ASTM Tiny Houses Held First Inaugural Meeting
On Dec. 19th, 2022, the newly approved ASTM Tiny Houses subcommittee E06.26 held the very first inaugural meeting.
Background
ASTM International’s committee on performance of buildings (E06) has approved a new subcommittee on tiny houses.
The subcommittee intends to address a lack of express, unified standards for tiny houses, as throughout the world they have been variously designated as impermanent residences or grouped together with recreational vehicles and caravans. An initial primary focus of the subcommittee will be to develop a uniform construction standard for a tiny house on wheels that will result in a new classification of housing.
“A tiny house is a marketing term, and at this time there is no official definition, classification, or statutory construction method applying to tiny houses on wheels,” says ASTM International member Janet Thome, founder and president of Tiny House Alliance USA. “The lack of uniform industry standards has sparked court cases, titling issues, unsafe building practices, the lack of financing and zoning, and a global debate: is a tiny house on wheels a building or a vehicle?”
ASTM International Subcommittee E06.26 Tiny Houses Chair
Julia Schimmelpenningh is on the ASTM International Board Of Directors, the chair of E06 Performamce of Buildings Committee and chair of E06. 26 Tiny Houses subcommittee.
At the Dec.19th, 2022 meeting, the members were introduced to Frank McConnell, the ASTM staff member in charge of the Tiny Houses subcommittee and to Julia Schimmelpennigh, the chair. Frank has been an amazing, attentive staff manager and we are very excited to have Julia as our chair that we will be able to glean over 32 years of experience with ASTM International.
There were 45 members in attendance and Frank presented a new members orientation. Julia listed the scope of the subcommittee and 6 initial standards that the members will be developing based on the COTCO ( Committee On Technical Committees Operations) approval.
Learn More About The COTCO approval.
Photo Courtesy Decathlon Tiny Homes
E06.26 Tiny Houses Scope Approved By COTCO
The focus of this committee is the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards for tiny houses, with attention to safety, quality, uniformity, reliability, consumer confidence, and ethical business practices, including, but not limited to, best building practices, test methods, certification, a global quality assurance program, requirements and auditing of 3rd parties that provide plan review and inspect tiny houses, tiny house community developments, micro-grid utilities, and minimum construction requirements. The work of this committee will be coordinated with other ASTM technical committees and other national and international organizations having mutual or related interests.
Initial Standards Activity Approved By COTCO
1) E06.26.01- Terminology
2) E06.26.02-Tiny Houses On Wheels
3) E06.26.03-Tiny Houses On Foundation
4) E06.26.04-Certification ( For Administrative Provisions, Plan Review, Inspection, And Third-Party Requirements For Tiny Houses
5) E06.26.05-Tiny House Communities
6) E06.26.06-Micro-Grid Utilities
The name of the initial standards have yet to be determined and are the subject matter that will be addressed in the development of the standards. Each standard will have a task chair. Julia is taking applications for task chairs and a technical contact that are experts in the standards from the members. The task chair could possibly be the technical contact or the standard could have two members, one that is the task chair, and one that is the technical contact.
This is only a beginning list and Julia suggested we start a wish list for future standards. The E06.26 Tiny Houses subcommittee will develop and maintain the standards and the subcommittee will be in existence indefinitely.
Janet Thome Is The ASTM E06.26 Tiny Houses Membership Secretary
Janet Thome, the founder and President of Tiny House Alliance USA led the tiny house initiative to final COTCO approval of the subcommittee and is the ASTM Tiny Houses membership secretary. Janet also is the task chair and technical contact for the first standard that has been registered as a work item which is Standard Terminology For Tiny Houses.
ASTM Global Standards Poised To Disrupt Barriers To Legalize Tiny Houses On Wheels
‘’ Living in a smaller home on wheels should not be illegal, and we are thankful to have this subcommittee to come together globally and create a much-needed standard in this industry to allow consumers to confidently buy, build, and live tiny for generations to come.”
Melanie Copeland, National Spokesperson for Tiny House Alliance USA and celebrated author of Trailblazing Tiny: A Guide To Breaking Free.
Photo Courtesy Wind River Tiny Homes
There’s No Place Like a Tiny Home
“The common link globally for tiny houses is that we don’t have standards that are unique to our own industry,” says Janet Thome, ASTM member and founder and president of Tiny House Alliance USA. She was involved in the effort to establish the new subcommittee. “Is a tiny home on wheels a building or a vehicle? Well, it’s actually both. We’re excited to be able to help make those determinations as part of ASTM now.”
The subcommittee is in the process of assembling its membership, but once the group is established, it plans to begin developing its own standards, starting with tiny-house terminology and creating a uniform construction standard for tiny houses on wheels that will result in a new classification of housing. As Thome explains, that standard is particularly needed by the industry because these structures today fall through the cracks of existing regulations. “We’re not an RV, we’re not a modular home, we’re not a manufactured home. We’re trying to introduce something brand new; something that doesn’t exist.”
Related: Join The New ASTM Subcommittee On Tiny Houses E06.26
If you have a vested interest in the tiny house industry, and you want to not only know where the tiny house industry is heading, and participate and influence the direction, join us
Tiny House Alliance USA Editor
Janet Thome Founder And President
Dec. 23rd, 2022
The Future Of Tiny Is Now!
janet@tinyhouseallianceusa.org
Photo Courtesy Teacup Tiny Homes
Commercial Member And Sponsor Tiny House Alliance USA