Building a custom home in Costa Rica can be an exciting time. From choosing each room’s intent and feeling to selecting design details that reflect your vision of a ‘dream home’, building a home in Costa Rica can be an extremely fulfilling experience. 

That being said, the cost to build a home in Costa Rica can lead you to search for ways to cut building costs elsewhere. 

The good news? Whether you’re planning a new build project in San José or have your heart set on a new build in beach areas in Guanacaste, for example, along the Papagayo or Nicoya Peninsula — there are areas that you can cut costs and areas where you should invest.  

But, to experience the full potential of what life in Costa Rica has to offer, which parts of your build are worth investing in? 

In particular, one aspect of your build you should never try to cut back on is your architect. From planning your building design to ensuring the structural integrity of your home, investment in an experienced architect is essential for helping you get the full Costa Rican experience… and it will also save you money later! 

Our team of experts are here with their insights on why the investment in a quality architect is the only way to ensure no additional costs later come back to bite you. 

In this article you can expect to learn: 

• The value of working with experienced architects 
• The hidden costs associated with hiring an inexperienced architect 
• How design-build services can help you maintain control over your costs 
• How SARCO Architects can help 

The Value of Working with Experienced Architects

Good architects study for many years to ensure every square meter of your dream home meets the brief you’ve set out. However, a great architect will always go several steps further than this. 

Right up until handoff, you should feel like your architect is doing everything they can to optimize the design of your home in Costa Rica and make your construction site feel like the start of a new chapter in your life.  

Even though this might mean the total cost just to build a home in Costa Rica is slightly elevated, knowing you’re getting the best possible outcomes for a property you’ll spend a lot of time in is invaluable. 

Especially with a new construction, there’s significant value to be found in hiring an architect you know you can trust from start to finish. Even after factoring in the higher price, you’ll need to pay for this assurance, a well-known or even award-winning architect will almost always save you money on your total costs long-term. 

Wondering how? Here are the top 4 ways that a great architect is worth the extra cost. 

1. There is less risk of additional or hidden costs

Even though the cost to build a home in Costa Rica generally offers better value than building a luxury home elsewhere, it can still be tempting to cut corners. From cheaper suppliers to more affordable materials, getting your numbers down early can be enticing. 

However, many homeowners don’t realize that skipping critical investments during the build can lead to hidden costs for years. 

A simple example is the ‘tile roofs vs metal roof’ debate. Even these seemingly non-consequential design decisions can impact the enjoyment you get from your home. Think about the weather in Costa Rica — a great architect will know to consider the pros and cons for each possible solution, and how to offer options to compensate for possible negative aspects of the choice selected. Weather conditions, possible leak resistance, durability, maintenance, etc, are all possible aspects to consider.  

From considering if you’ll want to add solar panels in the future to select materials that can withstand the environment, an experienced architect won’t recommend any design feature or material without first evaluating how this decision will work in practice. 

The reality is, that architects without an entire portfolio of high-end builds risk getting even the basics wrong. So, even though hiring the cheaper architect might seem like a great idea at the time, you’ll find that the value you get from a more established firm will help offset these costs in the long run. 

Tip: Safety should never be overlooked when it comes to construction. In particular, always check that your Costa Rican architect is experienced in adapting properties to resist natural disasters and be ‘earthquake proof’ as much as possible. 

2. They care about your project

The great thing about working with an award-winning architectural firm is that they’re likely to care about their reputation. With so many factors contributing to their success, an established firm with a proven track record will want to keep their sheet clean. 

This is why when you work with an established firm, and something unexpected happens, there’s a high probability they’ll work to resolve any issues much faster than a lesser-known firm. 

Additionally, coming back to building permits, proper capability for construction of the resulting project, etc., successfully designing and developing your design plan might not be within the capabilities of an inexperienced architect. This can result in you having to start from scratch with another firm. We have heard these horror stories many times. 

This is why when you hire a great firm you know can deliver, there’s no need to worry about your project being abandoned mid-way through. A well-known architectural firm will have full accountability for your project and get the job done, whatever it takes.  

3. They have an established network

From installing solar power technology to integration or smart-home capabilities, your architect should be in close contact with experts in their field to ensure their design aligns with the additional features you want. 

This is why it’s always best not to choose an architect based on price alone. In many cases, a cheaper architect will likely deal with cheaper suppliers, and control over your project can quickly run away from you. 

Especially if your architect doesn’t usually offer a full-service range of skills but has several suggestions for local suppliers — be on high alert for architects trying to promote the services of friends who aren’t fully qualified. From structural engineers to interior designers, due diligence will be required on your part before third parties are given access to your site. 

To avoid unnecessary risks, our advice is to always select an architectural firm that:  

• Already has an established (and verifiable) network of professional resources needed for your project 
• Has a good reputation amongst local subcontractors for delivering great service (and paying on time!) 
• Offers a sense of accountability for the contractors they choose to work with 
• Is known for complying with all safety and compliance regulations 
• Can provide credentials for all members of your project delivery team 
• Has a good reputation with key review offices or institutions for delivering projects that are accurate and true to submitted drawings and that comply with regulations. 

4. They can supply better documentation

As mentioned, when it comes to hiring an architect based on the lowest price, additional costs can start adding up before construction work even begins.  

For example, in Costa Rica, you’ll need legal access to several permits and certificates before your build can commence. This will include detailed and accurate drawings provided by your architect, with the exact specifications of your custom home outlined. But much more important than the basics needed to acquire permits and approvals, the construction of your custom luxury home requires a much more level of detail and requires very detailed and exhaustive documentation and specifications to make sure it is built correctly. 

This is why hiring an experienced and recognized architectural firm in Costa Rica is so important. Failure to provide accurate and exhaustive drawings can lead to delays and increased costs for both you and your project. 

As well as incompetent (or scarce) drawings leading to delays and a potentially high price to build, not having a highly-skilled architect for your project limits your ability to optimize your design.  

A leading architect will always strive to take your initial design brief and elevate it at every level before providing you with a stamped plan. The more experienced your architect is, the more elevated your design plan will be. 

In short, seasoned professionals can exceed your expectations, enhancing every aspect of your home within your property limits — all as standard.  

“At SARCO Architects, not only do we provide better design, we also supply better documentation, more clear specifications, and we optimize your brief and process in a way that only a highly experienced architectural team can.” 

Roderick Anderson, CEO & Design Director at SARCO Architects

Design-Build Services Are Worth the Investment

The best way to tell if your architectural firm is worth the investment is if they offer the option of design-build services. Known as a best practice method of project delivery, design-build services offer a comprehensive approach to your entire build. 

Helping you save time and money by encouraging innovation and collaboration, design-build services mean the entire scope of your building project is handled by one single delivery team. 

From exterior and interior architecture right down to managing the final touches of your build, you can have one point of contact throughout your project. One in-house team, dedicated to ensuring your project runs as smoothly as possible.  

But why are firms with proven success in design-build services worth the investment? Here are just some reasons:  

1. Design-build teams offer multidisciplinary skills. As a result, your team will be able to resolve any design challenges in-house (saving you time and money) 
2. Design-build teams offer complete accountability for your project 
3. Successful design-build projects require excellent project management skills and natural attention to detail (two great traits for any construction project to have!) 
4. When working with design-build teams, communication is generally more streamlined  
5. With design-build services, your construction costs are more easily controlled with in-house cost management techniques and cohesive planning 
6. Before a single concrete block is laid on site, a design-build team will collectively evaluate your plans and conduct a risk assessment based on their individual skills. 

A Great Architect Offers More Than Just Monetary Value

We understand that the cost of building a home in Costa Rica can make it tempting to choose the lowest-cost service providers. However, we also know from experience how detrimental this can be for your project. 

A great architect offers value in areas that go beyond money.  

The design portion of the project is a very small portion of the total cost of the project. 

Construction can cost 10 to 15 times more than the cost of design services. It just doesn’t make sense to try to save on the architectural design portion when doing so risks increasing the cost of the actual construction.  

At SARCO, we don’t win contracts based on price, we win contracts based on what we can bring to the table that others can’t.  

Whether it’s our award-winning design-build services or our forward-thinking approach to development, we win awards because we never compromise on what we know design excellence to be. 

If you’d like your own home here in Costa Rica to celebrate aesthetic, functional, and future-proof design and explore the full potential of what a custom home can offer you, book a free consultation with our lead architect.