WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR
RECREATIONAL VEHICLE ACCESS & STORAGE
City of Murrieta – Development Services Department
1 Town Square, Murrieta CA 92562
Information
Bulletin
229
November 2018
Visit our Website at http://www.murrietaca.gov/746/Development-Services Documents Referenced in this
Information Bulletin
Development Plan Permit Application
Building Permit Application
Encroachment Permit Application
This Information Bulletin is intended to provide
important information BEFORE you invest and install
an access drive or enclosure/shade structure for your
RV. These are general responses to common
questions. Following each response is the applicable
code section(s) that can be accessed via the link
provided.
Your individual circumstances may result in slightly
different requirements. As such, please contact the
appropriate department referenced below for more
information.
I. OVERVIEW
A recreational vehicle (RV) is a term often used
for a motorized vehicle or trailer that is equipped
with living space and amenities found in a home.
Other terms used to describe an RV include
motorhome, travel trailer, truck camper or
camping trailer, watercraft or vessel.
RVs can represent a significant investment and
many owners want to store their vehicle within an
enclosure or shade structure on their property to
help protect it from the elements.
II. CAN I PARK MY RV ON MY PROPERTY?
Yes. RVs can generally be parked anywhere on
your property (including the side and rear yard)
so long as they are screened by an approved
fence or wall. RV’s cannot be stored within the
front yard setback such as your driveway or on
your front lawn.
Additionally, RV’s cannot be parked on a public
street for more than two consecutive days.
MMC §10.44.020.A
III. CAN I BUILD AN ENCLOSURE OR SHADE
STRUCTURE FOR MY RV?
Yes; however, there are limitations on the size,
height, and location of the enclosure or shade
structure.
Structure Setback
State & City laws require that structures be
set back a certain distance from the property
line. There are two code provisions that are
applicable to structure setbacks: 1) State
(and Murrieta) Building Code; and, 2)
Murrieta Development Code.
California/Murrieta Residential Code
This code establishes the minimum
standards to address health/safety threats
such as fire. Under the code, all structures
must maintain a minimum setback of five
feet1.
The building codes allow structures to
encroach into the setback if the structure
is built with ignition-resistive construction
and fire sprinkler protection1. Contact the
Building Division at 461-6062 for
requirements.
1CRC Tables R302.1(1)&(2);
Murrieta Development Code
This code is intended to address
community character and quality of life
concerns such as potential visual impacts
to neighbors.
RV structures are considered an
‘Accessory Structure - Garage’ under the
Development Code and setback
regulations tend to be more restrictive (i.e.
greater than) than the Building Code and
vary depending upon the neighborhood
and whether the structure is attached or
detached1.
As such, determining setback
requirements can be challenging if not
familiar with the code. Contact the City at
(951) 461-6061 to determine exact
requirements for your situation.
1MMC §16.44.150, Table 3-14
In cases where the Building and
Development Code differ, the more restrictive
code is applied.
Structure Size
RV structures are considered an ‘Accessory
Structure - Garage’ under the Development
Code and, are allowed to be a maximum of
Visit our Website at http://www.murrietaca.gov/746/Development-Services 1,000 square feet in size or 50 percent of the
primary residence, whichever is greater1.
Please note that depending upon the zoning
on your property, the maximum lot coverage
allowed ranges from 25% to 50%2, which may
impact the ultimate size of the structure.
Contact the City at (951) 461-6061 to
determine the zoning and exact requirements
for your situation.
(The maximum size and lot coverage noted
above do not apply to other unpermitted
structures (i.e., shed, barn, garage, patio
cover) built in the setback. Please refer to
Section V.)
1MMC§16.44.150.C; 2MMC§16.08.020, Table 16.08-3
Structure Location
Pursuant to the CA Residential Code and CA
Fire Code, emergency escape and rescue
openings (e.g., windows, doors) must be
maintained without any obstructions, such as
from an RV structure that is too close to allow
access to the openings.
CRC §310.1.1; CFC §504.1
Structure Height
Similar to setback requirements, height limits
vary depending upon your neighborhood.
Generally speaking, however, the height of
the RV structure cannot exceed the height of
the primary structure (home). Again, contact
the City at (951) 461-6061 to determine exact
requirements for your situation.
IV. DO I NEED A BUILDING PERMIT FOR AN
ENCLOSURE OR SHADE STRUCTURE?
Yes. At a minimum, a Building Permit is required
for all permanent or temporary (≥180
days/calendar year1) enclosures or shade
structures, with one exception: one-story,
detached enclosures or shade structures that do
not exceed 120 square feet are exempt from a
building permit2. Please note, however, that
exempt enclosures are still required to comply
with setback and location requirements described
in Section III.
Also, a Development Plan Permit will be required
if the size of the enclosure or shade structure is
>25% of the floor area of the primary structure or
500 square feet, whichever is less3. The
Development Plan Permit must be reviewed and
approved by the City prior to issuance of the
building permit.
1 CRC §R107.1;2 CRC §R105.2;3MMC §16.44.150;
V. IS THERE A ‘GRANDFATHERING’ POLICY
FOR UNPERMITTED STRUCTURES?
Yes. In an effort to help ensure public safety
while recognizing that some of the existing RV
structures have been erected for some time, the
City is authorizing structures that existed as of
November 2018 that encroach into the setback to
remain until the property is sold; at which time,
the non-compliant structure must be removed.
Structures that meet the criteria below are
eligible.
RV structure is ≤560 square feet in size;
RV structure is not enclosed (open on all four
sides from the ground to a height of at least
eight feet);
There is no immediate health/safety issues
(i.e., exposed wiring, obvious structure
failures);
The owner(s) shall provide an indemnification
& defense agreement holding the City
harmless for allowing the RV structure to
remain;
The owner(s) shall record a certificate of nonconforming use on the title to the property informing all potential buyers that the nonconforming structure is to be removed upon the sale of the property.
The code enforcement complaint did not
originate from the neighboring (adjacent)
property owner(s). .
Further, structures that maintain compliance with
this policy shall be allowed to remain until the
property is sold, even if the City later receives a
complaint from a neighboring property owner.
Existing structures not meeting the requirements
above will need to be removed or modified to
meet the requirements of this policy.
VI. ARE THERE LIMITATIONS ON HOW I CAN
ACCESS AN RV ONTO MY PROPERTY?
Yes. Under the Murrieta Municipal Code,
vehicular access to/from any ‘public place1’,
which includes public streets and sidewalks that
provide access to private property, requires
authorized ‘encroachment1’ over that public
place. RV access is only permissible via a City
permitted driveway opening2. The following are
examples of unlawful ways to access your
property with an RV under City code.
Driving over the curb and sidewalk4
Constructing an unpermitted ramp3
Visit our Website at http://www.murrietaca.gov/746/Development-Services Unpermitted modifications to an existing
permitted driveway, curb, or sidewalk3
Accessing the property from a pedestrian
ramp located at an intersection4
1 MMC §15.54.020;2MMC §15.54.040;3MMC §15.54.040.B;4MMC §15.54.040.G;
VII. ARE THERE LIMITATIONS ON THE DESIGN
OF PERMISSIBLE DRIVEWAY OPENINGS?
Yes. The City Council has adopted Public Street
Design Standards that include minimum
standards for driveway location1and driveway
apron design2. Some important requirements
specified in those standards include the following:
Driveway opening must be a minimum of five
(5) feet away from the point of curvature at an
intersection to ensure safe sightdistance1
A minimum of 20 feet between driveways is
required to allow on-street parking between
access points2
Driveway width must be a minimum of 12
feet, and a maximum of 30 feet2
Driveways shall be consistent with the standards
adopted with original neighborhood construction,
unless otherwise approved by the City Engineer.
Please contact the City Engineer if you are
unable to comply with the standards.
1Drawing #307; 2Drawing #308a and #308b;
VIII. DO I NEED A PERMIT FOR A DRIVEWAY
OPENING?
Yes. A property owner must obtain an
Encroachment Permit from the City prior to
construction or modification of any driveway
opening1. Please contact the Engineering
Division at (951) 461-6077 to determine exact
requirements for your situation.
1MMC §15.54.040
IX. IS THERE A ‘GRANDFATHERING’ POLICY
FOR UNPERMITTED ACCESS?
No. Unlike private structures, driving over a
public pedestrian curb ramp or portion of the
public sidewalk without an approved driveway
apron constitutes a dangerous condition1
because such improvements are meant for
pedestrians, not vehicles. Should the City
knowingly authorize the continued use of
unpermitted access which then results in an
injury, the City can be held liable; even if the
property owner signs an indemnification and
defense agreement holding the City harmless2.
1CA Gov Code §830; 2Callahan v. City and County of San Francisco (1967) 249 CA 2d 696, 702