• Confirm legal title, surveys, easements, and access rights.
• Verify whether roads are public or private, as this affects access control, gates, utility assumptions, and HOA planning.
• Use a Costa Rica real estate attorney with local experience.
• Assess slope, drainage, retaining wall requirements, soil conditions, and constructability—not just views.
• Understand whether your lot may require significant grading or engineered retaining solutions.

• Water availability is often the single most important gating issue.
• Understand what a water availability letter is and whether it is transferable.
• Confirm source limitations, expected connection timing, and infrastructure constraints.
• Do not assume neighboring lots have the same water rights.
• Consider backup water storage (cisterns), pressure systems, filtration, and water delivery contingency plans.
• Ask what happens during shortages or service interruptions.

• Expect engineering sign-off, municipal review, septic/environmental approvals, and redesign cycles.
• Tree removal, drainage, grading, and topography can complicate approvals.
• Timelines are rarely predictable - Costa Rica is notoriously slow with a lot of bureaucracy, and lacks modern technology that we take for granted in more developed countries.
• Permit sequencing matters.

Best-case estimates are often very optimistic. Typical directional expectations:

• Concept/design: 1–4 months
• Engineering/permitting: 2–8+ months
• Mobilization/procurement: 1–2 months
• Construction: 10–18+ months for many custom homes
• Punch list/handoff: 1–3 months

Rainy season can materially impact schedules.

Approximate only:
• Mid-quality custom: $180–$280 / ft²
• Luxury custom: $280–$450+ / ft²
• Ultra-high-end/import-heavy: $450+ / ft²

Additional costs:
• Pool: $40,000–$150,000+
• Generator / backup power: $15,000–$60,000+
•Landscaping: highly variable.

• Retaining walls: potentially significant

• Solar installation: $25,000-$45,000

Recommended contingency:
• 15–25%+ depending on complexity

Watch for:
• Vague contracts
• Unclear supervision
• Weak communication
• Poor documentation
• Resistance to references
• Informal payment structures

Ask CURRENT clients:
• Was the project on budget?
• How were delays handled and how did you receive communication and updates?
• Were substitutions approved properly?
• Was punch list completion strong?

If you are not local:
• Install site cameras
• Require dated weekly progress reports
• Document all change orders in writing
• Consider independent inspections at milestones
• Establish clear approval authority

Construction sites can be vulnerable to:
• Tool theft
• Material theft
• Fuel theft

Recommended controls:
• Lockable storage
• Inventory tracking
• Lighting
• Camera visibility
• Restricted access

Design for local realities:
• Humidity
• Salt air
• Corrosion
• Heavy rains
• Easy maintenance

Common regrets:
• Insufficient storage
• Poor drainage
• Weak AC zoning
• No backup power
• No owner lockoff storage
• Hard-to-maintain finishes

Expect:
• Mold pressure
• Corrosion
• Termites
• Ants
• Frogs
• Snakes
• Monkeys
• Heavy rain
• Utility interruptions

Choose materials accordingly.

Vacation rental owners should consider:
• Durable finishes
• Easy service access
• Clear utility shutoffs
• Spare parts planning
• PM-friendly design
• Lockable owner storage

Owners/builders should:
• Pay the one time construction fee via your builder to help maintain roads due to heavy construction equipment Keep roads clean• Manage debris responsibly

• Respect contractor parking expectations and working hours 
• Communicate with neighbors when impactful work is planned
• Repair construction-caused damage promptly
• Participate in NECA to maintain property values and adhere to community-minded construction practices