California Factory-Built Housing Law.

Crime Education Housing

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: McKinnor
Last action: 2025-07-09
Official status: In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide information about penalties for violations of the law.

California Factory-Built Housing Law

This law updates the rules for factory-built housing in California by expanding its application to include developments that use at least 50% of their residential space with factory-made houses and shifting inspection duties from local governments to the state Department of Housing and Community Development.

What This Bill Does

Expands the existing California Factory-Built Housing Law to cover factory-built developments, which are projects using at least half of their residential space with factory-made houses.
Removes the requirement for local governments to inspect and enforce rules on factory-built housing, shifting these responsibilities to the state Department of Housing and Community Development.
Allows licensed architects to approve plans for factory-built housing under penalty of perjury, instead of requiring approval from design agencies.
Requires that approved plans or specifications be marked with a unique serial number and can only be used in subsequent projects if building standards remain unchanged.

Who It Names or Affects

People who build, sell, or buy factory-made houses in California.
Local governments that previously had inspection duties for factory-built housing.
Architects licensed by the state of California.

Terms To Know

Factory-Built Housing: Homes built entirely or mostly in a factory and then transported to their final location.
Design Approval Agencies: Organizations that check if plans for factory-built housing meet safety standards.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify when it will take effect.
It is unclear how much this change will affect local governments' budgets and resources.

Bill History

2025-07-09 California Legislative Information
In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.
2025-06-11 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on HOUSING.
2025-06-03 California Legislative Information
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
2025-06-02 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 76. Noes 0. Page 1837.)
2025-05-27 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-05-23 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (May 23).
2025-05-21 California Legislative Information
Joint Rule 62(a), file notice suspended. (Page 1627.)
2025-05-21 California Legislative Information
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
2025-05-14 California Legislative Information
In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.
2025-04-28 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on APPR. pursuant to Assembly Rule 96.
2025-04-28 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on L. GOV.
2025-04-24 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on L. GOV. Read second time and amended.
2025-04-24 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on L. GOV. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (April 24). Re-referred to Com. on L. GOV.
2025-04-24 California Legislative Information
(Pending re-refer to Com. on L. GOV.)
2025-04-24 California Legislative Information
Assembly Rule 56 suspended. (Page 1265.)
2025-03-25 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on H. & C.D.
2025-03-24 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on H. & C.D. Read second time and amended.
2025-03-24 California Legislative Information
Referred to Coms. on H. & C.D. and L. GOV.
2025-02-13 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be heard in committee March 15.
2025-02-12 California Legislative Information
Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 557, as amended, McKinnor.
California Factory-Built Housing Law.
Existing law, the California Factory-Built Housing Law, requires all factory-built housing after a specified date that is sold or offered for sale to first users within the state to bear insignia of approval issued by the department, deems that housing to comply with the requirements of all ordinances or regulations enacted by any city, city and county, county, or district that may be applicable to the construction of housing, as specified, and prohibits a city, city and county, county, and district from requiring submittal of plans for any factory-built housing manufactured, or to be manufactured pursuant to these provisions, as specified.
The law requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to enforce its provisions, except for in-plant inspections of the manufacture and installation of
factory-built housing by local enforcement or inspection agencies, as specified.
Existing law requires the department to provide by regulation for the qualification and disqualification of design approval agencies to perform approval of factory-built housing plans and
specification and of quality assurance agencies to perform inspections of factory-built housing. Existing law
specifications and
makes approval by these agencies the equivalent of department approval.
The law requires the department to adopt rules and regulations to interpret and make specific these provisions, as specified.
The law provides that any person who violates any of these provisions and other specified law is guilty of a misdemeanor, as specified.
This bill would
expand the application of the California Factory-Built Housing Law to include the inspection and approval of factory-built developments,
defined to mean any development project that uses factory-built housing for at least 50% of the residential square footage of the project. The bill would remove the inspection and enforcement duties on local governments and would require the department to provide by regulation for the qualification and disqualification of installation inspection agencies, as defined and specified. The bill would additionally authorize licensed architects, under penalty of perjury, to approve factory-built housing and factory-built development plans and specifications on behalf of the department. The bill would
require plans or specifications of factory-built housing approved pursuant to these provisions to be approved by unit serial
number, as specified. The bill would make conforming changes.
number and would authorize the approved plans or
specifications to be used in subsequent development projects unless building standards relating to factory-built housing are modified, as specified. The bill would require the department and the design approval agencies to limit their review to the portions of a plan or specification that has not already received approval, as specified.
By expanding the scope of
existing crimes,
an existing crime,
this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no
reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities.

Current Bill Text

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