Pacifica, CA Accessory Structures: Tiny Homes (2026)
Tiny home rules in Pacifica, 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
- CRC Appendix BB, Tiny Homes
- Adopting section
- Pacifica Municipal Code § 8-7.5.01
- Code edition
- 2025 California Residential Code
- Local amendments to Appendix BB
- None identified; adopted as printed
- Appeal body for permit disputes
- Emergency Preparedness and Safety Commission
- Max misdemeanor penalty
- $1,000 fine or 6 months jail
Summary
In the City of Pacifica, tiny houses on permanent foundations are covered by Appendix BB, Tiny Homes, one of six appendices the City adopted along with the rest of the California Residential Code at Municipal Code Section 8-7.5.01. Pacifica has not written its own tiny-home ordinance or added local amendments to Appendix BB; it applies exactly as printed in the 2025 edition of the state code.
Sec. 8-7.5.01. - Adoption of the California Residential Code. For the purpose of regulating the erection, construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, removal, demolition, conversion, occupancy, equipment, use, height, area, and maintenance of all buildings and structures and grading in the City of Pacifica, Chapters 1 through 10, including, Appendix BF ("Patio Covers") ... Appendix B ... B ("Tiny Homes"), Appendix CI ("Swimming Pool Safety Act"), and Appendix CJ ("Emergency Housing") of that certain code designated as the California Residential Code, 2025 Edition [Title 24, California Code of Regulations, Part 2.5], which incorporates and amends the 2024 Edition of International Residential Code as published by the International Code Council and as may be amended by the Building Standards Commission, which is on file in the office of the City Clerk for public record and inspection, is hereby adopted by reference and made a part of this chapter as though set forth in this chapter in full, subject, however, to the amendments, additions, and deletions set forth in this chapter, and said code shall be known as the Residential Code for the City.
Full Breakdown
5, plus six named appendices: Appendix BF, Patio Covers, Appendix BO, Existing Buildings and Structures, Appendix BG, Sound Transmission, Appendix BB, Tiny Homes, Appendix CI, Swimming Pool Safety Act, and Appendix CJ, Emergency Housing. Appendix BB is the state's dedicated framework for tiny houses built on a permanent foundation and permitted under the Residential Code rather than as a manufactured or recreational vehicle. , effective January 1, 2026, keeping the Residential Code, including Appendix BB, on the current statewide three-year cycle. A copy is kept on file for public inspection at the office of the City Clerk.
Unlike some of its other adopted-by-reference chapters, Pacifica has not added a local amendment section aimed specifically at Appendix BB or at tiny homes; the appendix governs foundation, structural, egress and other construction requirements exactly as the state Building Standards Commission published them. 10 if a permit decision is disputed.
Violations & Fines
A tiny home built or altered without the required Residential Code permit is an unlawful act under Section 8-7.5.11, and Section 8-7.5.12 sets the penalty: a misdemeanor punishable as set out in Chapter 2 of Title 1 of the Municipal Code, meaning up to a $1,000 fine, up to six months in county jail, or both, with each day the violation continues counted as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Pacifica allow tiny homes on foundations?
What permit process applies to a tiny home in Pacifica?
Has Pacifica amended the state's tiny home appendix?
What is the penalty for building a tiny home without a permit in Pacifica?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pacifica
California rules heatmap·Compare Pacifica to another location·View the California accessory structures overview
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