Fremont, CA Accessory Structures: Tiny Homes (2026)
Tiny home rules in Fremont, 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
- Governing appendix
- 2025 CRC Appendix BB (Tiny Houses)
- Adopting section
- Municipal Code Sec. 15.47.030(a)
- Permit required
- Yes, through Building and Safety Division
- First-violation fine
- Up to $130 (Sec. 1.15.020(c)(1))
- Effective date
- November 18, 2025 (Ord. 13-2025)
- Appeal window
- 10 calendar days to building official
Summary
Fremont adopted Appendix BB (Tiny Houses) of the 2025 California Residential Code under Municipal Code Sec. 15.47.030(a), letting detached tiny houses built as accessory structures use the appendix's reduced ceiling-height, egress, stair and loft standards instead of full dwelling rules, while still requiring a standard building permit.
The following appendices of the 2025 California Residential Code are adopted by the city of Fremont. The remaining appendices are not adopted.
(a) Appendix BB (Tiny Houses);
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 02-2026, passed May 5, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Fremont adopted the 2025 California Residential Code (CRC) with amendments as the "Fremont Residential Building Code" under Municipal Code Sec. 020, effective under Ordinance 13-2025 on November 18, 2025. Sec. 030 lists the optional CRC appendices Fremont has chosen to enforce: Appendix BB (Tiny Houses), Appendix BF (Patio Covers), Appendix BG (Sound Transmission), Appendix BO (Existing Buildings and Structures), Appendix CI (Swimming Pool Safety Act) and Appendix CJ (Emergency Housing). Every other CRC appendix is expressly not adopted. That adoption gives homeowners who want a detached tiny house as an accessory structure on a residential lot access to Appendix BB's compressed standards for units under 400 square feet, including reduced ceiling heights, alternative egress and loft or stair configurations, in place of the CRC's standard dwelling requirements.
A tiny house built under Appendix BB is not exempt from Fremont's permit process. Sec. 10 of the Fremont Municipal Code, meaning every tiny house plan goes to the Building and Safety Division for the same plan check and inspection sequence as any other accessory structure. Fremont keeps a copy of the 2025 CRC on file in the Building Official's office for public reference. Because Appendix BB is adopted only as part of the residential code and not separately amended by the city, its dimensional and safety tables apply in Fremont exactly as printed in the 2025 CRC.
Violations & Fines
Constructing a tiny house without the required building permit, or in violation of Appendix BB's adopted standards, is enforced under Fremont's Title 15 penalty schedule at Municipal Code Sec. 1.15.020(c): infractions carry a fine up to $130 for a first violation, up to $700 for a second within a year, and up to $1,300 for each further violation of the same requirement within that year. A cited owner can appeal a second- or third-violation fine to the building official in writing within 10 calendar days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Fremont let me build a tiny house without following full dwelling code?
Which office handles a Fremont tiny house permit application?
What happens if I build a tiny house in Fremont without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fremont
California rules heatmap·Compare Fremont 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.