Bolthole Index

Sacramento County, California

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Citrus Heights, California

Inside Citrus Heights, California, the city's Building & Safety Division issues building permits1, and the city sets its own zoning2. Septic systems for parcels in the city are overseen by Sacramento County's Environmental Management Department, not the city3. Living in an RV on private property is limited to 72 consecutive hours4.

At a glance

Building permit
Required; issued by the city's Building & Safety Division15
Zoning
Citrus Heights runs its own zoning code26
Septic
Sacramento County Environmental Management Department3
RV living
Camping on private land limited to 72 hours, no more than three times a year4
Manufactured homes
Allowed where the zoning district permits; must meet single-dwelling standards7
Accessory dwellings
Allowed; rentals must run at least 30 days8
Smallest RD-5 lot
5,000 sq ft for an interior single-family lot9

Who to call

Building permits

Citrus Heights Building & Safety Division

Plan review, building permits and field inspections inside Citrus Heights

916-727-4760

building@citrusheights.net

6360 Fountain Square Drive, Citrus Heights, CA 95621

Zoning

Citrus Heights Planning Division

Zoning code and zoning districts inside Citrus Heights

916-727-4740

6360 Fountain Square Drive, Citrus Heights, CA 95621

Septic permits

Sacramento County Environmental Management Department, Liquid Waste Program

Septic system and holding tank oversight throughout Sacramento County, including Citrus Heights

(916) 875-8550

EMDinfo@Saccounty.gov

11080 White Rock Rd., Suite 200, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 16, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Citrus Heights means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Citrus Heights, California?

Yes. Citrus Heights requires an application to the building official and an issued permit before regulated construction, alteration, repair, movement or demolition, and before regulated electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing work1. The city enforces California's Title 24 building codes through its own division5. Which small projects are exempt from a permit is not resolved here, so ask the Building & Safety Division before starting any work you think is minor.

Who issues building permits in Citrus Heights, and how do you reach them?

The Citrus Heights Building & Safety Division reviews plans, issues building permits and does field inspections10. Its online portal lets applicants apply for a permit, check status, schedule inspections and upload documents11. Call 916-727-4760 or email building@citrusheights.net10. These are city offices: Sacramento County's building division serves only unincorporated land, so do not send a Citrus Heights project there.

Does Citrus Heights have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, lot size and setbacks?

Yes. Citrus Heights administers its own zoning code and zoning districts2, and Article 2 of the code covers residential, commercial, industrial and overlay districts and what each allows6. Rules differ by district. In the RD-5 district an interior single-family lot needs at least 5,000 square feet and 50 feet of width9. Subdivisions must meet the code's minimum parcel sizes, and the review authority sets minimum lot depth12. Call the Planning Division at 916-727-4740 to confirm a parcel's district13.

How do septic permits work inside Citrus Heights?

Septic systems on parcels inside Citrus Heights fall under Sacramento County's Environmental Management Department Liquid Waste Program, which oversees the design, construction and installation of on-site wastewater systems and holding tanks throughout the county3. We could not confirm the exact permit steps for a parcel inside the city, or whether a sewer connection is required; ask the department at (916) 875-855014. Most of the city appears to be served by the Sacramento Area Sewer District, so confirm sewer availability before assuming you need a septic system.

Can you live in an RV, manufactured home or ADU in Citrus Heights?

Not in an RV for more than a short stay. Camping on private property with the owner's consent is limited to 72 consecutive hours and no more than three times per calendar year, except in approved campgrounds or trailer parks4. A manufactured home outside a mobile home park must meet the city's architectural standards for single dwellings, and the zoning district must allow it7. Accessory dwelling units are allowed, but rentals must be at least 30 days, with no short-term rentals8. We could not confirm a rule for tiny homes, so ask the Planning Division13.

Building a home in Citrus Heights: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the parcel's zoning district and lot standards with the Planning Division13.
  2. Check flood-hazard status: manufactured homes in specified flood-hazard areas must sit on permanent foundations at least 2 feet above base flood elevation15.
  3. Ask Sacramento County's Environmental Management Department about septic or sewer service3.
  4. Apply for the building permit through the city's online portal11.
  5. Schedule inspections through the Building & Safety Division10.

What stays with Sacramento County, and what to check before you buy

Septic oversight stays with Sacramento County's Environmental Management Department3. Private wells are also run through a county wells program, but we could not confirm the permit rule for wells inside the city, so ask that department. Sacramento County's effective property tax rate is 0.8%16. For land outside city limits, see the Sacramento County page.

Watch-outs

  • Parcels in a mapped flood hazard area face extra limits: an RV there must be on site for fewer than 180 consecutive days, be fully licensed and highway-ready, or meet floodplain permit and anchoring rules15.
  • Contractors must hold a valid Citrus Heights business license before a building permit will be issued10.

Sources

  1. Applicant Responsibility for Obtaining Building Permits, Scheduling and Completing Inspections (Citrus Heights), quoted and re-checked
  2. Zoning Code (Citrus Heights), quoted and re-checked
  3. Liquid Waste Program (Citrus Heights), quoted and re-checked
  4. Sec. 50-502 Unlawful camping (Citrus Heights), quoted and re-checked
  5. Building & Safety Division (Citrus Heights), quoted and re-checked
  6. Zoning Code index (Citrus Heights), quoted and re-checked
  7. Sec. 106.42.140 Mobile Homes and Mobile Home Parks (Citrus Heights), quoted and re-checked
  8. Development Standards for ADUs (Citrus Heights), quoted and re-checked
  9. library.municode.com (Citrus Heights), quoted and re-checked
  10. Citrus Heights Building & Safety Division (citrusheights.net)
  11. Building & Safety Division (Citrus Heights), quoted and re-checked
  12. Sec. 106.24.040 Residential and Open Space District Subdivision Standards (Citrus Heights), quoted and re-checked
  13. Citrus Heights Planning Division (citrusheights.net)
  14. Sacramento County Environmental Management Department, Liquid Waste Program (emd.saccounty.gov)
  15. Sec. 42-19 Standards for recreational vehicles (Citrus Heights), quoted and re-checked
  16. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 16, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Citrus Heights

Citrus Heights’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Construction, alteration, repair, movement, demolition, occupancy changes, and regulated electrical, gas, mechanical, or plumbing work inside the city.

    • The cited code text requires application to and issuance by the building official before regulated work; permit-exempt work is not resolved by this claim.
    “shall first make application to the building official and obtain the required permit.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Building construction inside Citrus Heights city limits.

    • The city enforces local and state-mandated building regulations, including California Title 24 codes as reflected in the city’s building materials.
    “The Citrus Heights Building and Safety Division is responsible for reviewing plans, issuing building permits, and doing field inspections of buildings to ensure compliance with local and state mandated regulations related to building construction, maintenance, and rehabilitation.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Citrus Heights city limits.

    • The city administers its own zoning code and zoning districts.
    “The Zoning Code provides the regulations that are used to implement the policies of the city's General Plan.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts and allowable land uses inside Citrus Heights city limits.

    • The city’s official zoning index identifies Article 2 as covering zoning districts and allowable land uses, including residential, commercial, industrial, and special-purpose/overlay districts.
    “Article 2: Zoning Districts & Allowable Land Uses”
  • Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)

    Camping or occupancy in recreational vehicles on private property inside Citrus Heights city limits.

    • Camping is generally unlawful on public or private property unless authorized.
    • On private property, camping with the owner or owner consent is limited to 72 consecutive hours and no more than three times per calendar year.
    • Lawful campgrounds or trailer parks approved by the city are excepted.
    • Floodplain RV placement has separate limits: fewer than 180 consecutive days, fully licensed and highway-ready, or compliance with floodplain permit/elevation/anchoring rules.

    maximum private-property duration: 72 hours (not more than three times per calendar year)

    “persons camping upon their own land or camping with the record owner(s) of the land, for not more than 72 consecutive hours in duration, and not to occur more than three times per calendar year.”
  • Camping on your landLimited

    Camping on public or private property inside Citrus Heights city limits.

    • Camping is unlawful except as expressly permitted or authorized.
    • Private-property exceptions require sanitary conditions and proper waste disposal, are limited to 72 consecutive hours, and may occur no more than three times per calendar year.
    • Public-property exceptions include city-designated camping areas and authorized special events or temporary-use permits.

    private-property duration: 72 hours (not more than three times per calendar year)

    “It shall be unlawful for any person to camp, pitch or occupy camp facilities or use camp paraphernalia in the city, whether on public or private property, whether paved or unpaved, except as expressly permitted or authorized by this article.”
  • Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)

    Manufactured-home occupancy inside Citrus Heights city limits where allowed by the applicable zoning district.

    • A mobile home outside a mobile-home park must comply with the architectural standards for single dwellings.
    • Floodplain placement requires elevation and anchoring measures, including a minimum two feet above base flood elevation in the cited situations.

    floodplain elevation above base flood elevation: >= 2 feet (applicable manufactured-home placements in special flood hazard areas)

    “A mobile home located outside of a mobile home park shall comply with the architectural standards for single dwellings in Section 106.42.220 (Single Dwellings).”
  • Accessory dwellingsAllowed (with conditions)

    Accessory dwelling units inside Citrus Heights city limits.

    • ADUs are regulated by the city’s ADU zoning standards and applicable state law.
    • The city page states that ADUs may be rented, but not as short-term rentals; rentals must be at least 30 days.

    minimum ADU rental period: >= 30 days (short-term rentals are not permitted)

    “accessory dwelling unit p p p p p p p 106.42.015”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivisions inside Citrus Heights city limits.

    • Minimum lot depth is determined by the review authority during subdivision review; Chapter 106.42 may require a larger parcel for a specific land use.
    “Each subdivision shall comply with the minimum parcel size requirements in Table 2-3. Minimum lot depth shall be determined by the review authority in the subdivision review process.”
  • Building in a floodplainLimited

    Recreational vehicles and manufactured homes placed or substantially improved in mapped flood-hazard areas inside Citrus Heights city limits.

    • RV placement must satisfy one of three alternatives: fewer than 180 consecutive days, fully licensed and highway-ready, or applicable floodplain permits plus manufactured-home elevation and anchoring requirements.
    • Manufactured homes in specified special flood-hazard-area situations must be on permanent foundations and elevated at least two feet above base flood elevation.

    RV maximum placement period under first alternative: < 180 consecutive days (alternative to licensing or floodplain permit/elevation compliance) · manufactured-home elevation: >= 2 feet above base flood elevation (specified special flood-hazard-area placements)

    “All recreational vehicles placed on sites within a floodplain shown on the community's flood insurance rate map will either: (1) Be on the site for fewer than 180 consecutive days; (2) Be fully licensed and ready for highway use; or (3) Meet the permit requirements of sections 42-12 through 42-14 and the elevation and anchoring requirements for manufactured homes in section 42-18.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Building-permit applications and inspections inside Citrus Heights city limits.

    • The city portal allows permit applications, status checks, inspection scheduling, and document uploads; the opened sources do not provide every permit-specific review step.
    “This Portal Will allow you to: Apply for a building permit Check status of building permit Schedule building inspections Upload documents to open building permit application”

Rules another office applies inside Citrus Heights

Citrus Heights does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    RD-5 single-family interior lots inside Citrus Heights city limits.

    • The table separately lists corner lots and other housing types.

    minimum parcel size: >= 5000 square feet (single-family interior lot) · minimum width: >= 50 feet (single-family interior lot)

    “rd-5 single-family - interior lot 5,000 sf 50 ft single-family - corner lot 6,000 sf 60 ft”
  • Who permits septicCounty

    On-site wastewater systems and septic systems serving parcels inside Citrus Heights city limits.

    • Sacramento County Environmental Management Department administers the liquid-waste program throughout Sacramento County; the cited page does not establish a city-specific exemption.
    “The Environmental Management Department (EMD) Liquid Waste Program oversees the following activities throughout the County of Sacramento: Design, construction, and installation of on-site wastewater treatment systems (septic systems) and wastewater holding tanks.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Citrus Heights or Sacramento County directly.

  • Minimum dwelling size — Single dwellings inside Citrus Heights city limits.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Citrus Heights city limits.
  • Septic permit — Septic and on-site wastewater systems inside Citrus Heights city limits.
  • Septic inspection — Septic systems inside Citrus Heights city limits.
  • Off-grid sanitation — Off-grid sanitation systems inside Citrus Heights city limits.
3 more unanswered
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Citrus Heights publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Sacramento County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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