Custom home builder on Costa Rica's Central Pacific coast
Decentra Homes builds custom homes on the Central Pacific coast, from Jacó and Herradura to the hills above Manuel Antonio near Quepos. It is the closest beach region to San José, but the maritime zone, sewer limits and steep lots set the rules, so we check the water letter, the coastal plan and the slope before you buy. Construction starts at a $350,000 minimum budget, before land.
Minimum construction budget $350,000 USD, before land
Building on the Central Pacific today
The Central Pacific is the beach region closest to the capital. Jacó is about 1 hour 30 minutes from SJO via Routes 27 and 34, with Herradura Bay and the Los Sueños resort just north and Playa Hermosa about five minutes south. Manuel Antonio sits about 75 km further south, on the ridges between Quepos and Manuel Antonio National Park.
The two towns build differently. Jacó, in Garabito canton, is a busy town with a 4 km black-sand beach, urban lots and hillside sites behind it. Manuel Antonio, in Quepos canton, is mostly steep jungle hillside with ocean views, next to a park that La Nación reported draws about 450,000 visitors a year.
Both share the same coastal issues: the maritime zone, a sewer network that is still being built, and heavy rain on steep ground.
Central Pacific towns compared
| Town | Municipality | Typical lots | Water | Zoning or coastal plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacó and Herradura | Municipalidad de Garabito | Town lots in Jacó; hillside ocean-view lots; lots in Los Sueños at Herradura | AyA; no citywide sewage treatment plant yet | Coastal plans only at Punta Conejo and north Herradura; canton plan still under debate (June 2026) |
| Manuel Antonio | Municipalidad de Quepos | Hillside ocean-view jungle lots; flatter lots inland near Quepos and Naranjito | AyA Quepos-Manuel Antonio aqueduct; ASADAs in outlying communities | Beach concessions need a coastal plan in force; inland zoning confirmed per lot |
Land and lots on the Central Pacific
In Jacó, you can buy urban lots with paved roads and city water, hillside ocean-view lots behind town, or lots inside Los Sueños Resort and Marina at Herradura, where private community rules apply on top of the municipal permit. Playa Hermosa, just south, adds beach and hillside land along the coast road.
In Manuel Antonio, most lots are on forested ridges along Route 618, the road that runs about 7 km from Quepos center to the park entrance. Flatter, less expensive land sits inland around Quepos and Naranjito. Ridge lots give the views but need geotechnical work, retaining walls and careful access design for concrete trucks.
Maritime zone and coastal plans
The first 50 m from the high-tide line are public, and the next 150 m can only be held by concession where a coastal plan is in force. A foreigner needs five years of legal residency to hold a majority interest in a concession.
Garabito's maritime zone regulation, first published in 2016, grants only temporary, revocable use permits where no coastal plan exists, and new construction under those permits confers no rights. ICT's 2019 index for Garabito lists approved coastal plans for Punta Conejo and the north sector of Bahía Herradura; Jacó beach does not appear in it. In Quepos, the municipality said in 2019 that at least 28 properties in the Playa Espadilla maritime zone had no concession.
That is why most custom homes here are on titled lots behind the maritime zone or on the hills above.
Water letters, sewer and permits by municipality
Water. AyA supplies Jacó and runs the Quepos-Manuel Antonio aqueduct, while ASADAs serve outlying communities such as Londres. The BCIE-financed Coastal Cities Water and Sewer Program, covering Jacó, Quepos and Manuel Antonio, was 25% complete after seven years and now runs to June 2029 (Tico Times, October 2026). We get the availability letter for your lot before you buy.
Sewer. In August 2024 the Sala IV ordered Garabito, Quepos, Golfito and AyA to build sewage treatment plants and sewers within two years. Until a network reaches your street, plan an engineered on-site treatment system, which needs space on the lot and its own design.
Permits. The Municipalidad de Garabito issues permits for Jacó and Herradura. As of June 2026 Garabito was still debating a new plan regulador, so we confirm land use for the lot. The Municipalidad de Quepos issues permits for Manuel Antonio. Our permits and water letters team handles the file.
Climate and construction considerations
Jacó is humid, with relative humidity around 80% and up to 90% in June, and daytime temperatures of 24 to 32 °C. The wet season runs from August to early December, and the dry season from late December to early April. Manuel Antonio's forest is classed as tropical very wet forest, and in November 2020 saturated drainage opened a sinkhole on Route 618.
So the design starts with water: site drainage, slope stability, waterproofing, and stainless or galvanized hardware for the salt air. We build in concrete, hybrid and steel. Reinforced concrete is our default for hillside foundations and for most coastal homes. A hybrid can lighten the upper floors on a steep lot, and our prefabricated galvanized steel frames resist rust in salt air and do not rot. See our construction systems.
What a Central Pacific home costs
These are our own construction figures for the Central Pacific, before land:
- Basic finish: about $700 per m²
- Mid-range: about $1,000 per m²
- Upper mid-range: $1,000 to $1,200 per m²
- Luxury: $1,500 to $1,800 per m²
- Ultra luxury: $1,800+ per m²
A pool runs about $2,500 per m² of pool, all-in: excavation and grade work, the shell, the finish and the filtration system. LED lighting and other custom features add to that depending on the design. Design and plans run about 5.5% to 6% of construction value under the CFIA fee schedule, and we plan a 10 to 15% contingency.
Ridge lots usually add retaining work and an on-site wastewater system to the budget; we price both from the site studies.
Our minimum construction budget is $350,000 USD, before land. Our cost to build guide sets out fees and extras.
Getting there: SJO, Quepos and the Costanera
From SJO, Jacó is about 1 hour 30 minutes via Route 27 and Route 34 (the Costanera). Quepos is about 104 km from San José on the same route, plus about 7 km to the park. Quepos airport (XQP) has direct flights from SJO of about 30 minutes, with SANSA listing five daily flights. Uvita, in the Southern Zone, is about an hour south on the Costanera.
Our work on the Central Pacific
We built the Rainforest Ocean-View Villa in Manuel Antonio, a home set in the rainforest with a view of the ocean. Down the coast, the Uvita Jungle House shows our work in the same rainforest climate. See more in our portfolio.
Consulting before you buy in the Central Pacific
Every consultation is with a CFIA-licensed engineer and architect with over 20 years of experience. Our construction consulting covers lot selection and pre-purchase checks, builder and budget review, owner's representative site inspections and progress reports, development feasibility, cost and cash-flow projections and design review. It is available anywhere in Costa Rica for any build size, from $300 per hour or quoted by job specifications.
For a lot you are about to buy, our land and construction consulting brings the survey, soil study, zoning, access and water letter together in a written report. If you build with us, the consulting fee is credited to your construction; topographic surveys, soil studies and other studies are paid separately and are not credited.
Our showroom is in Altos de Flamingo, Guanacaste, and we build across Costa Rica with the same team. Message us on WhatsApp at +506 8733-2930 or email info@decentrahomes.com.
Sources: Tico Times: Water upgrades for Jacó, Quepos and Manuel Antonio stall after seven years (Oct 2026); Semanario Universidad: Sala IV ordena plantas de tratamiento a Quepos, Golfito y Garabito (Aug 2024); Municipalidad de Garabito: Reglamento de uso de suelo en la zona marítimo terrestre; ICT: Índice de planes reguladores costeros, Garabito (2019); Tico Times: Costa Rica beach town debates moving nightlife out of downtown (Jun 2026); Wikipedia: Jacó, Costa Rica; La Nación: Caos impera en zona marítimo terrestre de costa (2019); FlightsFrom: Direct flights SJO to Quepos.
Google reviews
“We have had a great experience with Decentra. Their follow up skills are impeccable and they are a one stop shop for all phases of your build.”
“I engaged with Sean and the owner Sergio to obtain building costs for a residential project I was considering in the mountains of the Central Valley. I found them to be very welcoming, informative, accommodating…”
Building in the Central Pacific region: questions
Is there a sewer system in Jacó?
Not citywide yet. In August 2024 the Sala IV ordered Garabito and AyA to build a treatment plant and sewer within two years. Until it reaches your street, a new home needs an engineered on-site treatment system.
Can I build on the beach in Jacó or Manuel Antonio?
Not in the first 50 m, which are public. The next 150 m can only be held by concession where a coastal plan is in force, and Garabito grants only temporary permits where there is none. Most homes are built on titled lots behind the maritime zone or on the hills.
Who supplies water for a new home on the Central Pacific?
AyA supplies Jacó and runs the Quepos-Manuel Antonio aqueduct, and ASADAs serve outlying communities. We confirm the supplier and get its availability letter for your lot before you buy.
How long is the drive from San José to Jacó?
About 1 hour 30 minutes from SJO via Routes 27 and 34. Manuel Antonio is about 75 km further south, or about 30 minutes by air from SJO to Quepos.
How much does it cost to build a house in Jacó or Manuel Antonio?
Construction runs about $700 per m² basic, about $1,000 mid-range, $1,000 to $1,200 upper mid-range, $1,500 to $1,800 luxury and $1,800+ ultra luxury, before land. Our minimum construction budget is $350,000 USD, before land.
Jacó or Manuel Antonio: which is better for a custom home?
Jacó is closer to San José and has more services and flatter lots. Manuel Antonio offers quieter ridge lots with ocean and forest views, and steeper sites that need more engineering. Our Jacó and Manuel Antonio pages go into detail.
Tell us about your project
The fastest way to reach us is WhatsApp. Or send the form and we reply within one business day.
Minimum construction budget $350,000 USD, before land
Message us on WhatsApp- +506 8733-2930
- Phone
- +1 503-994-8017
- Showroom
- Altos de Flamingo, Playa Flamingo, Guanacaste, Costa Rica, by appointment
- Licensing
- CFIA certified under SIM SRL