How to build off-grid at Secret Beach

Thinking about building your off-grid home at Secret Beach? The area of Secret Beach on the island of Ambergris Caye is one of the hottest and fastest-growing areas of the popular Caribbean island. San Pedro and Ambergris Caye have always been an attraction for Divers, snorkelers, and fishing enthusiasts due to the proximity of the world’s second-largest barrier reef and world-class flats fishing.

But Secret Beach brings a new element to the island. It brings the beach. Located on the west side of the island it brings amazing sunsets and crystal clear Caribbean water where tourists and vacationers flock to enjoy the fun vibes of the island’s hottest new attraction – the (not so secret) Secret Beach.

Demand Growth

All this attention and excitement has brought with it new demand from investors and homeowners who want to get in early on the action. Land values in the last decade have seen increases upwards of 400%-800%. And there seems to be no sign of things slowing down.

In fact, as of right now. If you want to build a home in the secret beach area, it has to be done off-grid. Of course, that is also part of the allure to the area. How cool is it to have a completely self-sustaining off-grid eco-home that is fully functional without the need for public utilities in one of the hottest and fastest-growing tropical islands in Central America? The answer; very cool!

But what does it take to build an off-grid eco-home in the middle of the Caribbean?

Luckily others have come before you. There are a number of contractors and solar system providers who will be able to help you design and build your off-grid home.

Building Off-Grid

If you are in Secret Beach you will need to build off-grid as there are currently no other options as of this writing (Nov. 2021). We will do our best to keep you updated as the area progresses and more infrastructure is brought to the Secret Beach side of Ambergris Caye.

It’s rumored that electricity will be brought to the west side of the island in less than two years. Although it will still be a long while before the infrastructure of an electricity grid is fully built out in that area.

The first step in any construction project is planning and approvals. What kind of house or commercial property will you develop? Currently, the zoning requirements are fairly loose compared to other areas of the world such as the US or Canada. Each lot will require 5′ setbacks, but other than that, it’s pretty much wide open.

Develop Your Plans

You will need to have an architect develop plans and drawings that will be submitted to the San Pedro Town Council for review and approval. Depending on the size and scope of your project you can expect currently (2021-2022) for your fees for the architect’s time and effort to create the drawings to run about $2500-$3500 USD for plans for a single-family home.

This fee is dependent on a number of factors including changes and revisions as well as the size and scope of the project. You should consider this estimate to be a floor price for the service. There will also be stamp and tax fees that will be payable to the town council.

Once you have your plans in place and you’ve been given the approval to build, you will work with your contractor to ensure that all the elements are in place and they are ready to break ground.

Getting Started

In the beginning, the process will be just like any other construction project. You will start with the foundation, move on to the framing, rough in your main components such as plumbing and electrical, etc.

Note: If you are digging a well make sure this is done first. Often times the location of the well will be directly under your house. Work with your contractor on properly preparing for the well. However, many homes in Secret Beach use rainwater catchments or cisterns as the water source. In which case the placement of these units can be varied.

Get more detailed information about the process of building in Belize here.

Solar Power

When it comes to planning out your solar system for power, it’s a good idea to interview a few installers and contract with one long before you actually bring them onsite. They will be able to coordinate with your contractor to ensure a smooth install.

Certain components such as water pumps, A/C systems, etc should be reviewed by your solar installer to ensure you are using the best ones. Sometimes contractors will go with a certain brand because it’s inexpensive or they are familiar with the brand, but when it comes to solar systems, every little bit of draw and load that a device puts on the system can make a drastic difference on the overall performance of your system.

Working with Contractors

Your contractor (if they are not handling the process of installing the solar system) will handle all the work up to the panel. Wiring, junctions, outlets, etc. The solar contractor will handle everything from the solar system and connect it back to the electric panel.

However, you will want your general contractor and your solar contractor to communicate beforehand, based on the reasons listed above, as well as ensuring the capacity of the panel (and sub-panel if needed) is adequate.

Some home builders and contractors in Secret Beach will handle this entire process for you. That’s what you’re paying them for. In our case, when we were developing our first project, we wanted as much hands-on during the process as possible. We also wanted to ensure cost control and so we sub-contracted many parts of the build and acted as our own general contractor.

For us, this was no problem as we had close to 20 years of experience in construction and real estate in the United States. However, if you are not experienced or simply would rather have someone else handle the process for you, there are plenty of builders and construction managers in San Pedro who are highly reputable.

If you want advice on what the building process has been like for us here in Belize, feel free to contact us and also be sure to check out and subscribe to our YouTube Channel Secret Beach Homes.