Bolinas, CA Real Estate & Homes for Sale
By Matthew Martinez, Founder, CEO & Managing Broker, Diamond Real Estate Group. California DRE #01869679.
Bolinas is an unincorporated coastal town in West Marin, Marin County, California, where the local utility district has allowed no new connections to the town water system since November 1971. Homes range from the historic downtown, on the town sewer, to the Big Mesa, on septic, and Redfin put the ZIP 94924 median sale price at $1.9 million for the three months ending August 2026, on very few sales. Marin County handles zoning and coastal permits. The Bolinas Community Public Utility District (BCPUD) runs water, sewer and drainage.
- County
- Marin County
- Government
- Unincorporated; Marin County coastal zone
- ZIP code
- 94924
- Population
- 1,334 (Bolinas CDP, ACS 2020–2024)
- Water and sewer
- Bolinas Community Public Utility District; no new water connections since 1971
- Median sale price
- $1.9 million (ZIP 94924, 3 months to Aug 2026, Redfin)
Bolinas homes for sale
Current MLS listings in Bolinas appear below. Few homes come up in a given month, so set an alert in our property search.
What do homes in Bolinas sell for?
$1.9 million
ZIP 94924, three months to August 2026, Redfin
$1,470
Same period, up 29.5% on a year earlier, Redfin
$2 million+
Owner-occupied homes, ACS 2020–2024
Read these as a range, not a price list. Redfin’s figures for ZIP 94924 rest on a handful of closings (its “homes sold” tile shows 3, its recent-sales list seven), and the median was 29.1% above a year earlier (Redfin). The Census Bureau’s survey puts the median owner-occupied home in its top category, $2 million or more.
| Measure | Figure | Period and source |
|---|---|---|
| Median sale price, ZIP 94924 | $1.9 million (up 29.1% year over year) | Three months to August 2026, Redfin |
| Median price per square foot | $1,470 (up 29.5%) | Same period, Redfin |
| Days on market | 139 | Same period, Redfin |
| Housing units, Bolinas CDP | 1,056 (±153), with 641 (±131) households | ACS 2020–2024, Census Reporter |
| Marin County median, for comparison | $1,678,750 (up 1.7%) | September 2026, C.A.R. |
The survey’s margins are wide, but its gap between about 1,056 homes and 641 households suggests many Bolinas homes aren’t anyone’s main residence. When we price a property here, the first questions are whether it has an active BCPUD water meter and whether it’s on sewer or septic.
Who governs Bolinas, and who supplies the utilities?
Bolinas has no city government. The county issues building and coastal permits under its Local Coastal Program, and utilities belong to the BCPUD, a special district with a five-member board elected to four-year terms, based at 270 Elm Road (Marin LAFCo).
| Question | Who handles it in Bolinas |
|---|---|
| Zoning, building permits, coastal development permits | Marin County Community Development Agency |
| Water service | BCPUD (moratorium on new connections since 1971) |
| Sewer | BCPUD, downtown only (no new connections since 1985) |
| Septic systems | Marin County Environmental Health Services |
| Short-term rental licenses and hotel tax | Marin County (Planning and Finance) |
| Transfer tax | County only: $1.10 per $1,000 of value |
LAFCo puts the district at about 2.5 square miles and 1,483 people (2020), smaller than the 5.8-square-mile Census place, so confirm a parcel is inside it.
Water in Bolinas: the 1971 moratorium and meter transfers
In November 1971 the BCPUD board declared a water shortage emergency and stopped new connections to the town supply. Resolution 173, adopted in 1977, still governs that moratorium, which the district says remains in effect; the district also posts a report on litigation that contested the moratorium’s validity in state and federal court (BCPUD).
Because no new meters are issued, existing meters are moved, and sometimes sold, between parcels under district rules. In spring 2026 the board took up Ordinance 2026-02 to replace its 2009 transfer rules (Ordinance 38); it was on the May 20 agenda for second reading, and its text sets June 17, 2026 as the effective date. The packet we read leaves the vote blank, so confirm with BCPUD that it was adopted as written. Its main terms (BCPUD board packet):
- Application: the owner applies to the district, and the board considers it at its next regular meeting.
- The old site: its plumbing and structures must be removed and, where there is one, its septic system decommissioned. The board can waive that for a qualifying parcel merger.
- The new site: a recorded covenant limits water use, and only water-efficient appliances and low-flow fixtures may be installed.
- Costs: an application fee and a reimbursement agreement for the relocation work; verified affordable units are exempt from the relocation cost.
On any Bolinas purchase, get written confirmation from BCPUD that the parcel has an active meter, and read any water-use covenant recorded against it. A lot without a meter can’t get a new one while the moratorium stands.
The moratorium may not be permanent. After the State Water Resources Control Board permitted two new groundwater sources for the district in 2021, Marin LAFCo’s 2022 draft service review recommended that BCPUD report on the moratorium’s status (Marin LAFCo). We haven’t seen a decision to lift it.
Sewer, septic and drainage
Only part of Bolinas is sewered. The BCPUD system serves 163 properties, 141 of them residential, mostly in the historic downtown, and it hasn’t accepted new connections since 1985. Wastewater goes to treatment ponds, and the treated effluent is spray-irrigated on a 90-acre parcel off Mesa Road (BCPUD).
The Big Mesa relies on septic systems. A county study in the mid-1980s found a potential public-health hazard there; the district didn’t become an onsite-wastewater district, and instead charges a septic and drainage fee and works on surface drainage (BCPUD). Permits come from Marin County Environmental Health Services, which grades systems from Class I (meets current code) to Class IV (undocumented or failing) and recommends, but doesn’t require, an inspection at sale. Order one anyway, with the county’s file.
Coastal erosion and the Brighton seawall
Erosion is a live issue on the Brighton Avenue shoreline. A seawall project at 100 Brighton Avenue, posted on the BCPUD website, began on June 24, 2026 with removal of the rock riprap in front of the existing wall. It adds steel sheet-pile walls, a new concrete cap and retaining wall, a concrete boardwalk and, at the west end, a stone revetment “to protect this area from ongoing erosion” at the bluff edge. The posted schedule ends on March 4, 2027, when Brighton Avenue and its beach ramp are due to be restored (BCPUD).
- Bluff and beach parcels: ask for any geotechnical report, the history of shoreline protection and the conditions on past coastal permits. The Environmental Hazards chapter of the county’s updated coastal program was withdrawn before certification, so ask the county planner which hazard policies apply.
- Appeals: some county coastal permits in Bolinas end up before the Coastal Commission on appeal. In November 2025 the Commission turned down an appeal against a project to double the size of a Little Mesa home, after critics argued it would worsen erosion on the cliffs above Bolinas Lagoon (Point Reyes Light, November 12, 2025).
- Disclosures: the Natural Hazard Disclosure statement reports mapped flood, fire and seismic zones, not bluff retreat. Erosion questions go to an engineer.
Vacation rentals in Bolinas
Stays under 30 days need a Marin County short-term rental license, a business license and a hotel-tax certificate. Bolinas is a capped township: the county’s February 2025 procedures set 63 licenses, falling to 54 as they lapse (the October 2026 procedures list 54), within a countywide limit of 1,200, and new applicants join a $50-a-year waitlist (County of Marin).
- No transfer at sale: under County Code Chapter 5.41 a license ends automatically when the property changes hands, apart from one transfer to a spouse or children.
- Tax: West Marin stays are taxed at 14%, the county’s 10% plus a 4% West Marin tax approved by voters in 2018 for local fire services and housing (Marin County Finance).
- Second units: ADUs created or legalized after January 1, 2020 under the state’s exemption, and other ADUs created after February 24, 2021, can’t be licensed as short-term rentals.
Plan a Bolinas purchase on the assumption that it won’t carry rental income.
Where is Bolinas, and what is daily life like?
Bolinas sits on the West Marin coast beside Bolinas Lagoon, which Marin County Parks describes as bordered by the village (Marin County Parks). The BCPUD’s elected board makes the town’s water, sewer and parks decisions for a district of about 1,500 people. The shoreline and water around the town are protected in several layers:
- Bolinas Lagoon: managed by the Marin County Open Space District since 1988, a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance since 1998 and part of the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. Dogs stay on leash, and visitors keep 300 feet from the seals. Parking is on the street, along Highway 1 or in town.
- Agate Beach Park: a county park at the end of Elm Road, part of the Duxbury Reef State Marine Conservation Area, with tidepools at low tide and a parking lot (Marin County Parks).
- Schools: Bolinas is in the Bolinas-Stinson Union School District (K–8), whose office and grades 3–8 campus are in Bolinas; the Marin County Office of Education lists Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley for high school (MCOE).
Highway 1 runs along the lagoon’s edge, and Marin Transit Route 61 ends at Brighton Avenue and Wharf Road, running to Sausalito by way of Stinson Beach, Pan Toll and Marin City about six times each way on weekdays (Marin Transit, April 2026). Weather can cut the coast road: in 2017 Highway 1 between Stinson Beach and Muir Beach was closed for months after severe storm damage (Point Reyes Light, May 4, 2017). For trails farther afield, see our guide to hiking trails in Marin County.
Bolinas compared with nearby areas
| Area | Local utility | One verified difference |
|---|---|---|
| Bolinas | BCPUD water (no new connections since 1971); BCPUD sewer downtown, septic elsewhere | Existing meters move between parcels only under BCPUD transfer rules; ZIP 94924 median $1.9 million (3 months to August 2026, Redfin) |
| Stinson Beach | Stinson Beach County Water District for water and for onsite wastewater | Median $4.2 million (3 months to September 2026, Redfin); includes the gated Seadrift enclave |
| Olema | North Marin Water District’s West Marin system (groundwater) | Three short-term rental licenses for the whole township (February 2025 procedures) |
| Inverness | Inverness Public Utility District: stream diversions and wells | The same district also runs the volunteer fire department |
| Muir Beach | Muir Beach Community Services District | The district put a $386-a-year fire parcel tax (Measure M) to voters on June 2, 2026 |
For the county-wide picture, including transfer tax, tenant rules and the coastal program, see our Marin County real estate guide.
How Diamond Real Estate Group helps Bolinas buyers
In Bolinas the deciding facts usually sit in district and county files, not in the listing. Before you remove contingencies, we get written BCPUD confirmation of the meter and any water-use covenant, establish whether the parcel is on the sewer or pull its septic file, collect past coastal permits and engineering reports for bluff or beach lots, and read comparable sales for what they had (meter, sewer, access, condition), not just price.
See also our investor services, a private home valuation for owners, our buyer representation page and our guide to Marin County real estate agents.
Selling a home in Bolinas
In Bolinas, the water connection is part of what you’re selling. The Bolinas Community Public Utility District (BCPUD) halted new hookups to the public water system in November 1971, and the moratorium, governed today by Resolution 173 of 1977, remains in force. A parcel without an existing connection can’t get one, so buyers weigh the meter as carefully as the house.
Documents to request from BCPUD
- Water. Ask the district to confirm the parcel’s active service in writing, and gather recent bills. If a meter was ever moved onto or off the property, find that paperwork and any recorded conditions.
- Sewer or septic. The district sewer serves 141 residential, 20 commercial and 2 institutional properties, mainly in the downtown village, and has accepted no new connections since 1985. Elsewhere, including the Big Mesa, homes use onsite systems: pull the permit and class from the county’s online septic archive, and consider an evaluation on the county’s residential inspection form.
- Mesa charges. BCPUD created a septic and drainage service charge for its Big Mesa project area in 1988-89. If your bill carries it, include it so the buyer can budget.
Bluff, beach and county records
Bolinas is unincorporated, so Marin County’s Community Development Agency holds building and Coastal Development Permit files. For bluff-top and beach parcels, collect geotechnical reports, past permits and the conditions attached to any shoreline work.
The state’s Natural Hazard Disclosure form doesn’t address erosion or sea-level rise. Bolinas was among the towns assessed in the county’s 2018 C-SMART sea-level rise report, so share what you know beyond the form.
Rentals, fire and transfer tax
The county’s October 2026 procedures allow 54 short-term rental licenses in Bolinas, and a license expires automatically on a change of ownership. If you’ve been paying lodging tax, the Tax Collector needs written notice 30 days before the sale. Where Marin County Fire’s lookup shows a High or Very High zone, the buyer is owed AB 38 documentation or a written agreement to obtain it within a year of closing.
The only transfer tax is the county’s $0.55 per $500 of value. Sellers customarily pay it in Diamond’s North Bay markets, though it’s negotiable; our transfer tax guide has worked examples. Compare the selling requirements across Marin County, and start pricing with a home valuation.
Sources for this section: Bolinas Community Public Utility District: BCPUD water moratorium; Bolinas Community Public Utility District: Sanitary sewer system; Bolinas Community Public Utility District: Septic/drainage; Marin County Environmental Health Services: Septic systems; California Public Law: Civil Code section 1103.2 (Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement); Adaptation Clearinghouse: Marin County Ocean Coast Sea-Level Rise Adaptation Report (C-SMART, 2018); Marin County CDA: Short-term rental administrative procedures (October 2026); California Coastal Commission: Marin County short-term rental LCP amendment exhibits, ordinance text (April 2024); Marin County Department of Finance: Transient occupancy tax, sell, transfer or terminate operations; Marin County Fire: What is an AB-38 inspection?; Marin County Assessor-Recorder: Fees (documentary transfer tax).
Bolinas real estate FAQs
Where is Bolinas, California?
Bolinas is an unincorporated town on the West Marin coast of Marin County, beside Bolinas Lagoon and reached by Highway 1. Marin County handles planning, and the Bolinas Community Public Utility District provides water and the downtown sewer.
What is the ZIP code for Bolinas?
Bolinas uses ZIP code 94924; the utility district’s office, for example, is at 270 Elm Road, Bolinas, CA 94924. Redfin reports its Bolinas market figures for that ZIP code.
Can I get a new water connection in Bolinas?
No. The BCPUD has allowed no new connections since November 1971, and Resolution 173 of 1977 keeps the moratorium in force. A property needs an existing meter for town water, so confirm one in writing before you buy.
Can a water meter be moved from one Bolinas lot to another?
Yes, under district rules. Ordinance 2026-02, which came to the board for second reading on May 20, 2026 with a June 17 effective date in its text, calls for an application to the board, clearing the old site (including its septic system) unless waived for a parcel merger, and a recorded water-use covenant at the new site. Ask BCPUD which rules apply to your transfer.
Is a Bolinas home on sewer or septic?
It depends on the street. The district sewer serves 163 properties, mostly downtown, and has taken no new connections since 1985; Big Mesa homes use county-permitted septic systems.
How much do homes in Bolinas cost?
Redfin’s median sale price for ZIP 94924 was $1.9 million for the three months ending August 2026, up 29.1% on a year earlier, at about $1,470 per square foot. Only a handful of homes closed in that period, so the median moves a lot from one quarter to the next.
Can I rent out a Bolinas home to visitors?
Only with a county short-term rental license. Bolinas licenses are capped at 63, stepping down to 54 as they lapse, new applicants go on a waitlist, and stays under 30 days carry the 14% West Marin hotel tax.
Does the seller’s vacation rental license come with the house?
No. Marin County Code ends a short-term rental license automatically when the property changes hands, except for one transfer to a spouse or children. A buyer applies for a new license and joins the waitlist.
Is coastal erosion a concern in Bolinas?
Yes, on the Brighton Avenue shoreline and along the bluffs. Seawall work at 100 Brighton Avenue began in June 2026 and is scheduled into March 2027, and a 2025 Little Mesa expansion drew an appeal over cliff erosion. For any bluff or beach parcel, get an engineer’s opinion before you commit.
Which school district serves Bolinas?
Bolinas is in the Bolinas-Stinson Union School District, which runs kindergarten to grade 8 on a Stinson Beach campus (K–2) and a Bolinas campus (3–8); high school students attend Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley. Check the assigned schools for a specific address with the district.
Can I get to Bolinas without a car?
Partly. Marin Transit Route 61 runs to Sausalito about six times each way on weekdays (April 2026 schedule), with a separate weekend timetable. For most trips a car is still the practical choice.
Sources & notes
- Redfin: ZIP 94924 (August 2026), Census Reporter: Bolinas CDP (ACS 2020–2024) and C.A.R.: September 2026 sales report
- Bolinas Community Public Utility District: water moratorium, Ordinance 2026-02 on meter transfers (May 2026), sanitary sewer system, drainage and Brighton seawall project
- Marin LAFCo: Bolinas Community Public Utility District and West Marin Municipal Service Review, public draft (March 2022)
- County of Marin: septic systems, short-term rental program, STR administrative procedures (February 2025) and transient occupancy tax
- Marin County Parks: Bolinas Lagoon Preserve and Agate Beach Park (September 2026)
- Point Reyes Light: “Bolinas house appeal loses” (November 12, 2025) and Highway 1 closure (May 4, 2017)
- Marin Transit: Route 61 (April 2026) and Bolinas-Stinson Union School District
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 named. Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
Plan your next move
Share your preferred location, budget, property requirements and timing. We can help organize a focused search, arrange showings or discuss preparing a property for sale.
Local resource: Marin County planning and township resources. Check official information for the address you are considering; area descriptions do not establish a property’s permitted uses.
