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Montgomery County, TX Accessory Structures: Tiny Homes (2026)

Light Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Tiny home rules in Montgomery County, TX, 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

Foundation Built
IRC Appendix Q
THOW
RV under Ch. 1201
Conroe Min
600 sq ft dwelling
County Zoning
None unincorporated
OSSF Permit
Required for septic

Summary

Texas treats tiny homes by construction: foundation-built follow IRC Appendix Q (400 sq ft), THOWs are RVs under TX Manufactured Housing Act. Montgomery County cannot zone; Conroe requires 600 sq ft minimum dwelling.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Montgomery County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

'Manufactured home' or 'manufactured housing' means a HUD-code manufactured home or a mobile home. ... 'HUD-code manufactured home' has the meaning assigned by 42 U.S.C. Section 5402(6). The term does not include a recreational vehicle as defined by 24 C.F.R. Section 3282.15(b). ... 'Installation' means the temporary or permanent construction of the foundation system and the placement of a manufactured home or manufactured home component on the foundation.

Source: TX Occupations Code Ch. 1201View official code

Full Breakdown

Texas tiny home regulation depends heavily on construction type. (1) Foundation-built tiny homes are dwellings subject to local building code. Texas adopted the 2021 IRC including Appendix Q (Tiny Houses), which allows homes under 400 sq ft with reduced stair/ladder/loft requirements. 02 imposes a 600 sq ft minimum dwelling unit for detached single-family, tiny homes below that size are not permitted as primary dwellings, though ADU rules permit detached accessory units 300-900 sq ft on qualifying lots. 5 are park model RVs under TX Occupations Code Ch.

1201 Texas Manufactured Housing Act, they are vehicles, not dwellings, and cannot be used as permanent residences except in licensed RV parks or manufactured home communities. 153, counties and cities cannot prohibit them in residential areas subject to limited appearance standards. In unincorporated Montgomery County, with no zoning, foundation tiny homes on private land are legal subject to septic/OSSF permits through the county environmental health department and deed restrictions. The Woodlands prohibits structures under residential covenants; Lake Conroe subdivisions universally ban tiny homes and mobile homes. Utility hookups (well, septic/OSSF, electric) are required for permanent occupancy.

Violations & Fines

Conroe under-minimum dwelling: cannot obtain CO, cannot legally occupy, $500-$2,000 fine. THOW used as permanent residence outside RV park: county H&S code violation up to $500. Septic without OSSF permit: $500-$2,000 + remediation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I live in a 250 sq ft tiny home in Conroe?
Not as a primary dwelling. Conroe UDC requires 600 sq ft minimum. You could potentially permit it as an ADU on a qualifying lot subject to UDC §3.04.
Is a tiny home on wheels legal in unincorporated Montgomery County?
As an RV in an RV park, yes. As a permanent residence on your own lot, problematic. THOWs are classified as vehicles, not dwellings, and cannot obtain septic/CO.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Montgomery County

All Montgomery County rules

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