Sacramento County New Construction Homes for Sale

By Matthew Martinez, Founder, CEO & Managing Broker, Diamond Real Estate Group. California DRE #01869679.

New construction homes in Sacramento County are concentrated in large planned areas: Elk Grove’s Laguna Ridge and Southeast Policy Area, the Folsom Plan Area south of US 50, and county growth areas such as Jackson Township, all inside the county’s Urban Services Boundary. The cost to check first is the direct levy block on the tax bill, where Mello-Roos and other district charges appear. Before you sign with a builder, read the DRE public report, the Notice of Special Tax and the builder’s SB 800 warranty procedures.

At a glance

Where to look in Sacramento County

The county’s General Plan treats the Urban Services Boundary as the outer growth line for the unincorporated area, with the Urban Policy Area inside it marking land expected to get urban services first. New subdivisions with public water and sewer fall inside those lines, in the cities or in county growth areas.

Elk Grove. Laguna Ridge and the Southeast Policy Area are the city’s main planned areas; the city calls SEPA the last large-scale development area within its urbanized portion. Browse Elk Grove homes for sale and Laguna Elk Grove real estate, and see Elk Grove association and assessment costs.

Folsom. New neighborhoods south of US 50 fall under the Folsom Plan Area Specific Plan. The city’s 2024 amendments raised minimum density and floor-area standards in targeted areas, which makes room for more townhomes and multifamily housing alongside detached homes. See Folsom real estate and Folsom association and assessment costs.

Rancho Cordova, Mather and the Jackson corridor. Jackson Township lies just south of Mather Field in unincorporated county land, so county planning rules and county-formed districts apply there. Nearby, Rancho Cordova homes for sale and Mather real estate cover city and Mather-area listings. We did not verify Rancho Cordova’s current specific plan list on a city page, so check with the city’s planning department. Our Rancho Cordova association and assessment costs page lists what to request.

Elsewhere. The City of Sacramento has infill projects and newer subdivisions alongside older neighborhoods (see Sacramento real estate), and Galt homes for sale covers the county’s south end. For unincorporated communities, see unincorporated Sacramento County. Attached new homes are on our Sacramento County condos page.

What to check before you buy

Direct levies and Mello-Roos. In Sacramento County, Mello-Roos special taxes, 1915 Act assessments and other district charges appear in the direct levy block of the tax bill. Questions about them go to the levying district, not the county. Two similar new homes in different phases can carry very different levies. Under Government Code 53341.5, the builder must give you a signed "Notice of Special Tax" before you sign a purchase contract or deposit receipt. You may cancel by written notice within three days of in-person delivery or five days after mailing. Our Mello-Roos guide and parcel services and ownership budget show what to ask for.

The DRE public report. Under Business and Professions Code 11018.1, the subdivider must hand you the public report and take your receipt before you sign a binding contract. A copy must be posted at the sales office. The Department of Real Estate says the report covers the CC&Rs and HOA and common-area costs. Condo and townhome projects add a general information statement about owners’ associations. Read both with our HOA documents guide.

Supplemental tax bill. The Sacramento County Assessor issues a supplemental bill whenever a property is reassessed after a change in ownership or completed new construction. The formula is the net supplemental assessment times the tax rate times a monthly factor. The Assessor says most county rates fall between 1% and 1.20%. Events from January through May produce two bills. There is no statutory deadline, so a bill can take up to two years to arrive. Mortgage servicers do not receive supplemental bills, and partial payments are not accepted. Appeals go to the Assessment Appeals Board within 60 days of the mailing date. Our supplemental tax bill guide shows how to set money aside.

Your own inspection. City and county inspections check code compliance, not workmanship. If the builder’s contract allows it, hire an independent inspector before drywall and again before the final walkthrough. See our home inspection guide.

Builder warranties and SB 800 in plain terms

California’s Right to Repair Act (Civil Code 895–945.5, beginning at section 895) sets building standards for new homes, starting at section 896, and a claim process that comes before any lawsuit.

• Fit and finish. Civil Code 900 requires a written limited warranty of at least one year on cabinets, mirrors, flooring, walls, countertops, paint and trim, and it defaults to one year if none is given.
• Documents. Under Civil Code 912, the builder gives you maintenance recommendations and warranties at sale. It must also provide plans, soils reports and engineering calculations within 30 days of a written request about structural, fire safety or soils issues. It names who receives claims in the sales documents and records a notice of the procedures on title.
• Claims. Written notice in reasonable detail goes by certified mail, overnight mail or personal delivery (Civil Code 910). A customer-service ticket alone is not that notice. The builder acknowledges it in writing within 14 days (Civil Code 913).
• Time limit. Claims are generally due within 10 years of substantial completion (Civil Code 941).

A builder’s warranty differs from a home warranty plan; see our home warranty guide.

Your own agent at the model home

Builder sales staff represent the builder. With your own agent, you can compare lot premiums, HOA dues and direct levies across Elk Grove, Folsom and county communities, and review the builder’s purchase agreement, which is usually the builder’s own form. Some builders require your agent to register or attend at your first visit, so ask about the policy before you tour. Our guide to buying new construction in California covers deposits, upgrades and closing, and our Sacramento County buyer guide covers financing and offers.

Questions people ask

Where are new subdivisions in Sacramento County?

In planned areas inside the Urban Services Boundary, notably Elk Grove’s Laguna Ridge and Southeast Policy Area, the Folsom Plan Area south of US 50, and county growth areas such as Jackson Township near Mather.

Do new homes in Sacramento County have Mello-Roos?

Many newer subdivisions do; check each parcel. Mello-Roos taxes appear in the direct levy block of the county tax bill, and the builder must give you a signed Notice of Special Tax before you sign.

Who do I call about a direct levy?

The district named next to the charge on the tax bill. Sacramento County Finance directs levy questions to the levying agency.

When will my supplemental tax bill arrive?

There is no fixed date. The Sacramento County Assessor says it can take up to two years, and the bill goes to you, not your lender.

What warranty comes with a new home?

At least a one-year written fit-and-finish warranty under Civil Code 900, plus the Right to Repair Act’s building standards. Claims generally run up to 10 years from substantial completion.

Is Jackson Township in a city?

No. It is unincorporated county land south of Mather Field, mostly in the Vineyard community, so county planning rules apply.

Can I bring my own agent to a builder’s community?

Yes. Ask about the builder’s agent-registration policy before your first visit.

Sources & notes

1. Sacramento County General Plan: Executive summary.
2. City of Elk Grove: Laguna Ridge Specific Plan.
3. City of Elk Grove: Southeast Policy Area.
4. City of Folsom: Targeted multi-family and mixed-use housing study (Folsom Plan Area amendments).
5. Sacramento County Planning: Jackson Township Specific Plan.
6. Sacramento County Finance: Property tax FAQs (direct levies).
7. Sacramento County Assessor: Guide to the supplemental assessment process.
8. California Department of Real Estate: Public reports.
9. Business and Professions Code 11018.1.
10. Government Code 53341.5.
11. Civil Code 900, 910, 912, 913 and 941 (Right to Repair Act).

Notes: Jackson Township’s 6,143 figure is the proposed maximum; the county page links an adopted plan without an adoption date, so confirm status with county planning. Folsom’s page gives no acreage or unit count for the plan area. Laguna Ridge’s total unit count is not stated on the city page. Rancho Cordova’s specific plans, Natomas and the West Jackson Highway Master Plan were not verified for this page. Statute text was reviewed through public mirrors; confirm on leginfo. Rules change; verify before you buy.

General information, not legal, tax or lending advice. Updated November 2026. Primary sources are linked in this guide.

Related: Sacramento County homes for sale · Where to live in Sacramento County · Buying new construction in California · Mello-Roos in California · Supplemental tax bills