Tiny home rules in Carmichael, CA — covering tiny houses on wheels (THOWs), park model RVs, and tiny home on foundation builds — determine where they are legal and how they get permitted.
Carmichael is an unincorporated CDP in Sacramento County, so tiny home regulation comes from the Sacramento County Zoning Code (Title 5) and the 2022 California Building Code, not a city ordinance. A permanent-foundation tiny home that meets the California Residential Code can qualify as an Accessory Dwelling Unit under Sacramento County Zoning Code Section 5.4.5.F. Tiny homes on wheels (THOWs) are recreational vehicles and cannot be occupied as a permanent residence on a residential lot.
Most Carmichael residential parcels are zoned RD-5, RD-7, or similar low-density residential districts under the Sacramento County Zoning Code, all of which allow one ADU plus a junior ADU on a single-family lot. ADU development standards in Section 5.4.5.F set the detached ADU maximum at 850 sq ft (one bedroom) or 1,000 sq ft (two or more bedrooms), with a 4-ft minimum rear and interior side setback and a 16-ft height limit for detached units (25 ft if attached). California Residential Code R304 sets a 120 sq ft minimum habitable room area, and efficiency dwelling units must provide at least 220 sq ft. Sacramento County has not adopted a stand-alone tiny-home-on-wheels ordinance, so movable tiny dwellings used as permanent residences must be placed on a permanent foundation, meet the CRC, and undergo standard plan review. The Carmichael Community Planning Advisory Council reviews discretionary planning items but does not change the underlying ADU rules.
Occupying a tiny home on wheels as a permanent residence on a Carmichael residential lot violates Sacramento County Zoning Code and Title 22 RV-occupancy limits, exposing the owner to code-enforcement citations, daily fines, and an order to vacate or remove the unit. Constructing a foundation tiny home ADU without permits triggers stop-work orders, after-the-fact permit fees, and potential demolition for non-conforming work.
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Sacramento County.
See how other cities in Sacramento County handle tiny homes.
See how Carmichael's tiny homes rules stack up against other locations.
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