Custom home builder in Las Catalinas
Las Catalinas is a car-free town with its own architectural code, so design approval and site logistics come before anything else.
Projects start at $350,000 USD
Building a custom home in Las Catalinas today
Las Catalinas is a walkable New Urbanist beach town on the steep hills above Playa Danta and Playa Dantita, near Potrero. Founded in 2006, it was master-planned with narrow car-free streets, plazas and stair-streets, and most of the property is kept as dry-forest preserve.
Homes step up and down the slopes, and every design goes through the town's Architectural Review Board. Water in the surrounding Potrero area depends on ASADA wells, so the water letter is a precondition.
- Municipality
- Municipalidad de Santa Cruz
- Nearest airport
- Liberia (LIR)
- Typical lots
- Town lots and hillside homes inside a car-free town
- Design approval
- Architectural Review Board under the town's guidelines
- Streets
- Car-free, some as narrow as 4 m building to building
- Water
- Potrero-area ASADA wells; confirm the letter first
Getting to Las Catalinas
Near Potrero and Flamingo; the nearest international airport is Liberia (LIR). An exact drive time was not verified (Flamingo, nearby, is about 1 hour from LIR).
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 Las Catalinas
The land
There are no conventional suburban lots here. Homes sit on town lots in Beach Town, Punta Penca and newer neighborhoods, many on steep slopes where 3-D modelling was used to set sight lines so each home has an ocean or mountain view. Steep sites need engineered foundations and retaining.
The town's guidelines ask for buildings built to last for centuries, climate-appropriate design with deep roof overhangs and passive cooling, honest materials, and finished facades and roofs on all sides. We prepare the design for Architectural Review Board approval and allow for that review in the schedule.
The 200 m maritime zone (ZMT) applies on Danta and Dantita beaches. Before design starts, we also confirm with the town which builders and architects it allows to work there.
Water in Las Catalinas
Las Catalinas lies in the Potrero area, where ASADA wells are under pressure: the Puerto Potrero ASADA, with about 550 subscribers including condos and hotels, was rotating three wells in 2026. We confirm how the lot is supplied and get the water letter before you commit.
Through our land and construction consulting, we handle that check along with the design rules. The consulting fee is credited to your build if you go ahead; surveys and soil studies are paid separately and are not credited. We also plan storage for the December to April dry season.
Permit checklist for Las Catalinas
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 Santa Cruz
- Architectural Review Board approval under the town's guidelines
- Water letter for the lot before purchase
- Construction logistics agreed with the town for car-free streets
- ZMT status for any lot near Danta or Dantita beach
- Foundation and retaining engineering for steep lots
Why build in Las Catalinas
A car-free beach town
Streets, plazas and stair-streets are built for walking, with a beach club and more than 30 miles of hiking and biking trails.
Calm swimming beaches
Playa Danta and Playa Dantita sit right below the town.
Forest that stays forest
Most of the property is kept as dry-forest preserve under a long-term master plan.
Our showroom is in nearby Altos de Flamingo, where we built Casa Dos Hermanas, so you can see our work close to Las Catalinas. Casa Dos Hermanas Playa Flamingo
Sources: Wikipedia: Las Catalinas, Costa Rica; CNU: Beach Town, Las Catalinas; TSW: Las Catalinas 10 years (Oct 2016); Visit Costa Rica (ICT): Las Catalinas and new urbanism; Semanario Universidad: El Niño y boom inmobiliario (Jun 2026).
“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 Las Catalinas
Can I design my own home in Las Catalinas?
Yes, within the town's architectural guidelines. Designs must pass the Architectural Review Board and follow the code's focus on durability, passive cooling and honest materials, so we build that review into the design timeline.
How do construction materials get to a car-free lot?
Cars stay in parking at the edge of town and golf carts handle heavy deliveries, with some streets as narrow as 4 m. We plan staging and small-vehicle deliveries with the town before construction starts.
How much does it cost to build a custom home in Las Catalinas?
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, and here that includes the Architectural Review Board.
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