Bolthole Index

Merced County, California

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Los Banos, California

Inside Los Banos city limits, the City of Los Banos Building Division handles building permits under the 2022 California Building Code12. The city also adopts and administers its own zoning3. Septic needs a city permit only where no public sewer is available4. Land outside the city falls under Merced County.

At a glance

Building permits
Issued by the City of Los Banos Building Division inside city limits21
Zoning
City-adopted zoning ordinance (Title 9, Chapter 3)3
Septic
City permit required where no public sewer is available; sewer connection required if a sewer is within 200 feet45
R-1 minimum lot
6,000 square feet6
R-1 height limit
30 feet7
Secondary dwelling (R-1)
One per lot, subject to the zoning chapter8
RV living
Not confirmed inside the city; state rule generally limits RV occupancy to parks unless a local ordinance allows more9

Who to call

Building permits

City of Los Banos Building Division

Plan review, building permits and building inspections inside Los Banos city limits

(209) 827-7000, ext. 1300

[email protected]

520 J Street, Los Banos, CA

Zoning

City of Los Banos Community & Economic Development Department

Zoning ordinance, general plan and land-use applications inside Los Banos city limits

(209) 827-7000

[email protected]

520 J Street, Los Banos, CA 93635

Septic permits

Merced County Division of Environmental Health

County septic and well permits; ask here about onsite systems and wells at any Merced County address

(209) 381-1100

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Does Los Banos have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size, setbacks and secondary dwellings?

Yes. The City of Los Banos adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance, Title 9 Planning and Zoning, inside city limits3. The Community & Economic Development Department is responsible for that ordinance10. Rules differ by district, so check the zoning of the exact parcel before you buy.

In the R-1 low density residential district, single-family building sites must be at least 6,000 square feet6. The front yard is 20 feet, reduced to 10 feet on a cul-de-sac bulb11. Buildings in R-1 may be no taller than 30 feet7, and no more than 70% of a lot may be covered by buildings, parking, driveways and patios12.

One secondary dwelling unit is allowed on an R-1 lot, subject to the zoning chapter8. Manufactured homes on R-1 lots must be at least 20 feet wide and 800 square feet, on a permanent foundation approved by the building inspector13. We could not confirm the other districts' standards; ask the Community & Economic Development Department.

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

The City of Los Banos Building Division issues building permits inside city limits, not Merced County2. The division states that permits are not limited to new construction or major remodeling projects, and it asks people unsure whether a project needs one to contact the division before starting work2. Los Banos has adopted the 2022 California Building Code with local amendments1.

We could not confirm the city's full permit application steps, fees, or owner-builder rules. Statewide, an owner who builds on their own property is exempt from the contractor-licensing chapter, but that exemption does not itself waive local permits or inspections14. Ask the Building Division at (209) 827-7000, ext. 1300 about fees and inspection scheduling2.

How do septic permits work inside Los Banos?

Los Banos requires a written city permit before construction of a private wastewater disposal system, but only where no public sanitary sewer is available4. Where a public sewer is within 200 feet of the property line, the owner must connect to it instead5.

Merced County's Division of Environmental Health also administers onsite wastewater permits across the county15, and California requires a permit for every new or replacement septic system, from the city or the county16. Because the city's code and the county's program both reference septic permits, confirm with the Building Division and with the county Division of Environmental Health at (209) 381-110017 which one issues your permit. Water wells inside the city were not confirmed; the county requires permits for well construction18.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Los Banos?

We could not confirm whether the City of Los Banos allows long-term RV living or tiny homes on private lots; ask the Community & Economic Development Department. State rules say RVs are not intended as permanent dwellings and, unless a local ordinance allows otherwise, generally may be occupied only in mobilehome parks or special occupancy parks9.

Outside city limits the rules differ: in unincorporated Merced County, a recreational vehicle can serve as a temporary residence during approved construction of a home, with a Temporary Use Permit, and must be removed within 120 days after final inspection or occupancy19. That county rule does not apply inside Los Banos.

Building a home in Los Banos: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the parcel's zoning district with the Community & Economic Development Department at (209) 827-700010.
  2. Ask whether a public sewer is within 200 feet of the property line; if so, connection is required5.
  3. Apply for building permits through the Building Division at 520 J Street2; construction must meet the 2022 California Building Code1.
  4. If no sewer is available, get the city's written permit before building a private wastewater system4.
  5. Schedule inspections through the Building Division, whose inspections are provided by the city's contracted building services provider2.

What stays with Merced County, and what to check before you buy in Los Banos

Septic and well questions may involve the county's Division of Environmental Health15. Land outside city limits follows the Merced County rules, not the city's.

Countywide figures: Merced County's effective property tax rate is 0.7%20, and a typical home is valued at $418,99621. Merced County soils rate poorly for conventional septic drain fields, with only 4.6% rated not limited, so an off-sewer lot will likely need a site evaluation or engineered system22. Flood-resistant construction appendices are part of the city's adopted building code, but we could not confirm flood-hazard mapping for a specific parcel; ask the Building Division1.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm Los Banos's building permit application process, fees, or certificate of occupancy rules; call the Building Division at (209) 827-7000, ext. 1300 before you plan a budget2.
  • We could not confirm the city's RV, tiny-home, driveway, well or short-term rental rules; ask the Community & Economic Development Department10.
  • Only the R-1 district's standards were confirmed; other Los Banos zoning districts have different rules23.

Sources

  1. Chapter 1: Building Codes, Title 8 Building Regulations, City of Los Banos (Los Banos), quoted and re-checked
  2. City of Los Banos Building Division (losbanos.org)
  3. Article 6: Low Density Residential District (R-1), Title 9 Chapter 3 Zoning, City of Los Banos (Los Banos), quoted and re-checked
  4. Sewer System, Title 6 Sanitation and Health, City of Los Banos (Los Banos), quoted and re-checked
  5. Sewer System, Title 6 Sanitation and Health, City of Los Banos (Los Banos), quoted and re-checked
  6. Article 6: Low Density Residential District (R-1), Title 9 Chapter 3 Zoning, City of Los Banos (Los Banos), quoted and re-checked
  7. Article 6: Low Density Residential District (R-1), Title 9 Chapter 3 Zoning, City of Los Banos (Los Banos), quoted and re-checked
  8. Article 6: Low Density Residential District (R-1), Title 9 Chapter 3 Zoning, City of Los Banos (Los Banos), quoted and re-checked
  9. hcd.ca.gov (California statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. City of Los Banos Community & Economic Development Department (losbanos.org)
  11. Article 6: Low Density Residential District (R-1), Title 9 Chapter 3 Zoning, City of Los Banos (Los Banos), quoted and re-checked
  12. Article 6: Low Density Residential District (R-1), Title 9 Chapter 3 Zoning, City of Los Banos (Los Banos), quoted and re-checked
  13. Article 6: Low Density Residential District (R-1), Title 9 Chapter 3 Zoning, City of Los Banos (Los Banos), quoted and re-checked
  14. California Business and Professions Code Section 7044 (2026 county census)
  15. Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Construction & Destruction Application/Permit, quoted and re-checked
  16. 2023 OWTS Policy (California statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Merced County Division of Environmental Health (countyofmerced.com)
  18. Well Construction, Destruction, Mining, and Export Application/Permit User Guide, quoted and re-checked
  19. Article 4: Standards for Specific Land Uses, quoted and re-checked
  20. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  21. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
  22. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  23. Article 6: Low Density Residential District (R-1), Title 9 Chapter 3 Zoning, City of Los Banos (Los Banos), quoted and re-checked

Written October 24, 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 Los Banos

Los Banos’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Construction inside Los Banos city limits under the city Building Regulations title

    • § 8-1.01 adopts the California Building Code, 2022 edition, volumes 1 and 2, based on the 2021 International Building Code, with appendices chapter G (flood-resistant construction), chapter H (signs), chapter I (patio covers), chapter J (grading), and chapter K (Central Valley flood).
    • Chapter 1 also adopts the 2022 Energy, Historical, Referenced Standards, Electrical, Mechanical, Administrative, Existing Building, Green Building, Residential, and Plumbing Codes (§§ 8-1.04 to 8-1.15), the 1997 Uniform Housing Code (§ 8-1.08) and the 1997 Uniform Code for the Abatement of Dangerous Buildings (§ 8-1.14).
    • The chapter was amended by Ord. 1212 (effective 12-19-2025), per the eCode360 new-laws list; the amendment text was not opened.

    adopted code edition: California Building Code 2022 edition (local amendments per Chapter 1)

    “the california building code, 2022 edition, volumes 1 and 2 (part 2 of title 24 of the california code of regulations)”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Los Banos city limits: the city adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance (Title 9 Planning and Zoning, Chapter 3 Zoning), including the R-1 low density residential district

    • Code index lists Title 9 Planning and Zoning (§ 9-1.01 through § 9-6.10); zoning districts include Low Density Residential (R-1), per the R-1 article.
    • Other zoning districts (R-2, R-3, Planned Development, Rail Corridor, C-N) exist on eCode360 but their text was not opened in this research.
    “the purpose of the low density residential district (r-1) is to stabilize and protect the residential character of the district”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside Los Banos city limits (city code Title 9 Chapter 3)

    • Only the R-1 district text was opened; R-2 and R-3 district articles, Planned Development, Rail Corridor, and C-N articles were located on eCode360 but not opened.
    • R-1 article notes a Regional Housing Needs Assessment overlay district added by Ord. 1213 effective 12-19-2025 (per the new-laws list); its text was not opened.
    “the following uses shall be permitted in the low density residential district”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Dwellings (including manufactured housing) on R-1 single-family lots inside Los Banos city limits

    • Applies to placement of all dwellings on lots zoned for single-family dwellings (R-1 district).

    minimum width: >= 20 feet · minimum floor area: >= 800 square feet

    “the unit shall be a minimum width of twenty (20′) feet containing not less than 800 square feet.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Single-family dwelling building sites in the R-1 low density residential district inside Los Banos city limits

    • Lot width minimum 60 feet interior and 65 feet corner (§ 9-3.606).

    minimum building site: >= 6000 square feet

    “building sites for single-family dwellings in the low density residential district shall be a minimum of 6,000 square feet.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Structures in the R-1 low density residential district inside Los Banos city limits

    • Interior side yard 5 feet; street side 10 feet for building structures (20 feet on reverse corner lots); side entrance dwelling 10 feet from front setback line to entrance.
    • Rear: single-story accessory structures 10 feet; two or more stories and second-story decks 20 feet; fences zero feet.
    • Front yard may average improved lots where four or more lots in a block were improved on or before January 15, 1964.

    front yard setback: 20 feet (10 feet on lots fronting a cul-de-sac bulb)

    “front yard, twenty (20′) feet except that for lots that front on a cul-de-sac bulb the setback may be reduced to ten (10′) feet.”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Lots in the R-1 low density residential district inside Los Banos city limits

    • Remaining 30% of lot area for landscaping, lawns and outdoor recreation (such as pools).

    maximum lot area devoted to buildings, parking, driveways and patios: <= 70 percent

    “not more than 70% of the total lot area shall be devoted to main and accessory building areas, parking areas, driveways and patios”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Buildings in the R-1 low density residential district inside Los Banos city limits

    maximum building height: <= 30 feet

    “the maximum height of buildings in the low density residential district shall be thirty (30′) feet.”
  • Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)

    Manufactured housing placed on lots zoned for single-family dwellings in the R-1 low density residential district inside Los Banos city limits

    • Minimum width 20 feet and not less than 800 square feet.
    • Permanent foundation approved by the building inspector; foundation exposure not to exceed surrounding units.
    • Exterior material customarily used on conventional dwellings; roof materials customarily used in residential neighborhoods.
    • Subject to all chapter provisions applicable to residential structures.
    • No occupancy until all conditions are met and a final inspection is made.
    • Main building and garage or carport extend at least 50% across the lot width; garage or carport compatible with main building materials; minimum 12-inch roof overhang architecturally integrated.

    minimum width: >= 20 feet · minimum floor area: >= 800 square feet

    “the following regulations governing the placement of all dwellings, including manufactured housing, on lots zoned for single-family dwellings shall apply”
  • Accessory dwellingsAllowed (with conditions)

    One secondary dwelling unit on a lot in the R-1 low density residential district inside Los Banos city limits

    • Subject to the provisions of the zoning chapter; the city ADU article (eCode360 43639897) was located but not opened, so its size, parking and owner-occupancy rules are unverified.

    secondary dwelling units per lot: 1 unit (subject to ADU article)

    “one secondary dwelling unit subject to the provisions of this chapter”
  • Septic permitRequired

    New private wastewater disposal system inside Los Banos city limits where no public sanitary sewer is available

    • Permit is issued by the City on a city form; the application must be supplemented per the code.
    • Applies only where a public sanitary sewer is not available under the sewer-use rule (subsection (d)); where a sewer is within 200 feet of the property line, connection is required instead.
    “before the commencement of the construction of a private waste water disposal system, the owner shall first obtain a written permit from the city.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

    Properties inside Los Banos city limits that abut a street, alley or right-of-way with a city public sanitary sewer

    • Owners must install toilet facilities directly connected to the public sewer within 90 days after official notice, at the owner's expense, provided the public sewer is within 200 feet of the property line.
    • Connection to a public sewer requires a permit before installing a building sewer or connecting to the sewer (per the Sewer System chapter).
    • Water connection requirements were not located; the water system chapter (43458003) was not opened.

    distance to public sewer: <= 200 feet (measured from the property line; otherwise private system per subsection (e))

    “provided such public sewer is within 200 feet of the property line.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Los Banos or Merced County directly.

  • Building permit — Building permits for new construction inside Los Banos city limits
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside Los Banos city limits
  • Inspections — Building inspections for new homes inside Los Banos city limits
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes inside Los Banos city limits
  • Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land inside Los Banos city limits
12 more unanswered
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • 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 Los Banos publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Merced County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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