Turnkey Construction in Costa Rica: What Viva Includes

Turnkey construction means one company takes responsibility for the entire build, from the first drawing to the day you get the keys. You are not coordinating an architect separately from a structural engineer separately from a contractor separately from a permit expediter. One team, one contract, one point of accountability.

For most people building in Costa Rica from abroad, this is not just convenient. It is the only arrangement that actually works.

Why the standard approach breaks down for foreign builders

The conventional way to build in Costa Rica is to hire an architect, who produces drawings, which go to a structural engineer, which then go to a contractor who bids on the work and hires subcontractors. Each of these is a separate relationship with separate incentives and separate communication channels. When something goes wrong, and something always does, the question of who is responsible and how it gets resolved is unclear.

This is difficult to manage when you live locally and speak Spanish fluently. It is nearly impossible to manage well from another country, in another time zone, without daily visibility into what is happening on site.

The coordination gap between design and construction is where most project problems originate. Drawings that were not fully coordinated with structural requirements, specifications that the contractor interpreted differently than the architect intended, changes made in the field that nobody documented. These are not rare exceptions. They are the normal outcome when multiple independent parties are managing their own piece of the work without unified accountability.

What turnkey means in practice

A genuine turnkey arrangement consolidates all of this under one contract and one team. The architecture, structural engineering, permit management, construction, and project oversight are all handled by the same organization. When you have a question, there is one person to call. When something needs to change, there is one team that understands the full scope and can assess the impact clearly.

The payment structure reinforces this accountability. In a well-structured turnkey contract, payments are tied to verified construction milestones, not to calendar dates. The contractor has a financial incentive to complete each phase correctly and on schedule before the next payment releases. You are not funding work in advance on faith.

Weekly photo documentation and milestone reporting give you a current picture of the project without requiring you to be physically present. For clients building from abroad, which describes most of Ticonstru's client base, this visibility is what makes the process manageable.

What Viva covers

Viva is Ticonstru's turnkey construction program. It covers the full build from design through occupancy permit under a single contract. What that includes:

• ◆Architectural design and 3D visualization. The design phase is where you make decisions about how the home lives: layout, indoor-outdoor flow, orientation on the lot, ceiling heights, terrace configuration. Changes at this stage are inexpensive. Changes after permitting are not.
• ◆Structural, electrical, and civil engineering. All the technical disciplines required for a permitted build are coordinated internally, not farmed out to independent parties.
• ◆Permit management. CFIA registration, municipal building permit, SETENA environmental review where required, water and electrical connection approvals. The permit process in Costa Rica is sequential and requires coordination with multiple institutions. We manage this from start to finish.
• ◆Site preparation. Clearing, grading, drainage, access improvements, and any retaining wall work required before construction begins.
• ◆Construction. The complete build: structure, roofing, exterior envelope, plumbing, electrical, and interior finishes to the specification agreed in the design phase.
• ◆Utility connections. ICE electrical service, water connection through AyA, ASADA, or a permitted well.
• ◆Project management and reporting. A dedicated project manager whose job is to represent your interests on site, with weekly reporting throughout construction.
• ◆Occupancy permit. The municipal inspection and permit that confirms the home is built to the approved plans and legally habitable. This is the finish line.

What gets added separately

The following are not included in the base Viva contract but are managed by Ticonstru as part of the same project and integrated into the overall timeline and delivery:

• ◆Pool. Priced separately based on type, size, and system. See our pool construction service.
• ◆Landscaping. Site work, planting, irrigation, outdoor structures, and hardscape. See our landscape service.
• ◆Solar and energy systems. Each installation is evaluated per project. See our solar service.
• ◆Land. If you have not yet found a lot, our land and build service covers the full process from lot identification through due diligence to construction. Available lots we have already sourced are on our land listings page.
• ◆Furnishing and appliances. Not included in the construction contract.

Who Viva makes sense for

The Viva program works particularly well for a specific type of client, and it is worth being direct about who that is.

People building from abroad. This is the majority of our clients. They have found land they want to build on, they know roughly what they want to build, and they need a team they can trust to execute it without them being present day-to-day. Viva is structured specifically for this situation.

First-time builders in Costa Rica. If you have not built here before, you do not know what you do not know about the permit process, the supplier relationships that matter, the climate-specific construction decisions, or the regulatory landscape. Consolidating all of that expertise under one contract is not a luxury. It is risk management.

Investors building for rental income. A well-managed turnkey build delivers a guest-ready property on a predictable timeline. The rental income clock starts running the day you get the keys, not weeks or months later while you sort out punch lists from a disorganized construction process.

People who want design involvement without project management burden. Turnkey does not mean you hand over the keys and get a surprise at the end. The design phase is a collaborative process where your input shapes everything. What you are not doing is managing contractors, chasing permit approvals, or fielding calls about material deliveries. That is what the Viva team handles.

What Viva does not solve

It is worth being honest about what turnkey construction does not change. The Costa Rican permit process takes the time it takes. If a project requires SETENA environmental review, that process runs on its own timeline regardless of who is managing it. Weather delays happen. Suppliers have lead times. The overall timeline from starting the design to receiving the occupancy permit typically runs 12 to 18 months for most projects, and the turnkey structure does not compress that significantly.

What it does is make that timeline predictable, keep you informed throughout it, and give you clear accountability when something needs to be resolved. That is the real value.

Pricing

Viva is available at two finish levels. All professional fees and permits are included in the price, with no separate charges for architecture, engineering, or permit management.

• ◆High-end: starting at $1,450 per square meter
• ◆Luxury: starting at $1,700 per square meter

These are starting prices. The final cost per square meter depends on your specific design, site conditions, and material selections. Every project receives a detailed, fixed-price proposal before construction begins. For a full breakdown of what drives costs up or down, see our guide on construction costs in Costa Rica.

Frequently asked questions

Can I customize the design, or do I choose from a catalog?
Full customization. The design phase is where we work through your specific program: how many bedrooms, how the indoor and outdoor spaces connect, what the site conditions suggest for orientation and massing, what materials fit the climate and your aesthetic. There is no catalog. Every Viva project is designed for its specific lot and client.

How do I stay informed if I am not in Costa Rica during construction?
Weekly photo and progress reports tied to the construction schedule. Milestone reporting at each payment stage. A dedicated project manager you can reach directly. For clients who want more frequent visibility, we can set up video walkthroughs at key points in the build.

What happens if something goes wrong during construction?
Issues during construction are resolved through the same team that caused them. There is no finger-pointing between an architect and a contractor about whose drawings were wrong. One organization is responsible for the full scope, which means problems get identified earlier and resolved within the same team rather than becoming disputes between independent parties.

Do I need to be in Costa Rica to start the process?
No. The initial design conversations happen remotely. If you have a lot, we can assess it with site photos, cadastral plans, and a local visit from our team. For clients who want to visit before committing, we are glad to coordinate a site visit and in-person consultation. But the process can start remotely and move quite far before anyone needs to be on the ground.

What is the difference between Viva and just hiring a contractor?
A contractor builds what they are given to build. Viva includes the design, the engineering, the permits, the construction, and the oversight under one contract and one point of accountability. The contractor relationship is one piece of a larger coordination problem. Viva is the whole thing.

Where in Costa Rica does Viva operate?
Anywhere in the country. We have built in Guanacaste, Puntarenas, the Central Valley, and other provinces. The Viva pricing structure is consistent regardless of province because the complexity of delivering quality construction anywhere in Costa Rica is factored into the program rather than added as a regional surcharge.

To start a conversation about your project, get a quote here or reach us on WhatsApp.