San Jose, CA Accessory Structures: Tiny Homes (2026)
Tiny home rules in San Jose, 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
- Max per lot
- One THOW
- Rear yard setback
- 4 ft sides/rear, 10 ft corner
- Distance from main house
- 6 feet minimum
- Max height
- 16 feet, 2 stories
- Governing code
- SJMC § 20.30.495
Summary
San Jose allows one Tiny Home on Wheels per single-family lot under SJMC § 20.30.495, with rear-yard placement, a paved pad, utility hookups, and a detailed design checklist.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Title to the contrary, Tiny Home on Wheels (THOW) shall be allowed on a lot consisting of One-Family Dwelling, subject to all of the following criteria:
1.The lot does not contain a detached Accessory Dwelling Unit, except the lot may contain an attached Accessory Dwelling Unit or Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit;2.Only one THOW is allowed on a lot;3.A THOW shall be subject to ADU permitting requirements in accordance with Section 20.80.175, only if the wheels are removed and unit is attached to a conventional foundation;4.A THOW shall be located in the rear yard of the lot of the One-Family Dwelling with a minimum setback of four (4) feet from any interior side or rear property line and ten (10) feet from a corner property line;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 5 Update 3).
Full Breakdown
Under San Jose Municipal Code § 20.30.495, a Tiny Home on Wheels (THOW) is allowed on a one-family lot that has no detached ADU, capped at one THOW per lot. It must sit in the rear yard (four feet off interior side/rear lines, ten feet from a corner line) or, if the rear yard won't fit it, in the side yard with a forty-five-foot front setback. The THOW must be six feet from the main house, on a paved or approved permeable pad with wheels hidden from the street, hooked up to electric, water and sewer, and built to ANSI A119.5 or NFPA 1192 fire/life-safety standards. It cannot exceed two stories or sixteen feet in height, and design rules bar composite cladding, slide-outs, and roof-mounted mechanical equipment.
Violations & Fines
Placing a THOW without meeting the setback, hookup, and design standards makes it a code-enforcement violation for an unpermitted accessory structure; removing the wheels and setting it on a foundation instead triggers full ADU permitting under § 20.80.175.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put a tiny home on wheels in my San Jose front yard?
Do I need a permit for a THOW in San Jose?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Jose
California rules heatmap·Compare San Jose to another location·View the California accessory structures overview
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