5 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 3 cities in Kern County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Kern County Zoning Ordinance Chapter 19.90 allows one accessory dwelling unit per legal lot, capped at 1,200 square feet, subject to minimum lot size and zoning district setbacks.
Kern County Code of Ordinances § 19.90.030 (Development standards)
No accessory dwelling unit may be established unless it complies with the following standards: The lot upon which the accessory dwelling unit is to be established shall contain no other dwellings except for the principal dwelling... a minimum of seven thousand five hundred (7,500) net square feet if the lot is served by both a community water supply and public sewer... Only one (1) accessory dw...
Kern County exempts one-story detached residential sheds of 120 square feet or less from building permits, but Chapter 19.08 still limits total detached accessory building area by parcel size and bars them from required yards.
Kern County Code of Ordinances §§ 17.08.060 and 19.08.180
One-story residential detached accessory buildings used as tool and storage sheds, playhouses and similar uses, provided the floor area does not exceed 120 square feet... No accessory buildings or structures shall be located within a required front, side, or rear yard, except as provided for in this title.
Kern County's Chapter 19.90 ADU rules let homeowners convert an existing garage into an ADU subject to size and standards, but other garage conversions to living space still require a building permit and zoning compliance.
Kern County Code of Ordinances § 19.90.030 (Development standards)
Maximum floor area... one thousand two hundred (1,200) square feet or fifty percent (50%) of the total floor space of the principal dwelling, whichever is less in the instance of an attached or interior conversion or constructed accessory dwelling unit, or one thousand two hundred (1,200) square feet in the instance of a detached accessory dwelling unit.
In unincorporated Kern County, carports are regulated as residential accessory structures, and the combined size of all detached accessory buildings on a residential parcel is capped by lot size -- from 600 square feet on lots under 1/4 acre up to 5,000 square feet (or three times the dwelling's square footage) on lots of 3 acres or more. Carports may not occupy a required front, side, or rear yard and generally may not sit closer to the front property line than the main dwelling.
Kern County Zoning Ordinance, Secs. 19.04.624, 19.08.180
19.04.624 RESIDENTIAL ACCESSORY STRUCTURES. "Residential accessory structures" means buildings and structures normally associated with dwellings, such as detached garages, carports, greenhouses, storage buildings, and swimming pools, but excluding cargo containers, barns, or other structures intended exclusively for agriculture-related uses. Residential accessory structures shall be clearly sub...
Kern County has no tiny-home-specific ordinance: a tiny house built on a permanent foundation can be permitted as an accessory dwelling unit under Zoning Ordinance Chapter 19.90 (implementing Government Code Sections 66310-66342), but a tiny house on wheels is classified as a recreational vehicle and cannot serve as a permanent dwelling in unincorporated areas. Temporary RV occupancy requires a conditional use permit and is limited to vacant lots of at least 20 acres in select districts.
Kern County Zoning Ordinance, Secs. 19.04.612, 19.08.380, 19.90.010
19.08.380 TEMPORARY OCCUPANCY OF RECREATIONAL VEHICLES. Notwithstanding the requirements of Kern County Ordinance Code Chapter 17.44, one (1) motor home or one (1) travel trailer may be authorized for temporary occupancy on any lot with a minimum lot size of twenty (20) acres and located in an A, A-1, E, NR, or RF District, provided that no dwellings or other buildings have been established on ...
3 cities in Kern County have their own accessory structures rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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