How to Put a Tiny Home in Your Backyard in San Diego
Updated: 5 hours ago
A backyard tiny home is one of the easiest ways to add a place for family, a home office or a long-term rental without building a full addition. In the City of San Diego, a tiny home on wheels can be permitted as a Movable Tiny House, which the city treats as a type of accessory dwelling unit (ADU).
Here is a plain-language look at how it works and what to plan for.
MOVABLE TINY HOUSES IN THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO
The city added movable tiny houses to its code in 2020. According to the city's Movable Tiny House bulletin and Municipal Code section 141.0318, a movable tiny house must:
Be registered with the California DMV.
Have between 150 and 430 square feet of floor area.
Be one story, not self-propelled, and no larger than state law allows on public highways.
Meet ANSI standards.
Connect to water, sewer and electric. Natural gas hookups are not allowed.
Share the main home's address rather than getting its own.
WHERE IT CAN SIT ON YOUR LOT
Behind or beside the main house, not in the front yard.
At least 5 feet from side and rear lot lines and 10 feet from other buildings on the property.
Within 150 feet of a public street that is at least 20 feet wide, with a 5-foot-wide path to reach it.
Outside of brush management zones and protected habitat areas.
The wheels stay on, but the undercarriage has to be hidden from view and the home rests on leveling jacks over a proper paved pad. Heating and cooling equipment is built in, not on the roof. In very high fire hazard areas, extra fire protection such as sprinklers is required.
HOW MANY UNITS YOU CAN HAVE
The city allows one companion unit or one movable tiny house, plus one junior unit, per lot. Rentals must be 30 days or longer.
OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS
If your home is in unincorporated San Diego County, a different set of rules applies. Since September 2025, the County has allowed qualifying tiny homes on wheels as a primary home or an ADU. Other cities in the region, like Carlsbad, Oceanside and Escondido, each have their own approach. Our site assessment tells you which rules fit your address.
FIVE STEPS FROM IDEA TO MOVE-IN
Book a site assessment. We review your lot, access, setbacks and utility runs so you know what will fit before you buy.
Choose a model. Start with the Alpine, Mammoth or a custom design and size it to your space.
Lock in your build. A deposit holds your spot in the build schedule.
Prepare the site. The pad, path and utility connections are set up while your home is built.
Delivery and hookup. We deliver your home, set it on the pad and connect it to water, sewer and power.
COMMON BACKYARD MISTAKES TO AVOID
Buying a home that is too big for the 430-square-foot limit or too tall for the lot.
Forgetting about access. A delivery truck and trailer need a clear way in.
Planning a gas range or gas water heater, which the city does not allow in a movable tiny house.
Choosing a home that was not built to ANSI standards.
WHAT A BACKYARD TINY HOME COSTS
Every Zen home is custom, so cost depends on size, layout, finishes and your site. Every build, including a 20-foot tiny home on wheels with a full bathroom and kitchen, is quoted individually, once we understand your plans. Site work like the pad and utility trenching depends on your lot, which is another reason to start with an assessment.
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READY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP?
The fastest way to get a real answer for your project is to fill out our free Buyers Application. Tell us about your property, your timeline and the home you have in mind, and we will follow up with next steps.
Prefer to talk it through? Call Zen Tiny Homes at 760-492-0742.
Ready to start? Apply in 30 seconds.
