Bolthole Index

San Bernardino County, California

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Victorville, California

Victorville, California adopts its own zoning in Title 16 of the city's Development Code1, and building permits are applied for through the city's Building Division2. Septic permits and well permits are a separate question: San Bernardino County's septic program is written for unincorporated land3, and we could not confirm who permits septic inside city limits.

At a glance

Zoning
City of Victorville Development Code, Title 161
Building permits
Applied for online through the city's Building Division2
Septic
Not confirmed inside city limits; county program covers unincorporated land3
Minimum house size
1,400 sq ft for a single-family dwelling in residential districts4
Accessory dwellings
Allowed with conditions; sewer connection expected5
Manufactured homes
Allowed on individual lots with conditions, including a 10-year age limit6
Wells
Well permit required anywhere in San Bernardino County7

Who to call

Building permits

City of Victorville Building Division

Building permit applications, plan review and inspections inside Victorville city limits

(760) 955-5100

14343 Civic Drive

Planning & zoning

City of Victorville Planning Division

Zoning district lookups, setbacks and land-use approvals inside Victorville city limits

(760) 955-5135

planning@victorvilleca.gov

14343 Civic Drive

Septic permits

San Bernardino County Environmental Health Services - Land Use & Wastewater Program

Septic (onsite wastewater) review and well permits for San Bernardino County; ask this office whether a city parcel falls under its program

(800) 442-2283

385 N. Arrowhead Ave, 2nd Floor, San Bernardino, CA 92415-0160

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 Victorville means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Victorville have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size, homes and setbacks?

Victorville, California adopts its own zoning in Title 16 of the city's Development Code, Chapter 3, Zoning and Land Use Requirements1. The development standards for each residential district are laid out in tables in Section 16-3.08.0201.

A single-family dwelling in a Victorville residential district must have at least 1,400 square feet of living area4. Manufactured homes on individual lots in those districts must have no more than 10 years between manufacture and the building permit application, and a two-car garage is required6.

Accessory dwelling units inside Victorville are capped at 850 square feet for a studio or one bedroom, 1,000 square feet for larger units, and 500 square feet for a junior ADU5. Setbacks vary by district, and the Planning Division advises asking its staff to confirm the zoning and setbacks for a specific parcel8.

Do you need a building permit in Victorville, and who issues it?

California law says no building or structure may be erected, enlarged, altered or moved without a separate permit from the building official9. Inside Victorville city limits, that is the city's Building Division, not San Bernardino County. Applications go through the city's online portal2, and an issued building permit is valid for 365 days2.

Smaller projects can need permits too: the Planning Division says walls and fences 3 feet in height or taller need a building permit in rear or side yards8.

We could not confirm the city's full list of exemptions, its fee schedule or its owner-builder procedure; ask the Building Division at (760) 955-51002. California's owner-builder exemption covers contractor licensing only and does not remove permit or inspection requirements10.

How do septic permits and wells work for a Victorville address?

San Bernardino County's septic program covers the unincorporated area, and incorporated cities fall outside that county program's scope3. We could not confirm who permits septic systems for a parcel inside Victorville city limits, so ask the city's Building Division and the county's Environmental Health Services before you assume either way211.

Accessory dwelling units in Victorville must connect to sewer unless the city engineer finds sewer unavailable or unfeasible5. A well permit is required for any well in San Bernardino County7.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Victorville?

We could not confirm Victorville's rule on living in an RV or a tiny home on a residential lot, so ask the Planning Division at (760) 955-5135 before moving one onto a parcel8. The county's rule allowing owner camping for no more than 4 days in a 30-day period applies to unincorporated land under the County Development Code and is not Victorville's rule12.

One rule we did confirm applies only to mapped flood zones: an RV there must be on site fewer than 180 consecutive days and be licensed and ready for highway use, unless it meets the city's permit requirements13.

Building a home in Victorville: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the parcel's zoning district and setbacks with the Planning Division at (760) 955-5135 or planning@victorvilleca.gov8.
  2. Check the home against the 1,400 square foot single-family minimum4.
  3. Apply for the building permit online through the Building Division's portal2.
  4. Ask the Building Division and county Environmental Health Services who handles sewer or septic for your parcel211.
  5. Schedule inspections through the same portal and finish within the permit's 365-day validity or request an extension2.

What stays with San Bernardino County, and what should you check before you buy?

The county's building, zoning and RV rules apply to unincorporated land only; for land outside the city, see the San Bernardino County page. Wells are permitted by the county7.

Check whether the parcel sits in a mapped flood zone, where the city requires elevation and anchoring for manufactured homes13. San Bernardino County's effective property tax rate is 0.7%14.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm whether Victorville allows living in an RV or tiny home on a residential lot; ask the Planning Division before buying for that purpose8.
  • We could not confirm who permits septic systems inside Victorville city limits, so ask the Building Division and county Environmental Health Services211.
  • County rules on building, zoning and camping do not apply inside Victorville city limits15.

Sources

  1. Victorville Code 16-3.08.020 Development standards (residential districts) (Victorville), quoted and re-checked
  2. City of Victorville Building Division (victorvilleca.gov)
  3. San Bernardino County Local Agency Management Program, quoted and re-checked
  4. Victorville Code 16-3.08.020 Development standards (residential districts) (Victorville), quoted and re-checked
  5. Victorville Code 16-3.07.030 Accessory uses and structures for residential (Victorville), quoted and re-checked
  6. Victorville Code 16-3.24.100 Manufactured home installation criteria (Victorville), quoted and re-checked
  7. Safe Drinking Water – Environmental Health Services, quoted and re-checked
  8. City of Victorville Planning Division (victorvilleca.gov)
  9. Do I need a building permit for my project? (California statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. Building Officials - Owner-Builder Overview, quoted and re-checked
  11. San Bernardino County Environmental Health Services - Land Use & Wastewater Program (ehs.sbcounty.gov)
  12. San Bernardino County Development Code, quoted and re-checked
  13. Victorville Code 16-5.16.110 Flood damage prevention: standards for recreational vehicles (Victorville), quoted and re-checked
  14. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  15. Building & Safety Home – Land Use Services, quoted and re-checked

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 Victorville

Victorville’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Victorville city limits

    • Zoning is adopted in Title 16 Development Code, Chapter 3 Zoning and Land Use Requirements.
    “Tables 8-1 ,8-2, 8-3, 8-4, and 8-5 summarize development standards for all residential zone districts.”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Single-family dwellings in residential zone districts inside Victorville city

    • Also applies to manufactured housing via Sec. 16-3.24.100(b)(6).
    • Apartment minimums: studio 500, one bedroom 600, two bedrooms 800 sq ft.

    single-family dwelling minimum: >= 1400 sq ft

    “single-family dwelling 1,400 sq. ft. minimum”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Manufactured homes on individual lots (not in a mobile home subdivision) in residential districts allowing single-family dwellings inside Victorville city

    • Must carry HCD insignia or meet the 1974 federal standards, with certification for pre-June 15, 1976 units.
    • No more than ten years between manufacture and building permit application.
    • Minimum living area equal to the single-family minimum in Table 8-1.
    • Two-car garage required (R-MPD may use a carport or awning).
    • Use only as a single-family residence.
    • Plot plan and photographs submitted to the planning department.

    max age at permit application: <= 10 years

    “no more than ten years shall have elapsed between the date of manufacture of the manufactured home and the date of application for the issuance of a building permit to install the manufactured home.”
  • Accessory dwellingsLimited

    ADUs and JADUs on residential or mixed-use lots inside Victorville city

    • Ministerial approval within sixty days of a complete application.
    • Rental term not less than thirty days.
    • Cannot be sold separately from the primary residence, with a limited nonprofit exception.
    • Owner occupancy is required for the JADU or primary unit on JADU properties unless state law says otherwise.
    • Must connect to sewer unless the city engineer finds it unavailable or unfeasible.
    • Fire sprinklers only if required for the primary residence.

    ADU max size, one bedroom or studio: <= 850 sq ft · ADU max size, more than one bedroom: <= 1000 sq ft · JADU max size: <= 500 sq ft

    “an accessory dwelling unit or junior accessory dwelling unit may be rented separate from the primary residence but may not be sold or otherwise conveyed separate from the primary residence”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Development in flood zones A1-30, AH and AE on the city's flood insurance rate map inside Victorville city

    • Recreational vehicles in those zones must be on site fewer than 180 consecutive days, licensed and highway-ready, or meet the permit requirements of Sec. 16-5.16.060 and the elevation and anchoring rules for manufactured homes.
    • Manufactured homes in those zones must be elevated and anchored per Sec. 16-5.16.100.

    RV max stay in flood zone without permit: < 180 days (Must be licensed and highway-ready)

    “Be on the site for fewer than one hundred eighty consecutive days and be fully licensed and ready for highway use.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Victorville or San Bernardino County directly.

  • Building permit — Building permits in Victorville city
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permits in Victorville city
  • Building code adopted — Building code in Victorville city
  • Inspections — Building inspections in Victorville city
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy in Victorville city
12 more unanswered
  • Living in an RV
  • Tiny homes
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees
  • Permit process

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 Victorville publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. San Bernardino County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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