Custom home builder on the Osa Peninsula

The land

Building sites range from titled lots and small farms near Puerto Jiménez to forested acreage toward Cabo Matapalo and Carate. Outside town, a home often needs its own road, water source and power. On the coast, the first 200 m is maritime zone (ZMT), where the 50 m public strip cannot be built on and the rest is held only by concession, which requires a coastal regulatory plan.

Article 19 of the Forestry Law bans land-use change on forest-covered land. The State Forestry Administration can still permit a home on private land with forest, but any cutting must be limited and proportional, after environmental screening. Rivers and streams carry protection strips of 15 m to 50 m and springs a 100 m radius. In August 2025 the Comptroller found that 83% of 49 SINAC forest permits it reviewed, including files from the Osa conservation area, failed technical and document controls, so we get forest status confirmed in writing early.

Through our land and construction consulting, we check title, forest cover and protected-area boundaries before you buy. The consulting fee is credited to the build if you go ahead; surveys and soil studies are paid separately and are not credited.

Water and rain on the Osa Peninsula

Some homes near Puerto Jiménez connect to a municipal water system, while remote properties rely on springs, streams or wells. Springs carry a 100 m protection radius under the Forestry Law, which affects where the house and septic system can go. We confirm the water source for the specific lot in writing before purchase.

The wet season runs from June to November, with rain most afternoons, and October and November can each bring more than a meter of rain. December to May is drier, and January to April are the sunniest months. We design for that rain with deep overhangs, generous drainage, cross ventilation and durable concrete construction, and we plan heavy deliveries for the dry months.