RV parking rules in Marshalltown

Marshalltown RV parking at a glance

Start with the parking surface, not the size of the RV

Marshalltown distinguishes a connected driveway or driveway extension from a separate parking pad. Ordinary residential parking must be completely on an allowed parking area or in a permanent roofed enclosure. An empty patch of lawn is not a parking area simply because the RV fits. The residential rules apply to residential-zoned districts and residential-use properties, regardless of zone.

Can I use a separate rear-yard parking pad?

The unconnected-pad route allows one pad per residential property. It must be entirely in the rear yard, no larger than 324 square feet, and at least five feet from every property line. It also needs five feet from other structures on three sides; one side may be adjacent to a structure on the property. The listed pad materials are concrete, asphalt and solid brick/pavers.

There are conditions beyond those measurements. The combined pad and accessory-structure area must fit the applicable accessory-structure limit. The RV must be licensed or registered by the owner or tenant. The access route must retain vegetation without ruts or bare tire tracks. Commercial use is restricted, and placing a pad in an easement, if allowed, leaves removal and repair risk with the owner. These rules do not automatically approve construction.

April 2026 Ordinance 15116 updated zoning yard and lot-line definitions and accessory-structure locations. In particular, a rear yard excludes the street-side yard. Have the City confirm the boundaries on a corner or unusual lot; the checker does not classify yards from the address.

What about a connected driveway or extension?

Do not apply the separate-pad rule to every driveway. Section 72.037 uses the installation date, yard location and street or alley connection to determine allowed surfaces. Continuously maintained pre-2010 driveways have different material allowances from later driveways. For installations on or after October 1, 2024, rear and side areas generally require concrete, asphalt, seal coat or solid bricks; the gravel/crushed-stone exception requires the specified connection through the driveway to a gravel street, gravel alley or grassed alley.

Width, garage configuration, approved access and front-yard extension authorization also matter. All wheels and other ground-contact components must stay on the allowed surface. Qualifying large lots, approved PUD rules, older configurations and jointly approved variations have specific conditions: ask Engineering and Planning to check the actual approval before relying on an exception.

Does a long RV count differently?

For the outdoor vehicle-count rules, a vehicle, trailer or RV longer than 30 feet counts as two. The maximum total depends on the dwelling category and the zoning parking table; the stated trailer limit also applies to the listed household dwelling categories. This is not a universal two-RV allowance. An unlicensed or inoperable RV cannot be left outdoors in a residential yard or driveway merely because there is space.

Can I leave the RV on the street instead?

A residential-pad result does not cover streets, alleys or municipal parking lots. Those locations have separate time, signage, vehicle-class, configuration and authorization rules. Recent amendments include changes to specific street parking schedules. Check the exact block or lot with the City rather than moving the RV off the property and assuming it can remain there.

Can guests sleep in the RV?

This guide and checker concern parking an unoccupied RV. Sleeping in it, hosting guests, making utility connections and ongoing residence are separate questions governed by camper-use, zoning and other rules. Ask the City to confirm the current requirements for the parcel and intended use before anyone stays in the RV. A compliant parking surface is not occupancy permission.

What should I check before preparing a parking spot?

Bring a simple site sketch showing the property lines, yard boundaries, pad or driveway dimensions, nearby structures and access route. Include the driveway installation history and any permit or variance. Ask Engineering and Planning which route applies and whether the proposed surface, combined accessory area, access and vehicle count comply. If the plan is on-street, check with the City about that exact block and current signs rather than relying on the general time limit.

Which source rules does this guide use?

The selected pad rules are in the City's signed Ordinance 15092, adopted November 11, 2024, and appear as section 72.039 in the hosted code. Signed Ordinance 15116, adopted April 27, 2026, updates accessory-structure locations and zoning yard definitions; those changes are included in the site-boundary guidance here. The hosted overview identifies supplement S-14 through May 26, 2026, while the retrieved individual parking pages display S-13. We checked the signed originals rather than assuming those edition labels match.

The later original amendments reviewed were 15122–15126, 15128 and 15134; none changes the selected private-pad clause. This is not a claim that every parcel approval or later ordinance has been resolved. Special approvals, current boundaries and the requirements beyond the selected pad checks still need City confirmation. Occupancy and public parking are outside the checker.

Who to contact for your setup

Confirm the parcel and plans with Marshalltown Engineering and Planning; ask the City about exact street restrictions. Start with the official City of Marshalltown contact information.

Use the Marshalltown parking checker to organize the starting conditions. The checker cannot approve a parcel, a variance or an unverified exception.

Official sources reviewed October 25, 2026

• Signed Ordinance 15092: parking rules

  Adopted November 11, 2024. Full original chapter; residential unconnected pad conditions in 72.205(B), consolidated as 72.039(B).

• Residential parking in the hosted code

  72.039: rear-only unconnected pad, 324-square-foot ceiling and five-foot clearances.

• Signed Ordinance15116: accessory locations and yard definitions

  April27,2026 amendment. Yard classifications and other zoning requirements remain part of the site review.

• Official uncodified ordinance index

  Later amendments must be read alongside the hosted code.

A review date records when we checked these sources. The notes above explain any use of older code editions or limits on access to the full source; an address-specific city determination may still be required. Read our research method.