Rockville, MD Accessory Structures: Tiny Homes (2026)
Tiny home rules in Rockville, MD, 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
- Code adopted
- 2021 IRC Appendix Q
- Adopting section
- City Code § 5-102
- Permit issuer
- Inspection Services Division
- Applies to
- One- and two-family dwellings
Summary
Rockville's residential code adopts IRC Appendix Q in full, giving tiny houses their own building standard instead of full-size dwelling rules.
Appendix Q Tiny Houses of the IRC is adopted in its entirety.
(Ord. No. 11-15, § 6, 6-1-15; Ord. No. 8-18, § 2, 5-14-18; Ord. No. 22-19, § 6, 9-9-19; Ord. No. 6-24, § I, 5-20-24)
Secs. 5-103—5-110. - Reserved.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 17 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Rockville amended its residential code to adopt Appendix Q of the 2021 International Residential Code, the model tiny-house construction standard, in its entirety, under City Code § 5-102. A tiny house still needs a standard building permit through the Inspection Services Division and must sit on the lot within Rockville's zoning rules for accessory structures; Appendix Q supplies the construction standard once that permit application is filed.
Violations & Fines
Building without a permit, or outside Appendix Q's construction requirements, can draw a stop-work order and blocks a certificate of occupancy until corrected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has Rockville adopted a tiny-house building code?
Do I still need a permit for a tiny house in Rockville?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rockville
Compare Rockville to another location·View the Maryland accessory structures overview
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