Where new homes are being built in Laguna Niguel
Laguna Niguel was largely built out in the 1980s and 1990s. In the Census Bureau's 2020-2024 American Community Survey, the city's median year built is 1986, and 43.8% of its 27,643 homes date from the 1980s, with another 20.4% from the 1990s. Only 341 homes, about 1.2%, were built in 2020 or later, and 1,563 (5.7%) in the 2010s. With so little vacant land left, new housing comes mainly from redeveloping older sites rather than opening raw land.
State housing law is pushing that redevelopment. The city's 2021-2029 Housing Element, certified by the state Department of Housing and Community Development on February 22, 2024, plans for a regional housing need of 1,207 new homes. The city also posts a map of vacant and underutilized multifamily sites, dated June 30, 2026.
Nine of that map's ten sites are clustered in the Gateway area around Forbes Road by Interstate 5 and the Metrolink station, and the largest approved project is on the former county justice center site next to City Hall on Crown Valley Parkway. A few smaller infill projects fill single parcels elsewhere, such as a surplus school district lot on Paseo de Colinas.
New residential projects inside Laguna Niguel
Each status below is from the city's Major Development Projects map and project pages, read on October 30, 2026. The map shows site development permits and use permits, not every application, so call the Planning Division at (949) 362-4300 for any project not listed.
Laguna Niguel City Center (275 apartments, Crown Valley Parkway at Alicia Parkway)
The largest project in town is a mixed-use "downtown" on about 25 acres of county land bounded by Pacific Island Drive, Alicia Parkway and Crown Valley Parkway, next to City Hall. The site holds the South County Justice Center, closed in 2008, the county library and a county yard. The plan from Laguna Niguel Town Center Partners (Burnham Ward Properties and Sares Regis Group) adds about 110,000 square feet of shops, restaurants and offices, a new 16,300 square foot library and two apartment buildings of 200 and 75 units. The council approved it in 2022 and approved the final tract map on June 2, 2026. The city says groundbreaking is scheduled for January 2027, with heavy construction in summer 2027. The city describes them as apartments and lists no homes for sale.
The Cove at El Niguel (22 townhome-style homes, 30667 Crown Valley Parkway)
On Crown Valley Parkway at Playa Blanca, opposite Paseo del Niguel, a 4.2-acre site that held 41 homes before the Via Estoril landslide of March 1998 is being rebuilt with 22 homes in duplex and triplex buildings. The homes sit on about 2 acres, with about 2.9 acres kept as open space. The Planning Commission approved it on September 13, 2022, the City Council upheld that on appeal on December 5, 2022, and the city's map now lists it as under construction. The applicant was Laguna Niguel Properties Inc.; the city pages name no sales team, prices or HOA dues. Given the site's history, ask for the geotechnical reports before you reserve.
Paseo de Colinas Townhomes (24 homes, 29001 Paseo de Colinas)
A Capistrano Unified School District surplus site at Paseo de Colinas and Del Cerro is approved for 24 townhomes in five three-story buildings, each home with an attached two-car garage, plus 25 guest spaces. The developer will give the southern 0.97 acre of the 2.47-acre site to the city as parkland. The Planning Commission approved it on February 11, 2025. No builder name, sales date or price had been published on the city or state pages we read.
Grace Church senior living (108 units, 24600 La Plata Drive)
The City Council approved a remodel of Grace Church and a 108-unit senior living center on May 16, 2023. It is a care community, not a for-sale neighborhood, but it is one of the few new senior housing options planned in the city. Ask the operator about entry fees and levels of care once it opens.
Gateway Specific Plan (up to 2,994 homes near the Metrolink station)
The Gateway area covers about 315 acres along Crown Valley Parkway, Cabot Road and Forbes Road between Interstate 5 and the 73 toll road. Its specific plan, updated in November 2011, allows up to 2,994 homes and 2.26 million square feet of shops, offices and hotels, with the aim of turning the district into a walkable area around the Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo Metrolink station. When the Orange County Business Journal reported on Forbes Road in 2018, more than 1,000 mid-rise apartment units had been built within walking distance of 27762 Forbes Road, and the 348-unit Broadstone Cavora was being built next door. Any for-sale condos in the district would be mid-rise and close to the freeway and rail line, so ask about noise studies and parking.
Icon Laguna (100 condos proposed, 27762 Forbes Road)
In September 2018 the Orange County Business Journal reported that a one-acre office site at 27762 Forbes Road, re-entitled for housing, was being marketed for a seven-story building of 100 for-sale condos, mostly two-bedroom units of a little over 1,000 square feet. We could not find a city page showing it as under construction in 2026. Treat it as an old entitlement and ask the Planning Division whether it is still active.
Accessory dwelling units and two-unit lots in Laguna Niguel
For many owners, the realistic new home is one they add themselves. The city has its own pages on accessory dwelling units and on SB 9 urban lot splits and two-unit projects, and a separate permit portal. Most neighborhoods here are governed by homeowner associations whose rules on exterior changes still apply, so check the CC&Rs and the city's rules before you buy a lot with an ADU in mind.
New homes selling now near Laguna Niguel: Rancho Mission Viejo
With nothing for sale in town, the closest active new-home sales are in Rancho Mission Viejo, a master-planned community in unincorporated south Orange County. Its villages are outside any city, and they share Capistrano Unified School District with Laguna Niguel. Price phrases below are the developer's own, read on its homes page on October 30, 2026.
Rienda village: all-ages new homes
Six all-ages neighborhoods were listed. Trumark Homes' Sunflower (duplex and detached, 1,568 to 2,357 square feet) starts in the mid $900s. Lennar's Indigo (detached, 2,006 to 2,427 square feet) starts in the low $1 millions. Shea Homes' Primrose (2,491 to 3,009 square feet) and Trumark's Sapphire and Lotus start in the mid $1 millions, and Shea's Arrowleaf (3,306 to 3,965 square feet) in the mid $2 millions. Lotus was on its final homes.
Gavilán Ridge: 55+ new homes
The age-qualified village had five neighborhoods selling: Tri Pointe Homes' Lavender from the low $800s, Lennar's Nova from the low $900s and Strata from the low $1 millions, and Del Webb's Luna from the mid $1 millions and Elara from the high $1 millions. Four more neighborhoods from Tri Pointe, Del Webb, Shea and Lennar, starting from the mid $900s to the high $1 millions, were listed as coming in early 2027.
Laguna Niguel new-home projects at a glance
| Project | Location | Homes | Type | Status (Oct 30, 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laguna Niguel City Center | Crown Valley Pkwy and Alicia Pkwy | 275 | Apartments in a mixed-use center | Final tract map approved June 2, 2026; groundbreaking scheduled January 2027 |
| The Cove at El Niguel | 30667 Crown Valley Pkwy | 22 | Townhome-style duplexes and triplexes | Under construction |
| Paseo de Colinas Townhomes | 29001 Paseo de Colinas | 24 | Three-story townhomes | Approved February 11, 2025 |
| Grace Church senior living | 24600 La Plata Dr | 108 | Senior living center | Approved May 16, 2023 |
| Gateway Specific Plan | Crown Valley, Cabot and Forbes Roads | Up to 2,994 allowed | Mostly rental apartments as of 2018 | Plan adopted 2011 |
| Icon Laguna | 27762 Forbes Rd | 100 proposed | Condos | Marketed in 2018; current status unconfirmed |
For the countywide picture, see our Orange County new construction guide.
Mello-Roos, HOA dues and property tax on new homes
New homes in Orange County master plans usually carry a special tax on top of the base property tax. Rancho Mission Viejo's own FAQ says its homes are in a community facilities district and pay special taxes, that HOA fees typically run about $250 to $1,000 a month, and that a fee is charged on each sale and resale. Read the Notice of Special Tax before you sign. Our Mello-Roos guide explains how these taxes are set and when they end.
Inside Laguna Niguel, most resale homes are in older associations without a new special tax, but check every bill. The city pages for The Cove and Paseo de Colinas do not mention a special tax district, so ask the seller directly. A new townhome will also have a new HOA budget: ask how the reserves were set and what the dues cover. The 1% base rate, voter-approved bonds and supplemental bills are covered in our Orange County property tax guide, and association rules in our California HOA laws guide.
New vs resale homes in Laguna Niguel: what each costs
Resale prices in Laguna Niguel are higher than most new-home starting prices nearby. Redfin's median sale price in ZIP 92677 for the three months to September 2026 was $1,792,048 for single-family houses (106 sales), $1,200,002 for townhouses (13 sales) and $724,979 for condos (61 sales). Across all home types it was $1,371,097, down 5.4% on a year, at $718.83 a square foot, with a median 45 days on the market.
So a Laguna Niguel buyer choosing between a resale house and a new detached home at Rienda is often comparing an older, larger lot with coastal access against a newer house with current energy codes, smaller yards and an added special tax. Compare the full monthly cost. At Freddie Mac's 30-year average of 7.24% for the week of October 29, 2026, each $100,000 borrowed costs about $681 a month in principal and interest, before tax, insurance and dues.
Older Laguna Niguel homes have their own costs: many 1980s houses need roofs, windows, plumbing or electrical work, and hillside homes may need slope maintenance. Budget for these when you compare.
Inspections and warranties for new construction
Hire your own inspector for a new home. A pre-drywall visit checks framing, wiring and plumbing before walls close, and a final walk-through gives the builder a punch list before you close. California's Right to Repair Act sets building standards for new homes and a claims process that lets the builder repair first. Civil Code section 900 requires at least a one-year written warranty on fit and finish items such as cabinets, flooring and paint, and section 941 bars most construction-defect suits filed more than 10 years after substantial completion. Read the builder's own warranty for what else it covers.
In Laguna Niguel, hillside grading deserves extra attention. The Cove at El Niguel is being built on the site of the 1998 Via Estoril landslide, and the city approved remedial grading at a Bear Brand Ranch hillside home in 2025. Ask for the soils and geotechnical reports on any new or rebuilt hillside home, and check the address in the city's fire hazard severity zone map; see our California wildfire zones guide.
Buying a new home near Laguna Niguel with a local agent
Builder sales staff represent the builder. Most builders accept outside agents, but many require the agent to register you on your first visit, so arrange that before you walk in. A local agent can set a builder's price per square foot against recent resales in 92677, read the purchase contract and special tax notice with you, and ask for upgrades or closing-cost credits instead of a price cut, which builders often prefer. For commission rules since 2024, see our commission guide.
See our featured Laguna Niguel agent, the Laguna Niguel condos guide for resale townhomes, and the Laguna Niguel homes guide.