Harrison Customs
Home Renovation & Outdoor Living serving Costa Rica's Gold Coast.
Start with how you want the property to work
A good renovation begins with daily life, not a catalog of finishes. Think about where the morning sun lands, which rooms trap heat, where rain enters during a hard storm, and how people move between the house, pool, garden, and parking area. Harrison Customs brings those practical questions into the first conversation so the project can improve the way the property feels and functions.
For an existing home, that conversation may lead to a focused renovation, a larger reworking of indoor and outdoor space, or a new gathering area that makes better use of the land. Bring photos, rough measurements, inspiration images, and a simple list of what is not working today. A clear priority list helps separate essential work from features that can be added in a later phase.
Outdoor living that earns its place
Outdoor space in Guanacaste has to do more than look good in a photograph. It needs shade at the right time of day, comfortable airflow, practical drainage, durable surfaces, and an easy connection to the kitchen, pool, garden, or guest rooms. A quiet terrace for two needs a different layout from a family rancho, a rental property gathering area, or an outdoor kitchen built for regular entertaining.
Harrison Customs works with ranchos, gazebos, covered patios, pergolas, shade structures, outdoor kitchens, BBQ areas, and custom details that tie the space together. Early decisions should include seating, cooking, lighting, power, water, storage, weather protection, and the route people will take through the area. Planning those pieces together usually produces a cleaner result than adding them one at a time after construction begins.
Renovating for sun, rain, humidity, and salt air
Coastal conditions change the material conversation. Strong sun can fade and weaken exposed finishes. Long wet periods make drainage and drying time important. Humidity affects metals, coatings, timber, and enclosed spaces. Salt air can accelerate corrosion near the coast, especially where water collects or protective finishes are damaged.
Harrison's material guidance covers carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminum, galvanization, powder coating, zinc primers, and marine-grade options. The right choice depends on the location, exposure, load, appearance, maintenance expectations, and budget. A material that works well inland may need a different finish or maintenance plan near the ocean. Ask how every exposed connection, fastener, weld, edge, and drainage point will be protected, not only how the main surface will be finished.
The rainy season also affects sequencing. Excavation, foundations, coatings, deliveries, and exterior work can all respond differently to wet weather. A realistic project plan should account for access to the property, material storage, runoff, and the order in which existing areas will be opened or protected.
Custom metalwork as part of the design
Harrison's fabrication background makes metalwork part of the project rather than an afterthought. The team builds custom gates, security doors, stairs, railings, structural steel, and architectural details using steel, stainless steel, aluminum, glass, and wood combinations where the design calls for them. Mobile CNC plasma cutting and professional welding support pieces that need to be made for a particular opening, structure, or visual idea.
This matters when a renovation needs several elements to feel related. A pergola frame can share lines and finishes with a gate. A stair and railing package can match an outdoor kitchen structure. Screens, shade panels, doors, and decorative features can be designed around the same material language instead of looking like separate purchases.
From the first visit to installation
Harrison describes a process that moves through consultation, design, material selection, construction or fabrication, quality checks, installation, and a final walkthrough. Fabrication projects may include site measurements, CAD drawings, and three-dimensional visualization before cutting and welding begin. That gives the homeowner a useful point to review scale, clearances, access, and appearance before materials are committed.
The first estimate should define more than a total price. Ask what is included, which selections remain open, who is responsible for site preparation, how changes will be priced, and what milestone triggers each payment. For renovation work, also discuss how existing conditions will be handled if opening a wall, roof, slab, or exterior area reveals something unexpected.
Harrison offers a free on-site consultation and a detailed estimate, with a stated 24-hour turnaround for the estimate. Complex renovations may need more investigation before every cost can be fixed, so the most useful early proposal is one that clearly separates known work, allowances, options, and possible discoveries.
What to prepare for the first conversation
Add current photos from several angles, a short video if movement through the space is hard to explain, and any plans or surveys already available. Note the number of people who normally use the property, whether it is a full-time home or rental, and any dates that affect construction.
For an outdoor kitchen, list the appliances, fuel type, sink, refrigeration, storage, counter space, seating, and shelter you want. For a rancho or pergola, think about shade direction, rain cover, lighting, fans, outlets, furniture, and views. For gates, stairs, or railings, include approximate openings and the look you prefer, but leave final measurements to the site visit.
A renovation should also begin with a comfortable budget range and a decision about priorities. Share the target honestly. It lets the design team compare structural needs, durable materials, custom features, and finish choices without spending time on a direction that cannot be built within the plan.
Mobile service for Guanacaste projects
Harrison operates a fabrication shop in Curridabat and serves projects across Costa Rica with a mobile team, including Guanacaste. Rather than asking homeowners to visit a Gold Coast storefront, the team comes to the property for project work and on-site consultation.
For a project around Playa Potrero, Surfside, Flamingo, Brasilito, Conchal, or Las Catalinas, send the exact location when making contact. Road access, delivery space, working hours, condominium rules, and distance from the fabrication shop can influence planning. The first conversation is the right time to explain those details and decide whether the next step should be a call, a document review, or an on-site consultation.
Phone: +506 8661 0333