Tiny House Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How much does a tiny house cost?

Jay’s Tumbleweed Tiny Houses are really some of the nicest tiny houses available, and in my humble opinion they represent the pinacle of design and quality. They can cost $20,000 in materials for the do-it-yourselfer, and as high as $50,000 if you want one built for you.

But many people choose to build tiny homes themselves with their own design or house plans they find online. When materials are chosen carefully, the price of a home can be brought down significantly. Two of my favorite extreme examples of inexpensive homes are The Field Lab and the covered wagon at Whittled Down.

Q: Where can I buy a tiny house?

There are many builders around the county. Here are a few of my favorite builders:

• Tumbleweed Tiny House Company
• Tortoise Shell Homes
• Little House on the Trailer
• Tiny Texas Houses
• Yes Wee Cabins
• Tiny Green Cabins
• If I missed someone please let me know!

Q: Where can I buy plans to build a tiny house?

There are a few places to buy plans too:

• Tumbleweed Tiny House Company
• Tiny House Design
• Sonoma Shanty
• Sheldon Designs
• iStockHousePlans
• FreeGreen.com
• Yes Wee Cabins
• Tiny Green Cabins

• If I missed someone please let me know!

Q: Where can I learn more about tiny houses online?

• Tiny House Design (you are here now, please subscribe and join us on Facebook)
• Tiny House Blog
• Tumbleweed Tiny House Company
• DIY-Prefab
• The Tiny Life
• RelaxShax’s Blog
• Shedworking
• Small House Society
• Lloyd Kahn’s Blog
• Project Rolling Freedom
• If I missed someone please let me know!

Q: Where can I park or build a tiny house?

Most people park their mobile tiny homes on their own property or at friend or relative’s place. Some folks travel and move around from place to place. Jonathan built a Tumbleweed Fencl and is moving from campground to campground. Sam built a tiny adobe in New Mexico and kept it tiny to avoid building codes.

The truth is that tiny houses are not well understood by the public because they are a relatively new idea for many people. This seems a bit funny to me because McMansions are the fad, people have been living in tiny houses since we moved out of caves. But in America we’ve gotten so accustomed to more More MORE that we’ve forgotten that less is more sustainable, and simple living can be more rewarding.

But nevertheless, gaining acceptance and understanding are still battles to be won. So in the mean time many people simply look for loopholes in existing rules and regulations.

Q: Are tiny houses legal?

It depends where you are and how you use it. Some communities have few building restrictions, yes even today, and are very friendly to alternative housing solutions. Other places has rules coming out their ears plus oodles of uptight neighbors. A great ebook for finding states with few codes is available called No Building Codes.

The advantage of a tiny house on wheels is that you can move it if you need to, although this doesn’t really provide long term stability if local ordinances don’t allow you to ‘camp’ on your own land in a ‘travel trailer’. But it can help you avoid planning department red tape.

People who are motivated to find solutions to their housing challenges will find the ingenuity in themselves to make it happen. The best advice I have on this is to research and learn as much as you can about the community you want to live in, and look for zoning loopholes and friendly neighbors.

Tiny houses can also be built on foundations with permits if you want to go that route. Often the biggest hurdle is getting an exception to the minimum square footage requirement, assuming your location has limits like this set for single-family zones. One common loophole is to look for land zoned multi-family and then build multiple tiny houses. It’s common for multi-family zoned areas to have no minimum size for dwellings because these zones must allow for small apartments.

Q: Do I need building permits to build a tiny house?

If a tiny house is built on a trailer it typically falls into the category of ‘travel trailer’ and building codes don’t normally apply. But it is best to build to standard building codes and make sure your house is strong enough to withstand highway speeds.

If a tiny house fits the definition of a shed it may not need permits. It’s always best to check with your local planning department before building anything, and look for the loopholes.

Two good examples of this are The Urban Rancher in the mountains outside Los Angeles and Ryo Chijiiwa in the mountains of Lassen County in California. Both have tiny structures that are technically sheds.

Q: Is anyone designing or building accessible tiny houses?

Several of us are working on more accessible tiny home designs right now. We know there is a real need for them and we’ve even experienced it ourselves as our own parents (and ourselves) get older or run into mobility related issues. I’m just not sure when I’ll have plans ready, but we all know there is a growing need and have begun to move in that direction quickly.

Q: What kind of toilets do people install in a tiny houses?

Most people are using composting toilets or RV toilets with waste tanks. The most popular composting toilet seems to be the lovable loo, a sawdust toilet developed by Joseph Jenkins. Once you get over the idea of pooping in a bucket and covering it with sawdust you’ll realize this simple solution is far more sustainable, sensible, and environmentally friendly than other choices. It’s virtually free too, which is always a plus.

The main advantage of commercial composting toilets is that they break down the waste faster by adding air, movement, and heat. All of this extra help composts the material faster requiring less storage. A simple sawdust toilet also requires a compost bin/pile so it can cook for a couple years. After that time the compost is safe for the garden.

If you build a mobile tiny house and plan to move it from place to place a commercial composing toilet is probably a better choice. If you stay on your own land a sawdust toilet may be the way to go.

Q: How do I heat and cool a tiny house?

Most people use small propane heaters or electric space heaters if they have a utility grid connection. There are many marine propane heaters on the market. Some people use wood stoves but they tend to overheat such small spaces.

Q: How do I deal with waste water (grey water)?

Many people setup their homes with grey water tanks like an RV but if you are living in one place setting up a grey water system seems ideal.

Q: Can a family live in a tiny house?

Sure, and there is no one-size-fits-all for housing. A family will need more space than an individual or couple. People that work from home will need more space. The whole idea of living simply in small spaces is that the true value of the home is realized, and the home doesn’t become a burden. In other words it’s about finding balance and the first step is reducing the number of possessions.

Q: Land is so expensive, how can I live mortgage free?

In some places land is expensive, probably due to too many regulations and demand. But there are still many places where land is cheap. The trade-off is usually location or the quality of the land. Lamar at Simple Solar Homesteading has done a great job showing people how to live mortgage free and find cheap places to live.

This is in fact one of the main reasons I blog about tiny houses. I’m really searching for the true value of a home and I don’t think homes should cost any where near what they do. The tiny house I’m building right now is nicknamed the Tiny Free House. It’s a pallet house I’m trying to build without spending money. What money I do spend, I’m recapturing by selling free stuff I find. So in the end the house will cost nothing but my time.

I’m also searching for super cheap land to park the Tiny Free House, and have found a remote subdivision in Northern California where 1-acre lots sell for about $1,500 at tax lien auctions. The place is called California Pines and has a reputation as being one of the most notorious real estate schemes from the 70′s and 80′s. Now it’s virtually deserted with just a Property Owners’ Association standing in the way of prospective do-it-yourselfer owner-builders looking for an inexpensive place to build a tiny alternative homes.

There are places like this all over, and if you do your research and make good connections with neighbors and local authorities finding a inexpensive place to live is not impossible. It will likely come with some trade-offs and lifestyle changes though.

Q: Where can I learn to live more sustainably?

One of my favorite green bloggers is The Good Human. His blog is packed with ideas for moving toward a sustainable life. Another favorite blogger is Tammy at RowdyKittens. She lives a car-free minimalist life and regularly shares her learnings. Her ebook, Simply Car-free is a great value, so if you’re considering moving away from fossil fuels start with this ebook.

If you want to peek into extreme sustainable lifestyles investigate places like the Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage, and the Pickards Mountain Eco-Institute.

Q: Are tiny houses off-the-grid?

Any tiny house can be powered by off-grid electricity, but like any off-grid house choosing to use less power will get you the lowest cost system. Giving up things like microwaves, electric heaters, blow dryers, and electric clothes dryers, will allow you to really scale down your electricity needs.

Q: How do I insure a tiny house?

Check with your insurance agent, and put it in terms they can undertand. Typically calling it a ‘custom travel trailer’, or cabin, will help them undertand what you are talking about.

Q: Can I finance a tiny house?

This is tricky because most lenders don’t undertand tiny houses yet. Some builders are working toward getting licensed as RV manufacturers. When this happens I suspect the flood gates will open up and more people will be able to build and buy tiny houses.

As tiny houses become more popular and lenders become more familiar with them I’m certain we’ll begin to see more mini-mortgage opportunities.

Q: Can you send me more information?

Not really… what I have to offer is all here in this blog and the vast majority is free. There are over 560 posts from more than two years of blogging and design. Enjoy!