We work throughout Costa Rica, and Puerto Viejo de Guanacaste is one of the areas where we already have built work. A house here costs 1,800 to 2,000 USD per m², and logistics can add 10 to 15%, mostly transport. The Matapalo ASADA is in technical non-feasibility, so check water before buying.
| Cost per m² | 1,800 to 2,000 USD · logistics can add 10 to 15% |
|---|---|
| Municipality and time | Santa Cruz. CFIA about 30 days, Ministry of Health about 3 weeks above 300 m², municipal permit 2 to 4 weeks |
| Water | ASADA Matapalo in technical non-feasibility; Käza and MayDan obtained availability in 2022, before it |
| Special rules | Maritime terrestrial zone within 200 m of high tide; wastewater under Decree 42075-S-MINAE |
| Our projects here | MayDan, Käza |
Projects we designed and built in this area
Bigger lots, quieter road, longer supply line
This sector trades the walk-to-town convenience of Tamarindo for land and silence. Lots are larger, neighbours are further away, and a house can be laid out flat and open instead of stacked up a slope. That freedom changes the design: courtyards work here, single-level plans work here, and the landscape becomes the boundary instead of a fence.
The constraints move to logistics and autonomy. The last stretch of road governs what can reach the site and when, so we schedule concrete pours and heavy deliveries around it and design the structure to suit what can actually arrive. Services need a plan of their own: water storage with reserve, a septic system sized for real occupancy, electrical backup, and a maintenance routine an owner living abroad can hand to a caretaker. Designing for a house that will sit empty for weeks is a different exercise from designing for a house lived in daily.
What has to be approved, and by whom
Puerto Viejo, Guanacaste falls under the canton of Santa Cruz. The studio files the whole package.
- 01Water: AyA or the sector ASADA, plus the availability letter. The Matapalo ASADA granted availability for Käza and MayDan in 2022. Today it is in technical non-feasibility, like Playa Grande and Avellanas. When the process runs normally, the letter takes about a month, and meters are installed only once the full building permit has been filed.
- 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 Santa Cruz, construction permit. The CFIA review on the APC platform allows about 30 days, and in practice the permit takes 2 to 4 weeks.
- 05Wastewater and septic approval, sized to occupancy. The design follows Decree 42075-S-MINAE.
What it costs to build here
Land is cheaper per square metre in this sector than in Tamarindo, and construction is not automatically cheaper, the difference shows up in logistics and in the services a lot does not have yet. The variables:
- Access road and the last kilometre: what can reach the pad, and in which season
- Distance from the ready-mix plant and the material suppliers
- Services the lot lacks: well or connection, storage, backup power, septic
- Slope: usually gentler here, which helps the foundations
- $1,800 to $2,000 per m², with logistics, mostly transport, adding 10 to 15%
- 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.