. CFIA about 30 days, Ministry of Health about 3 weeks above 300 m², municipal permit about 30 days |
| Water | Local ASADA where it reaches the lot; Casa El Sueño uses a private well concession |
| Special rules | 50 m strip along the lake; mountain drainage laid away from the house and with the slope |
| Our projects here | Casa El Sueño |
Projects we designed and built in this area
Rain and humidity change the decisions
Almost everything that works on the Guanacaste coast works differently here. On the coast the enemies are salt, glare and the dry season; around the lake they are sustained rain, humidity, wind and the way water moves across a sloping site. Detailing follows: generous eaves and overhangs sized for driven rain rather than for sun; roofs pitched and drained deliberately, with gutters and downpipes designed as part of the architecture instead of added later; ventilated assemblies so timber and wall build-ups can dry out; raised floor levels and a surface-water strategy that keeps runoff away from the building; and finishes chosen against mould and constant damp rather than against corrosion.
Comfort is inverted too. On the coast the work is shade and cross-breeze; here it is protecting sheltered outdoor space so it stays usable in the rain, and giving the house the ability to warm and dry itself: orientation for the morning sun, openings that can be closed down when the wind rises, and covered circulation between spaces. The relationship to the landscape changes as well: the view organises around the volcano, the lake and the forest edge, and the planting is a wet-climate palette with nothing borrowed from a beach garden.
That is the argument of this page. The same studio produced Casa El Sueño in the rainforest and houses on a salt-exposed coast, and they do not look like the same house in two costumes, because the site set the terms in both cases.
What has to be approved, and by whom
Nuevo Arenal is in the canton of Tilarán, a different municipality from the coastal projects.
- 01Water: AyA or the local ASADA, plus the availability letter. There is an ASADA in the area, but it did not reach the Casa El Sueño lot, so we processed a water concession for a private well.
- 02CFIA registration of drawings and professional responsibility
- 03Ministry of Health, for houses above 300 m² of construction: about 3 weeks, after the CFIA and before the municipality.
- 04Municipalidad de Tilarán, construction permit. The permit takes about 30 days.
- 05Environmental and lakeside restrictions where they apply to the lot. Casa El Sueño looks over the lake but sits outside the 50 m strip.
- 06Wastewater and septic approval. This is mountain terrain with good drainage, so the drains run away from the house and with the slope, and water never collects on the lot.
What it costs to build here
Different climate, different cost drivers, and distance from the coastal supply chain is one of them. What moves the number:
- Rain and the construction calendar, the wet months govern earthworks and pours
- Slope and runoff: drainage, retaining and foundations
- Roof and rainwater detailing, a larger share of the budget than on the coast
- Access and distance from suppliers
- Finishes specified against humidity and mould
- From $1,800 per m², more on a hillside lot. Guanacaste costs more than the rest of the country in materials and labour
- Ranges can include landscape and pool. Earthworks and retaining walls are priced separately for each lot, and design fees are not included.
What we do, end to end
One studio for the whole chain, the same team from the first site visit to the handover. Each service is described in full on the services page.
Questions from owners in this area
“From the conceptual drawings, the attention to detail, their professionalism, kindness and patience, working through the permit process, a straightforward and fair billing process, and everything between the beginning of the job and planting the plants, we couldn’t be happier.”
“After giving her our rough ideas she presented many options and helped us revise the final design to become our dream home. Her attention to detail and constant communication made the entire process fun and easy.”
Tell us where your lot is
Four fields. We reply with what we can tell you about that specific lot: access, water, setbacks and what the municipality will allow.