Costa Rica Home
Construction
At Catalina Cove, we are selling highly desirable building lots of 1.25 – 2 acres in size. This means that many of our customers will become involved in the construction of a new home at some point in the near future. Of course, you have the option of choosing one of our model or pre-built homes, subject to availability.
As a side note, many of our customers are choosing to build a second, smaller home or "casita” on their lots to serve as an additional rental unit.
What are the implications of building a new home in Costa Rica?
In a nutshell, the process is very simple and straightforward:
- You select an architect and begin working on your home design and site layout,
- Once your plans are finalized, your architect submits the plans to various regulatory agencies to begin the permitting process,
- In the meantime, you and your architect select a builder/contractor who will actually perform the construction work.
- Once construction is started, your architect will inspect the work progress at least weekly and maintain a log book of the inspections,
- At completion, a final walk-through inspection is performed and you (or your representative) are handed the keys to your new home!
Naturally, there are numerous details that are just summarized in the above outline, but those are the basic steps.
Payments for the construction work generally follow these guidelines:
1.
10% at signing of contract with the builder/contractor
2.
30% at start of construction
2.
30% when ready to install the roofing
4.
30% at completion
The timeframe for construction is variable of course, but a typical home is built over a period of approximately 8 months.
Building costs are also variable, depending on the quality of materials, square footage of the buildings, type of finish materials and of course, additional amenities such as pools, decking, and landscaping options.
While the cost of labor is much less expensive when compared with the US, Canada or Europe the cost of materials is generally the same or even more expensive. This is because most of these materials need to be imported and then transported over long distances to arrive at the job site.
In addition, Costa Rican style construction uses reinforced concrete block for walls which requires more time and labor. Roof beams are likewise poured concrete with the framing trusses of steel, welded on site. Wood is used sparingly (because of insects) and typically seen only associated with door and window framing and interior finish work like ceilings, doors, trim and cabinets.
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