Home Remodeling & Renovation in Costa Rica
Remodeling here has its own hazards: opening a wall reveals corroded rebar or an undersized panel, permits are needed more often than owners expect, and a crew with a key to your house is only as good as the company behind it. We remodel to a fixed, written scope, protect the parts of the house we are not touching, and keep the permits legal.
Whether it is one bathroom or a full gut with a new layout, you get a line-item quote, a schedule, and photo updates — the same process we run on a ground-up build, scaled to the job.
What's included
Every home remodeling & renovation project is scoped in writing before we start. Here is what that scope covers.
Kitchen renovations
New cabinetry, stone counters, tile, lighting, appliances, and often a reworked layout to open the kitchen to living space — the change that does the most for how a house feels and what it is worth.
- Custom cabinetry built for humidity
- Stone or porcelain counters and backsplashes
- Re-run plumbing, gas, and dedicated circuits
- Island, pantry, and pass-through additions
Bathroom renovations
Waterproofing done properly, ventilation that beats the humidity, and finishes that survive coastal air. We rebuild from the substrate, not just the surface.
- Full waterproofing membranes and correct falls
- Walk-in showers, double vanities, new fixtures
- Exhaust ventilation and anti-fungal finishes
- Re-piped supply and drainage
Layout changes and additions
Removing walls, adding a bedroom or office, extending for a larger living area, or enclosing a terrace. Structural walls are re-supported with an engineered beam and, where required, a permit.
- Engineered beams for load-bearing removals
- Room additions and second-story extensions
- Terrace enclosures and indoor-outdoor connections
- CFIA and municipal permits when the work needs them
Finish and envelope upgrades
The unglamorous work that stops a house aging badly in this climate: re-sealing the roof, replacing rusted windows, upgrading the electrical panel, and re-coating exterior walls with a breathable anti-fungal system.
- Roof re-sealing and flashing repair
- Salt-air-rated aluminum or PVC windows and doors
- Electrical panel and circuit upgrades
- Exterior re-coat with anti-fungal, breathable paint
Site protection and clean handover
Floors and furniture covered, dust barriers up, debris removed on a schedule, and a working bathroom kept live wherever possible. You get the house back clean.
- Dust barriers and floor protection
- Scheduled debris removal
- Staged work so part of the house stays usable
- Final deep clean before handover
How a home remodeling & renovation project runs
A defined process is what lets you run this from another country with confidence.
Walkthrough and scope
We visit, look behind the obvious where we can, and agree exactly what is in and out of scope — the step that prevents most remodeling disputes.
Fixed quote and schedule
A line-item quote and a realistic start and finish date. Where the work needs a permit, that time is in the schedule.
Demolition and the surprises
Selective demolition, then a documented check for anything hidden — corrosion, wiring, water damage. If something needs to change, you see photos and a price before we proceed.
Build and finishes
Structure, rough-ins, then finishes, with photo updates at each stage and the rest of the house protected throughout.
Punch list and handover
We walk it with you, clear the punch list, hand over any warranties, and clean up.
What it costs
Remodel pricing depends on how far back to the substrate the work goes and what the demolition uncovers. A finish-level refresh is priced per room; a gut renovation with a new layout and services is closer to per-square-meter new-build rates. Every quote is line-itemed so you can see where the money is.
| Kitchen renovation | Fixed quote after site visit | Range covers a finish refresh through to a full re-layout with new services. |
| Bathroom renovation | Fixed quote after site visit | Per bathroom, rebuilt from the substrate with new waterproofing. |
| Whole-home / gut renovation | Priced per m² after assessment | New layout, services, and finishes — approaches new-construction cost. |
| Permits (when required) | Handled for you | CFIA and municipal filing included in the quote where the scope needs it. |
Where no figure is listed, the site and scope set the price, so we quote after a visit rather than publish a number that changes later. Every quote breaks the total into structure, electromechanical, finishes, and permits, so you compare real scope rather than a headline price that grows later.
Where we do this
Based in Huacas, Guanacaste, with fastest access to the Gold Coast and project capability nationwide. See all service areas →
Huacas and Santa Cruz
Our home base. Lower overhead, faster response, a proven supplier network.
Tamarindo
Full build, remodel, and maintenance across the local communities.
Flamingo and Playa Grande
Coastal homes engineered for salt air and sun.
Las Catalinas and Conchal
High-specification builds for premier developments.
Central Valley
Nationwide project capability beyond the coast.
Pacific and Caribbean
Central and South Pacific, and the Caribbean coast.
Why owners choose Costa Rica Builders
A company behind the crew
The people in your house are employed and supervised by Costa Rica Builders, not a rotating cast of subcontractors. There is a name and a contract behind every day of work.
Fixed scope, no scope creep
What is included is written down before we start. Anything uncovered mid-job is photographed, priced, and approved by you before it becomes part of the bill.
We keep it legal
Owners routinely under-estimate when a remodel needs a permit. We tell you honestly, and we file it, so the work does not become a problem when you sell.
You can be anywhere
Photo updates at every stage and written approvals mean you can run a full renovation from another country with no loss of control.
Home Remodeling & Renovation: frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit to remodel in Costa Rica?+
It depends on the work. Cosmetic changes — paint, fixtures, cabinetry — generally do not. Anything structural, any change to the building footprint, and most plumbing or electrical rerouting does require CFIA registration and a municipal permit. We assess your specific scope and handle the filing when it is needed.
Can you remodel while I'm not in the country?+
Yes, and most of our remodel clients are abroad for some or all of it. You approve the scope and any changes in writing, and you get photo updates at each stage. We can also coordinate access with a property manager or neighbor you trust.
How do you handle problems found once the walls are open?+
We document them with photos, explain the options, and give you a price before doing the work. Corroded rebar, undersized electrical, and hidden water damage are the common ones on the coast. Nothing extra goes on the invoice without your written approval.
How long does a kitchen or bathroom remodel take?+
A single bathroom rebuilt properly is usually [X to Y weeks]; a kitchen with a layout change is longer. Lead time on imported fixtures and custom cabinetry is often the critical path, so we order early and give you a schedule that reflects it.
Will I have a usable house during the work?+
Wherever the scope allows, we stage the work so part of the house — including a working bathroom — stays usable, put up dust barriers, and protect floors and furniture. For a full gut, most owners plan to be out.
Can you work with my architect or designer?+
Yes. We build to another professional's drawings regularly, coordinate with them through the job, and flag anything that will not meet Costa Rican code or the local climate before it is a problem on site.
Related services
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