Livermore Valley Vineyard and Land: Measure D, SLVAP and Winery Rules
Rural Livermore land for sale outside the city limits is generally unincorporated Alameda County agricultural land governed by Measure D, the voter-approved initiative of November 2000, and, south of town, by the South Livermore Valley Area Plan. Measure D caps what can be built outside the urban growth boundary, and the South Livermore plan ties extra homesites and visitor-serving uses to keeping at least 90% of a parcel planted in vineyards or other cultivated agriculture. The vineyards sit inside the Livermore Valley American Viticultural Area, recognized by the federal government in 1982.
Listing portals show acreage and asking prices, not what the county will let a new owner build. This guide explains the rules that decide value on Livermore Valley vineyard and rural land: the Measure D limits, the South Livermore density bonus and clustering programs, the 2025 changes for wineries, water from Zone 7 and the Williamson Act. It belongs with our vineyard and winery services and the Livermore community guide.
Where the Livermore Valley is, on paper
The Livermore Valley AVA is defined in federal regulation at 27 CFR 9.46. It covers parts of Alameda and Contra Costa counties, and its boundary runs from the peak of Mount Diablo southeast past Brushy Peak and Patterson Pass, across Interstate 580 and along the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct, with Tesla Road and Mines Road among its landmarks. The area was established in 1982 (T.D. ATF-112) and amended in 2006 (T.D. TTB-47).
The AVA is a wine-labeling boundary, not a zoning district. A parcel can be inside the AVA and still be in the City of Livermore, the City of Pleasanton or unincorporated county land, each with different rules. Our guide to telling city from unincorporated property in Alameda County shows how to confirm which applies, and the AVA’s Contra Costa side is covered in our Contra Costa agricultural property guide.
Measure D: what can be built outside the urban growth boundary
Measure D, the Save Agriculture and Open Space Lands Initiative, rewrote parts of the East County Area Plan, the general plan for eastern Alameda County. Its provisions can’t be amended except by a vote of the people, although the Board of Supervisors can adopt stricter rules and technical changes. The county’s 2019 staff report summarizes the limits:
| Measure D policy | What it says |
|---|---|
| Urban growth boundary | Separates land next to existing cities from land outside it reserved for long-term resource and agricultural protection |
| Large Parcel Agriculture | Minimum parcel size of 100 acres, with exceptions in Programs 40 and 41 |
| Homes | One single-family home per parcel; additional units only for farm employees who must live on site |
| Residential floor area | Residential and accessory buildings limited to 12,000 square feet |
| Non-residential buildings | Maximum floor area ratio of .01, but not less than 20,000 square feet |
| Building envelope | Buildings on a contiguous envelope of no more than 2 acres, with limited exceptions |
| Water | New development must show an adequate long-term water supply, including in drought |
For a buyer, these limits are the ceiling on what the parcel can become. A vineyard parcel with a farmhouse can’t add a second main residence, and splitting it depends on the minimum parcel size for its plan area and any bonus program it qualifies for.
The South Livermore Valley Area Plan: density bonus and clustering
South of the city, the South Livermore Valley Area Plan and the county’s Cultivated Agriculture (CA) combining district add two programs designed to expand vineyards. Both start at a 20-acre minimum parcel.
Density bonus
A density bonus without clustering requires a subdivision. At least 90% of the subdivided parcel must be planted and maintained in wine grapes or other cultivated agriculture for at least eight years (Zoning Section 17.30.170.5), usually secured with a conservation easement. The county allows exceptions for minor environmentally sensitive areas.
Clustering
Clustering groups the buildings on one or more A-CA parcels into combined building envelopes that occupy up to 10% of the clustered land. It needs no subdivision, but every parcel in the plan goes under a permanent agricultural conservation easement. A residential-only clustering plan carries no planting requirement; a plan with visitor-serving uses requires at least 90% of the acreage to be planted and maintained while those uses operate.
Approvals come through Site Development Review by the Planning Director and, for visitor-serving uses, a Conditional Use Permit from the Board of Zoning Adjustments. The county says variances can’t change the maximum density, the minimum building site area or the cap on environmentally sensitive land.
Wineries, tasting rooms and the 2025 changes
In 2025 Alameda County changed the rules for visitor-serving businesses in the South Livermore Valley. On May 8, 2025 the Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution R2025-237 amending the East County Area Plan, and on June 12, 2025 it adopted Ordinance No. 2025-33, amending Zoning Section 17.30.170 for visitor-serving commercial uses in the CA district. The county’s environmental review relied on an addendum to the South Livermore Valley Area Plan EIR.
Industry coverage of the June vote described the amendments as defining tasting rooms, small-scale lodging and destination restaurants as allowable visitor-serving uses, and setting parameters for clustered development. Earlier reporting by The Independent on the Planning Commission’s vote described a plan that keeps 90% of the land in grapes while letting visitor-serving commercial buildings use clustering.
What a specific parcel can host still comes down to the adopted ordinance text and a use permit. Before you pay for a winery-ready site, ask county planning which uses are allowed, which need a permit and whether the parcel already holds approvals. Licensing for wine sales is a separate state and federal process; see our winery license transfer guide.
Water: Zone 7, wells and septic
Zone 7 Water Agency is the wholesale water agency for the Tri-Valley. It serves Pleasanton, Livermore (through the city and California Water Service) and Dublin San Ramon Services District, and it supplies untreated water directly to agricultural businesses for irrigation of 3,500 acres, primarily South Livermore Valley vineyards.
For a vineyard buyer, the questions are whether the parcel receives Zone 7 untreated water, under what agreement and for how many acres, and whether there is a well. Zone 7 issues well drilling permits in its area and keeps a jurisdiction map and special requirement areas map.
Commercial uses add a test. The South Livermore program language in the East County Area Plan (Program 125, as shown in the county’s amendment materials) requires applicants to show, to the satisfaction of the County and Zone 7, that septic systems can serve the development and that water supplies are adequate for commercial needs. Our vineyard water rights guide covers the paperwork to request.
Williamson Act contracts
If the parcel is under a Williamson Act contract, Alameda County’s Uniform Rules add their own limits. Clustering on contracted land must also satisfy the county’s Uniform Rules and the contract itself, and non-agricultural uses (site development review, use permits and subdivisions) generally won’t be approved unless the land already has an agricultural use meeting Rule 1’s commercial thresholds.
Contracted land is also more restricted for housing than base zoning: the county says vacation rentals aren’t allowed, apart from limited bed and breakfasts in the South Livermore Valley plan area. Cancellation and non-renewal follow Rule 5. Read our Williamson Act guide before you plan around an exit.
Due diligence for Livermore Valley land
The steps below add Livermore specifics to our general guide to buying a vineyard. Rural parcels elsewhere in the county, such as around Sunol, need the same jurisdiction check even where the South Livermore programs don’t apply.
- Confirm jurisdiction: city, county or inside the urban growth boundary, and which county plan area applies.
- Pull recorded documents: conservation easements, density bonus or clustering approvals and any Williamson Act contract run with the land.
- Map the planted area: if the parcel carries a 90% cultivation obligation, check that the vines on the ground match it and who maintains them.
- Verify water: Zone 7 untreated water service and agreements, well permits and test results.
- Check building limits: existing square footage against the 12,000-square-foot residential cap and the 2-acre envelope.
- Ask planning about uses: tasting room, lodging or events require their own approvals.
- Value the land on its permitted use: see our guides to vineyard due diligence and vineyard valuation.
Sellers benefit from the same file. Assembling the easements, approvals and water records before listing answers the questions a serious buyer will ask first; our vineyard selling guide explains how.
Diamond may refer you to partners we work with; you’re free to choose any provider. This is general information, not legal advice; talk to a California land use attorney about your situation.
Questions people ask
Can I build a house on agricultural land in Livermore?
Usually one single-family home per parcel outside the urban growth boundary, within Measure D’s 12,000-square-foot residential limit and a building envelope of no more than 2 acres. Extra units are limited to farm employees who must live on site.
What is the South Livermore Valley Area Plan?
It is Alameda County’s plan for the vineyard area south of Livermore. It offers density bonus and clustering programs on parcels of at least 20 acres in exchange for planting and keeping land in cultivated agriculture, typically 90%, under conservation easements.
Can I open a tasting room on a Livermore Valley vineyard?
Possibly. The county’s 2025 amendments define visitor-serving uses such as tasting rooms in the Cultivated Agriculture district, but each requires county approval, and a winery also needs its own state and federal licenses.
Where does vineyard water come from in the Livermore Valley?
Zone 7 Water Agency supplies untreated water directly to agricultural businesses for about 3,500 acres, mainly South Livermore Valley vineyards. Some parcels also rely on wells, which Zone 7 permits.
Can Measure D be changed?
Only by voters for its core provisions. The Board of Supervisors can adopt stricter rules and technical changes without a vote.
Is the Livermore Valley AVA only in Alameda County?
No. The federal boundary includes parts of both Alameda and Contra Costa counties.
If you’re weighing a vineyard or acreage purchase in the Livermore Valley, or preparing one for sale, we can build the parcel file with you before money changes hands. Contact Diamond Real Estate Group to start.
Sources & notes
- eCFR: 27 CFR 9.46, Livermore Valley viticultural area
- Alameda County Planning: FAQs, Clustering and Density Bonus Programs in South Livermore Valley
- Alameda County Planning: Staff report on South Livermore Valley bed and breakfast policies (Apr. 1, 2019), summarizing Measure D policies
- Alameda County Planning: East County Area Plan, South Livermore Valley policy amendments
- Wine Industry Advisor: Alameda County Board of Supervisors approves amendments to East County Area Plan (June 12, 2025)
- The Independent: Alameda County aims to change land use in South Livermore plan for wineries
- Zone 7 Water Agency: Service area
- Zone 7 Water Agency: Permits and fees
Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
