California RV Parks — Free Assessment
Eight questions about your park's current compliance status. A clear Low, Medium, or High risk rating — with specific factors and what to do about each one.
Answer all 8 questions, then click Analyze. Results appear below the form.
1. What is your current Permit to Operate status with HCD?
Look this up at hcd.ca.gov if you're unsure — it's public information.
2. When was your park last inspected by an HCD inspector?
HCD's goal is to inspect at least 5% of parks annually. Parks with prior issues get prioritized.
3. Do you have any open HCD citations or Notices to Correct outstanding?
This is the single biggest compliance risk factor. Even one unresolved notice puts your PTO at risk.
4. What is your water and sewer situation?
Well and septic systems are the most common source of serious HCD infrastructure violations — especially aging septic with capacity issues.
5. What is the condition of your electrical infrastructure?
Unpermitted electrical work and outdated service panels are among the most common serious HCD violations. Any work done without permits is a liability.
6. Are your fire hydrants certified current under California Title 25?
Private fire hydrant certification is required annually for most HCD-regulated parks. A lapsed certification is a citable violation discovered in virtually every inspection.
7. Is your park manager certified under California Title 25?
Title 25 requires park managers to complete a state-approved training course. Uncertified management is a citable violation, though one of the easiest to correct.
8. Have any tenant complaints been filed with HCD about your park?
Tenant complaints trigger inspections. Even one formal complaint filed with HCD puts your park on the inspection priority list and can initiate a compliance review.
Answer all 8 questions above before clicking. Results appear below the form.
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What HCD Actually Evaluates
HCD inspectors work from a checklist rooted in California Health and Safety Code and Title 25 regulations. They look at both park infrastructure (roads, utilities, common areas) and individual site conditions. Knowing what they prioritize helps you understand which items carry the most risk.
| What They Check | Risk Level | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Water and sewer systems | High | Failed septic or contaminated well water triggers immediate enforcement. Most expensive to remediate. |
| Electrical infrastructure | High | Unpermitted work or panels with safety deficiencies. Every inspector checks this. |
| Fire hydrant certification | Medium | Annual certification required. Almost universally cited when overdue — but relatively easy to fix. |
| Road and access conditions | Medium | Roads must allow emergency vehicle access. Serious potholes or width restrictions are citable. |
| Manager certification | Medium | Relatively easy to resolve — get the manager certified. But uncertified management is always cited. |
| Permit to Operate posting | Low | Permit must be displayed prominently. Easy fix if cited — obtain and post. |
| Emergency preparedness plan | Low | Required documentation. Administratively correctable without physical work. |
| Unpermitted structures on sites | Medium | Sheds, additions, enclosures built without permits. Resolution varies — some require demolition. |
When Compliance Pressure Becomes a Selling Factor
When California RV park owners discover or receive HCD compliance issues, they typically end up on one of three paths. None of them is automatically right or wrong — the right one depends on the severity of the issue, your financial position, and how much longer you want to own this park.
Fix it and stay. If citations are manageable and costs are within reach, correcting the issues is the right move for owners who still have a long runway ahead of them. Administrative violations cost almost nothing. Infrastructure violations cost more but are often financeable. This path makes sense when you have strong cash flow, years of operation left, and the capital to fund corrections without straining the business.
Contest citations you believe are wrong. HCD has an administrative appeals process. If specific citations were issued in error or the inspector misapplied the code, you can request a reinspection or formal hearing. This is worth pursuing when citations are genuinely questionable. It is not worth pursuing as a delay tactic — HCD has seen that approach and it rarely ends well.
Sell the park as-is. If remediation costs are high, you were already thinking about selling, or the compliance pressure is making the park feel like a liability rather than an asset — selling to a direct buyer who understands compliance situations is a legitimate exit. Buyers who specialize in distressed or compliance-burdened parks price in the remediation cost honestly. You avoid funding a repair cycle on a park you were already considering leaving.
Whichever path you're on, starting the conversation early — before citations escalate into enforcement actions — gives you the most options. HCD enforcement follows a timeline, and the earlier you engage, the more flexibility you have.