Architects in San Ramón, Costa Rica

(Our services in San Ramón)

One studio, from the lot to the keys.

A project usually takes them in this order, and each one can also be hired on its own.

(01) Lot study Before you buy in San Ramón: what the rules, the water and the slope let you build on a lot, and roughly what it costs. 2 to 4 weeks · Fixed fee
(02) Master planning For land that will hold more than one house: where the road, the lots, the houses and the shared buildings go, decided after reading the land. 6 to 12 weeks · Fixed fee
(03) Architecture Houses, rental villas and small hotels, from the first sketch on the lot to the drawings the permit and the builder need. About 5 months for 250 m² · CFIA: from 6% of the works
(04) Permits We file the project with the CFIA and the Municipalidad de San Ramón, and answer every observation until the licence is issued. About 3 months · Included when we design
(05) Interiors Kitchens, bathrooms, built-in furniture, lighting and finishes, designed with the house or for a remodel. With the architecture, or 2 to 4 months · Agreed fee
(06) Construction supervision Weekly site visits, the site logbook, payments checked against work done, and a report with photos after every visit. The length of the works · CFIA: 3% or 5% of the works
(07) Sustainable design Houses and hotels designed to a sustainability standard, with RESET or LEED® certification if you want the label. Alongside the design and the build · Separate, agreed up front

(The year in San Ramón)

200 400 600 800

Rain by month, in mm, starting with the rains. Grey: months under 60 mm. Hatched: the best time to start building*. Bottom row: days a month with 10 mm of rain or more, when earthworks usually stop (NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020). *A recommendation, not a rule: building goes on all year, and the start date only decides how much of the earthworks falls in dry weather.

The dry season runs from December to April: 5 months under 60 mm of rain. The wettest month is September, with 379 mm.

Afternoons are hottest in April, at 29 °C on average, and coolest in December, at 26 °C. Nights stay between 17 and 19 °C.

Best time to start*

The best time to start building here is from November to March. Those 5 months bring 213 mm of rain in total; the other 7 bring 1,726 mm, 8 times as much.

Earthworks, foundations and concrete pours need dry ground, and many roads to the lots only stay passable without rain. On a day with 10 mm of rain or more, that work usually stops.

A 4-month phase of earthworks, foundations and structure that starts in November meets about 6 such days here; the same phase started in April meets about 22. Starting in November saves about 15 days of stopped work: some 2 weeks of crew and machinery paid to wait, and the pumping and drainage that wet excavations need. So the permit should be ready by October. Still, it is a recommendation, not a rule: building goes on through the rains, more slowly, and no project should sit for months waiting for the dry season.

(The wind in San Ramón)

(Dry season)Calm 1%

(Rainy season)Calm 4%

Up to 7 km/h7 to 1414 to 2222 to 29Over 29

Share of hours the wind blows from each direction, by speed. Measured at Juan Santamaría airport, 30 km away, 2011 to 2025.

In the dry season the afternoon wind at Juan Santamaría airport comes from the east.

Rooms that open to the wind on one side and away from it on the other cool themselves, and a roof that sheds the rain lets them stay open in the wet months too.

(Wind and sun around San Ramón)

The lines drift with the average wind of the season you pick; the faster they move, the stronger the wind. The colour is the sunlight the ground gets in a year. Wind: NASA POWER (MERRA-2), 2001 to 2020. Sunlight: Global Solar Atlas (World Bank Group, Solargis), CC BY 4.0.

(The sun in San Ramón)

June 21March 20 and September 22December 21

Typical temperature at that hourUnder 22 °C22 to 2525 to 2828 to 3131 °C and up

Each dot is the sun at a whole hour, every three days: each figure-eight is one hour across the year, and the lines are the 21st of each month. Orange and red dots are the hours when the sun should stay off the glass.

The sun here is never far from overhead. At noon it stands 80° high in March and September and 56° in December, and from April 17 to August 27 it passes north of overhead, so walls and glass that face north take sun as well.

What heats a house is the low afternoon sun. It sets at 294°, west-northwest, in June and at 246°, west-southwest, in December. That side needs the deepest roof.

Sunrise falls between 5:15 and 6:00 all year, and sunset between 17:13 and 18:04.

The ground here gets 1,843 kWh of sunlight per m² a year, and solar panels make about 1,510 kWh a year for each kW installed.

(Building in San Ramón)

Which permits you need to build in San Ramón, and in what order

The building permit in San Ramón comes from the Municipalidad de San Ramón. These are the four steps every project takes; for the whole route of yours, with SETENA, Health and the Fire Department, use the permit route tool.

Draw your route in the permit route tool →

(01)
Land use certificate
The uso de suelo, from the Municipalidad de San Ramón: what the zoning allows on the lot.
(02)
Water availability letter
From the local ASADA or from AyA. Without it there is no building permit, so it is worth asking for before buying.
(03)
Drawings at the CFIA
Filed through the CFIA's APC platform and signed by the architect in charge.
(04)
Building permit
Issued by the Municipalidad de San Ramón.

(Our work near San Ramón)

(Questions about building in San Ramón)

Where is Studio CAVA based, and how do you work in San Ramón?

We work from San José and Guanacaste. We visit San Ramón for the analysis of the lot and, during construction, for the supervision visits; the rest happens by video and email, in English or Spanish. Our nearest work is Green City, Amacor, 30 km away.

Can you design my house in San Ramón if I live abroad?

Yes. The first call is free and by video, and each stage of the design ends with drawings you review and approve at a distance. We walk the lot in San Ramón ourselves, and during construction we send a report with photos after each visit.

How much does it cost to build a house in San Ramón?

A 250 m² house with a pool comes to about US$639,000 to US$987,000 in San Ramón, with a high finish, design, permits and VAT. Our cost estimator gives the range for your own size, finish and lot, with the schedule month by month.

What should I check before buying a lot in San Ramón?

The land use certificate from the Municipalidad de San Ramón, which sets the use, setbacks, coverage and height; water availability in writing from AyA, the local ASADA or a well; the setbacks from any river or spring; and the slope. Our lot study checks it in 2 to 4 weeks, before you sign.

When is the best time to start building in San Ramón?

Ideally from November to March, so that the earthworks, foundations and structure fall in the dry season. A 4-month phase of that work started in November loses about 6 days to heavy rain, against about 22 if it starts in April, about 15 days of crew and machinery. It is a recommendation, not a rule: building goes on through the rains, more slowly, and no project should sit for months waiting for the dry season. To start then, have the permit ready by October.

Who issues building permits in San Ramón?

The Municipalidad de San Ramón. The drawings are filed first with the CFIA, through its APC platform, and the permit comes after the land use certificate and the water availability letter.

How hot does it get in San Ramón?

Afternoons average 29 °C in April, the hottest month, and 26 °C in December. Nights stay between 17 and 19 °C. Shade on the west side and air moving through the rooms do more for comfort than anything else.

How far is San Ramón from the airports?

By road, without traffic, 3 h from Daniel Oduber airport in Liberia (170 km) and 50 min from Juan Santamaría airport in San José (46 km).

Architects in San Ramón

Houses, villas and boutique hotels in San Ramón, designed for its sun, wind and rain.