Frequently asked questions about design, costs and permits

For the first conversation all we need is the location of the lot or building, the cadastral survey plan if you already have it, an approximate budget and the date you would like to start. With that the office reviews the case and tells you what is missing. You can write on WhatsApp to +506 7079-6388 or to [email protected]. The office replies in less than 24 hours, in writing in English and French.

The basics are the cadastral survey plan, a topographic survey with contour lines, the land use certificate, water and electricity availability and the soil study. Larger projects add environmental clearance and a stormwater study. Several of these studies can move forward while the schematic design is being drawn.

The first conversation is for getting to know your project and preparing a proposal. When the case calls for reviewing the lot and defining the scope before the design is commissioned, the office offers an initial consultation of one or two sessions. That consultation is billed by the hour at the minimum rate of the current official fee schedule.

It is a short professional service, our Tailored First Step, that takes you from a general reference to a figure for your lot and your project. It includes a reading of the lot with the cadastral survey plan, photos and land use, a preliminary space program with its areas, a cost estimate based on the office price database and a route of permits and timelines. It is delivered in one week.

It depends on the type of building, the level of finishes, the size and the location. As a reference, the LDB cost calculator estimates that a mid-quality commercial building of about 1,250 m² in the Greater Metropolitan Area costs around $673 per square meter and that an office building with upper-mid finishes costs around $1,610, at September 2026 prices. That figure includes the contractor overhead, profit and contingencies plus 13% VAT. It does not include the land, the studies, the design, the permits or the inspection. Values by building type, from houses to hotels, are on the construction cost per m² in Costa Rica page.

In Costa Rica design and inspection fees are calculated as a percentage of the estimated construction cost. The official fee schedule for professional consulting services for buildings (Executive Decree 18636-MOPT) sets the minimum percentages for each stage, such as schematic design, construction documents and inspection. That is why the fee grows with the size and complexity of the project. There is a reference in the costs section of the guide.

The cost of the design depends on the estimated value of the construction, its area and whether it is new construction or a renovation. The calculator on this site gives you a first reference for the construction cost and for what is added separately for studies, design, permits and inspection. The exact figure comes from a proposal for your case.

Yes. The office prepares a line-item budget with its own price database and updates it at every stage. That budget goes with the construction documents so that all contractors bid on the same list and you can compare the offers on equal terms.

There are five steps from the idea to the building. First an initial consultation to talk through the project, review the lot and define the scope. Then schematic design, the spatial and functional proposal with a first cost estimate. Next the construction documents with architecture, engineering and specifications coordinated from the start, together with the detailed budget. Then come the permits up to the building permit and finally construction with weekly inspection. More detail in how we work.

It depends mainly on the area and the type of project. The time it takes to gather the studies of the lot and the client decisions at each review also play a part. For a mid-sized building schematic design takes about three weeks, between fifteen days and a month. Construction documents depend on the area and on coordination with the engineers. The calculator on this site shows a reference in months for each stage based on the area you enter.

The path starts with land use, any required setback alignments and water and electricity availability. Once the construction documents are finished they go through review and approval and then the building permit at the municipality. In projects other than single-family homes the Ministry of Health and the Fire Department also take part. Depending on the case MOPT is added if the lot fronts a national road, INVU if there are rivers or streams nearby and SETENA depending on the size of the project. The office handles these permits as part of its services. The details are in our guide to building.

Yes. Inspection includes a weekly visit, entries in the site logbook, progress reports and the review of each contractor payment request before you pay it.

The office takes care of design, permits, costs and inspection. It can also take on construction management on the client’s behalf. With the line-item budget you can request offers from several contractors on the same list.

Yes. The office works with existing buildings, such as the renovation of the Evertec offices in San José and the renovation of the Santa Ana Municipality buildings. It also designs extensions such as the one for the San Carlos Municipal Depot. In these cases we start by reading what already works and focus the intervention where it changes how the whole is used. We also aim to leave the structure, the building services and the floor plate ready for future stages. See office renovation and extension.

Yes. From its base in Curridabat the office has worked in different regions of the country. These projects include the Guápiles Boulevard and Central Park, the Jorge Debravo Recreational Park in Turrialba, the San Carlos Municipal Depot, a tourism development in Sarapiquí, the DHL Casa Club in Puntarenas and the access bridge to Manuel Antonio National Park in Quepos.

Yes, the office accepts commissions outside Costa Rica. It has also taken part in international competitions with entries for Talca in Chile, Bamako in Mali, Marsassoum in Senegal and Bariloche in Argentina.

A master plan organizes the long-term development of a site, a neighborhood or a complex before each building is designed. It starts from a technical and territorial assessment and defines how housing, mobility, public space and the growth stages fit together. It is worth doing when the project is large, will be built in stages or brings several uses together. LDB has more than 120 hectares in master plans, including the renewal plans for Barrio Escalante, Barrio La California and Turrialba and the 72,000 m² tourism development in Tres Ríos. See LDB master plans.

The office works with school boards, foundations and municipalities from the brief to the finished building. In public space the design is participatory and considers trees, pedestrian movement, lighting and the different uses the community will give the place. These projects include the Plaza de las Garantías Sociales, the Tirrases Community Center, the Goicoechea Municipal Pool and the Guápiles Boulevard. Public institutions hire these services through the procedures of the General Public Procurement Law, which are handled in the SICOP system. See public space design.