What the free Property Check does
Enter any Costa Rica property. Folio overlays the official data layers and shows you the flags in one tap, before you fall for a photo or wire a deposit.
The free property check is Folio's front door. You put in a property, it draws the parcel and layers the official data over it, and you read the flags. No account needed to start, and no claim that a property is "safe."
What the free check actually does
You enter a Costa Rica property, and Folio overlays the public, official data layers onto that parcel so you can see, in one view, what a listing never shows you. Instead of five different government portals in Spanish, you get one readable picture: where the parcel sits, and which layers it touches.
A listing shows you a sunset and a price. It does not show you that the buildable strip sits inside the maritime zone, that part of the finca overlaps a protected area, or that the access road is on someone else's land. The free check is built to surface exactly those things before you get attached.
Enter any Costa Rica property and Folio draws the parcel and layers the official data over it. Free to start, no account required.
The layers Folio overlays
Each layer answers a different question a buyer should be asking. The free check surfaces where a property touches each one.
- Cadastre & parcelThe parcel outline and cadastral context, so you can see the shape and location the paper is describing.
- The 200-meter maritime zone (ZMT)Whether the property touches the maritime zone, where beachfront is usually a concession, not title.
- SINAC protected areasOverlap with national parks, reserves and protected zones that limit what can be built or cleared.
- CNE flood & risk contextKnown flood, landslide and hazard context from the national emergency commission's mapping.
- Water-district contextThe water-provision context for the area, so a "we will get water later" promise gets a reality check.
How the flags work
Folio does not grade a property with a single score that pretends to be a verdict. It shows you the layers a property touches and lets you see them plainly. A property that touches the maritime zone is not automatically a bad deal, and one that touches nothing is not automatically a good one. The point is that you now know what to ask.
A flag means "this layer touches this property, look here." It does not mean the deal is dead, and the absence of flags does not mean the deal is clean. Folio surfaces the official picture. Your lawyer reads the specifics and your surveyor confirms the ground.
Where the free check ends
The free check is designed to answer one honest question early: is this property worth a closer look, or worth walking away from before you spend anything. When you want the confirmed, parcel-specific version, with the registry pulled and the layers verified for that exact finca, that is the paid report.
Run the free check first. If the property is worth pursuing, the verified report gives you the confirmed document you and your lawyer work from.
Frequently asked questions
Is the property check really free?
Yes. You can enter any Costa Rica property and see the official layers at no cost. The verified report is a separate, optional step.
What layers does it show?
The parcel and cadastre context, the 200-meter maritime zone, SINAC protected areas, CNE flood and risk context, and water-district context, all from public official sources.
Does a clean check mean the property is safe?
No. Folio shows you what the official layers say so you know what to ask. It never calls a property safe, clean, or guaranteed, and it does not replace a lawyer, notary, or surveyor.
Do I need the plano or finca number?
You can start from a location or a listing. A plano or finca number sharpens the result, and the verified report confirms the exact parcel against the registry.