Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Madera County, California

Yes, for specified work. Madera County's Building Division, part of Building & Fire Safety, regulates and permits buildings and structures in unincorporated Madera County¹. Madera County has adopted the California Building Code, Title 24, and also enforces county ordinances and the Uniform Code for the Abatement of Dangerous Buildings in the unincorporated area¹. Separate permits cover electrical, mechanical and reroof work, any mobile home or mobile office installed in the county needs a building permit, and demolishing a structure over 120 square feet needs a demolition permit issued with the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District¹. The 2025 California Building Standards Code applies to projects with a permit application dated January 1, 2026 or later¹³. Local zoning still controls uses, setbacks, yards and property-line requirements¹⁴. A ground-mounted solar array needs a foundation inspection before footings are poured and a final inspection to confirm bonding¹⁵.

The county's rules apply to unincorporated Madera County. Inside Chowchilla, the city's building official issues building permits³. Septic and well permits for those addresses stay with county Environmental Health^5,8.

Building & Fire Safety, part of the Community & Economic Development Department, is Madera County's building department¹⁶. Reach them at 559-675-7821 (phone menu option 1), at 200 W 4th Street, Madera, CA 93637¹⁶. The Planning Division shares the same building at 200 W. 4th St., Suite 3100, and can be reached at 559-675-7821 option 2 for zoning questions before you apply¹⁷. The Environmental Health Division, on the 3rd floor of the same address, issues septic and well permits at 559-675-7823¹⁸, and Public Works, at 200 W. 4th Street and 559-675-7811, handles roads and driveway access onto county roads¹⁹.

Yes. Madera County administers Title 18 zoning in the unincorporated county, and grading-permit applications must conform to its land-use regulations². California law allows counties to regulate land use, building height, lot coverage, setbacks and related zoning matters in unincorporated areas²⁰. Inside Chowchilla, the city has its own Title 18 zoning code⁴; the county's cited rule does not settle zoning in the City of Madera, so ask the city directly². Minimum parcel size in unincorporated agricultural districts depends on the district, as set out in the county's agricultural development standards table, and other districts have different minimums²¹. We could not confirm the zoning district or lot-coverage limit for a particular parcel, so get a parcel-specific answer from the Planning Division before buying¹⁷. A certified manufactured home on a foundation on a lot zoned for a conventional single-family dwelling is subject to the same development standards as a site-built home, including setbacks, yards, parking and minimum square footage²². Accessory dwelling units are allowed on qualifying parcels zoned residential, or in another district allowing residential uses, when the parcel has an existing or proposed single-family or multifamily development²³.

Septic systems, called onsite wastewater treatment systems or OWTS, are permitted by the county Environmental Health Division under a Local Agency Management Program approved by the Central Valley Regional Water Board; this applies countywide, city or not⁵. California lets local agencies run OWTS programs consistent with statewide policy, under State Water Board and regional board oversight²⁴. A permit is required to construct, modify, repair or abandon a system⁷. Where public sewer is available within 200 feet, the Division does not authorize a new or replacement septic system, with exceptions such as a sewer connection ban or a sewer system that will not agree to serve the property⁷. A septic permit expires 180 days after issuance, the Division must be notified at least 48 hours before backfilling, and new construction must show at least 100% reserve area⁷. Only 2% of Madera County soils are rated without severe limits for a conventional drain field, so establish septic feasibility before choosing a house site or closing on land⁶. Environmental Health is also the listed local agency for permits to construct, alter or destroy a well, and well drilling must be done by a licensed C-57 contractor⁸. Wells serving 15 or more connections face additional state drinking-water requirements²⁵.

In any zone district in unincorporated Madera County, a temporary travel trailer, recreational vehicle or manufactured home is permitted for one year while a permanent dwelling is under construction¹⁰. The conditions: the building permit for the permanent dwelling must be issued before the unit is installed, Environmental Health must confirm in writing that acceptable sewer and water service exist on the parcel, and the owner must sign a Planning form promising to stop occupying and connecting the unit when the home is finished¹⁰. The unit must be removed at completion or within one year of the building permit, whichever comes first, and an extension is considered only on written request showing substantial progress¹⁰. Outside that construction window, California generally requires a local ordinance that specifically allows RV occupancy outside a mobilehome park or special occupancy park, and we could not confirm that Madera County has adopted one, so ask the Planning Division before planning to live in an RV long term^11,17. A tiny home must qualify as an approved structure type and meet the standards for that type; a unit that fits none of the state's listed classifications and does not meet the California Building Standards Code cannot legally be occupied¹¹. An ADU is one documented route to a small second dwelling on a qualifying residential parcel: detached units may be up to 850 square feet with one bedroom or 1,000 square feet with more than one, and new attached or detached ADUs generally need 4-foot side and rear setbacks²³. The ADU front setback matches the primary dwelling, and a converted structure in the same location and dimensions needs no setback²³. Detached ADU height limits are 16, 18 or 20 feet depending on ordinance criteria, while attached ADUs may reach 25 feet²³.

1. Confirm your parcel's zoning district and lot-specific constraints with the Planning Division before you buy or design; inside Chowchilla, start with the city instead^3,17.
2. Contact Environmental Health early about septic feasibility; only 2% of county soils are rated free of severe limits for a conventional drain field^6,18.
3. If you need a well, arrange a licensed C-57 contractor and get the permit through Environmental Health before drilling⁸.
4. If you plan to live in an RV or trailer while you build, remember it can be installed only after the building permit is issued and Environmental Health confirms sewer and water service¹⁰.
5. Submit plans to Building & Fire Safety under the California Building Standards Code that applies on your permit-application date^13,16.
6. For an ADU, budget separately for application fees, permit fees calculated at issuance and any applicable impact fees; an ADU under 750 square feet is exempt from impact fees²⁶.
7. If acting as an owner-builder, complete the owner-builder declaration and notice before permit issuance⁹.
8. Before grading a driveway or pad, get the grading permit and ask Public Works whether county-road access needs an encroachment permit^2,19, then schedule all required building inspections¹⁶.

Grading for a driveway, building pad or leveling goes through a grading and erosion-control permit under Chapter 14.50 of the County Code, and applications must conform to Title 18 zoning². The county may require an onsite inspection of the private sewage disposal area before issuing the permit, and a cash deposit or bond of 100% of estimated soil-stabilization and revegetation cost is held until vegetation has been established for one full year². The permit becomes void if work does not start within 180 days². Access must come from a public road approved by Public Works, and encroachment permits from Public Works or Caltrans may be required before grading^2,19.

County driveway standards cap grade at 16% below 3,000 feet elevation and 12% above; a driveway over 150 feet but under 800 feet needs a midpoint turnout, and one over 800 feet needs turnouts at least every 400 feet¹². Fill in flood zones must be compacted to 95%; that grading document is not a full floodplain ordinance, so ask the Planning Division what elevation rules apply to a flood-zone parcel^2,17.

The nearest city of 100,000 or more is about 30 miles from the county's center, while Madera County has about 76 people per square mile and 37.1% federal land⁶. Only 30.2% of the county is at a slope of 15% or less, so compare a parcel's usable terrain with the proposed house site and access route⁶. Severe drought has occurred in about 39.7% of years on record, and average annual precipitation is about 22.4 inches, making water supply a key due-diligence item⁶. Typical home value is about $429,474, while the effective property-tax rate is about 0.7% and the median annual bill is about $2,575⁶. Ask Planning about zoning, Environmental Health about septic and wells, and Public Works about county-road access before closing^17,18,19.

If you plan to divide a parcel, California's Subdivision Map Act generally requires a parcel map unless local ordinance waives it²⁷. In unincorporated Madera County, a land division on a county road below standard must upgrade that road when the parcel is 20 acres or less, and dead-end roads are capped at 800 feet for parcels zoned under 1 acre, 1,320 feet for 1 to 4.99 acres, 2,640 feet for 5 to 19.99 acres and 5,280 feet for 20 acres or more¹².