Pleasant Hill · Buying & selling
Buying or selling a home in Pleasant Hill
Pleasant Hill charges its own documentary transfer tax when property changes hands. Seller disclosures and property tax follow state law.
Key points
- Transfer tax: Pleasant Hill has its own transfer tax at a rate set by city council resolution; whoever signs the deed, or benefits from it, pays.
- Seller disclosures: State law: single-family sellers must give a Transfer Disclosure Statement unless exempt, and written smoke alarm and water heater bracing statements.
- Property tax: State law caps general property tax at 1% of value; property is reassessed on sale, and its base value rises at most 2% yearly.
Each rule below is marked Pleasant Hill code or CA state law and links to the section it comes from (checked October 2026). General information, not legal advice.
Transfer tax
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CA state law Underneath, California law still applies. County documentary transfer tax: A county may tax a sale over $100 at $0.55 for each $500 of value ($1.10 per $1,000), not counting liens that remain on the property (Rev. & Tax. Code § 11911(a)). City share of the tax: A city may impose half the county rate ($0.55 per $1,000); the county then credits the city tax against its own, so the combined standard rate stays $1.10 per $1,000 (Rev. & Tax. Code § 11931). California rules for buying and selling — the full state rule →
Seller disclosures
CA state law California law sets this statewide. Transfer Disclosure Statement (TDS) — who must give it: Sellers of single-family residential property must give the buyer a Real Estate Transfer Disclosure Statement (sale, exchange, installment contract, lease-option or ground lease with improvements) (Civ. Code §§ 1102(a), 1102.2). Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement (NHD): Sellers must disclose if the property is in a special flood hazard area, dam inundation area, very high fire hazard severity zone, earthquake fault zone, seismic hazard zone, or wildland fire area (Civ. Code § 1103(c)). California seller disclosure rules — the full state rule →
Property tax after you buy
CA state law California law sets this statewide. 1% property tax limit (Prop 13): The general property tax on real property may not exceed 1% of its full cash value; voter-approved bond debt is levied on top (Cal. Const. art. XIII A, § 1(a), (b)). 2% annual cap on assessed value: The base year value rises each year by the California CPI change, but never more than 2% (Rev. & Tax. Code § 51(a)(1)(D)). California property tax rules — the full state rule →
Sidewalk repairs
Pleasant Hill code The owner is liable to members of the public injured because the owner negligently failed the sidewalk duties. The owner of property fronting the sidewalk area must keep it reasonably safe and repair it at the owner's expense.
All 4 Pleasant Hill rules on sidewalk repairs, with the code text →
Utility users tax
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| Tax on water, phone or cable |
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Who this affects
Frequently asked questions
What is the transfer tax when you sell a home in Pleasant Hill?
Pleasant Hill has its own transfer tax at a rate set by city council resolution; whoever signs the deed, or benefits from it, pays.
Does Pleasant Hill charge a utility users tax?
Pleasant Hill's code: 1% of the charges. (Intrastate telephone services.) (§ 5.45.030).
General information, not legal advice.
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