Merced County, CA Accessory Structures: Tiny Homes (2026)
Tiny home rules in Merced County, 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
- Classification
- Single-family dwelling, not accessory structure
- Foundation requirement
- Permanent foundation required in standard zones
- M-H zone exception
- Tiny home allowed without permanent foundation
- Governing sections
- §§ 18.12.040(A)(2)(c), 18.10.040(N)(2)
Summary
Merced County treats tiny homes as single-family dwellings, not accessory structures, and Section 18.12.040 requires them to sit on a permanent foundation system in every standard residential zone. The one exception is the M-H Mobile Home zone, where Section 18.12.040(B)(7) specifically allows a tiny home without a permanent foundation.
c. Tiny homes shall be considered single-family dwellings and shall be placed on a permanent foundation system. ...
7. M-H Single-Family Mobile Home Residential Zone. Single-family dwellings shall be a mobile/manufactured home with or without a permanent foundation or a tiny home not on a permanent foundation.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4930839; v8 updated 2026-06-02).
Full Breakdown
040(A)(2)(c) states plainly that tiny homes 'shall be considered single-family dwellings and shall be placed on a permanent foundation system,' placing them inside the same general residential development standards as any other single-family house rather than treating them as an accessory dwelling unit, manufactured home, or temporary structure. 040(N)(2), so the permanent-foundation requirement follows the residential and agricultural zones alike rather than being an artifact of one chapter. 040(B)(7) provides that in the M-H zone, 'Single-family dwellings shall be a mobile/manufactured home with or without a permanent foundation or a tiny home not on a permanent foundation,' meaning a tiny home on wheels or skids can be sited there without meeting the foundation standard that applies everywhere else. 12 applies to any principal single-family residence, including the general residential agricultural setback and parcel-size requirements that apply to the underlying zone.
Violations & Fines
Placing a tiny home without a permanent foundation in any zone other than M-H violates the foundation standard in Section 18.12.040(A)(2)(c) and Section 18.10.040(N)(2), and can result in the structure being red-tagged as an unpermitted dwelling rather than a legally sited single-family home. Treating a tiny home as an accessory dwelling unit to avoid the primary-residence permitting standards misclassifies the use under the Zoning Code's dwelling definitions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I place a tiny home on wheels on my residential lot in unincorporated Merced County?
Is there any zone where a tiny home can skip the permanent foundation?
Does the agricultural zone have the same tiny home rule as residential zones?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Merced County
California rules heatmap·Compare Merced County to another location·View the California accessory structures overview
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