Do I need a permit to live in an RV on my lot after a disaster?

In LA County and Maui County, yes, and both publish the conditions. Elsewhere, ask the county permit office; the answer goes in the packet to the adjuster either way.

What electrical service does the RV need?

Most units need a 30-amp TT-30 receptacle within cord reach; four in ten need 50-amp. Ask the electrician for a written quote before the adjuster call. A household 15 or 20 amp outlet is not a plan.

How big must the pad be?

Level and long enough for a 32-foot unit plus the tow or delivery vehicle, with overhead clearance for trees and wires on the approach. Measure before delivery is scheduled.

A sewer hookup, a septic approval or a scheduled pump-out. Where the county requires approved wastewater before placement, get that approval first; a park pad with sewer is the fallback.

Can I live in an RV on my own lot during a renovation, rather than after a loss?

That is a zoning question and the answer is often different from the post-disaster one, because the emergency permits counties publish are tied to a declared disaster. Ask the permit office about a temporary occupancy permit for a renovation or a rebuild before you book anything.

Does the operator handle the site?

No. The operator delivers to the site you prepared. The receptacle, pad, wastewater plan and permit are yours, and each is a document in the request to the adjuster.

A tape measure stretched across a concrete driveway with a receptacle box and a folded permit form at the end

RV lot feasibility checklist: county rules, power, pad and wastewater for an RV on your property

The checklist for living in an RV on your own lot after a disaster: the published county rules from LA County and Maui County, the receptacle and pad measurements that match a national fleet, the wastewater plan, and the packet to send the adjuster.

Share a few details. We will follow up with options that fit.

Key facts

LA County: a County Disaster Recovery Permit under EO N-9-25 allows a manufactured home, mobilehome or RV, closing by January 16, 2028, not on a debris field.
Maui County: temporary structures including RVs for 42 months plus one 18-month extension, after debris clearance, with sewer or approved wastewater and licensed electrical and plumbing work.
59 percent of reporting units on one national fleet are 30-amp; median length 32 feet (measured 2026-09-18).
A county absent from the table is unchecked, not permissive.

The six checks

Confirm the county's rule. Find whether your county has published a post-disaster temporary housing permit. Check debris clearance requirements, the permit deadline and whether the lot must be clear of debris before placement.
Measure the pad. A level surface long enough for a 32-foot unit plus the tow or delivery vehicle, with overhead clearance for trees and wires on the approach.
Quote the power. Ask an electrician for a TT-30 receptacle within cord reach, or a 50-amp receptacle if the unit requires it. A household 15 or 20 amp outlet is not a plan.
Settle water and sewer. Potable water access with freeze protection, and a sewer hookup, septic approval or scheduled pump-out. Where the county requires approved wastewater, get that approval first.
Check setbacks and the HOA. Property-line and septic setbacks, and the HOA's written position on a temporary unit during a rebuild.
Send the packet. Put the county rule, the pad measurements, the electrician's quote and the wastewater plan in one email to the adjuster with the placement request.

What have counties published?

Two counties have published post-disaster on-lot rules. A county absent from this table is unchecked, not permissive.

Jurisdiction	Instrument	Allows	Duration	Conditions
Los Angeles County (unincorporated areas)January 2025 fires	County Disaster Recovery Permit under California Executive Order N-9-25	a manufactured home, a mobilehome, or a recreational vehicle as temporary housing on a fire-damaged residential lot	Temporary housing must close by January 16, 2028, or within 30 days after the executive order ends, whichever comes first.	The unit cannot be placed on an existing debris field. Residents in incorporated cities such as Los Angeles, Pasadena, Malibu and Sierra Madre use their city's process instead. Permit fees, hookup and setback rules are not stated on the county page; confirm at a One-Stop Permit Center. LA County Recovers, Temporary Housing Permit Process (read 2026-09-06)
Maui CountyAugust 2023 Lahaina fire	Ordinance 5685 and the Mayor's Emergency Proclamation Relating to Wildfires	temporary structures used for housing, including trailers and recreational vehicles, approved by the Office of Recovery	Permitted initially for 42 months, with one automatic extension of up to 18 additional months on application.	A debris clean-up certificate must be issued first. Connection to county sewer or a Department of Health approved individual wastewater system. Compliance with the county fire code, with certification from a licensed structural engineer or architect. Licensed electrical and plumbing contractors; a building permit before placement and occupancy. Maui Recovers, Temporary Housing (read 2026-09-06)

What power and pad does the fleet need?

Fifty-nine percent of reporting units are 30-amp and the median unit is 32 feet long. Quote a TT-30 receptacle within cord reach and measure a level 32-foot pad plus approach clearance before delivery is scheduled.

When the lot fails, the next step is a monthly park pad, and the unit choice is on the RV fleet page.

Questions people ask

Do I need a permit to live in an RV on my lot after a disaster?: In LA County and Maui County, yes, and both publish the conditions. Elsewhere, ask the county permit office; the answer goes in the packet to the adjuster either way.
What electrical service does the RV need?: Most units need a 30-amp TT-30 receptacle within cord reach; four in ten need 50-amp. Ask the electrician for a written quote before the adjuster call. A household 15 or 20 amp outlet is not a plan.
How big must the pad be?: Level and long enough for a 32-foot unit plus the tow or delivery vehicle, with overhead clearance for trees and wires on the approach. Measure before delivery is scheduled.
What about sewer?: A sewer hookup, a septic approval or a scheduled pump-out. Where the county requires approved wastewater before placement, get that approval first; a park pad with sewer is the fallback.
Can I live in an RV on my own lot during a renovation, rather than after a loss?: That is a zoning question and the answer is often different from the post-disaster one, because the emergency permits counties publish are tied to a declared disaster. Ask the permit office about a temporary occupancy permit for a renovation or a rebuild before you book anything.
Does the operator handle the site?: No. The operator delivers to the site you prepared. The receptacle, pad, wastewater plan and permit are yours, and each is a document in the request to the adjuster.

What to do next

Find whether your county has published a post-disaster temporary housing permit and its conditions.
Measure the pad and the approach clearance.
Get a written quote for a TT-30 or 50-amp receptacle within cord reach.
Settle water and sewer, and the HOA's written position.
Send the county rule, measurements, electrician's quote and wastewater plan to the adjuster with the placement request.

How we know

Each finding below names its source, what we did to it, what it means for you and what it costs to ignore. Figures marked measured decay and are re-measured before they are 60 days old.

How we know

Source: LA County permits a manufactured home, mobilehome or RV on a fire-damaged lot under a County Disaster Recovery Permit, closing by January 16, 2028, and not on a debris field. Maui County permits temporary structures including RVs for 42 months plus one 18-month extension, after debris clearance, with sewer or approved wastewater, fire code compliance and licensed electrical and plumbing work.LA County Recovers, Temporary Housing Permit Process; Maui Recovers, Temporary Housing
Operation: Compiled the two published post-disaster on-lot rules into one list of conditions a household can check before it asks.
Consequence: Before the adjuster call, confirm debris clearance status, the wastewater path and the permit deadline for your county. Where your county has published nothing, that silence is the first question for the permit office.
Cost: A unit delivered before the debris certificate is a unit that has to leave.

Reviewed by Ben Kiser, long-term RV placement specialist. Published 2026-09-06. Updated 2026-09-07.

Sources

LA County Recovers, Temporary Housing Permit Process (accessed 2026-09-06)
Maui Recovers, Temporary Housing (accessed 2026-09-06)
Outdoorsy public search feed, one national RV rental fleet (699 active units, measured 2026-09-18) (accessed 2026-09-18)
Washington OIC, Additional living expenses coverage (accessed 2026-09-06)

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