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Journal · New developments

What can be built, and where: the Todos Santos urban plan

Densities, minimum lots and heights near the coast come from a 2012 urban development plan that the municipality is now replacing. Why it matters before you buy land.

Read — October 3, 2026 · 2 min read
Homes on the coast near Todos Santos
Homes on the coast near Todos Santos
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New developments

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Before you fall for a lot, ask what can be built on it. Around Todos Santos the answer starts with one document.

The plan

The urban development plan for Todos Santos – El Pescadero – Las Playitas was published in the state's Boletín Oficial No. 40 on August 10, 2012. It divides the area into zones and sets, for each one, how many homes can be built per hectare, the minimum lot size and frontage, how much of the lot can be covered and how high buildings can go.

Some of the numbers

As summarised by the local group Protect Todos Santos: in tourist-residential zones, 4 homes per hectare, minimum lots of 2,000 m² with 25 m of frontage, 25% ground coverage and 60% total built area; within 400 m of the coast, buildings of up to two storeys or 7.5 m.

What is changing

The municipality of La Paz is preparing a new plan to replace the 2012 one. Until it is published, the 2012 rules apply — and a lot's value depends on which zone it falls in under both.

Before you buy land

  • Ask the municipality for the land-use certificate (constancia de uso de suelo) of the specific lot.
  • Check whether the lot is within 400 m of the coast, and whether it touches the 20 m federal beach zone (ZOFEMAT).
  • For a subdivision, ask for its authorisation and its own rules.

Building permits and fees are in the Buyer's Guide.

Questions about a property?

TodosSantos.com answers every inquiry and helps you ask the right questions before you decide.