Selling a Home in Marin: What Each Town Requires

Resale reports, sewer laterals, fire inspections and disclosures, town by town, from a Marin native who has been through them all

Request a Valuation Contact Melissa

Last updated September 2026 · By Melissa DiVita, REALTOR®, Compass · DRE #01387955 · Marin native, in real estate since 2003

Selling in Marin isn’t like selling almost anywhere else. Most of our towns require their own inspections before you can close, and they’re all a little different. Mill Valley wants a city resale report and a sewer lateral video. Corte Madera and Larkspur add a wildfire inspection for hillside homes. San Anselmo just dropped its resale report in 2026. Kentfield, as unincorporated county, has none at all.

These are the details that quietly decide your closing date. If a sewer lateral fails its test or a city inspector finds an unpermitted room, you want to know in week one, not week five. This is the guide I walk my sellers through, and I start this paperwork before we ever go on the market.

Rules and fees change, often on July 1, and some details depend on your exact address and sewer district. Always confirm with the city and district before you list. I’m a REALTOR®, not an attorney; talk to a real estate attorney for legal advice.

The three things most Marin sellers need

A city resale report. Most cities and towns send an inspector to check permits, zoning and basic life-safety items, and the report goes to the buyer. It can turn up unpermitted work, and some items have to be fixed after closing.
A sewer lateral inspection. Most sanitary districts require a camera (CCTV) inspection of the pipe from your house to the sewer main, and a repair if it fails. This is the one that surprises people, and a replacement can be a real expense.
Fire documentation. Under state law (AB 38), homes in a High or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone need a defensible space inspection. Corte Madera, Larkspur, Ross and Fairfax also have their own resale fire inspections.

Town-by-town requirements (as of September 2026)

Town	City resale report	Sewer lateral at sale	Fire inspection at sale
Tiburon	Required. $250 for a single-family home; about 10 days after inspection. Life-safety items must be fixed within 30 days after closing.	Sanitary District No. 5: camera inspection required when selling ($235 permit), unless the lateral was replaced in the last 20 years.	AB 38 if the address is in a High or Very High zone. The 2025 maps put most of the peninsula in Moderate.
Belvedere	Required (Municipal Code Ch. 16.24). The application must include a video of the entire sewer lateral.	Video required with the resale report; the City can require repairs.	AB 38 if in a zone. The 2025 draft maps put all of Belvedere in the lowest category.
Mill Valley	Required before close of escrow. $399 for a single-family home; about 2 weeks. Only the listing agent can apply.	Required: camera inspection by a licensed plumber ($439.24 city fee), unless installed or replaced within 20 years or repaired within 3.	AB 38 through Southern Marin Fire for homes in a zone. Parts of Mill Valley are Very High.
Sausalito	Required and must be delivered to the buyer. Allow at least 2 weeks.	Sausalito-Marin City Sanitary District: compliance certificate at transfer ($150), unless inspected or replaced in the last 10 years.	AB 38 if in a zone.
Corte Madera	Required. $130; about 10 business days.	Sanitary District No. 2: camera inspection before transfer; repairs due within 180 days of closing.	Local wildfire (WUI) inspection by Central Marin Fire for single-family homes: $211, must pass within 6 months before the sale contract.
Larkspur	Required; building and fire inspectors visit, report usually within a week.	Ross Valley Sanitary District: video inspection, then a compliance certificate, due within 90 days after closing.	New in 2026: local WUI resale inspection by Central Marin Fire, same terms as Corte Madera.
Kentfield / Greenbrae (county)	None in unincorporated Marin.	Ross Valley Sanitary District (as above).	Kentfield Fire does free AB 38 inspections for homes in a zone; allow 72 hours.
Ross	Required before listing; valid for 6 months.	Ross Valley Sanitary District.	Local resale fire inspection by Ross Valley Fire: $190, exterior only. The 2025 maps put Ross in Moderate only.
San Anselmo	Repealed March 24, 2026. No longer required.	Ross Valley Sanitary District.	The local resale fire inspection is no longer required; AB 38 still applies in a zone.
Fairfax	A town resale inspection exists; confirm current requirements with the town.	Ross Valley Sanitary District.	Local resale fire inspection by Ross Valley Fire: $190.
San Rafael	Required. Report within about 3 business days after inspection; valid 6 months.	Depends on district: San Rafael Sanitation District has no sale requirement, but Las Gallinas Valley (north San Rafael, Marinwood, Lucas Valley) requires one before escrow closes.	AB 38 inspection by San Rafael Fire: $271 ($295 in Marinwood).
Novato	Reported discontinued in 2022; confirm with the city.	No sale requirement found for Novato Sanitary District; confirm.	AB 38 through Novato Fire for homes in a zone. North Marin Water District requires water-efficient fixtures at resale for buildings built before 1992.
Unincorporated (Tam Valley, Strawberry, West Marin)	None.	Tam Valley (Tamalpais CSD): camera inspection and compliance certificate before transfer. Strawberry (Richardson Bay SD) has its own ordinance. West Marin homes are often on septic.	AB 38 through Marin County Fire in a zone. Most West Marin homes are in High or Very High zones.

Who pays? What’s negotiated in the contract

The town decides what’s required. Who pays for it is part of the deal. The standard California purchase agreement has a section where the buyer and seller choose who pays for government-required inspections, reports and repairs, including the sewer lateral, the city resale report and any fire items. In Marin, it’s one of the lines we negotiate most.

The sewer lateral is the big one. A lateral that passes costs only the inspection. One that fails can mean a spot repair or a full replacement, and the cost is never the same from one house to the next.
Homes on a hill above the street can cost much more. The pipe runs longer and steeper, often under stairs, retaining walls, a driveway or landscaping, so the repair can be extensive. Two homes on the same street can get very different bills.
How it usually gets settled: the seller does the work before closing, the seller gives the buyer a credit, or money is held in escrow for work finished after closing, where the district allows it.
Inspect before you list. When the camera inspection and a plumber’s bid are done up front, buyers see the result with the disclosures and factor it into their offers, instead of it turning into a surprise renegotiation in the middle of escrow.

Other inspections to expect

On top of what the town requires, Marin buyers almost always order their own inspections during the contingency period, and many of my sellers order some of them before listing. I bring my own contractors through so everyone is working from real repair numbers.

General home inspection of the structure and systems.
Pest (termite) report, which separates active damage from conditions that could lead to it.
Roof and chimney inspections.
Foundation, drainage and geotechnical review for hillside homes.
A buyer’s own sewer camera inspection, even where the district doesn’t require one at sale.
Dock and seawall inspections for waterfront homes, and septic and well inspections in West Marin.
An insurance quote. Not an inspection, but in Marin get one early, especially near open space or the Bay.

What every California seller has to disclose

Transfer Disclosure Statement (TDS) and the Seller Property Questionnaire.
Natural Hazard Disclosure, covering flood, fire and earthquake zones.
Water heater bracing, smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms, with a written statement of compliance.
Low-flow plumbing fixtures, and a disclosure about them.
Lead paint for homes built before 1978.
Fire hardening for homes built before 2010 in a High or Very High zone, including a list of low-cost retrofits and which ones you’ve done.
New in 2026: an electrical and gas-appliance notice (SB 382), disclosure of known smoking or vaping in the home (AB 455), and a rule that any digitally altered listing photo must be flagged, with a link to the original (AB 723).

My timeline for getting ready

When	What I do with my sellers
6 to 8 weeks out	Walk the house together. Pull permit history. Order the city resale report, sewer lateral inspection and fire inspection, so there’s time to fix anything they find.
4 to 6 weeks out	Order pre-sale inspections (home, pest, roof) so there are no surprises for buyers. Start prep work with my contractor team.
2 to 4 weeks out	Finish repairs and updates, then staging and photography.
Listing	All reports and disclosures ready for buyers on day one. In my experience, buyers write stronger, cleaner offers when the homework is already done.

Prep: what’s worth doing, and what it costs

Where I help sellers most is preparation. I’ve remodeled many homes, and my team of contractors, designers and stagers works at fair trade rates. The goal is never to renovate. It’s to fix what buyers will notice and let the house show at its best.

A recent example: a Tiburon listing with original early-2000s finishes. We refinished the floors, painted, updated fixtures and staged the house. The work cost less than $100,000 and took about 30 days, and the home went to market $350,000 above the price we first discussed. You can read the full story on my blog.

Almost always worth it: paint, floor refinishing, lighting, landscaping and cleanup, and fixing anything an inspection will flag.
Sometimes worth it: kitchen and bath refreshes like counters, hardware and fixtures, rather than full remodels.
Rarely worth it before a sale: major remodels or additions. Buyers want to make those choices themselves.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a resale inspection to sell a house in Marin?

It depends on the town. Tiburon, Belvedere, Mill Valley, Sausalito, Corte Madera, Larkspur, Ross and San Rafael require a city resale report. San Anselmo repealed its requirement on March 24, 2026, and unincorporated areas like Kentfield and Tam Valley have none. Always confirm with the city before you list.

What is a sewer lateral inspection in Marin?

It’s a camera inspection of the private sewer pipe that runs from your house to the public sewer main. Most Marin sanitary districts require one when you sell, and if the pipe fails, it has to be repaired or replaced. Some districts want it done before closing; Ross Valley Sanitary District allows 90 days after closing.

What is an AB 38 inspection?

AB 38 is a California law that applies to homes in a High or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. The seller has to give the buyer documentation that the property meets defensible space rules, usually through an inspection by the local fire agency. Corte Madera, Larkspur, Ross and Fairfax also have their own resale fire inspections.

How long does it take to get a home ready to sell in Marin?

I plan on six to eight weeks from our first walk-through to listing. City reports usually take one to two weeks, and sewer and fire items can take longer if repairs are needed. Prep work often takes about 30 days.

Who pays for sewer lateral repairs in Marin?

It’s negotiable. The California purchase agreement lets the buyer and seller decide who pays for government-required inspections and repairs, and in Marin the sewer lateral is one of the most negotiated items. It’s usually settled with repairs by the seller before closing, a credit to the buyer, or money held in escrow. The cost varies a lot: a home on a hill above the street can be much more expensive, because the pipe is longer and steeper and may run under walls, stairs or a driveway.

What inspections do buyers usually order in Marin?

A general home inspection and a pest report, plus roof and chimney inspections, a foundation and drainage review for hillside homes, a sewer camera inspection, and dock, septic or well inspections where they apply. Buyers should also get a homeowners insurance quote early.

Thinking about selling? Start with my home valuation, and see my guides to Compass seller programs and realtor fees in California.

Sources

Thinking about selling?

Request a valuation, and I’ll walk through your house with you, tell you exactly what your town will require, and put together a prep plan and timeline.

Request a Valuation

Contact Melissa