Chino Hills, CA Accessory Structures: Tiny Homes (2026)

The Chino Hills Municipal Code does not contain a dedicated tiny-home chapter. In practice, a tiny house built on a permanent foundation is reviewed as an accessory dwelling unit under Section 16.10.140 of the Development Code, which implements California's ADU law (Gov. Code 66310 et seq.). A detached ADU may be up to 850 square feet (one bedroom) or 1,000 square feet (two or more bedrooms), must be no more than 18 feet tall (one story), and must keep 4-foot side and rear setbacks, with one parking space required if it has a bedroom (unless exempt). A factory-built or manufactured tiny home on a permanent foundation can qualify as an ADU if it provides a full kitchen and bathroom and meets the city's ADU standards and the California Building Code. By contrast, a movable tiny house on wheels (a 'THOW') is classified under California law as a recreational vehicle or trailer rather than a dwelling unit; state ADU law (Gov. Code Chapter 13) requires an ADU to be a permanent structure, and HCD guidance is that movable tiny homes are not ADUs. As a result, a tiny house on wheels cannot lawfully be used as a permanent residence on an ordinary Chino Hills residential lot. The reliable route to a small legal dwelling in Chino Hills is the ADU/JADU process under Section 16.10.140.