The Sea Ranch, CA Real Estate & Homes for Sale
By Matthew Martinez, Founder, CEO & Managing Broker, Diamond Real Estate Group. California DRE #01869679.
The Sea Ranch is an unincorporated planned community on about ten miles of the northern Sonoma County coast, in Sonoma County, California, where more than 2,200 homes and undeveloped lots share one set of recorded restrictions and one design committee. Redfin put the median sale price for its ZIP code, 95497, at $1.5 million for the three months ending August 2026. There is no city government: Sonoma County issues building and coastal permits, and The Sea Ranch Association runs the private roads, trails, recreation centers and design review.
- County
- Sonoma County
- Government
- Unincorporated; The Sea Ranch Association (CC&Rs)
- ZIP code
- 95497
- Median sale price
- $1.5 million (3 months to Aug 2026, Redfin)
- Homes and lots
- More than 2,200 (The Sea Ranch Association)
- Water
- The Sea Ranch Water Company
- Fire protection
- North Sonoma Coast Fire Protection District
The Sea Ranch homes for sale
The MLS listings below cover The Sea Ranch and ZIP 95497, from houses on the ocean side of Highway 1 to lots on the inland side. To see Annapolis, Jenner and the rest of the Sonoma Coast in one search, use our property search.
What do homes at The Sea Ranch sell for?
$1.5 million
Three months to August 2026, Redfin (ZIP 95497)
78
Three months to August 2026, Redfin (43 a year earlier)
6
August 2026, Redfin (4 in August 2025)
Prices sit well above the county’s September 2026 median of $875,000 (C.A.R.). Redfin’s 57.9% jump from a year earlier more likely reflects which houses happened to sell, in a market of a few sales a month, than a change in value; the Census Bureau’s 2020–2024 estimate of $1,371,600 for owner-occupied homes is a steadier yardstick.
| Measure | Figure | Period and source |
|---|---|---|
| Median sale price, ZIP 95497 | $1.5 million (up 57.9% year over year) | Three months to August 2026, Redfin |
| Average days on market | 78 (43 a year earlier) | Three months to August 2026, Redfin |
| Homes sold | 6 (4 a year earlier) | August 2026, Redfin |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes | $1,371,600 (margin ±$126,220) | Census ACS 2020–2024, The Sea Ranch CDP (Census Reporter) |
| Sonoma County median, for comparison | $875,000 | September 2026, C.A.R. |
Redfin’s figures are its own calculations from MLS and public records. We price a Sea Ranch home from the closest comparables: ocean or inland side of the highway, sewer or septic, and whether recent work went through design review.
How does The Sea Ranch Association affect a purchase?
Every private lot at The Sea Ranch is bound by The Sea Ranch Restrictions, the covenants (CC&Rs) the developer, Oceanic Properties, recorded on May 10, 1965, last amended in 2013 (TSRA). The Sea Ranch Association (TSRA) calls itself “not a traditional HOA”, but for a buyer it works like one: it levies assessments, writes the rules and decides what can be built.
- Assessments: TSRA’s December 2022 bulletin set the 2022–23 assessment at $292 a month per property, the full rate of $328 less a $36 carryover credit (TSRA Bulletin). The fiscal year starts May 1, and the Board’s approval of the 2026–27 budget was scheduled for February 28, 2026. California’s Civil Code §4525 requires the seller to provide the governing documents, a statement of current regular and special assessments and unpaid charges, and any assessment increase already approved, so read that packet before you remove contingencies (Civil Code §4525).
- Amenities: the pools, the Del Mar, Ohlson and Moonraker recreation centers, more than 50 miles of trails and the private roads are reserved for owners, their guests and renters. There’s no day-use pass for anyone else (TSRA FAQ).
- What’s built: as of October 31, 2022, TSRA counted 1,782 homes, 410 undeveloped lots and 27 houses under construction. The Census estimate of 1,287 residents in 1,865 housing units (2020–2024) suggests many houses are second homes or rentals.
Building or remodeling: design review and coastal permits
Any exterior change at The Sea Ranch needs two approvals, and the order matters. The Association’s Design Manual says final design approval must come from its Design Committee before you can get a Sonoma County building permit, and the plans it approves must be the same construction documents you submit to the county.
- Design Committee: Section 3.03 of the Restrictions bars exterior work on a private lot until the committee approves the plans. The committee has three members, at least one of them an architect, and plans it neither approves nor rejects within 45 days are deemed approved.
- The steps: the October 2013 Design Manual on TSRA’s site runs from a site visit to a conceptual review with a licensed survey, a preliminary review with a stakeout and notice to owners within 300 feet, and a final review. Exterior work must be finished within a year of the Association’s construction permit (TSRA Design Manual).
- Size and height: the manual limits houses to 24 feet west of Highway 1 (16 feet where the recorded tract map says so) and 35 feet east of it unless a lot is designated otherwise. It also notes Sonoma County’s cap on the footprint, decks included, of 35% of the lot, with more restrictive limits on “Bane Bill” lots. Removing a tree at least 6 feet tall with a 6-inch trunk needs a tree proposal.
- Coastal permit: parcels in the county’s coastal zone, which generally runs from the first coastal ridgeline out to sea, carry “CC” in their zoning. Under the Local Coastal Plan in force since February 4, 2025, development on them needs a coastal permit from Permit Sonoma unless the plan exempts it, and the California Coastal Commission can hear appeals on work within 300 feet of a bluff edge or beach (Permit Sonoma LCP FAQ).
Our guide to building lots and ADUs in Sonoma County covers the county side, including the separate ADU standards for coastal parcels.
Water, sewer and septic at The Sea Ranch
Drinking water comes from The Sea Ranch Water Company, a utility owned by the Association and regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission and the State Water Resources Control Board. Its supply is a set of wells about 100 feet deep, drilled in 1995 and 1996 on the east side of the Gualala River, which also fill a 300-acre-foot reservoir in winter and spring (Sea Ranch Water Company).
Sewer service is the exception. Sonoma Water’s Sea Ranch Sanitation Zone runs two small collection and treatment systems, one in Central and one in North Sea Ranch, and its 2026–27 draft budget projects 627 connected parcels out of more than 2,200 in the community. Connected owners paid an annual sewer service charge of $1,806 per single-family equivalent in 2025–26, and the agency requested $1,966 for 2026–27 (Sonoma Water).
Lots outside those two systems rely on septic, overseen by the On-Site Wastewater Disposal Zone, a satellite program of the county permit department that is part of the Association’s utilities department, whose inspector checks that systems work. A new system must be designed by a licensed engineer and approved by both the Design Committee and the county.
Confirm sewer or septic first on any Sea Ranch listing: the answer changes the yearly cost, the inspections you need and what can be added to the house.
- On sewer: confirm the parcel is in the sanitation zone and ask what the current annual charge is.
- On septic: ask for the zone’s inspection history for the parcel, the county septic permit and the number of bedrooms it was designed for, and hire a septic contractor to inspect it. Sonoma County doesn’t require a septic inspection at sale, so this is the buyer’s job.
- Vacant lot: septic feasibility and a water connection decide whether and what you can build. Our guide to wells, septic and rural utilities in Sonoma County lists the tests to order.
For internet, Sea Ranch Connect, set up in 2016 with GigabitNow, runs its own fiber-optic network to every home, lot and business, and utilities other than the major power lines are underground (TSRA).
Fire protection, evacuation and insurance
The North Sonoma Coast Fire Protection District covers The Sea Ranch, Annapolis and Stewarts Point with a mix of volunteer and career firefighters. Its South Station, at 960 Annapolis Road between the Association and Water Company offices, is owned by CAL FIRE and staffed around the clock, and its North Station is on Highway 1 just south of the Sea Ranch Chapel (NSCFPD). The district is using its share of Measure H, the county’s half-cent emergency-services sales tax passed in March 2024, to keep at least three paid CAL FIRE staff on duty at all times.
- Grazing: the Association uses sheep, managed by a local contractor, to cut fire fuel and keep native grasses.
- Evacuation: TSRA names Stewarts Point–Skaggs Springs Road as the designated, county-maintained evacuation route and sends TSRAlert messages to owners who register their contact details.
- Fire zone and AB 38: look up the parcel on CAL FIRE’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone map. If it’s in a High or Very High zone, the seller has to provide a defensible-space inspection made within six months before the sale, or both sides sign an agreement that the buyer will complete the work within a year of closing (State Fire Marshal).
- Insurance: get quotes from more than one agent in the first days of escrow, with the roof’s material and age and the vent and siding details in hand. In May 2026 the state Department of Insurance reported that FAIR Plan growth had slowed to about 16,000 new home policies in the first quarter, and that at least one large insurer had raised discounts for ember-resistant vents, Class A roofs and defensible space (CDI).
Can you rent out a Sea Ranch home?
Yes, and many owners do. When the county counted coastal rentals registered for hotel tax in May 2021, 328 of the roughly 581 on the Sonoma Coast were at The Sea Ranch, more than in any other coastal community. At that time the county’s coastal zoning code had no vacation-rental rules at all; operators needed only a tax certificate (Sonoma County Board of Supervisors).
- County rules now: Permit Sonoma lists the coastal zone among the places where a whole-house rental of 30 days or less is allowed with a permit; the operator also needs a vacation rental license, a certified property manager and a transient occupancy tax (TOT) number. Guests pay the county’s 12% TOT, and operators with more than $350,000 in annual rent also pay a 2% tourism assessment (Sonoma County Tax Collector).
- Fire inspection: the North Sonoma Coast district says fire inspections aren’t required for vacation rentals inside its boundaries, unlike other parts of the county.
- Association rules: the Restrictions allow leasing, subject to all of their other rules. TSRA doesn’t issue passes for rental guests and keeps a list of rental agencies rather than managing rentals itself.
- Before you buy for income: ask whether the house has a current county permit and license and whether they can pass to you. Our guide to vacation rental rules in Sonoma County has the steps.
Highway 1, the inland roads and the bus
Highway 1 runs the length of The Sea Ranch and divides it, and the Design Manual sets different height limits on its ocean and inland sides. Two inland roads matter when the highway is slow or closed: Annapolis Road, which leaves Highway 1 by the Association and Water Company offices and runs inland to Annapolis, and Stewarts Point–Skaggs Springs Road to the south, the Association’s designated evacuation route.
Mendocino Transit Authority Route 95 runs seven days a week between the Mendocino coast and Santa Rosa’s 2nd Street Transit Mall, stopping at The Sea Ranch, Jenner, Bodega and Freestone on the way (MTA). Gualala, just north across the Gualala River, is part of Mendocino County’s south coast on the same route.
Beaches, trails and daily life
The Association’s trails are for members and their guests. The public reaches the shore through six coastal access trails that Sonoma County Regional Parks manages off Highway 1, such as the quarter-mile Walk On Beach trail at 40101 Highway 1, where parking is free and a bluff landslide has closed part of the trail (Regional Parks).
- Gualala Point Regional Park: an oceanfront county park bordering the Gualala River and Mendocino County, with a 19-site campground and 2.9 miles of trails. Its Bluff Top Trail continues south to Walk On Beach, three miles away, with no bikes allowed through The Sea Ranch. Day use is $8 (Regional Parks).
The Sea Ranch compared with nearby areas
| Area | Setting | One verified difference |
|---|---|---|
| The Sea Ranch | Planned community on the coastal shelf, ZIP 95497 | Association CC&Rs and design review; 328 tax-registered rentals in 2021 |
| Annapolis | Hill country up Annapolis Road, ZIP 95412 | Outside the Association; the same fire district runs stations there, one built with the Horicon School District |
| Jenner | Village at the mouth of the Russian River | Platted in 1914 as a second-home subdivision; 33 tax-registered rentals in 2021 |
| Bodega Bay | Harbor town on Bodega Bay | Water and sewer from the Bodega Bay Public Utility District; 205 tax-registered rentals in 2021 |
| Gualala | Town across the river, in Mendocino County | Mendocino County planning and permits rather than Sonoma County’s |
How Diamond Real Estate Group helps Sea Ranch buyers
A Sea Ranch purchase turns on documents as much as on the view. We read the Association packet with you, confirm sewer or septic and pull the septic inspection history, check the parcel’s coastal zoning and any open design-review or county permits, and start insurance quotes early. If rental income matters, we confirm the county permit and license status before you commit.
For a weekend house, our guide to buying a second home in Sonoma County covers financing and costs, and our guide to Sonoma County agents includes the coast. Owners thinking of selling can start with how we sell homes, investors with our investor services, and buyers at the top of the range with our luxury real estate page. For the rest of the county, see the Sonoma County real estate guide.
Selling a home in The Sea Ranch
At The Sea Ranch the Association’s review starts before escrow does. Rule 4.5 of The Sea Ranch Rules requires an owner selling a developed parcel to file a Request for Parcel Conformance Review with the Association’s Department of Design, Compliance and Environmental Management no later than the opening of escrow. Building, coastal and septic permits still sit with Permit Sonoma, because the community is unincorporated.
The Parcel Conformance Review
- What staff check. Every plan, report and letter in the parcel’s file, with a field visit if the department or The Sea Ranch Water Company asks for one.
- What you receive. A report within 21 calendar days listing nonconforming improvements, water leaks and the status of the sewage permit, with the corrective work each item requires.
- Cost. You reimburse the Association’s review expenses, set in its fee schedule, when you file.
- If nobody files. When escrow closes without a request, the new owner alone is liable for correcting nonconforming work, so expect a buyer’s agent to ask for the report.
- Exemption. An owner who obtained an Estoppel Certificate within a year before opening escrow does not file.
Filing at listing, not at escrow, leaves time to fix items or price them in.
The association packet
Civil Code 4525 has you give the buyer the governing documents, a statement of current assessments and any unpaid charges, approved increases not yet due, open violation notices and the latest required inspection report. Request them from the Association as soon as you list.
County items
- Transfer tax. Only the county’s $0.55 per $500 applies: $1,650 on a $1,500,000 sale. In Diamond’s North Bay markets the seller customarily pays, but the contract can say otherwise; see our transfer tax guide.
- Septic. A system with supplemental treatment needs a Permit Sonoma operating permit renewed by June 30 each year, and the county acknowledgement you signed obliges you to tell the next owner.
- Rentals. Coastal vacation rentals now need a county license, which must be held by an owner. The Coastal Commission’s 2024 staff report describes a limit of one license per owner, so a buyer applies in their own name.
- Defensible space. In a High or Very High fire hazard zone, provide documentation dated within six months before the contract, or sign an agreement that the buyer will comply within a year of closing. Permit Sonoma’s Fire Prevention Division inspects State Responsibility Area parcels for a fee; our AB 38 guide has the steps.
The Sonoma County seller guide covers the statewide forms. For a price that reflects ocean or inland side, sewer or septic and the review results, request a Sea Ranch home valuation.
Sources for this section: The Sea Ranch Association: The Sea Ranch Rules (updated October 25, 2025); California Public Law: Civil Code section 4525; County of Sonoma Clerk-Recorder: Documentary transfer tax; Permit Sonoma: Operational Permit and Monitoring Program; Permit Sonoma: Form WLS-043, acknowledgement of operational permit requirement; Permit Sonoma: Vacation rental permit and license application; California Coastal Commission: Staff report on Sonoma County LCP amendment LCP-2-SON-23-0042-1, vacation rentals (April 2024); Permit Sonoma: Property sales inspections (AB 38); Justia: California Civil Code section 1102.19.
The Sea Ranch real estate FAQs
What ZIP code is The Sea Ranch in?
The Sea Ranch uses 95497. The Gualala ZIP code, 95445, crosses the county line: Gualala itself is in Mendocino County, but Gualala Point Regional Park at the north end of The Sea Ranch is a Sonoma County park with a Gualala address, so check the county on the tax record of any listing marked “Gualala”.
Is every Sea Ranch home part of the HOA?
Yes for every private lot under The Sea Ranch Restrictions, recorded in 1965: the owner is a member of The Sea Ranch Association, which levies assessments, writes the rules and runs design review. Its pools, recreation centers and private trails are open only to owners, their guests and renters.
How much are Sea Ranch Association dues?
The latest figure we found in an Association publication is $292 a month per property for 2022–23 (the full rate of $328 less a $36 carryover credit). Budgets are set each year for a fiscal year starting May 1, and the seller’s HOA disclosure packet must state the current assessment.
Can I build a new house or remodel at The Sea Ranch?
Yes, with two approvals: the Design Committee’s final approval comes first, then the county building permit and, on parcels zoned “CC”, a coastal permit. Exterior work has to be finished within a year of the Association’s construction permit, so line up a builder before you start the reviews.
Are Sea Ranch homes on sewer or septic?
Mostly septic. Sonoma Water’s sanitation zone serves about 627 parcels through two treatment systems, at $1,806 per single-family equivalent in 2025–26; the remaining lots rely on septic systems that the local On-Site Wastewater Disposal Zone inspects. Confirm which applies to a house before you write an offer.
Is there high-speed internet at The Sea Ranch?
Yes. Sea Ranch Connect runs fiber to every home and lot in the community; ask the seller whether the house is connected and which service it has.
Can I rent my Sea Ranch house to vacationers?
Yes, if you hold the county’s vacation rental permit and license, use a certified vacation rental property manager and collect the 12% transient occupancy tax. The Restrictions allow leasing subject to the Association’s rules, and county code doesn’t allow an ADU to be used as a vacation rental.
Who handles Sea Ranch vacation rental management?
Private agencies, not the Association. TSRA’s help page lists local and national rental agencies (last updated April 2024), and the county requires every whole-house rental to have a certified vacation rental property manager.
Who provides fire protection, and how would we evacuate?
The North Sonoma Coast Fire Protection District, with CAL FIRE staffing its South Station on Annapolis Road around the clock. The Association names Stewarts Point–Skaggs Springs Road as the designated evacuation route and sends TSRAlert messages to registered owners.
What property tax will I pay at The Sea Ranch?
Under Proposition 13 the base rate is 1% of assessed value, reset when you buy, plus voter-approved bonds, with increases capped at 2% a year (Board of Equalization). Sewered homes also pay the sanitation zone’s charge, and the Association’s assessment comes on top. At closing, the only transfer tax is the county’s $1.10 per $1,000 of value; our Sonoma County buying guide covers the other costs.
Is there public transit to The Sea Ranch?
Mendocino Transit Authority Route 95 stops at The Sea Ranch on its seven-day run between the Mendocino coast and Santa Rosa’s Transit Mall. Check MTA’s timetable for stop times.
Sources & notes
- The Sea Ranch Association: home page, The Sea Ranch Restrictions, help and FAQ, Design Manual (October 2013 edition), Bulletin, December 2022, 2026–27 budget calendar, Water Company, utilities and emergencies (accessed October 2026)
- Sonoma Water: Sea Ranch Sanitation Zone draft budget, 2026–27
- North Sonoma Coast Fire Protection District: stations, Measure H and vacation rentals
- Redfin: ZIP 95497 housing market (three months to August 2026), Census Reporter: The Sea Ranch CDP (ACS 2020–2024) and C.A.R.: September 2026 sales report
- County of Sonoma: coastal vacation rental workshop report (July 2021), transient occupancy tax; Permit Sonoma: vacation rentals and Local Coastal Plan FAQ
- Sonoma County Regional Parks: Walk On Beach and Gualala Point Regional Park; Mendocino Transit Authority: Route 95
- Office of the State Fire Marshal: AB 38 guidance, California Department of Insurance (May 2026), Civil Code §4525 and Board of Equalization: change in ownership
Figures carry their dates where they appear, and we refresh market numbers every quarter. This is general information, not legal, tax or insurance advice; confirm the rules for a specific property with the agency or association named. Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
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Local resource: Sonoma County community directory. Check official information for the address you are considering; area descriptions do not establish a property’s permitted uses.
