Code Change Appendix BB Tiny Houses Did Not Include Chassis

When ICC/THIA 1215 standard was submitted to ANSI Standard Actions, this was the pins notification.

New Standard

BSR/ICC/THIA 1215-202x, Design, Construction, Inspection and Regulation of Tiny Houses for Permanent Occupancy

(new standard)

Stakeholders: Tiny house builders, building code officials, building product manufacturers, architects, engineers,

third-party plan review and inspection agencies, consumer advocates, homeowners and renters.

Project Need: Tiny houses are growing in popularity as communities look to address affordable housing issues and

home buyers are looking for new housing options. This standard will codify existing requirements for the design,

construction, inspection and certification of tiny houses used as permanent dwellings into a single standard and

address identified gaps in available requirements for foundations and chassis. The 2021 International Residential

Code (including Appendix AQ), and ICC/MBI Standards 1200 and 1205 will serve as the initial base documents with

references to other existing standards.

Interest Categories: Manufacturer, Builder, Standards Promulgator/Testing Laboratory, User, Utility, Consumer,

Public Segment, Government Regulator, Insurance This standard will provide minimum requirements for the design, construction, inspection, certification, and

regulatory compliance of tiny houses used for permanent occupancy to assure public safety, sustainability, and

resilience. The standard will include: consensus definitions for tiny houses and related terminology; ; prescriptive and

performance based compliance methods for tiny house foundations and chassis; and plan review, inspection and

certification requirements for tiny houses constructed onsite and off-site. The standard will address tiny houses built

on a foundation and those with wheels and a permanent chassis intended for permanent occupancy. The 2021

International Residential Code (including Appendix AQ), and ICC/MBI Standards 1200 and 1205 will serve as the initial

base documents with references to other existing standards. The standard will be written in mandatory code-

intended language to support use by manufacturers and adoption by jurisdictions globally. This standard will not address tiny houses used for temporary

or seasonal occupancy, or tiny house community development or microgrids.

Link

The Draft Of The Standard Is Out Of Compliance With The Original Intent Of The Standard

The draft of the standard is out of compliance with the title, scope, and working group scopes, and has been hijacked by a new term-Small Residential Unit ( SRU)  as a  primary focus of the standard that they seek to position over a tiny house, placing a tiny house as a sub-category under the Small Residential Unit.

The term Tiny House is a codified term in the IRC, and the Small Residential Unit is a new term that is not currently inclusive in the IRC, IBC, or used by building officials, engineers,

And more. The committee failed to submit a new pins notification as required by ANSI because of substantive changes. It was requested and denied. 

The code proposal change does nor correlate with the definitions of the small residential unit or tiny house definition in the standard and conflicts with

Each other.

Definitions In 1215 

SMALL RESIDENTIAL UNIT (SRU). A dwelling unit that is 1,200 square feet or less constructed as a

permanent residential structure with or without a PERMANENT CHASSIS system.

TINY HOUSES.  A SMALL RESIDENTIAL UNIT 400 square feet or less with or without a PERMANENT

CHASSIS system

The Working Group Scopes Of 1215

Work Group One Scoping Statement: 

Under the direction of the IS-OSMTH Committee, Working Group 1 will create draft versions of

the “Application and Administration” and “Definitions” chapters of the ICC/THIA 1215 Standard

for Tiny Houses as residential dwellings with or without wheels and deliver those draft versions

to the IS-OSMTH. 

Work Group Two  Scoping Statement:

Under the direction of the IS-OSMTH Committee, Working Group 2 will address the design criteria for tiny houses, including provisions for Fire Safety, Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, Gas and Fuel, Energy and Structural Design.

Work Group Three  Scoping Statement:

Under the direction of the IS-OSMTH Committee, Working Group 3 will create draft versions of 

The “Transportation and Storage” and “Installation” chapters of the ICC/THIA 1215 Standard for 

Tiny Houses and deliver those draft versions to the IS-OSMTH committee for review.

Work Group Four  Scoping Statement:

Under the direction of the IS-OSMTH Committee, Working Group 4 will create draft versions of the Manufacturing and Fabrication chapters of the ICC/THIA 1215 Standard for Tiny Houses and deliver those draft versions to the IS-OSMTH committee for review.

The mandatory work group scoping statements for OSMTH 1215 do NOT include the term Small Residential Unit ( SRU) at all, so the current draft is NOT in compliance with the work group scopes. The small residential unit is beyond the approved scope of this standard. 

The term Small Residential Unit Is Also Not In The Title Or Scope Of The Standard.

The code change does nor correlate with the definitions of the small residential unit or tiny house definition in the standard

Definitions In 1215 

SMALL RESIDENTIAL UNIT (SRU). A dwelling unit that is 1,200 square feet or less constructed as a

permanent residential structure with or without a PERMANENT CHASSIS system.

TINY HOUSES.  A SMALL RESIDENTIAL UNIT 400 square feet or less with or without a PERMANENT

CHASSIS system

These Are Questions I Propose To The Proponents

We have had a lot of debate in the 1215 committee, and many are concerned that the Small Residential Unit will bring confusion in the marketplace and erase the great progress Appendix Q Tiny Houses, now known as Appendix BB Tiny Houses have brought to the tiny house industry in the first steps of uniformity across the nation through the adoption of the appendix.

The term Small Residential Unit has no place in this standard,  the size of house already exists, on a chassis, it would be a frame on modular, or a manufactured home if it is larger than 400 square feet. and it will cause unintended consequences to houses of that size.

Thank you,

Janet Thome President
Tiny House Alliance USA