San Bernardino County, CA Accessory Structures: Tiny Homes (2026)
Tiny home rules in San Bernardino 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
- Governing section
- County Code Section 84.21.030(e)(2)/(f)(2)
- Standard required
- California Residential Code or manufactured-home rules
- RVs as dwellings
- Never approved for occupancy
- Applies on
- Any single-family residential parcel size
- Enforcing office
- Building and Safety Division
Summary
Unincorporated San Bernardino County allows a permitted "Tiny Home" on single-family residential parcels if it meets California Residential Code or manufactured-home construction standards; a recreational vehicle can never be approved as the dwelling itself under County Code Section 84.21.030.
A “Tiny Home” may be permitted, provided that it complies with the minimum standards of the California Residential Code or standards for manufactured homes specified below. Recreational vehicles (defined in California Health and Safety Code § 18010) will not be approved for occupancy as a dwelling.
Full Breakdown
County Code Section 84.21.030, in the Development Code's single-family dwelling standards, lets Building and Safety approve a "Tiny Home" on any residential parcel -- both the larger-lot standard (over 30 feet wide and 5,000 square feet) and the smaller-lot standard -- provided it complies with the California Residential Code or the section's manufactured-home standards (foundation, siding, roofing, entries/exits). The same subsection separately bars any recreational vehicle, as defined at Health and Safety Code Section 18010, from being approved for occupancy as a dwelling, no matter its size or amenities.
Violations & Fines
Building and Safety will not issue a permit or occupancy approval for a structure that fails Residential Code or manufactured-home standards, and code enforcement can order removal or vacate an RV being lived in as a permanent dwelling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put a tiny home on my lot in unincorporated San Bernardino County?
Does an RV count as a tiny home for permitting purposes?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Bernardino County
California rules heatmap·Compare San Bernardino County to another location·View the California accessory structures overview
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