Woodland, CA Accessory Structures: Tiny Homes (2026)
Tiny home rules in Woodland, 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
- Size threshold
- 400 sq ft or less, excluding lofts
- Applies to
- Manufactured/tiny homes as primary residences
- Primary residence test
- Occupied more than 183 days/year
- Foundation rule
- 4-inch reinforced concrete pad (wheeled units)
- Access rule
- 16-ft driveway, 80,000-lb load rating
Summary
The City of Woodland, California regulates tiny homes used as primary residences under a Fire Code amendment at Section 8.20.040(D). It defines a tiny home as a structure of 400 square feet or less designed as a single housekeeping unit, and applies to any tiny home placed, built or relocated in the City regardless of foundation, wheel status or state housing classification.
D. Section 324 — Fire and Life Safety Standards for Manufactured Homes and Tiny Homes Used as Primary Residences. Section 324 is added to the California Fire Code read as follows: ... ... 1. Applicability. To enhance fire and life safety protections for small-format dwellings, the City of Woodland adopts the following requirements for manufactured homes and tiny homes used as primary residences. ... ... b. A tiny home is defined as a residential structure intended for permanent or semi-permanent occupancy, with a total floor area of 400 square feet or less, excluding lofts. Tiny homes may be site-built, prefabricated, manufactured, or converted from alternative materials such as shipping containers (Connex boxes), park model RVs, modular units, converted buses (skoolies), or tiny homes on wheels. Regardless of the construction type, the structure must be designed as a single housekeeping unit with permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking, and sanitation.
Full Breakdown
Municipal Code Section 8.20.040(D) adds Section 324 to the California Fire Code specifically to close gaps for manufactured homes and tiny homes used as primary residences in Woodland. A tiny home is defined as a residential structure of 400 square feet or less, excluding lofts, intended for permanent or semi-permanent occupancy; it may be site-built, prefabricated, manufactured, or converted from alternative materials such as shipping containers, park model RVs, modular units or converted buses, but it must function as a single housekeeping unit with permanent living, sleeping, eating, cooking and sanitation provisions to qualify.
A primary residence is defined as a dwelling used as the owner's or occupant's legal residence for more than 183 days a year. The section applies to every new manufactured or tiny home placed, constructed, installed or relocated in Woodland for use as a primary residence, regardless of foundation type, wheel status, or how the unit is classified under state or federal housing law, and it also reaches existing units that are relocated, newly connected to utilities, or that undergo a change of occupancy. Beyond the definitions, Section 324 layers on construction standards covering non-combustible or ignition-resistant exterior materials with at least a Class B roof rating, a reinforced concrete foundation pad at least 4 inches thick for units on permanent wheels, fully enclosed fire-resistant skirting, illuminated address numbers at least 4 inches tall, and all-weather fire access driveways at least 16 feet wide rated for 80,000-pound emergency vehicles.
Violations & Fines
A tiny home or manufactured home used as a primary residence that does not meet Section 324's construction, skirting, foundation or access standards can be denied final inspection and occupancy by the Fire Department. Noncompliance is enforceable as a Fire Code violation under the City's general penalty at Section 1.08.070, punishable as a misdemeanor with up to six months in County Jail and a $1,000 fine, or as an infraction at the City Attorney's discretion.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a tiny home under Woodland's Fire Code?
Does Woodland's tiny home rule apply to units already on my property?
What foundation does a tiny home on wheels need in Woodland?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Woodland
California rules heatmap·Compare Woodland to another location·View the California accessory structures overview
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