A “tiny house on wheels” (THOW) can be built most anywhere, with
backyards, driveways, and borrowed shop space being the most
common for DIY builds.
The big issue for tiny houses is where to park and live when complete.
Some stay where they’re built, others are put on the road while staying
in RV parks and “driveway surfing” for short periods of time, and others
tucked away off-grid. But its hard to live “under the radar” for long, and
some nosy neighbors turn whistle blowers and tattle to The Man.
Few DIY THOWs are inspected during their builds. For good our bad,
their “on-wheels” status negates official inspection, and their RV
classification often defaults their use as a domicile in most
municipalities. Using a tiny house as a permitted single family dwelling
is rare, and largely unwanted by zoning officials at this time.
Establishing communities with protections for neighboring property
values via the same means many tiny housers eschew — pre-approved
housing developments with HOAs governed by strict covenants and
restrictions — appears to be the most likely long term course of action.
There is hope, though it will only come from lots of advocacy efforts,
some political posturing, and increased efforts to legitimize and legalize
tiny house living.
Contact us with other questions, suggestions, or requests.
Live Large — Go Tiny!
Thom Stanton
