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In the States, builders/architects calculate building costs based on square feet of covered living space. The square footage of garages and decks are not considered in the per foot calculation nor in the advertised measurements of houses. Of course,the rate per foot construction charge is higher when a garage or covered deck is included in the plans but whatever space those areas have is not reported in the house description. Instead, the garage or deck is simply described in addition to the interior measurements. Living space is what is being considered here. In the States, that space usually restricted to completely enclosed and roofed areas. In Costa Rica, a lot of living is done outside yet under a roof. Climate rules.
My understanding is that Costa Rican architects/builders quote per square meter of covered space, whether it includes garages and/or covered decks. In other words, square meters of roof space is what is quoted. I am confused though as to how a covered deck or patio or garage area is dealt with in these overall calculations. Since there are not four walls around the decks and since garages do not have finished interiors, the cost per square meter in those areas would be much less. When I read of construction costs in the Central Valley of between $60 and $75 per sq mt, that variance has to do with the quality of materials used. Is there an estimate for what the cost per square meter would be for simple block construction of a garage or the roofing over of a cement deck?Edited on Sep 09, 2007 10:22
One person whom I was refered to and will use to build a small house told me to figure half for covered patios etc..
In the US, Cost per sq. ft. is so ambiguious. You can build a 2,000 sq. ft. home for $100.00 per sq. ft. or $ 200.00 per sq. ft. It all depends on what amenities are included. I.E. , Permits, Lot, and all other unknown costs. I am a certified building contractor from the states and buyers, buying for a cost per sq. ft. are looking for trouble unless they really pay attention to the specs. My advice is , don’t rely on cost per sq. ft.
Building costs in CR are calculated based on “under roof” space — doesn’t matter that there are no walls, if you have a 54 foot long terrace as I do, that is open at either end, it costs as much per square meter as the rest of the house. Don’t even try to argue this point with your contractor. They will just laugh. And the figures you quoted must be per square FOOT not square meter. Building costs at the moment in the San Ramon area are running between $40 and $50 per square foot for gray work, that is up from the $25 per sq foot it was when I started construction two years ago. Finishes, which can cost anything you are willing to spend, are usually extra.
Maravilla,
This is what I have been told…that the “under roof” space is what is quoted and it is not an arguable point with contractors. I have also read that a north american style home with granite counter tops and quality ceramic and stone tile throughout will cost between $50 and $75 a square FOOT. I am not sure if this means a steel roof with no ceilings or if this is for tiled roof and lowered ceilings. I am interested in steel roof and no lowered ceiling with a laurel wood covering on the roof interior.
I am still debating myself over whether to have a garage or simply a covered parking space perhaps under a 2nd story deck. If, however, the cost difference is minor, why not just spend the extra $5 or $6 thousand for the walls? This also enters into the security questions. A garage conceals whether or not someone is home. Perhaps for no other reason, a garage may be a good investment.Sprite, in the final analysis, a house costs what a house costs. You can debate the cost of garage wall finishes, which are mostly low-cost labor, and other minor details, but in the end the house is going to cost you what the builder and the material suppliers are willing to provide it for.
If you are in the early stages of planning, then I would recommend that you compute the total square footage of the structure you hope to build (interior space, covered decks, uncovered decks, garages or carports, everything) and multiply that number by $85.00US.
That figure ($85 per square foot) should be sufficient to cover architect’s fees, a consulting engineer, an electrical engineer, site preparation including some drainage and sodding, a driveway, an adequate septic system, bringing utilities onto the site, workers’ compensation, social security, permits, unforseen developments, unforseen increases in the costs of labor and materials (they’re going up all the time), surprises like subsoil that’s inadequate to support the structure, etc.
If you’re building on a difficult site (far away from suppliers, far off the main road, on a steep slope, far from utilities, etc) figure $90 per square foot.
The figure of $85-90US per square foot is a planning tool. You may be able to build for less, but if you’re in the early stages of planning, use this number and be pleasantly surprised later.
We finished our house last December and it’s similar to what you describe. Our total cost was $72 per square foot. Friends spent a bit more on finish products (whirly tub, etc) and spent $78. If your finances won’t support spending $85 to $90 per square foot, then you need to revise your thinking. Costs of labor and materials are going up, and by the time you get ready to dig, you may not be able to do it for what we did.
Too, you absolutely MUST know what is included in the builder’s price and what extras you will be responsible for. You MUST price utility installation and the cost of finish components before you can know that whatever the builder is allowing is adequate.
I would strongly recommend that you insist on a fixed-price building contract that makes specific reference to the architect’s plans and which contains a detailed list of what is included so that there are no expensive surprises late in the project.
Building a home here, as in the U.S., is a major undertaking that cannot be taken lightly without dire consequences, and you can be confident that cheapening the process will cheapen the product.
Edited on Sep 10, 2007 07:06
Thank you, David. I have read quite a bit on this topic already and your experience is right in line with what I have seen so far. A larger consideration for me is whether or not to begin construction earlier than planned in order to avoid rising material costs. The down side to that is not being able to be present during the construction which I consider of utmost importance. Lots to consider for me here.
That’s my house — granite countertops, mosaic murals in the bathroom, solid cedar cabinets and interior doors, Kohler sinks, laurel ceilings (20 feet high), and my roof is a recycled plastic composite that looks like terracotta tiles. If I added everything I’ve spent on my house, the cost per sq ft is about $39 per sq ft. and if I add in the land costs, too, the sq ft price is $50 a square foot. Costs have risen since I completed construction, so David’s suggestion of working off a high number is reasonable. There are people in my hood who built a 1200 sq ft house “turn-key” for just under $60,000. Their finishes cost a little less than mine because they didn’t do granite, and they didn’t use my carpenter, who admittedly, is pretty high-end, but worth every penny. In that sq ft price, I did add in what I paid the architect ($1300) or the excavation ($1200). But you are going to have higher costs because you are doing second-storey something or other, and I can tell you that from what I saw my neighbor do — which was build a two story house with a tuck-under garage, he wound up going $30,000 over budget because of all the extra stuff that is required for doing second-story construction. He had to pay $8000 for retaining walls, a cost I did not have. I told him to keep it simple, but he didn’t listen, and although he only had a budget of $53,000 — he wound up spending $80,000! He didn’t read his contract so he didn’t know that HE had to pay for all the finishes out of pocket — that came as a big surprise to him!
You can’t be there during construction? Oh boy, you might regret that! My neighbor didn’t show up for 6 months and a lot of stuff got done that he didn’t think he ordered. When I was building, I flew down every 6 weeks for 2 – 3 weeks, sometimes more often. I would NOT recommend building anything until you can be there for some part of the construction process. You do NOT want any surprises.
The bottom line is that building costs per square foot or meter are determined by the building contract and construction specifications agreed to between the owner and the builder.
We all have expectations of how we would like to our home to look. But some of us are not able to clearly envision how all the components need to be assembled to achieve the end result we have imagined.
Photos help but detailed construction specifications are the best means you have to get your dream home completed to your expectations and the way you imagine it to be.
Before you sign a construction contract it is important to meet with your builder and thoroughly communicate your expectations of how you imagine your residence to be. If you don’t have a good building contract with detailed specifications you will probably end up spending more than you anticipated and get disappointed.
To avoid this inconvenience visit http://www.costaricahomebuilder.com and select the “documents” page then review the “construction specifications” in order to begin the process of selecting the items that you need to discuss and put in writing so your builder can complete your residence within your budget and to your expectations. With a good set of specifications you will be able to get the total cost for all the work to complete your residence the way you imagine it to be.
Plus if you select a builder with whom you can communicate and someone who understands the manner in which you’re accustomed to living, chances are you won’t be inconvenienced by the inconveniences that happen here in paradise.We are building a home in Samara…we have someone taking photos twice per week…
The home is 1000sq ft+ 240 sqft covered terrace with 20m2 swimming pool= $99,100
The architect cost $10,000, which included inspection…
Total cost WITH architect for turn key home will be about $115,000You can see the construction process and quality at
http://picasaweb.google.com/Brydenthal/CASALUNA285000SamaraWwwMattBrydenthalComGOOD LUCK!!!
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