Homes on 1+ Acre for Sale in Gilbert, AZ

Homes on an acre or more are a small slice of Gilbert. They sit in the few areas zoned for the Town's largest lots, SF-43 and SF-35, and in Maricopa County islands surrounded by Gilbert, such as one near Knox Road and Val Vista Drive. Expect room for animals, a shop or a guest house, and check utilities and zoning lot by lot.

I'm Terry Day with DeLex Realty. Most of Gilbert was built as master-planned neighborhoods on standard lots, so when a true acre comes up, buyers notice. The catch is that two acre lots a mile apart can follow different rules: one may be inside the Town with Town zoning, the other may be county land with county zoning and different services. Here is what I check before anyone writes an offer.

See Gilbert homes on 1+ acre Call Terry: 602-483-4665

Where acre lots fit in Gilbert

Gilbert's General Plan sorts homes by density, and its lowest residential category is 0 to 1 home per acre. A Town planning document lines up the SF-43 zoning district with that category, and SF-35 with the 0-1 and 1-2 homes per acre categories. In plain terms, the land the Town has set aside for acre-size lots is limited, and most of it was planned that way years ago, so acre homes come up for sale a few at a time.

The other source of large lots is the county islands. These are pockets of unincorporated Maricopa County that Gilbert grew around but never annexed, and the Town's own map layers mark them as county areas. The Gilbert Sun News reported on one near Knox Road and Val Vista Drive where residents described living on one-acre lots and keeping horses, cows, chickens, goats and other animals. Homes in a county island have a Gilbert mailing address but follow county zoning, which is why I always confirm jurisdiction parcel by parcel.

What the zoning allows

Under the Town's Land Development Code, an SF-43 lot needs at least 43,000 net square feet, 145 feet of width and 150 feet of depth, with setbacks of about 40 feet in front, 30 feet on the sides and 40 feet in back. SF-35 requires 35,000 net square feet, 140 feet of width and 150 feet of depth, with 20-foot side setbacks. Both allow homes up to 35 feet and two stories, with up to 30% of the lot covered. The Town recodified its code in 2021, so I pull the current version for any home we look at.

One detail matters for searching: an SF-43 lot can be just under a full acre (43,560 sq ft). The listings above start at one full acre, so a few SF-43 homes may not show. If you are open to lots a little under an acre, tell me and I will run a wider search. In the county, the Rural-43 district is defined as one acre per home.

Horses and other animals

Gilbert's rules allow large and small livestock on lots of 15,000 net square feet or more. The Town asks for 10,000 square feet of lot area for each large animal, such as a horse, and 5,000 square feet for each small animal, and a residential stable has to sit at least 20 feet from every property line. Swine are not allowed inside town limits, with an exception for pet pot-bellied pigs. Commercial stables and arenas need far more land. County islands follow Maricopa County rules instead, which allow limited horse-keeping as part of a home but treat boarding six or more horses as a different use. Either way, an HOA can be stricter than the Town or county, so read the CC&Rs first. My Arizona horse property page covers more on that.

Utilities, irrigation and septic

The Town of Gilbert provides water, sewer, trash and recycling for most homes, and its water comes mainly from CAP and SRP surface water. Large lots are where the exceptions show up:

• Septic: Maricopa County Environmental Services permits septic systems, including inside cities and towns. If a home has one, Arizona requires the seller to have it inspected within six months before the sale, and the buyer files a Notice of Transfer within 15 days after closing.
• Private wells: if a property has a well, the new owner files the ownership change with the Arizona Department of Water Resources (form 55-71A). ADWR does not confirm legal ownership, so the title work matters.
• Flood irrigation: SRP flood irrigation still runs in parts of Gilbert, and the Town refers residents to SRP for irrigation problems. Ask whether a lot has irrigation rights, what the schedule is and who maintains the ditches and valves.

Guest houses, ADUs and lot splits

Many buyers want an acre for a casita, a second unit or a shop. Arizona law (A.R.S. 9-461.18) requires cities and towns over 75,000 people, which includes Gilbert, to allow one attached and one detached accessory dwelling unit on a single-family lot. On a lot of one acre or more, one more detached ADU is allowed if at least one unit is kept affordable under the law's income limits. An ADU can be up to 75% of the main home's floor area or 1,000 square feet, whichever is less, and long-term rentals cannot be banned. HOAs whose CC&Rs already prohibit ADUs can keep that ban, so check before you plan one. Gilbert's process for splitting a lot is called a Minor Land Division; any split still has to meet the zoning minimums, so an acre lot in SF-43 usually cannot be divided.

Before you buy

• Confirm whether the parcel is in the Town of Gilbert or a county island, and its zoning.
• Ask for sewer or septic records, well records and any irrigation rights.
• Read the HOA rules, if there is an HOA, on animals, RVs, shops and guest houses.
• Get a survey if fences, sheds or arenas sit near the lines.
• Check for easements across the back or side of the lot.

Some acre-lot sellers have FHA or VA loans a buyer may be able to take over, which I explain on my assumable mortgage page.

Questions buyers ask

Can I keep horses on a one-acre lot in Gilbert?
Often yes, if the lot meets the Town's livestock rules: 15,000 net square feet minimum, 10,000 square feet per horse and stables 20 feet from property lines. HOA rules can be stricter, and county islands follow county rules.

Is every Gilbert acre lot inside town limits?
No. Some are in Maricopa County islands that Gilbert surrounds, such as one near Knox Road and Val Vista Drive. Those homes follow county zoning and may have different services, so I confirm the jurisdiction for each parcel.

Is a lot zoned SF-43 a full acre?
Not always. SF-43 requires at least 43,000 net square feet, a little under a full acre of 43,560 square feet, so check the actual lot size in the county records.

Can I add a guest house or ADU on an acre lot?
Generally yes. State law requires Gilbert to allow an attached and a detached ADU on single-family lots, with an extra detached unit possible on lots of an acre or more, but an HOA that already bans ADUs can keep that rule.

More large-lot pages: Queen Creek acreage homes · Scottsdale acreage homes · Cave Creek acreage homes. More Gilbert pages: Moving to Gilbert guide · Gilbert luxury homes · Gilbert homes with pools · All Gilbert homes for sale · DeLex Realty listings in Gilbert

Zoning, animal and utility details come from Town of Gilbert, Maricopa County, ADEQ, ADWR and Arizona statutes and can change. Confirm zoning, jurisdiction and HOA rules for a specific property. Listing information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.