Photo above: A BART train at the Lafayette station platform beside Highway 24, with the Lafayette hills behind, April 2018. Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Price it against the homes that just sold on your street, get the fire inspection and paperwork moving before you list, and know your costs going in. In August 2026 the median Lafayette home sold for $2,038,651 at 102.1% of list price in 15 days, and 43.1% sold over asking, but 21.2% of listings cut their price first (Redfin, Lafayette housing market page, August 2026, checked September 24, 2026).

That last number is the one to watch. About one in five listings had to cut before it sold, and a cut costs you time.

How much are Lafayette homes selling for right now?

Around $2 million at the median, selling fast. Here’s the full August 2026 picture from one source:

Measure (August 2026)	Lafayette
Median sale price	$2,038,651 (up 1.9% year over year)
Homes sold	81
Median days on market	15
Sale-to-list price	102.1%
Sold above list	43.1%
Listings with a price drop	21.2%
Median price per square foot	$833

Source: Redfin, Lafayette housing market page, August 2026, checked September 24, 2026.

Read it with care. 81 sales in one month is a small pool, and a few big hillside homes can pull the median up or down. None of this predicts your own sale price. Your price comes from recent sales of homes like yours, close by.

How should I price my Lafayette home?

Start from the last few months of sales with the same school boundary, a similar lot and similar condition, then adjust. In Lafayette, two homes a few blocks apart can differ on things buyers check right away: the assigned elementary and high school, the fire hazard zone, the slope of the lot and the drive or walk to BART. Price for the house you have on the street it’s on.

If you get few showings in the first two weeks, the market is telling you something. Adjust early. Don’t wait months to react.

What should I fix before I list?

Anything an inspection report would flag, and anything a buyer notices walking up the driveway. Fix leaks, broken fixtures and anything that looks like deferred maintenance. Fresh paint and a clean, cleared yard go a long way.

In a fire zone, the yard matters twice. Clearing dead brush and keeping plants away from the walls helps the house show better and helps it pass the fire inspection below. Skip the big remodel unless the numbers from nearby sales clearly support it. On an older house, a pre-listing inspection lets you find the surprises before a buyer does.

Do I need a fire inspection to sell in Lafayette?

Most likely, if your parcel is rated high or very high on the fire map, and possibly even if it isn’t. Under California’s AB 38, sellers of a parcel with a structure in those zones must give the buyer documentation that the property passed a defensible space inspection. Con Fire’s guide also quotes Contra Costa County Ordinance 2023-07, which says that before close of escrow on the sale of any parcel within the fire district, the seller gives the buyer documentation from the Fire Code Official that the property meets the ordinance’s fuel mitigation rules (Contra Costa Fire, Real Property Transfer Inspection (AB 38) guide, checked September 25, 2026). Ask Con Fire what applies to your parcel.

That covers a lot of Lafayette. Under the map in effect July 10, 2025, 5,309 acres of the city are rated high and 41 very high (City of Lafayette, Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map page, checked September 25, 2026).

How it works, per Con Fire’s guide:

1. Confirm the zone. The Natural Hazard Disclosure report shows it, or use CAL FIRE’s online viewer, or email the address to [email protected].
2. Email [email protected] with the parcel address to request the inspection, then submit the application and pay the fee. Scheduling can take up to 5 working days.
3. The first inspection usually takes one to two hours on site. You don’t have to be there. The report comes by email.
4. If the property doesn’t pass, the inspector lists the work and sets a re-inspection. If it still isn’t in compliance, the seller and buyer sign a written agreement that the buyer will get compliance within one year after closing.

Request it before you list. For what it means for your contract, talk to a real estate attorney.

What will a Lafayette buyer ask about?

The fire zone, the schools and the tax bill, almost every time. Have answers ready:

• Fire zone and insurance. Buyers will want the zone and time to get an insurance quote. Have the AB 38 report and any defensible space work documented.
• School assignment. Lafayette School District says its boundary map is for general reference only and confirms a parcel’s school at (925) 927-3500 (lafsd.org, checked September 25, 2026). Acalanes Union High assigns Acalanes or Campolindo by street address. Don’t promise a school in the listing. Point buyers to the districts to verify.
• Parcel taxes. Your tax bill will show Lafayette School District’s Measure H ($585 per parcel, approved June 2, 2026) and its Measure J&B. Acalanes Union High’s Measure W ($168 per parcel) is on the November 3, 2026 ballot (district parcel tax pages, checked September 25, 2026). Have a copy of the current bill ready.

What does it cost to sell a house in Lafayette?

Budget for these before you pick a price:

• Commission. Commissions are always negotiable and are not set by law. Ask any agent to put the total cost, what it covers and how the buyer’s agent will be paid in writing before you sign a listing agreement.
• Transfer tax. Lafayette is a General Law city, so there’s no extra city transfer tax. The total documentary transfer tax is $1.10 per $1,000 of value, and the city’s $0.55 is credited inside the county’s $1.10 (California City Finance, “California City Documentary and Property Transfer Tax Rates,” effective December 1, 2025, checked September 25, 2026). At the August 2026 median of $2,038,651, that works out to about $2,243. Who pays is negotiable in the contract, and your escrow officer gives the exact figure.
• Escrow, title and prep costs. Plus the AB 38 inspection fee, any repairs, staging and any credits you agree to give.

Ask for an estimated net sheet before you list. Your capital gains picture, including the home sale exclusion, is a question for a CPA or tax professional, not for us.

When should I list my Lafayette house?

When the house, the inspection and the paperwork are ready. We only have one sourced month of Lafayette data here, August 2026, so we won’t claim a best month. What August shows: the median home sold in 15 days (Redfin, checked September 24, 2026). Our best time to sell page covers timing in more detail.

Questions people also ask

How much does a house cost in Lafayette, CA right now?

The median Lafayette home sold for $2,038,651 in August 2026, up 1.9% from a year earlier, at $833 per square foot, per Redfin’s Lafayette housing market page, checked September 24, 2026. Homes sold in a median of 15 days at 102.1% of list price. That’s based on 81 sales, so compare recent sales on your own street before you set a price.

What is the transfer tax on a Lafayette home sale?

The combined rate is $1.10 for every $1,000 of the price. Because Lafayette is a General Law city, its $0.55 share sits inside the county’s $1.10 instead of on top of it, per California City Finance’s rate table effective December 1, 2025. On a $2,038,651 sale that’s about $2,243. Who pays is negotiable, and your escrow officer will confirm the figure.

Do I need an AB 38 inspection to sell my Lafayette house?

Yes, when a home sits on a parcel rated high or very high, and Con Fire may ask for proof on other parcels too. Its AB 38 guide, checked September 25, 2026, quotes a county ordinance saying sellers of any parcel in its district owe the buyer compliance documentation from the Fire Code Official before escrow closes. Request the inspection by emailing the address to [email protected], and allow up to five working days to get on the schedule.

Are real estate commissions negotiable in Lafayette?

Yes, always. No law sets a commission rate in Lafayette or anywhere in California, and every fee is negotiable. Get the total cost in writing, with what it covers and how any buyer’s agent gets paid, and weigh it against the net you’d expect from recent Lafayette sales like yours before you commit.

Your next step

Send us your Lafayette address. We’ll pull the recent sales on your street, check the fire zone and the AB 38 timing, and put your transfer tax and other costs on one page so you see your likely take-home before you decide. Talk to a Lafayette agent on our team or call (510) 949-5525.

More on Lafayette: Is Lafayette, CA a good place to live? · Best time to sell in Lafayette · What’s my home worth?

By Bill Davis, DRE #01880656, The Davis Team at eXp Realty, Lafayette, CA. Updated September 25, 2026.

Sources

• Redfin, Lafayette housing market page, August 2026: redfin.com/city/9927/CA/Lafayette/housing-market (checked September 24, 2026)
• California City Finance, “California City Documentary and Property Transfer Tax Rates,” effective December 1, 2025: californiacityfinance.com/PropTransfTaxRates.pdf (checked September 25, 2026)
• Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, Real Property Transfer Inspection (AB 38) guide: cccfpd.org/DocumentCenter/View/411 (checked September 25, 2026)
• City of Lafayette, Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map page: lovelafayette.org (checked September 25, 2026)
• Lafayette School District, Attendance Boundaries and Parcel Tax Information pages: lafsd.org (checked September 25, 2026)
• Acalanes Union High School District, Measure W page: acalanes.k12.ca.us/about-auhsd/measure-w (checked September 25, 2026)