Scottsdale · Land & Acreage
Raw Land and Acreage in Scottsdale, Built Around the Desert Rules
Buying land to build your own horse property from the ground up.
Raw Land and Acreage in Scottsdale, What You Get
Raw land and acreage in Scottsdale is mostly desert ground in the north of the city, and buying it means agreeing to build with the desert rather than over it. Scottsdale's Environmentally Sensitive Lands Ordinance, adopted in 1991, governs about 134 square miles of desert and mountain land north and east of the Central Arizona Project canal. On those lots, part of the parcel stays preserved as natural area open space, from about 15 percent on flat lower desert up to 80 percent on steep hillside.
What you get in return is a lot where the views, the washes, and the native desert are protected around you, near WestWorld and the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. For a buyer planning a custom home and a horse facility, that setting is the point.
What you need is a site plan that works inside those rules before you pay for the land.
Why Scottsdale Land Buyers Choose Kim Williamson
I'm Kim Williamson, REALTOR with REAL Broker, 24 years in real estate and more than 1,000 transactions closed. I've designed three horse properties from bare ground, and I know how quickly a dream barn runs into a wash, a setback, or a slope.
On a Scottsdale lot I want four answers early. How much of the lot must stay as natural area open space, and where? Where do the washes run, and is any part in a floodplain? Where will water come from? And where does wastewater go?
Those answers decide whether your arena fits, where the barn can sit, and how much grading you can do. A lot that looks like two usable acres can turn out to have far less buildable ground once the open space and washes are mapped. I want you to know that number before you make an offer, not after.
The raw land buyer guide covers the statewide checklist. These are the Scottsdale specifics.
Our Raw Land Process in Scottsdale, What to Expect
Map the buildable area. Natural area open space, washes, slopes, and setbacks reduce what you can use. We find out how much is left for the house, barn, and arena.
Confirm water. City service at the lot, an existing well, or a new one. Scottsdale is inside the Phoenix Active Management Area, where an exempt well is limited to 35 gallons per minute. On five acres or less, domestic well use needs county or local health review first.
Plan wastewater. If sewer is not available, the soil has to pass for a septic system.
Check flood status. Pull the parcel on Maricopa County's floodplain viewer or call the Flood Control District at 602-506-2419.
Plan for dust permits. Maricopa County Rule 310 requires a dust control permit once you disturb a tenth of an acre.
Write a patient offer. Give yourself a due diligence window long enough to get the site plan answers.
Building a Horse Facility on Scottsdale Desert Land
Planning a barn and arena on raw Scottsdale land takes more sequencing than on flat farm ground. Here is the order I recommend, based on designing three horse properties of my own.
Survey first. A current survey shows boundaries, easements, and topography. On desert land, the slope map shapes everything that follows.
Map open space and washes. Under the Environmentally Sensitive Lands Ordinance, part of the lot stays natural. Washes, native vegetation, and ridges are protected. What remains is your building envelope.
Place the arena where water won't fight it. An arena needs to be level, and it needs a drainage plan that keeps monsoon runoff out. Placing it away from washes saves money and footing for years.
Site the barn for heat and wind. Orientation affects airflow and afternoon sun. A barn placed to catch breezes and shade its stalls in the afternoon will be cooler every summer.
Plan utilities to the barn. Water lines to troughs and wash racks, power for fans and lights, and a path for hay delivery and trailers.
Permit before you grade. Building permits for structures and a Maricopa County Rule 310 dust permit for disturbing a tenth of an acre or more.
Budget for shade. On bare desert ground, shade structures are not optional for horses. Price them into the plan from the start.
Buying the land is the first decision. Knowing whether this plan fits on it is the one that protects your money, and I help you get that answer before you close.
Local Context & Proof for Scottsdale
Scottsdale land is a location purchase. A lot near the McDowell Sonoran Preserve can sit close to equestrian trailheads like Brown's Ranch and Fraesfield, and a lot near WestWorld saves hauling time every show season.
The honest trade-off is acreage and freedom to build. If you want big, open, less regulated ground, compare Apache Junction land, San Tan Valley acreage, and Queen Creek raw land.
Want me to check a Scottsdale lot you're eyeing? Call or text me at (480) 206-1500.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is natural area open space in Scottsdale?
It is the portion of a lot that Scottsdale's Environmentally Sensitive Lands Ordinance requires to stay preserved in its natural state. Depending on slope, it ranges from about 15 percent on flat lower desert up to 80 percent on steep hillside.
Can I drill a well on Scottsdale land?
Possibly. Scottsdale is in the Phoenix Active Management Area, where an exempt well is limited to 35 gallons per minute, and on five acres or less domestic use needs health review first. Confirm with the Arizona Department of Water Resources.
How do I check flood risk on a Scottsdale lot?
Use Maricopa County's floodplain viewer or call the Flood Control District at 602-506-2419. Determinations are free, and washes on north Scottsdale lots make this step essential.
What should I do first after buying Scottsdale land for horses?
Get a current survey and map the natural area open space and washes. Those set your building envelope, which decides where the barn and arena can go.
Scottsdale
What land & acreage looks like in Scottsdale
Luxury equestrian: WestWorld access and improvement quality drive value here, not raw acreage.
WestWorld of Scottsdale has hosted the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show every February since the late 1980s, plus the Arizona Sun Circuit (major AQHA Quarter Horse event). Scottsdale equestrian estates average $2,676,731, with per-acre pricing averaging around $316,025, lower per-acre than working acreage areas because value sits more in the home and improvements.
- Nearby
- WestWorld of Scottsdale (Arabian Horse Show, Arizona Sun Circuit)
- The trade-off
- Different value structure than Queen Creek/San Tan Valley: luxury improvements and WestWorld access over raw acreage.
Land & Acreage: keep exploring
Ready to make your move with Kim Williamson Realtor?