Davis, CA Accessory Structures: Tiny Homes (2026)
Tiny home rules in Davis, 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.
Key Facts
- Structural code
- Adopts CRC Appendix BB, Tiny Houses, by reference
- Plumbing code
- Adopts CPC Appendix R tiny house plumbing
- Local amendment
- None found for either tiny-house appendix
- Permit term
- Valid 365 days from issuance
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor: up to $1,000 fine, 6 months jail
Summary
Davis has no standalone tiny house ordinance. It instead incorporates Appendix BB of the 2025 California Residential Code and the matching Appendix R of the Plumbing Code by reference into Article 8.01, so a tiny house on a permanent foundation is built, permitted, and inspected under those state appendices rather than a separate city rule.
The 2025 Edition of the California Residential Code, as adopted and amended by the California Building Standards Commission in the 2025 California Building Standards Code, Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, including Chapter 1, Appendix BF (Patio Covers), Appendix BB (Tiny Houses), Appendix BO (Existing Buildings and Structures) and Appendix CJ (Emergency Housing), with the amendments set forth in Section 8.01.050. ... The 2025 Edition of the California Plumbing Code, as adopted and amended by the California Building Standards Commission in the 2025 California Building Standards Code, Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, including Chapter 1, and Appendix D (Sizing Storm Water Drainage Systems), and Appendix R (Tiny Houses), with the amendments set forth in Section 8.01.080.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4915048; v22 updated 2026-05-19).
Full Breakdown
Davis does not write its own tiny house ordinance. 010(a)(6) does the same for Appendix R, Tiny Houses, from the 2025 California Plumbing Code, which covers water and drain sizing for a unit that size. 080 for the Plumbing Code, so a tiny house built on a permanent foundation in the city is reviewed against the state appendix text as written. 010(c). 050(d), connecting alarms to a second power source rather than removable batteries, applies to a tiny house as it does to any residence. 160, carrying the same $1,000 fine and six-month jail exposure as any other unpermitted construction in the city.
Violations & Fines
Constructing or occupying a tiny house without the building permit Article 8.01 requires is a misdemeanor under Section 8.01.160: up to $1,000 and six months in jail, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense. Plumbing work that skips the Appendix R review carries the same exposure through Section 8.01.080's incorporation into the general Plumbing Code permit process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Davis allow tiny houses?
Has Davis written its own tiny house rules?
Do I need a permit for a tiny house in Davis?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Davis
California rules heatmap·Compare Davis to another location·View the California accessory structures overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Tiny Homes in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Yolo County handle tiny homes.