Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Willits, California

Willits’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Willits city limits

  • Zoning is Title 17 of the Willits Municipal Code, with R1, R2, R3, RE and other districts.

  “shall be permitted within the single-family residence (R1) zone only when all of the following findings can be made”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R1 single-family residence zone inside Willits city

  • Minimum lot width 60 feet; maximum lot depth 3 times lot width.

  minimum lot area: >= 6000 sq ft

  “Minimum lot area 6,000 square feet; B. Minimum lot width 60 feet;”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — RE residential estates zone inside Willits city

    “Minimum lot area 20,000 sq. feet; B. Minimum lot width 100 feet;”

• SetbacksSpecified

  R1 zone inside Willits city

  front yard: >= 20 ft · rear yard: >= 20 ft · side yard: >= 6 ft

  “Minimum yards: 1. Front 20 feet; 2. Rear 20 feet; 3. Side 6 feet;”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — RE zone inside Willits city

    “Minimum yards: 1. Front 25 feet; 2. Rear 20 feet; 3. Side 10 feet;”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  R1 zone inside Willits city

  maximum ground coverage: <= 40 percent

  “Maximum ground coverage 40 percent; E. Minimum yards:”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — RE zone inside Willits city

    “Maximum ground coverage 25 percent; E. Minimum yards:”

• Building heightSpecified

  R1 zone inside Willits city

  maximum building height: <= 35 ft

  “3. Side 6 feet; F. Maximum building height 35 feet.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — RE zone inside Willits city

    “3. Side 10 feet; F. Maximum building height 35 feet.”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Camping inside Willits city

  • Unlawful on public property; city parks require prior permission of the park authority (12.32.030).

  “Overnight camping on private residential property so long as the owner or lawful occupant consents, and the camping does not create a public or private nuisance,”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured homes in the R1 zone inside Willits city

  • All development standards must be met (setbacks, covered parking, lot coverage, curb, gutter, sidewalk, undergrounding of utilities).
  • Must be state-certified under the 1974 federal act, on a permanent foundation approved by the building inspector, and not finished with metal siding.

  “shall be permitted within the single-family residence (R1) zone only when all of the following findings can be made”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Septic and other on-site sewage disposal inside Willits city

  • Septic tanks are unlawful in the city except in connection with facilities approved by the city's sewer director for construction projects or special events.

  “It is unlawful to construct or maintain any privy, privy vault, septic tank, cesspool, seepage pit or other facility intended or used for the disposal of sewage within the city, except in connection with facilities approved by the director”

• Septic permitLimited

  Septic systems inside Willits city

  • Only facilities approved by the director in conjunction with construction projects or special events are exempt from the ban; no septic permit procedure was found.

  “It is unlawful to construct or maintain any privy, privy vault, septic tank, cesspool, seepage pit or other facility intended or used for the disposal of sewage within the city, except in connection with facilities approved by the director”

• Off-grid sanitationProhibited

  Privies, septic tanks, cesspools and similar disposal inside Willits city

  • Exception for facilities approved by the director in conjunction with construction projects or other special events.

  “It is unlawful to construct or maintain any privy, privy vault, septic tank, cesspool, seepage pit or other facility intended or used for the disposal of sewage within the city, except in connection with facilities approved by the director”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Buildings with plumbing fixtures inside Willits city

  • Connection is at the applicant's expense under city standard specifications and made by the city; a written permit and fees are required (13.08.010). No distance rule found; water connection rule not found.

  “Every building or structure in which plumbing fixtures are installed, and every premises having piping thereon, which conveys sewage or other liquid wastes to an approved point of disposal, shall be connected to the city's sewer system.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Driveway approaches in the public right-of-way inside Willits city

  • Written permit from city engineer or superintendent of public works; $100 deposit returned on completion; work done within 30 days of permit.

  performance deposit: 100 USD (returned upon completion)

  “It is unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to construct, or cause to be constructed in the city any sidewalk, driveway approach, curb, or curb and gutter without first obtaining”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permits inside Willits city
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Willits city
• Inspections — Building inspection inside Willits city
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy inside Willits city
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Willits city

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.