Tiny home rules in Lodi, 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.
Lodi has no separate "tiny home" ordinance. Tiny dwellings on a permanent foundation are permitted as ADUs under LMC 17.36.130 (up to 800 sq ft for one-bedroom, 1,000 sq ft for multi-bedroom) or as JADUs up to 500 sq ft within an existing home, including four free pre-approved city plans as small as 375 sq ft.
Lodi does not regulate "tiny homes" as a distinct land-use category. A tiny dwelling on a permanent foundation is treated as an Accessory Dwelling Unit under LMC 17.36.130. The city's published ADU program allows attached or detached ADUs of up to 800 square feet for a one-bedroom unit, or up to 1,000 square feet for units with more than one bedroom, with 4-foot side and rear setbacks and front setbacks matching the underlying residential zoning district. Junior ADUs up to 500 square feet are permitted entirely within the existing walls of a single-family dwelling, with a recorded owner-occupancy deed restriction. To accelerate tiny-home-scale projects, Lodi offers four free pre-approved ADU floor plans: 375 sq ft studio, 550 sq ft one-bedroom, 775 sq ft two-bedroom, and 908 sq ft two-bedroom. Tiny homes on wheels (THOWs/RVs) are not permitted as a permanent residence; California Health & Safety Code 18007 and 18008 classify them as recreational vehicles or manufactured housing and they cannot be used as full-time housing on a single-family lot outside a permitted mobilehome park.
Occupying a tiny house on wheels or a recreational vehicle as a permanent residence on a Lodi residential lot violates LMC Title 17 land-use provisions and may be cited as an unlawful occupancy. Constructing a tiny home as an ADU without a permit triggers stop-work and retroactive permitting, with inspections under Title 24 (energy, egress, fire) before occupancy.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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