Marshall, CA Real Estate & Homes for Sale
By Matthew Martinez, Founder, CEO & Managing Broker, Diamond Real Estate Group. California DRE #01869679.
Marshall is an unincorporated community on Tomales Bay in West Marin, Marin County, California, along State Highway One at its junction with Marshall-Petaluma Road, in ZIP code 94940. Homes for sale here are few: Redfin’s three-month figure to September 2026 rests on a single sale, so ranch land, bay-front lots and county rules shape value more than any median. There’s no city government, so Marin County sets the zoning, coastal permits and rental rules.
- County
- Marin County
- Government
- Unincorporated; in the coastal zone
- ZIP code
- 94940
- Main road
- State Highway One
- Wastewater
- Onsite systems; Marshall Onsite Wastewater Disposal Zone (53 parcels)
- Short-term rental cap
- 28 licenses, stepping down to 27 (County of Marin)
Marshall homes for sale
Current MLS listings for Marshall and the 94940 ZIP code appear below. Because so few homes trade here, we also track sales in Inverness, Tomales and Dillon Beach; our property search covers all of West Marin.
What do homes in Marshall sell for?
1
Three months to September 2026, Redfin (ZIP 94940)
$3.8 million
Three months to September 2026, ZIP 94940 (one sale)
$1,678,750
C.A.R., single-family homes, September 2026
There isn’t a meaningful median for Marshall. Redfin reported $3.8 million for ZIP 94940 over the three months ending September 2026, up 130.2% from a year earlier, but Redfin counts only one sale behind it, and its own list of recent sales in the ZIP also shows an $885,000 sale on September 1, 2026 (Redfin, read October 23, 2026). A single bay-front house or ranch can set the number for a whole quarter, and the next sale might be a small cottage.
| Measure | Figure | Period and source |
|---|---|---|
| Reported median sale price, ZIP 94940 | $3.8 million (one sale) | Redfin, July through September 2026 |
| Inverness median, across the bay | $1.7 million (three sales) | Redfin’s Inverness page, summer 2026 (source) |
| Marin County median, single-family | $1,678,750, a 1.7% annual gain | September 2026, C.A.R. |
To price a Marshall property, we build comparables by hand from the past few years of sales on the east side of the bay and nearby ranch land, adjusting for the things that drive value here: bay frontage, whether the parcel is in the wastewater zone, its septic history, acreage and any conservation easement.
Where is Marshall, California?
Marshall sits on the east shore of Tomales Bay along State Highway One, at its junction with Marshall-Petaluma Road; the county’s wastewater project for the community was titled the East Shore Wastewater Improvement Project (State Clearinghouse), and a 2019 Coastal Commission report places an oyster lease off Preston Point and Walker Creek, “near the community of Marshall,” on the east side of the bay. It’s unincorporated: Marin County’s Community Development Agency handles building and coastal permits, and Marshall is one of the ten communities in the county’s coastal zone named in its 2024 short-term rental amendment to the Local Coastal Program.
A Marshall sale carries only the county’s documentary transfer tax, $1.10 per $1,000. Our overview of Marin County real estate compares Marshall with the county’s other towns.
Septic and the Marshall wastewater zone
Marshall has no conventional sewer. Marin County’s East Shore Wastewater Improvement Project, whose final environmental document was filed with the state in March 2007, planned a community system to replace individual septic systems on up to 38 developed properties, plus a district to oversee inspection and maintenance of the remaining onsite systems in the project area (State Clearinghouse).
Today that’s the Marshall Onsite Wastewater Disposal Zone, a 2007 partnership between property owners and the county “to keep Tomales Bay safe from human pathogen contamination.” Of its 53 parcels, 48 connect to the shared system: each has an upgraded septic tank and pump that sends wastewater through a pressurized main to underground pretreatment and a 6-acre leach field. The county administers the zone and contracts an operator, currently Natural Systems Utilities-CA (Marin Environmental Health Services).
- Inside the zone: owners pay an annual assessment on the property tax bill (some paid theirs up front) plus an annual operation and maintenance fee. Ask the seller for both amounts and whether the assessment has been paid off.
- Not connected: a home outside the shared system relies on its own onsite system, permitted by Marin County Environmental Health Services, which classes systems from Class I (meets current code) to Class IV (undocumented or failing) (Marin EHS).
Marin County recommends, but doesn’t require, a septic inspection at sale, and its septic rules are being rewritten, with adoption targeted for the end of 2026. On a bay-front Marshall lot, make the inspection and the county permit file a condition of your offer.
Oyster farms, ranches and protected farmland
The east shore has both shellfish farms and ranches. Shellfish growers on Tomales Bay farm state water-bottom leases granted by the California Fish and Game Commission, and two Coastal Commission files show what that looks like near Marshall.
- Offshore of Preston Point: lease M-430-04, about 62 acres of tidelands off Preston Point and the mouth of Walker Creek, “near the community of Marshall,” has been farmed for Pacific oysters. In August 2019 the Commission took up a permit amendment for the Charles Friend Oyster Company to remove unpermitted oyster bags from eelgrass and clear abandoned gear (California Coastal Commission).
- Beside Highway One: Tomales Bay Oyster Company’s shoreside operation sits between Millerton and Tomasini Points. Its 160-acre lease, about 33 acres of it cultivated for Pacific oysters and bay mussels, was granted for 25 years and expires on February 8, 2027 unless renewed; the Commission heard its after-the-fact permit in August 2022 (California Coastal Commission).
On land, the Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT), founded in 1980, says it has protected 59,028 acres of Marin farmland through 99 agricultural conservation easements (MALT). On December 5, 2023, the Board of Supervisors gave MALT $1.5 million in Measure A funds toward an easement on the 592-acre Bivista Ridge Ranch, on the east shore of Tomales Bay, which produces organic hay and supports seasonal dairy grazing (County of Marin).
For a buyer, the practical point is that large parcels on the east shore may come with an easement, a Williamson Act contract or a neighboring aquaculture operation. Ask for the recorded easement and any contract during escrow, and read them before you price the land.
Vacation rentals in Marshall: 28 licenses
A short-term rental in Marshall needs a county license, and the township was capped at 28, stepping down to 27 as licenses lapse (27 in the county’s October 2026 procedures) (County of Marin). New applicants join a first-come waitlist, and a license ends automatically when the property sells, except for one transfer to a spouse or children. ADUs created or legalized after January 1, 2020 under the statewide exemption, and other ADUs created after February 24, 2021, can’t be licensed.
Guests pay 14% transient occupancy tax on stays under 30 days, against 10% in the rest of unincorporated Marin (Marin Department of Finance). Marshall sits inside the West Marin tax area, which Ordinance 3692 defines as unincorporated Marin from Muir Beach to Dillon Beach, plus Nicasio and the San Geronimo Valley; voters approved the extra 4% in November 2018 for fire and emergency services and community housing (Ordinance 3692). License applicants also need an STR septic inspection form completed within the past year.
Building in the coastal zone
Because Marshall is in the coastal zone, development is reviewed under Marin’s Local Coastal Program, updated and in effect since July 13, 2021, through the Coastal Development Permit process (County of Marin). One gap to know: the county withdrew the update’s environmental hazards provisions before the Coastal Commission voted, and they were never certified. Ask the Planning Division what a remodel, addition or new house on the parcel would need before you set a budget.
Parks and getting around
State Highway One runs through Marshall, and Marshall-Petaluma Road meets it there. On the same side of the bay, north of Point Reyes Station, Tomales Bay State Park’s Millerton Point unit at 15475 Highway One has Alan Sieroty Beach and a loop trail where leashed dogs are allowed; the park is open 8 a.m. to sunset with an $8 day-use fee (California State Parks). Marin Transit’s Route 68, the inland bus to West Marin, lists stops at Point Reyes Station and the Inverness Store but not Marshall, so plan on driving.
Fire and insurance
Look up the parcel on the State Fire Marshal’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone viewer; the state responsibility area maps took effect April 1, 2024. In a High or Very High zone, California’s AB 38 rule requires the seller to provide a defensible-space inspection from the past six months, or a written agreement that the buyer will get one within a year. State law requires 100 feet of defensible space around a home (Marin County Fire). Line up homeowner’s insurance quotes early in escrow, before your contingencies run out.
Marshall compared with nearby areas
| Area | Government and services | One verified difference |
|---|---|---|
| Marshall | Unincorporated, coastal zone | 48 of 53 zone parcels share one leach field; cap of 28 rentals |
| Inverness | Coastal zone, across the bay; Inverness Public Utility District | Redfin median $1.7 million on three sales (three months to August 2026) |
| Tomales | Unincorporated, coastal zone | STR cap 12, falling to 11 |
| Dillon Beach | Unincorporated, coastal zone | STR cap 125, allowed to rise to 204, outside the countywide cap |
| Nicasio | Unincorporated, inland | Not one of the ten coastal-zone communities; STR cap 11, falling to 8 |
How Diamond Real Estate Group helps Marshall buyers
In Marshall, the property file matters more than the listing photos. We confirm whether the parcel is in the wastewater zone and what its owners pay, pull the county septic records for homes outside it, check for a conservation easement or Williamson Act contract on larger parcels, look up the fire zone, and find out what a coastal permit would require before you plan changes.
Owners preparing a Marshall sale can begin with how we sell homes. If rental income is part of your plan, read how we work with investors first, given the license cap. Waterfront and estate buyers can start with our luxury real estate guide, and our buyer services page explains the process.
Selling a home in Marshall
A Marshall sale runs through Marin County. The Community Development Agency keeps building and coastal permit files for this unincorporated stretch of Tomales Bay, and Environmental Health Services keeps the wastewater records. No city adds a tax or a resale report, but the shoreline setting gives buyers a specific list of questions.
Wastewater comes first
Tell buyers up front which of two setups the house has. The Marshall Onsite Wastewater Disposal Zone, formed in 2007, covers 53 parcels. Forty-eight of them pump effluent from an upgraded septic tank through a pressurized main to a shared 6-acre leach field, run by an operator under county contract.
Owners in the zone pay an annual operation and maintenance fee, and most also pay an assessment with their property taxes; some paid theirs off up front. Put your tax bill and latest fee notice in the disclosure package so the buyer sees what continues after closing. Outside the zone, the house has its own system: pull the permit and class from the county’s septic archive, and consider an evaluation on the county’s residential inspection form for sales.
Other items Marshall buyers ask for
- Recorded documents. On ranch parcels and bay frontage, order the preliminary title report when you list, so any easement, lease or agricultural contract goes out with the disclosures.
- Shoreline exposure. Marin’s C-SMART program assessed sea-level rise and storm surge for East Shore communities in its 2018 ocean coast adaptation report. The state Natural Hazard Disclosure form reports FEMA flood zones but says nothing about sea-level rise, so share any shoreline or flood records you hold.
- Fire documentation. If Marin County Fire’s lookup puts the parcel in a High or Very High zone, the buyer is owed AB 38 paperwork, or a signed agreement that it will be done within a year of closing.
- Rental history. A county short-term rental license ends on a change of ownership, and the October 2026 procedures cap the Marshall township at 27. If you’ve collected lodging tax, give the Tax Collector 30 days’ written notice before the sale.
Transfer tax
Marin County’s documentary transfer tax, $1.10 per $1,000 of value, is the only one; on a $2 million ranch that’s about $2,200. The seller customarily pays in Diamond’s North Bay markets, but the contract can shift it. Our transfer tax guide walks through the math.
See what Marin County requires of sellers town by town, or read how we approach selling a home with Diamond.
Sources for this section: Marin County Environmental Health Services: Marshall Onsite Wastewater Disposal Zone; Marin County Environmental Health Services: Septic systems; Adaptation Clearinghouse: Marin County Ocean Coast Sea-Level Rise Adaptation Report (C-SMART, 2018); California Public Law: Civil Code section 1103.2 (Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement); Marin County Fire: What is an AB-38 inspection?; California Coastal Commission: Marin County short-term rental LCP amendment exhibits, ordinance text (April 2024); Marin County CDA: Short-term rental administrative procedures (October 2026); Marin County Department of Finance: Transient occupancy tax, sell, transfer or terminate operations; Marin County Assessor-Recorder: Fees (documentary transfer tax).
Marshall real estate FAQs
Where is Marshall, California?
Marshall is on Tomales Bay in West Marin, unincorporated Marin County, along State Highway One where Marshall-Petaluma Road meets it. Inverness is across the bay.
What ZIP code is Marshall, CA?
94940. State environmental filings for the East Shore wastewater project list Marshall in ZIP 94940.
How much are homes in Marshall?
No reliable median exists. Redfin’s $3.8 million figure for ZIP 94940 (three months to September 2026) rests on what it counts as one sale; Inverness, with three sales, came in at $1.7 million over a similar period, and the county’s September median was $1,678,750.
Is Marshall on sewer or septic?
Onsite systems. Forty-eight of the 53 parcels in the Marshall Onsite Wastewater Disposal Zone connect to a shared system with a 6-acre leach field, and the county’s 2007 East Shore project planned oversight of the remaining onsite systems in the area. Confirm how a specific parcel is served with Marin County Environmental Health Services.
What do wastewater zone owners pay?
An annual assessment on the property tax bill, unless it was paid up front, plus an annual operation and maintenance fee. The county page doesn’t publish the amounts, so get them from the seller’s tax bill and the county.
Can I turn a Marshall home into a vacation rental?
You’d need one of the county’s capped licenses. Marshall’s cap is 28, falling to 27, new applicants join a waitlist, and the seller’s license ends at the sale.
What is the transient occupancy tax in Marshall?
14% on stays under 30 days, the West Marin rate set by Ordinance 3692. Operators also need a county business license and a TOT certificate, on top of the rental license.
Do I need a coastal permit to build in Marshall?
Often. Marshall is in the coastal zone, so building projects go through Coastal Development Permit review under the Local Coastal Program, and the county’s Planning Division decides whether yours needs a permit.
Is farmland near Marshall protected?
Some of it is. MALT holds 99 agricultural conservation easements covering 59,028 acres countywide, and in December 2023 the county put $1.5 million toward an easement on the 592-acre Bivista Ridge Ranch on the east shore of Tomales Bay. Whether a given parcel is covered shows up in its title report.
Can I buy a ranch that has a MALT easement?
Yes, but you buy it subject to the easement. Under California Civil Code §815.2, a conservation easement is perpetual and is an interest in the land itself, and its limits are whatever the recorded document says (Civil Code §815.2). Read that document before you write an offer.
Is there a transfer tax on a Marshall sale?
One tax: Marin County’s documentary transfer tax at $1.10 per $1,000, about $3,300 on a $3 million ranch. Marshall has no city government to add its own.
Sources & notes
- Prices: Redfin for ZIP 94940 (to September 2026), Redfin for Inverness and the C.A.R. county report for September 2026
- State Clearinghouse (CEQAnet): East Shore Wastewater Improvement Project (2007) and Marin Environmental Health Services: Marshall wastewater zone
- Marin Environmental Health Services: septic systems and septic regulations update
- Marin Agricultural Land Trust: farmland protection and County of Marin: county grants help preserve West Marin ranches (December 2023)
- Marin County rules for rentals and taxes: STR licensing, township caps (February 2025), TOT rates, the recorder’s transfer tax
- County of Marin: Local Coastal Program, Coastal Commission: STR amendment staff report (2024), Tomales Bay Oyster Company permit report (2022) and Ordinance 3692 (West Marin TOT)
- Coastal Commission: oyster lease permit amendment near Marshall (2019), California State Parks: Tomales Bay State Park and California Civil Code §815.2
- State Fire Marshal: Fire Hazard Severity Zones and Marin County Fire: defensible space
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.
