Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Ferndale, California

Ferndale’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  All land inside Ferndale city limits (Ferndale city, Humboldt County, CA). The city's own Zoning Ordinance 02-02 governs land use there.

  • The city planning commission reviews development plans for consistency with the general plan, the Ferndale zoning ordinance, and the subdivision ordinance.
  • The zoning ordinance PDF on the city site is stamped 2/23/2025 and notes amendments by ordinance 2025-04 and 2025-06; no effective date for the consolidated text is stated, so effective_at is null.
  • A January 2026 planning packet (not verified as adopted) proposed repealing and replacing section 7.21 (accessory dwelling units).

  “the planning commission serves as an advisory body to the city council on land use matters, including review of development plans for consistency with the general plan, ferndale zoning ordinance, and the subdivision ordinance.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Land inside Ferndale city limits

  • Zoning Ordinance 02-02 sets out sections 5.02 (single-family, r1), 5.03 (two-family), 5.04 (multiple dwellings and dwelling groups), 5.05 through 5.09 (commercial, highway service, limited industrial and other districts), 5.10 (floodway), 5.11 (flood plain or fp), 5.12 (planned development or pd), 5.13 (agriculture-exclusive or ae), 5.14 (public facility or pf), and 6.05 (design control combining or -d zone).

  “the planned development or pd zone is intended to apply to parcels of undeveloped land which are suitable for, and of sufficient size to contain, a completely planned development.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Agriculture-exclusive or ae district, section 5.13, inside Ferndale city limits

  • No subdivisions or residential developments, by official map, record, survey or recorded subdivision, may be permitted in the ae district.

  minimum lot area: >= 4 acres · minimum lot width: >= 100 feet

  “a. no subdivisions or residential developments, whether by official map, record or survey or recorded subdivision, shall be permitted in agriculture-exclusive or ae zones. b. minimum lot area: 4 acres. c. minimum lot widths: 100 feet.”

  2 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • Specified — Single-family residential one-family (r1) district, section 5.02, inside Ferndale city limits

    “a. minimum lot area: 5,000 square feet. b. minimum lot width: 50 feet. c. maximum lot depth: 3 times lot width.”

  • Specified — Two-family home district, section 5.03, inside Ferndale city limits

    “g. dwelling units per acre: one (1) to eighteen (18) units.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Agriculture-exclusive or ae district, Ferndale Zoning Ordinance 02-02 section 5.13, inside Ferndale city limits

  • No subdivisions or residential developments may be permitted in the ae district (see subdivision claim).

  front yard setback: 30 feet · rear yard setback: 20 feet · side yard setback: 10% of the lot width on each side, but not more than 20 feet shall be required percent of lot width

  “e. minimum yards: front, 30 feet; rear, 20 feet; side, 10% of the lot width on each side, but not more than 20 feet shall be required.”

  2 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • Specified — Single-family residential one-family (r1) district, Ferndale Zoning Ordinance 02-02 section 5.02, inside Ferndale city limits

    “d. minimum yards: front, 20 feet; rear, 15 ft; side, 10% of lot width on each side except that no side yard may be less than 5 ft, or need be more than 12 ft.”

  • Specified — Two-family home district, Ferndale Zoning Ordinance 02-02 section 5.03, inside Ferndale city limits

    “e. minimum yards: front, 20 ft; rear, 15 feet; side, 10% of lot width on each side except that no side yard may be less than 5 ft, or need be more than 12 ft.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Agriculture-exclusive or ae district, section 5.13, inside Ferndale city limits

  maximum ground coverage: <= 35 percent

  “b. minimum lot area: 4 acres. c. minimum lot widths: 100 feet. d. maximum ground coverage: 35%. e. minimum yards: front, 30 feet; rear, 20 feet; side, 10% of the lot width on each side, but not more than 20 feet shall be required.”

  2 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • Specified — Single-family residential one-family (r1) district, section 5.02, inside Ferndale city limits

    “5.02.3 other regulations: a. minimum lot area: 5,000 square feet. b. minimum lot width: 50 feet. c. maximum lot depth: 3 times lot width. d. minimum yards: front, 20 feet; rear, 15 ft; side, 10% of lot width on each side except that no side yard may be less than 5 ft, or need be more than 12 ft. e. maximum ground coverage: 40%. f. maximum building height: 35 feet.”

  • Specified — Two-family home district, section 5.03, inside Ferndale city limits

    “5.03.3 other regulations: a. minimum lot area: 5,000 square feet. b. minimum lot width: 50 feet. c. maximum lot depth: 3 times lot width. d. maximum ground coverage: 45%. e. minimum yards: front, 20 ft; rear, 15 feet; side, 10% of lot width on each side except that no side yard may be less than 5 ft, or need be more than 12 ft. f. maximum building height: 35 feet.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Single-family residential one-family (r1) district, section 5.02, inside Ferndale city limits

  maximum building height: <= 35 feet

  “5.02.3 other regulations: a. minimum lot area: 5,000 square feet. b. minimum lot width: 50 feet. c. maximum lot depth: 3 times lot width. d. minimum yards: front, 20 feet; rear, 15 ft; side, 10% of lot width on each side except that no side yard may be less than 5 ft, or need be more than 12 ft. e. maximum ground coverage: 40%. f. maximum building height: 35 feet.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Two-family home district, section 5.03, inside Ferndale city limits

    “5.03.3 other regulations: a. minimum lot area: 5,000 square feet. b. minimum lot width: 50 feet. c. maximum lot depth: 3 times lot width. d. maximum ground coverage: 45%. e. minimum yards: front, 20 ft; rear, 15 feet; side, 10% of lot width on each side except that no side yard may be less than 5 ft, or need be more than 12 ft. f. maximum building height: 35 feet.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Trailer camps (places where trailers and RVs are occupied for camping, weekend or temporary occupancy) in the highway service commercial (CH) district, section 5.07. This is not a rule on an RV occupied on a private residential lot; none was found in the text reviewed.

  • Trailer camps need a use permit in section 5.07.2.

  “5.07.2 uses permitted with a use permit a. small animal hospitals and kennels. b. trailer camps.”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Trailer camps used for camping, weekend or temporary occupancy, inside Ferndale city limits (use permit, CH district). The zoning text reviewed does not regulate ordinary tent camping on private land.

  • Trailer camps need a use permit under section 5.07.2.

  “trailer camp: any lot or parcel thereof or parcel of land which is used or offered as a location for one or more trailers of camping, weekend or temporary occupancy.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile home parks in the multiple-dwelling district (section 5.04), inside Ferndale city limits. Single-family (r1) and two-family districts do not list mobile home parks.

  • Mobile home parks are permitted only with a use permit in section 5.04.

  “5.04.2 uses permitted with a use permit: a. hotels, motels, mobile home parks and boarding houses.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Newly constructed accessory dwelling units inside Ferndale city limits under Zoning Ordinance 02-02 section 7.21

  • Not permitted on lots developed with condominiums, townhomes, apartments, or similar multi-family developments.
  • In other permitted zoning districts, one ADU may be built on any legal parcel regardless of lot size.
  • An ADU is not treated as a separate dwelling unit for water, sewer or power service connection fees.
  • The ordinance text reviewed is a 2/23/2025 print of Ordinance 02-02. The January 2026 planning packet recommended replacing section 7.21; that replacement was not verified as adopted.

  minimum lot area for new ADU in RS and R1 districts: >= 5000 square feet

  “2. all other permitted zoning districts. one accessory dwelling unit may be constructed on any legal parcel, regardless of lot size.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivisions inside Ferndale city limits

  • The planning commission reviews development plans for consistency with the Ferndale subdivision ordinance.
  • No subdivisions or residential developments may be permitted in the ae (agriculture-exclusive) district.
  • The subdivision ordinance itself was not located or opened; its procedures are not recorded here.

  “the planning commission serves as an advisory body to the city council on land use matters, including review of development plans for consistency with the general plan, ferndale zoning ordinance, and the subdivision ordinance.”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Floodway areas (section 5.10) in Ferndale city limits. The flood plain (fp) zone in section 5.11 and any separate city flood-damage-prevention ordinance were not opened.

  • Uses in the floodway are listed as permitted with a use permit in section 5.10.2; other flood-related conditions are listed in use permits.

  “5.10.2 uses permitted with a use permit: a. boat docks and launching facilities. b. water, sewer, roadway, bridge and other such facilities necessary for public health and safety.”

• Short-term rentalsAllowed

  Single-family residential one-family (r1) district, section 5.02, inside Ferndale city limits

  • The zoning ordinance lists vacation rentals as a principal permitted use in r1. The text reviewed does not define vacation rentals or set a separate STR permit, occupancy or tax rule; a separate Ferndale ordinance may apply.

  “all apply in all residential one-family or r1 zones: principal permitted uses: a. single-family dwellings. b. boarding of not more than two (2) persons not employed on the premises. c. keeping no more than four (4) household pets for each dwelling unit. d. vacation rentals.”

• Permit processPartial

  Land-use approvals inside Ferndale city limits that go to the planning commission

  • The planning commission reviews special permits, conditional use permits, and variances. The building permit process, application forms, fees and timelines were not located on official pages reviewed.

  “the planning commission also reviews special permits, conditional use permits, and variances.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Ferndale or Humboldt County directly.

• Building permit — New construction and alterations in Ferndale city limits
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction in Ferndale city limits
• Building code adopted — Construction in Ferndale city limits
• Inspections — Construction inspections in Ferndale city limits
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy certificates for new homes in Ferndale city limits

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.