People are starting to rebuild in Sonoma County following the October 2017 wildfires and are wondering how the rebuild will impact their property taxes.
If I rebuild and the construction cost is higher than I originally paid for the house, will by assessment go up?
- Property owners will retain their Proposition 13 protections as long as the structure is rebuilt in a like or similar manner to bring it up to current building codes, regardless of the actual cost of construction
What if I rebuild, but there are some variances or differences (i.e. different floor plan; add a full bath; it now meets current building codes; etc.)? Will my assessment go up or stay the same?
- Any new square footage or extras such as additional baths, granny unites, etc., will be added at its full market value. The original property will not be reassessed unless there is a new construction event or a change of ownership on the property.
What if I build a new granny unit to live in before I rebuild the main house?
- The granny unit will be assessed at its fair market value when complete and have a new base year value established for that structure since it was never assessed. When the main house is rebuilt, the two values will be combined. The two structures will have two separate Proposition 13 base years specific to each living unit.
For more information about Rebuilding in Sonoma County contact the Sonoma County Assessor’s Office