Custom home builder in Escazú
In Escazú, the plan regulador and the protected hills decide how high up the slope you can build.
Projects start at $350,000 USD
Building a custom home in Escazú today
Escazú climbs the foothills west of San José, from flatter, commercial San Rafael through Escazú Centro to San Antonio high in the Cerros de Escazú. Cerro Cedral marks the southern limit, and the Río Tiribí forms the northern border.
The canton has a detailed zoning plan, adopted in 2004 and amended as recently as October 2025. We design new homes to it, and we also renovate existing homes here: Casa Escazú is a full home renovation we completed in the canton.
- Municipality
- Municipalidad de Escazú
- Districts
- Escazú, San Antonio, San Rafael
- Elevation
- Mean elevation 1,129 m
- Typical lots
- Gated-community lots in San Rafael and Centro; hillside view lots in San Antonio
- Water
- AyA, Oeste-Sur group of subsystems
- Protected area
- Cerros de Escazú Protected Zone, 71.65 km², managed by SINAC
Getting to Escazú
Within about 20 minutes of downtown San José (ECIJA), and SJO is roughly 20 minutes from downtown.
We build here from our showroom in Altos de Flamingo, with our crews on site for the length of your project. You can visit any time by appointment.
Land and lots in Escazú
The land
Gated-community lots dominate San Rafael and Escazú Centro, while San Antonio offers larger hillside lots with valley views, often at the lowest prices in the canton. Upper slopes fall in protection or special-control zones.
The Cerros de Escazú Protected Zone was created by decree in 1976, covers 71.65 km² and is managed by SINAC. The plan regulador adds its own hill protection zone (ZPCE) and a protection zone for water sources and riverbanks (ZPFAR), so a lot’s zone matters before you buy.
The plan’s zones run from low to very high residential density, with commercial zones around Multiplaza and Trejos Montealegre and special control zones such as Alto Carrizal, Bello Horizonte and the Costa Rica Country Club. We get the uso de suelo certificate for the lot before design starts.
Water in Escazú
Escazú is on AyA. In 2021 AyA rated the high zones of Escazú, Santa Ana and Mora red, meaning no new availability letters. In February 2025 it said the Oeste-Sur group of subsystems serving Escazú and Santa Ana is expected to reach a water surplus fastest.
Availability is still checked address by address, so we confirm the letter before you buy. On hillside lots in San Antonio we also design drainage and retaining work around the slope and the rainy season.
Permit checklist for Escazú
Not sure a lot will get a permit and a water letter? Our land consulting checks it before you buy, and the consulting fee (not surveys or soil studies) is credited to your build if you go ahead with us.
- Building permit from the Municipalidad de Escazú
- Uso de suelo certificate confirming the plan regulador zone
- Check against the Cerros de Escazú Protected Zone and the ZPCE and ZPFAR zones
- AyA water availability letter for the address
- Plans approved through the CFIA before the municipal permit
- Condominium or HOA design rules inside gated communities
Why build in Escazú
Schools, hospitals and shopping
Escazú has international schools, private hospitals and upscale shopping, about 20 minutes from downtown San José.
A cooler hillside climate
Its altitude makes Escazú cooler and less humid than lower parts of the country, with valley views from San Antonio.
Clear, current zoning
A detailed plan regulador, amended in 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2025, sets what can be built on each lot.
Casa Escazú, our full home renovation in the canton, shows the level of finish we deliver in the Central Valley. Casa Escazú renovation Home renovations
Sources: Wikipedia: Escazú (canton); Municipalidad de Escazú: Plan Regulador de Escazú (consolidated, Nov 2025); Wikipedia: Escazú Hills Protected Zone; Semanario Universidad: Codece 40 años, Cerros de Escazú (Feb 2026); CostaRicaLaw.com: Living in Escazú, pros and cons; ECIJA: Best neighborhoods in the Central Valley; El Financiero: Déficit de agua seca el rebrote de la construcción (Oct 2021); Semanario Universidad: AyA apuesta por alianzas público privadas (Feb 2025); Two Weeks in Costa Rica: Building a house in Costa Rica.
“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 in the mountains of the Central Valley. I found them to be very welcoming, informative and accommodating.”
Questions about building in Escazú
Can I build high in the Escazú hills?
Upper slopes fall in the 1976 Cerros de Escazú Protected Zone and the plan regulador’s ZPCE hill protection zone, where uses are restricted. Lots lower down in San Antonio and Escazú Centro are typically zoned residential. A uso de suelo certificate confirms the zone, and we get it before design.
Is water a problem for new homes in Escazú?
AyA rated the high zones red in 2021, but in 2025 it said the Oeste-Sur subsystems serving Escazú should reach a surplus fastest. Availability is still checked address by address, so we confirm it before you buy.
How much does it cost to build a custom home in Escazú?
It depends on the lot, the slope, the construction system and the finishes. Our projects start at $350,000, and we price each home once we have seen the site and the design.
How long does a build take?
Our homes typically take 5 to 8 months on site. Design and permits come first, starting with the uso de suelo certificate and the water letter.
Tell us about your project
The fastest way to reach us is WhatsApp. Or send the form and we reply within one business day.
Projects start at $350,000 USD
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