Pebble Beach lots for sale: water, permits and what to check before you buy land
A vacant lot in the Del Monte Forest is a different purchase from a finished house. The price you pay is only the start: water, forest rules, the Architectural Review Board and Monterey County all shape what you can build. This guide walks through those layers using the official rules, checked Nov 9, 2026.
The short version: Before you buy a Pebble Beach lot, confirm three things in writing. First, water: under MPWMD Rule 23.5, water entitlement that an owner buys from Pebble Beach Company is tied to that one property and conveys with title, but it cannot be resold, so confirm exactly how many acre-feet (if any) are already dedicated to the lot. Second, the site: the Del Monte Forest Land Use Plan requires a biological report before development on existing lots, limits building on slopes of 30% or more, and in some watersheds caps site coverage at 9,000 square feet. Third, design: the Del Monte Forest ARB reviews every new home (usually within 30 days of a complete submittal), no tree comes down without permits from Pebble Beach Company and the county, and county design review applies to all development in the Forest.
Rule 23.5 cap
Total acre-feet per year for all Benefited Properties, per MPWMD.
Site coverage cap
In the Pescadero and other listed watersheds, per the LUP.
Typical ARB response
After a complete submittal, per the ARB guidelines.
Slope limit
Development on slopes of 30% or more is prohibited unless it better meets the LUP.
The water entitlement is the first question
On the Monterey Peninsula, a lot without a clear water source is a lot you may not be able to build on. Pebble Beach has its own path.
Where it comes from
MPWMD granted water entitlements tied to the CAWD/PBCSD recycled water project, which irrigates Del Monte Forest golf courses with recycled water. Rule 23.5 caps the total at 380 acre-feet per year. The original split was 365 acre-feet to Pebble Beach Company, 10 to J. Lohr Properties for Macomber Estates and 5 to the Hester Hyde Griffin Trust.
Who can use it
Rule 23.5 defines Benefited Properties as real property in the unincorporated Del Monte Forest (as mapped in the financing agreement), plus additions the MPWMD Board approves. Under Ordinance No. 109, Pebble Beach Company can sell portions of its entitlement to other Del Monte Forest properties.
It stays with the land
Water Use Permits are conveyed to the next owner as part of the transfer of title. Entitlement bought separately from Pebble Beach Company can only be used on the property it was dedicated to, and that owner cannot resell it.
Why buyers care
Rule 23.5 says a Water Use Permit entitles the owner to Cal-Am service, including meters, notwithstanding a moratorium, once fees are paid and a complete Water Permit application is filed. It does not stop MPWMD from curtailing use in a drought emergency.
What to ask for
Ask the seller for the MPWMD Water Use Permit or entitlement paperwork that shows the acre-feet dedicated to the parcel, and confirm it with MPWMD before you remove contingencies. Capacity fees are calculated under MPWMD Rule 24.
More on water
How credits, permits and the retrofit rules at sale work across the Peninsula: water credits and permits.
MPWMD Rule 23.5 (PDF) MPWMD water entitlements MPWMD Ordinance 109 findings
What the Del Monte Forest Land Use Plan asks of a lot
Pebble Beach sits in the coastal zone, and the county’s Del Monte Forest Land Use Plan (amended 2012) sets the site rules.
Biological report
Policy 16 requires a biological report by a qualified biologist before development on existing legal lots of record, to find rare or sensitive species and habitat and set siting standards. The LUP names Yadon’s piperia and native Monterey pine forest among the resources it protects.
Trees and forest
Development that could affect trees needs a forest management plan (Policy 31). Tree removal inside forest habitat the county treats as environmentally sensitive is prohibited except for restoration. Removed native trees are replaced on site per the approved plan (Policy 35).
Slopes and coverage
Development on slopes of 30% or more is prohibited unless that siting better meets the plan (Policy 78). In the Pescadero watershed, the smaller Pebble Beach watersheds draining to Carmel Bay, Seal Rock Creek and Sawmill Gulch, new homes are capped at 9,000 square feet of total site coverage, buildings plus paving (Policy 77).
17-Mile Drive frontage
New development fronting 17-Mile Drive keeps a minimum 100-foot setback from the road centerline unless vegetation or terrain screens it and is maintained for that purpose (Policy 84).
Hazards and history
Technical reports are required for geologic, fire and other hazards (Policy 38), and an archaeological survey is required if the property has never had one (Policy 58). Shoreline lots carry extra rules; see Pebble Beach oceanfront homes.
Coastal permits
Because all of the Del Monte Forest is seaward of the first through public road, county coastal permit decisions there are appealable to the Coastal Commission. See coastal development permits.
Two approvals: the ARB and Monterey County
Every new home goes through private design review and county review. One does not replace the other.
Architectural Review Board
The Del Monte Forest ARB generally responds within 30 days of a correctly completed submittal and can take longer for complex projects. Approval lapses after one year unless work has started or the ARB grants an extension. Preliminary plans are preferred for larger proposals, and the ARB encourages getting preliminary approval before applying to the county.
Height and deed limits
County zoning governs height. The ARB guidelines say the main structure may not exceed 30 feet depending on location and lot size, some subdivisions cap at 27 feet, and some lots are deed-restricted to one story. It is the owner’s job to find out.
Trees
No tree may be removed in the Del Monte Forest without a tree permit from Pebble Beach Company and Monterey County, per the ARB guidelines.
County design review
The Land Use Plan requires county design review for all development in the Del Monte Forest (Policy 66). A guesthouse is limited to one per main home, no kitchen and 425 square feet (Policy 74).
More detail
The ARB process step by step: building or remodeling in Pebble Beach. Second units: ADU rules.
How a lot purchase usually unfolds
The order matters, because the expensive surprises come from water and the site.
1. Water first
Get the entitlement or water records for the parcel and confirm them with MPWMD.
2. Title and deed restrictions
Read the recorded deed restrictions and CC&Rs for height, story limits and easements, including any conservation or scenic easements held by the Del Monte Forest Foundation.
3. Early site studies
A biologist, arborist and, on sloped or coastal lots, a geotechnical engineer can tell you what the site will allow before you commit.
4. Talk to the ARB and county
A preliminary ARB review and a county pre-application conversation help test the building envelope.
5. Budget the carrying costs
Property tax is reassessed at purchase. See property taxes and Pebble Beach fees.
Questions to answer before you remove contingencies
Water
How many acre-feet are dedicated to this parcel, and is the paperwork recorded with MPWMD?
Habitat
Has a biological report been done, and does any part of the lot fall in Monterey cypress or other sensitive habitat?
Slope and coverage
How much of the lot is under 30% slope, and is it in a 9,000-square-foot coverage watershed?
Trees
Which trees would come out for the house and driveway, and what does the forest management plan require?
Design limits
What height and story limits apply under the deed and county zoning?
Insurance
Forested lots can be harder to insure. See home insurance.
Looking at a Pebble Beach lot?
I help buyers check water, title and site limits on Pebble Beach land before they commit, and I bring in the right biologist, arborist and architect early. I represented the buyer of 1424 Oleada Road in Pebble Beach in 2025.
Start with a 30-minute call.
Buying in Pebble BeachPebble Beach homesPebble Beach market stats
Want a second set of eyes on the water?
Call or text 831-747-0310, or book a 30-minute call.
Before you rely on this
- Water rules are from MPWMD Rule 23.5 and the Ordinance 109 findings, site rules from the Del Monte Forest Land Use Plan (2012 amendment) and design rules from the Del Monte Forest ARB residential guidelines (April 2022), all checked Nov 9, 2026.
- Every parcel is different. Confirm water, deed restrictions and permit requirements with MPWMD, Pebble Beach Company, the ARB and Monterey County for the specific lot.
- No lot prices or counts are given here: my Pebble Beach stats track single-family homes only.
Pebble Beach lots: quick questions
Does every Pebble Beach lot come with water?
No. Some parcels have water entitlement dedicated to them and some do not. Confirm the acre-feet tied to the parcel with MPWMD before you buy.
Can I buy Pebble Beach water entitlement and move it to another lot later?
No. Under MPWMD Rule 23.5, entitlement bought separately from Pebble Beach Company can be used only on the property it was dedicated to, and the owner cannot resell or convey it separately. It does pass to the next owner of that property with title.
Does a water moratorium stop a lot with entitlement from getting a meter?
Rule 23.5 says a Water Use Permit entitles the owner to Cal-Am service, including meters, notwithstanding a moratorium, once fees are paid and a complete Water Permit application is filed. MPWMD can still curtail use during a drought emergency.
How long does ARB review take for a new home?
The ARB guidelines say it generally responds within 30 days of a correctly completed submittal, and may take longer for complex projects. County review is separate.
Can I remove trees to build?
Only with a tree permit from Pebble Beach Company and Monterey County. The Land Use Plan requires a forest management plan for development that affects trees and bars removal in sensitive forest habitat except for restoration.
How big a house can I build on a Pebble Beach lot?
It depends on zoning, deed restrictions and site limits. In some watersheds the Land Use Plan caps total site coverage at 9,000 square feet, and the ARB guidelines describe height limits of 30 feet, 27 feet in some subdivisions, or one story by deed on some lots.
Who do I hire first?
Start with water and title, then a biologist and arborist, and a geotechnical engineer on sloped or coastal sites. An architect who knows the ARB helps test the building envelope early.
Updated November 2026 · Facts checked Nov 9, 2026 against MPWMD, the Del Monte Forest Land Use Plan and the Del Monte Forest ARB
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