CaliforniaNew law limits local building rules for factory-built homes
The enacted law limits local building rules for covered factory-built housing and lets cities and counties make supported changes needed to protect local health and safety.
What it does
Cities, counties, and districts may not set different or stricter building standards for covered factory-built housing than mandatory state standards. Local health and safety changes need a public finding and state filing.
Officials must favor decisions that help projects qualify as factory-built housing structures. They may decide otherwise only with written evidence of a conflict with state standards or a specific health or safety harm.
Argument forBuilders may face fewer differing local building rules, which could make factory-built housing easier to use in projects that meet the coverage tests.
Argument againstLocal governments may have less room to set higher energy or green building standards for covered housing, even when they prefer stricter rules.
More detail
Cities, counties, and districts may not impose or enforce local building standards for covered factory-built housing that exceed or differ from mandatory state standards. A covered structure is a residential building with at least two-thirds of its new or converted area, volume, or size designated for homes, and at least 30 percent of its residential portion built using factory-built housing. A licensed design professional determines the measure, subject to agreement by the department or design approval agency. Cities and counties may change state code requirements when reasonably needed to maintain minimum health and safety because of local climate, geology, or terrain, including wildfire or flood risk. Before a change takes effect, the governing body must make a public finding and file it, along with the identified change, with the state commission. Local energy efficiency and green building amendments may not exceed state code minimums. A local health and safety change takes effect only after the finding and identified change are filed with the California Building Standards Commission.
Officials must presume that a decision helping a project qualify as a factory-built housing structure is appropriate. The presumption applies when officials interpret or apply the rules for whether a project qualifies as a factory-built housing structure. Officials may overcome the presumption only with a written finding, supported by more likely than not evidence, that the decision conflicts with a state building standard or creates a specific harmful effect on public health or safety.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Sep 29Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 782, Statutes of 2026.Latest
- Sep 29Approved by the Governor Gavin Newsom.Became Law
- Sep 10Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.To Governor
- Aug 30Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 74. Noes 0. Page 6868.).Major
- Vote recorded AB 1815 Wicks Concurrence in Senate Amendments. Result: pass.Lower
- Aug 28In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading AB1815 Wicks et al. By Wiener. Result: pass.Upper
- Aug 28Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 40. Noes 0.).Passed Senate
- Aug 24Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Aug 21Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.Major
- Aug 20Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.Major
- Aug 13Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. Result: pass.Upper
- Aug 13From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 13).Minor
- Aug 3In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.Minor
- Vote recorded Placed on suspense file. Result: pass.Upper
- Jul 2Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Major
- Jul 1From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (June 30).Major
- Jun 30
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Upper
- Jun 22From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on HOUSING.Major
- Jun 10Referred to Com. on HOUSING.Minor
- May 27In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.Minor
- May 26Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 71. Noes 0. Page 5300.)Passed Assembly
- Vote recorded AB 1815 Wicks Assembly Third Reading. Result: pass.Lower
- May 18Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- May 14From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (May 14).Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. Result: pass.Lower
- May 14Joint Rule 62(a), file notice suspended. (Page 5030.)
- May 13In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.Minor
- Apr 28Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Apr 27Read second time and amended.Major
- Apr 23From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (April 22).Major
- Apr 22
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 23Re-referred to Com. on H. & C.D.Minor
- Mar 19From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on H. & C.D. Read second time and amended.Major
- Mar 19Referred to Com. on H. & C.D.Minor
- Feb 11From printer. May be heard in committee March 13.
- Feb 10Read first time. To print.Introduced
HousingGovernment & EthicsConsumer Protection