Tiny House Building Codes

Tiny houses fall in the cracks between existing, and accepted, types of
homes. To help you go boldly into the fight, we’ve provided a little
overview to help you be an aware buyer, and keep you compliant with
codes should you go the DIY route. Oh… and a closing bit of RAH-RAH
LET’S GO TEAM!

Overview of Applicable Standards

To date, there are no official tiny house building codes, but that doesn’t
mean you’re in the clear to build whatever you want.

Some manufacturers construct units to meet the appropriate building
standards such as those of the International Building Code (IRC), U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Park Model RV
code (ANSI), and any Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC).

Let’s take a closer look at what might might apply when building a tiny
house on wheels, known as a THOW. Now you may ask, “why the
initials?” Our guess, because we’re more official with our own acronym.

International Residential Build Code (IRC and IBC)

The International Code Council (ICC) is the conglomeration of three
governing bodies who came together to cooperatively develop the
International Residential Code (IRC) which has a rich and intriguing
history based on safety protocols for addressing high wind conditions
and strong seismic concerns.

If you are building a structure for placement on a permanent
foundation, be sure to check with your local municipality for specifics
on the planning, permitting, inspection, and certification process. While
the tiny house universe is full of rebels, building a conventional home
will likely fall under the purview of this category.

As with many things in life, when it comes to using codes and standards
to build a permissible structure “you may not like ’em, but you’re gonna
have to use ’em!”

Industrialized Building Units (IBU)

These may be built as single standalone units or modular components
that are built in the controlled environment of a manufacturing plant
before being transported to the build site. Plans, building methods,
delivery vehicles, and final placement are strictly governed. Indiana’s
application process is nicely outlined.

Mobile offices, classroom trailers, and other commercial buildings are
examples or Registered Industrialized Buildings, and are often built on a
basic trailer for quick relocation with safe and secure leveling. Garden
sheds and other forms of “portable buildings” — often employing skids
for off-site construction, relocation, and stabilization — are a form of
Unregistered Industrialized Building, and are not meant for habitation.

Should you wish to use either an existing Registered or Unregistered
Industrialized Building as the base for your tiny house, be sure to check
with your local building department first on the viability for a Change of
Occupancy permit. Do this before you procure, relocate, and — most
importantly — start adapting the structure from its intended and
permitted use for another purpose.

Remember, once you begin building on site — whether on skids, wheels,
or permanent foundation — you are subject to inspection. There are
even methods built into the Virginia IBSR code for citing those who are
non-compliant and move the building off-site. Note how there’s
direction to cite the name of those who help relocate your project and
it’s destination.

Big Brother is watching, so it’s better to know before you go and start
building. Check your state’s codes first!

Manufactured Homes (MH)

Previously called “mobile homes” or “trailer homes,” Manufactured
Homes are a form of Industrialized Building. As MHs are intended for
habitation, they must “meet or exceed” the Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) national performance codes. The nationally
applied HUD standard supersedes state. county, and municipal codes.

More recently, “modular homes” have been introduced that include a
wide variety of component elements that comprise various features of
the finished home. The components may be mixed-n-matched to
provide myriad configurations and floor plan layouts. All modular
building units must be pre-approved for code compliance and inspected
at the manufacturing center by a state approved agency before
transportation to the building site.

Modular building units are transported in one or more sections to the
property, and “sited” on permanent foundations. Permits and
inspections are necessary for the foundation system, anchoring
method, and any on-site construction, after which the homeowner is
granted a Certificate of Occupancy (CO).

Upon receipt of the CO, most of us will pop some bubbly!

Park Model Recreational Vehicles (PMRV)

Spoiler Alert: Sadly, while this standard may seem the simplest code to
apply to your little home building project, it isn’t accepted by local
building departments for construction for a tiny house on wheels.

First the good news. A park model RV is built on a permanent chassis,
with removable wheels, axles, and tongue for placement set on semi-
permanent foundation. PMRVs do not typically require a Certificate of
Occupancy (CO). Once in place skirting, decking, and other features that
expand the look of an otherwise utilitarian road-ready structure, albeit
within the guidelines provided within a campground’s code for
compliance.

As a base structure, park model RVs provide a larger footprint than the
standard RV’s maximum width of 8′-6″, with PMRV designs being up to
399 square feet (HUD applies to 400 sf or larger). This maximum square
footage excludes lofts as they do not meet minimum standing height
requirements and may be presented as “elevated storage” or furniture
like bunk beds.

Now the tough part. PMRVs are designed for recreational use and
seasonal living, and their standards often fall well below HUD’s “code
minimum” standards for full-time habitation.

And that’s the “kick-out clause” that keeps tiny house builders a wee bit
over the border.

Park Model Certification

From a compliance standpoint, park model RVs that carry an official seal
are built under specific certification criteria outlined in an American
National Standard Institute’s document: ANSI 119.5.

ANSI 119.5 Park Trailer Standard outlines over 500 design, construction,
and safety protocols for certifying compliance for manufacturers of park
model trailers. The PMRV standard of certification is administered and
enforced by the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) in
conjunction with other third-party certification organizations like Pacific
West Associates (PWA).

Manufacturers listed with RVIA as certified member manufacturers
agree to uphold the standards outlined within the ANSI standard and
accept a random site inspection every few weeks. An official seal can be
affixed only by member manufacturers of these professional
associations, and while many tiny houses “meet or exceed” most of the
prescriptive code, the manufacturer is certified, not the structure.

Some areas are seeing success in the application of ANSI 119.5 as a
building standard for tiny houses on wheels and accessory dwelling
units (ADU). However, the RVIA carefully guards the use of ANSI 119.5 for
their own purposes within the recreational vehicle — not housing —
industry.

Curious to study the code? Download a copy of ANSI 119.5.

Tiny House on Wheels (THOW)

The iconic tiny house is a small, trailer-based, road-ready structure with
all the amenities of home. This micro-sized domicile, often includes a
living area, sleeping space, food preparation features, a lavatory, and in
many cases, a shower, lots of shelves, clever built-in storage solutions,
and multipurpose spaces with multifunctional furniture.

The mini-home often encompasses a wide variety of architectural styles,
and builders exercise greater flexibility in the choice of color palette,
styles, and aesthetics than employed by conventional homes. Tiny
house people encourage community building, with many mini-homes
being constructed by paid-participation workshops, free meetup
groups, and groups of families-n-friends who comprise an ad hoc team
of backyard builders.

There is an increasing wealth of tiny house resources available including
full-fledged building plan sets, how-to videos, and documents, with
many freely available online. Some consider the Tiny House Movement
to be a building revolution, yet there are many challenges and obstacles
that face tiny house builders.

Stuck in the Middle

A tiny house, sometimes referred to as a tiny home, lacks any form of
real definition. This open-ended flexibility has given rise to truly ground-
breaking change in the ways and means of small space design and
home construction. While the lack of official standards may be viewed
as a wink-and-smile symbol of freedom, the lack of our industry’s
official designation may be our greatest Achilles heel.

The desire to build one’s own home is a core human trait. And, the Tiny
House Movement is filled with do-it-yourself homeowner
designer/builders relying on various tools for inspiration, engagement,
and self education. Some press play and learn from professionally
produced how-to videos. Others chose to create custom plans, purchase
ready-to-assemble kits, or commission prefabricated shells. More still
want a fully finished tiny homes on wheels that ready to roll. And for
those seeking a true hands-on experience participate in tiny house
workshops that provide labor and guidance throughout the process.

Regardless of what you’d like to believe your All-American rights and
freedoms to include, the government provides strict direction to guide
and regulate home building. Like it or not, the codes were initially
designed and are continually updated for the interests of public safety,
and we’ve put people in place to govern and enforce accepted zoning
ordinances and building standards.

While everyone wants to craft their own home brew into a best-of-blend
for prescriptive standards and best practices… while we’d like to say our
homes meet-or-exceed most of the standards… while we’d like to think
we can build what we want, where we want, and how we want…
well, that’s not a reality here in the modern day U-S-of-A.

Looking to the Future

From my personal perspective, I believe it’s best to assess what is
accepted practice, and learn from what is now along the cutting edge.
We have the opportunity — right now — to be heard by our
representatives, and offer a helping hand in the modification of policy
for legal tiny house building and living.

Unfortunately, the cuteness of tiny houses has us caught up in the
moment, and many “tiny house” builders enjoy a seemingly loopholed
exclusion from existing building standards. From a long term
perspective, I believe the sky darkens and a day of reckoning is a-comin’.
Be forewarned, states and municipalities are increasingly wised to
proposed ways to crack the code, stay under-the-radar, and live off-grid.
It’s the job of a building code enforcement team to find, fine, and
restrict those who attempt to beat standards within our existing
systems.

Wishing and complaining won’t help. We owe it to ourselves to help our
local and state representatives understand our wants, needs, and
desires. Let us catalog who we are, agree upon needs for safety, outline
our likes in new features for small structures, and affect change through
legal means within the system. Let us look at existing standards and
define what makes a tiny house different from larger model homes
currently accepted as a “good enough” minimum in size and standard.
Let us applaud this revolutionary shift in thinking, and show how bigger
isn’t necessarily better when carried on the shoulders of a collapsing
middle class society in a shrinking global economy.

There’s a growing gap between the minimum sizes and standards
required by many municipalities, and the adapted interests in more
minimal living as represented by the tiny house community. Its true, we
have our easily identified icons and online advocates, though we lack a
larger voice that speaks on behalf of the greater good.

Let us do more than just sit, smile, and enjoy the show. We have genuine
needs and interests, and must demand more than the false hope
promoted by those who continually cash in on the tiny house trend.

Shared Goals and Aspirations

My goal is to understand the existing requirements and find ways to
design small homes that legally live within the prescriptive guidelines.
Further, I hope to help foster change where outdated codes and overly
restrictive zoning regulations limit our right to live in smaller homes in
communities or private land.

Public safety concerns always add a layer of complexity and will
maintain a form of restriction. However, if our proposed practices do not
pose harm to ourselves or others, what’s the big issue about a tiny
house?

In the end, we have our rights, and must fight for our freedom. Join us in
this time of change, or merely wish us luck with this ongoing challenge!