Where new homes are being built in Encinitas
Encinitas builds very little new for-sale housing. The larger projects of the last few years are mostly rental apartments approved under the state housing element, clustered on Quail Gardens Drive between Encinitas Boulevard and Leucadia Boulevard, with one mixed-use project on North Coast Highway 101 in Leucadia. KPBS reported in April 2025 that the city approved the 448-unit Quail Meadows project because it risked losing its state-compliant housing element if it said no. For buyers, that leaves three routes to a new home: the last homes in a builder community, resale of a home a few years old, or a custom build or rebuild on an existing lot.
We list only projects we could confirm on a builder page, a state record or a news report, with the date checked. Builder pages change weekly, so call the sales office before you visit.
New home communities and projects in Encinitas
The Cove at Encinitas (Toll Brothers): sold out
Toll Brothers' Cove at Encinitas is a 42-home community of one- and two-story single-family designs. In a May 14, 2026 release, Toll said the final three homes were for sale from $2,689,000, with five bedrooms, five and a half baths and about 2,600 to more than 4,000 square feet, available to move in as early as October 2026. Toll describes it as all-electric and less than a mile from South Ponto Beach, with the sales center at 2019 East Pearl Street. When we checked Toll's community page on November 1, 2026, it said the community is sold out. Any home there now is a resale: ask for the HOA dues, the builder warranty transfer and any special tax on the seller's bill.
Fox Point Farms (Shea Homes): built, resale only
Fox Point Farms at 1150 Quail Gardens Drive is a 250-unit community on about 21.5 acres just west of Encinitas Ranch Golf Course, developed by Nolen Communities with Shea Homes as builder, according to a February 2023 SanDiegoVille report. The plan included for-sale cottages, carriage units, townhomes and apartments, with 40 units set aside for very low-income households, a 5.5-acre working organic farm, a farm-to-table restaurant with a brewery, and a recreation center with a pool and fitness room. KPBS listed it as approved and underway in April 2025. Shea's San Diego area page did not list any Encinitas community when we checked on November 1, 2026, so buying here now means a resale. Ask for the HOA budget, farm and amenity fees, and whether the unit is market-rate or deed-restricted.
Sunshine Gardens: 140 units off Encinitas Boulevard
KPBS reported in April 2025 that Sunshine Gardens, a 140-unit project off Encinitas Boulevard on the Quail Gardens Drive corridor, was approved and underway. We could not confirm on an official page whether it is rental or for sale, or its opening date, so ask the city's planning department or the leasing office. If you are buying nearby, ask how long construction traffic will last.
Moonlight Apartments: 202 units off Encinitas Boulevard
Moonlight Apartments, also off Encinitas Boulevard, was reported by KPBS in April 2025 as a 202-unit project, approved and underway. As the name says, it is apartments. It matters to buyers mainly as a neighbor: check its schedule and any road changes on Encinitas Boulevard and Quail Gardens Drive.
Quail Meadows: 448 apartments, Coastal Commission appeal
Quail Meadows is a 448-unit project with 90 affordable units on Quail Gardens Drive near Encinitas Boulevard. KPBS reported that the city council approved it in February 2025 and that three groups appealed to the California Coastal Commission. The Commission's San Diego district placed the appeal, A-6-ENC-25-0005 (Quail Meadows Apartments), on its May 13, 2026 agenda, with an ecologist's memo on the stream and riparian areas on the site. We did not confirm the hearing result; check the Commission's agenda page for the outcome and the city for permits.
Marea Village: mixed use on North Coast Highway 101
Marea Village is planned at North Coast Highway 101 and La Costa Avenue in Leucadia, on about 3.8 acres. The city's final environmental impact report, filed with the State Clearinghouse in June 2022, describes 94 rental apartments (19 for low-income households at 80% of area median income), a 34-room boutique hotel, 18,261 square feet of commercial space and a roundabout on Coast Highway 101. We did not find a confirmed opening date. It adds no homes for sale, but it will change the north end of Leucadia.
Custom homes and rebuilds on existing lots
Most new detached homes in Encinitas are one-off builds on lots where an older house is torn down or remodeled. The Census ACS puts the median Encinitas home's build year at 1980, so there is a large stock of older homes on valuable land. If you plan to build, budget for design, city and coastal permits, utility connections and school and city impact fees, and get a soils and geology report on bluff or canyon lots before you buy. Check the parcel on the FEMA flood map and Cal OES MyHazards first.
Accessory dwelling units (ADUs)
An ADU is the most common new housing on single-family lots across California. State law limits how far a city can restrict ADUs, but local rules on size, height, parking near the coast and short-term rentals still apply. Read our California ADU rules guide, then confirm the current Encinitas rules with the city's planning department before you buy a lot for that purpose. If a resale home already has an ADU, ask for the final permit.
Encinitas new construction at a glance
| Project | Builder or developer | Homes | Type | Status (checked) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Cove at Encinitas | Toll Brothers | 42 | Single-family, for sale | Sold out (Nov 1, 2026); last homes from $2,689,000 in May 2026 |
| Fox Point Farms, 1150 Quail Gardens Dr | Nolen Communities, Shea Homes | 250 | Cottages, carriage units, townhomes, apartments | Not listed by Shea (Nov 1, 2026) |
| Sunshine Gardens | Not confirmed | 140 | Not confirmed | Approved and underway (KPBS, April 2025) |
| Moonlight Apartments | Not confirmed | 202 | Apartments | Approved and underway (KPBS, April 2025) |
| Quail Meadows | Quail Meadows, LLC | 448 (90 affordable) | Apartments | Coastal Commission appeal on May 13, 2026 agenda |
| Marea Village, N Coast Hwy 101 at La Costa Ave | Not confirmed | 94 (19 affordable) | Apartments, hotel, retail | Final EIR June 2022; opening not confirmed |
Mello-Roos, HOA fees and new versus resale cost
Mello-Roos and special taxes on Encinitas new homes
Newer subdivisions in California can carry a Mello-Roos special tax or other assessments on top of the 1% Prop 13 levy. Encinitas tax rate areas run from 1.03143% to 1.07534% on the county's FY 2025-26 list before any special charges. Ask the builder or seller for the latest tax bill and any community facilities district disclosure, and read our Mello-Roos guide.
HOA dues in new Encinitas communities
Communities with pools, farms, recreation centers or private streets fund them through HOA dues. We could not confirm dues for the communities above on a page we opened, so ask for the current budget, reserve study and any planned increase. Our California HOA laws guide lists the documents you are entitled to.
New versus resale prices in Encinitas
Toll's last Cove at Encinitas homes started at $2,689,000 in May 2026. For comparison, Redfin's median sale price for single-family homes in ZIP 92024 was $2,299,420 in the three months to September 2026, across 84 sales, and condos sold at a median of $1,029,970. A new home usually costs more than a resale of similar size but comes with lower near-term repair costs and a warranty. Compare on price per square foot and on the full monthly cost, including HOA and special taxes.
Inspections and warranties on new Encinitas homes
Get your own inspection on a new build
Hire an independent inspector for a pre-drywall inspection if you buy before completion and a final inspection before closing. City inspections check code minimums, not workmanship. On a resale of a home a few years old, ask for the builder's warranty documents and any open claims.
Builder warranties on Encinitas new homes
Read the builder's written warranty before you sign, not at closing. Ask what it covers for workmanship, systems and structure and for how long, how to file a claim and how fast the builder must respond, and whether coverage transfers to the next buyer. California also sets a formal claims process for construction defects, so ask a real estate attorney how it applies before you rely on a lawsuit as a backstop.
Buying new in Encinitas with a local agent
Bring your own agent on your first visit to a sales office, or ask the office for its broker registration rules first: some builders will not pay a buyer's agent who was not registered at the first visit. An agent who knows Encinitas can compare the builder's price with recent resales in 92024 and 92007, flag HOA and special-tax costs, and point out which nearby sites have approved projects. Commission is negotiable and must be agreed in writing after the 2024 rule changes: see how agent commission works in California. Our featured Encinitas agent can help, and the Encinitas neighborhoods guide shows where the newer housing sits.