Legal Places To Live In Tiny Houses
Tiny houses are experiencing a lot of progress in various jurisdictions in the last few years with the adoption of Appendix Q Tiny House and there have been many ordinances written allowing tiny houses on wheels as ADUs. We are developing a proven history that will open more doors for tiny houses as a legal dwelling.
Appendix Q Tiny House
Appendix Q Tiny House was adopted into the 2018 International Residential Code ( IRC ) building code to provide regulations and standards for tiny houses on a foundation that is 400 square feet or less. Appendix Q relaxes various requirements in the body of the code as they apply to tiny houses that are 400 square feet or less.
The International Residential Code is a comprehensive, stand-alone residential code that creates minimum regulations for one-and-two family dwellings of three stories or less.
The IRC brings together all building, plumbing, mechanical, fuel, gas, energy, and electrical for provisions for one-and two-family residences. Appendix Q was adopted to the IRC building code standards through the ICC Code Development Process.
Follow The Progress Of Appendix Q
Find Your Tribe
This is a state by state beginning community list. I am including tiny house villages, RV Parks, and more. This is going to be a page in progress as I keep adding all the successes in the industry. If you are reading this and you know of a place or a community that is not listed, please contact me.
Alaska
Sitka, Alaska
Tonight, The City and Borough of Sitka, Alaska creates history for the tiny home industry. The second and final reading for ORD 20-02S (A) passed at a vote 6 to 0 and is a great win for movable tiny homes. Sitka, Alaska has approved tiny homes on a foundation, but what is groundbreaking, is they have written an ordinance that amends Appendix Q that applies to movable tiny homes. From the floor joists up, the tiny home will be built to the IRC Appendix Q.
The chassis on which a tiny house is placed or constructed, including all components attached to the chassis, shall be of adequate structural strength to resist all dead and live loads imposed upon it and/or required by applicable safety standards. The Building Official may require third-party certification to ascertain compliance with this section.
Both tiny homes on a foundation and movable tiny homes will require a building permit and will be subject to inspection during construction.
Sitka, Alaska Adopts Appendix Q And Leads The Path For Movable Tiny Homes
Arkansas
Rogers adapts to ‘tiny homes’
The city is writing rules to allow more tiny homes in Rogers.
Kelso’s neighborhood near downtown was built in 2016 on land zoned for mobile homes. Developers David and Chris Gallo recently tried to do a similar project with 39 homes on about 4 acres about 2 miles west of the existing homes.
They found that zoning regulations don’t allow the homes there.
The city’s planning staff presented a “cluster housing” proposal to a Planning Commission committee last week that would allow tiny homes and cottage court housing in some residential areas.
Rogers City Planners Propose New Zoning for Tiny Homes
Arizona
Camp Verde: On Oct. 24, 2018, the Camp Verde Town Council approved an agri-tourism use permit for a community of tiny houses on wheels, vintage recreational vehicles and agri-tourism events. The 15-acre parcel that would house the complex is owned by Camp Verde residents Carmen Howard and her husband David.
Article SourceTinyPortableCedarCabins
Park Models
A Park Model is allowed as a Dwelling Unit per Section 565 of the Yavapai County Planning and Zoning Ordinance. A permit is required prior to installation of a Park Model Unit
Development Services Yavapai County
Tiny Homes On Wheels Are Legal In Mobile Home Parks In Arizona
According to Susan Brenton, Executive Director of Manufactured Housing of Arizona, Tiny Homes on Wheels are legal in mobile home parks in Arizona. The newer parks primarily cater to the modular market. The older parks are most appropriate for Tiny Homes.
Article Source Tiny Home Industry Association
Coconino County
Permitting Regulations for Tiny Houses in Coconino County
Coconino County Community Development defines a Tiny House as a house smaller than600 square feet;
It can be site-built, partially site-built, or on an approved trailer.
Pima County
Definition
A tiny house is a single-family dwelling of a maximum of 400 square feet
Zoning Code Requirements
- Tiny houses built on permanent foundations are permitted in any zones allowing detached single-family dwellings
- Tiny houses built on a chassis where the suspension/axle components have been removed and the chassis permanently attached on a permanent foundation will be treated as factory-built buildings allowable only in the following zones: CR-3, CR-4, CR-5, TR, ML, SP, CB-1, and CB-2
- Tiny houses on mobile chassis are considered trailers and are only permitted in the following zones: RH, GR-1, SH, MU, CMH1, CMH2, and IR
- Tiny houses regulated by the State of Arizona shall be permitted in zones in accordance with Arizona defined housing category
Building Code Requirements
- Tiny houses shall be built and inspected in accordance with the 2018 IRC Appendix Q.
- The house can be partially or entirely built on-site or off-site. If built off-site, it needs to have been permitted by a recognized agency (jurisdiction with a code approval process similar to that of Pima County), or by an approved tiny house fabricator accredited by the International Accreditation Services, Inc., HUD, or similar organization.
- The following code adjustments shall be allowed:
- The number of electrical circuits may be reduced to reflect loads
- Alternative compliance with NFPA 501 for mechanical/electrical systems is recognized
California
Fresno
“We are the first city in the nation to actually write into its development code authorization for ‘tiny homes,’ ” says Mayor Ashley Swearingen. “If there’s one thing that Californians should know about Fresno, it’s that we are full of surprises. And just when you think you’ve pegged us to be one type of community, we’ll surprise you.”
San Jose
Ordinance Approval Will Permit Movable Tiny Homes As Habitable Accessory Dwelling units (ADU).
Statement From Dan Fitzpatrick, President Of THIA
Awesome news from the City of San Jose, California’s third-largest city!
San Diego
Update: San Diego MovableTiny Home Ordinance Signed By Mayor Kevin L. Faulconer August 12, 2020
San Diego officials say they plan to begin allowing movable “tiny houses” in backyards across the city, to help address the local homelessness and affordable housing crises.
The tiny houses, which are similar to granny flats but smaller, can be built more quickly and cheaply than granny flats and will create a new source of low-cost housing — without any government subsidies, city officials said this week.
Article Source The San Diego Union-Tribune
San Diego City Council Approved Movable Tiny Homes As ADUs
San Luis Obispo
Sonoma County, Ca,
Many property owners are interested in using tiny houses or tiny homes to house themselves or to rent out. Small homes can provide much-needed cost-effective and energy-efficient housing and can be a creative solution to the current housing crisis.
But before you buy a tiny house yourself, be sure that you ask the right questions. There is no industry standard definition of a tiny house. The term is used to describe a variety of dwelling types, and the permitting and inspection requirements differ for each type of tiny house.
Caregiver caravans legal in Sonoma and other northern CA counties
Los Angeles
The City’s Accessory Dwelling Unit Ordinance (Ord. 186,481) was adopted on December 11, 2019, and became effective on December 19, 2019. Among additional matters, it added the Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC) Section 12.22A.33. This new section of the LAMC includes local development standards and requirements for ADUs, Junior Accessory Dwelling Units (JADUs), and Movable Tiny Houses (MTHs) in Government Code (GC) Sections 65852.2 and 65852.22.
Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU)
An ADU is an attached or detached residential dwelling unit that provides complete independent living facilities for one or more persons and is located on a lot with a proposed or existing primary residence. It shall include permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking, and sanitation on the same lot as the single-family or multifamily dwelling is or will be situated.
Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit (JADU)
A Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit is a unit that is no more than 500 square feet in size and contained entirely within a single-family residence. A JADU may include separate sanitation facilities or may share sanitation facilities with the existing structure. The JADU or single-family residence shall be owner-occupied.
Movable Tiny House (MTH)
A Moveable Tiny House is an enclosed space intended for separate, independent living quarters of one family and meets all of the following:
- Is licensed and registered with the California Department of Motor Vehicles;
- Meets the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) 119.5 requirements or the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1192 standards, and is certified for ANSI or NFPA compliance. A 3rd party inspection agency (Design Approval Agency/Quality Assurance Agency) shall certify the MTH meets this requirement (List of approved 3rd party Design Approval Agencies (DAA) and Quality Assurance Agencies (QAA));
- Cannot move under its own power;
- Is no larger than allowed by California State Law for movement on public highways; and
- Is no smaller than 150 and larger than 430 square feet as measured within the exterior faces of the exterior walls.
Development Standards and Requirements
ADUs, JADUs, and MTHs are allowed in any zone that allows for residential use by right. Parking for a newly constructed ADU is not required when it is located within one-half mile walking distance of public transit. Replacement parking is not required when covered parking is removed in conjunction with the construction of the ADU.
ADUs are required to comply with all applicable Zoning, Building, and Residential Codes. Fire sprinklers are not required if they are not required for the primary residence. Solar panels will be required for newly constructed, detached ADUs.
LA Gives Green Light To Moveable Tiny Homes As ADUs!
Permitting Movable Tiny Homes In LA
Santa Clara
Santa Clara Gives Green Light To Movable Tiny Homes
Humboldt County Approved The Movable Tiny Home Ordinance
Yesterday, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors approved an ordinance to permit movable tiny homes as ADUs. The vote was 4-1. Humboldt County becomes the second county in California, and the state’s first rural county, to permit movable tiny homes as habitable ADUs.
Humboldt County Tiny Home Ordinance
San Jose
A tiny home on wheels may be installed on a property with a single-family home, subject to complying with Zoning Code standards and obtaining a building permit.
San Jose Tiny Homes On Wheels Checklist
California City, California
The city council of California City, California adopted Ordinance NO. 20-779 at its second reading on August 11th, 2020. The vote was 4 to 1 and creates an overlay zone for tiny and small homes specified within the city.
California City Adopts Zoning For Tiny Houses
Nevada and Placer County, California
This tiny home sheet was created by The Mountain Housing Council for Nevada and Placer County, California, and pertains to tiny homes on a foundation as ADUs ( accessory dwelling units ). Movable tiny homes are allowed in mobile home parks and RV parks.
Tiny Homes Allowed In Nevada and Placer County, Ca
Oroville
Temporary Dwelling Unit Information For Unincorporated Butte County
Information about temporary dwelling units on this page is in regards to properties in unincorporated Butte County.
For more information about temporary housing requirements as a result of the Camp Fire
please call 530.552.3701 to contact Butte County Development Services.
Colorado
Colorado’s Tiny House Movement, Communities and Resources Galore
The tiny house movement in Colorado is booming. Despite limited legal parking opportunities for tiny homes on wheels. But that is changing in a big way, thanks to community developers and local advocates. Their efforts have been aided by all the positive press about the last few years’ exuberant festivals, from the first Tiny House Jamboree to the annual Colorado Tiny House Festival and the People’s Tiny House Festival.
Several smaller events and the gorgeous WeeCasa hotel have added to the growing tiny buzz. The roster of Colorado-based tiny home builders is ever-growing—there are over 24 to choose from! DIY building options are plentiful, as well. The Denver metro is home to TrailerMade Trailers, Einstyne Tiny Homes (tiny house shell specialists), and DIY build sites are available from Tiny Home Connection and Colorado Custom Coachworks.
Durango
Durango’s first tiny home community.
Tiny spaces in mountain places.
El Paso County
El Paso County will allow tiny houses in unincorporated areas, commissioners agreed unanimously on Tuesday.
They voted to amend the land-use code to permit the trendy little dwellings wherever mobile homes are allowed — agricultural zoning districts, on some residential lots, and in recreational vehicle parks.
Jefferson County
Planning And Zoning: Tiny Homes And Recreational Vehicles
- 1) What is the smallest size house I can build on my property?
- Planning & Zoning has no minimum size requirement for permanent residences if the structure can meet the current building code requirements. For more information about the building code, please contact the Building Division.
- 3. Do I need a permit to build a tiny home?
- Yes, a Tiny Home that is not on wheels requires a Building Permit and is treated as a single-family dwelling. A Tiny Home that is on wheels requires a Miscellaneous Permit, but is only allowed in the Mobile Home zone district or a Planned Development that allows mobile homes.
- 4. Can I live in a recreational vehicle on my property?
- To live in a recreational vehicle on your property, you must be granted an Administrative Exception for Temporary Living Quarters. Please refer to Section 3 of the Zoning Resolution for the qualifications of this Administrative Exception. A building permit for a primary dwelling must be obtained before this permission can be given.
- 5. Can I camp on my own property?
- Unless camping is a permitted use in your zone district, then camping is only allowed on residential properties for two-weeks (cumulative) out of a year.
- 6. Can I construct a house out of shipping containers?
- Yes, if your building plans can meet the current building code requirements. A container home would be treated as a single-family residence. For more information about the current building code, please contact the Building Division.
Garfield
A Dwelling Unitis allowed in all zone districts within the County. However, not all “Tiny Homes” are considered a Dwelling Unit. In order to be considered a Dwelling Unit following must be met.
Golden
Whether it is a home on wheels or simply a small house, Tiny Homes in Golden are regulated depending on their use and the amenities they provide. Most often, we hear of mobile Tiny Homes, those built on a trailer deck with wheels that fall under the RV classification.
Lyons
The journey to legalize tiny homes on wheels in Lyons, Colorado was a three-year journey. We need to thank Byron Fears, owner of SimBLISSity Tiny Homes for being at the forefront of this battle. Byron Fears is the Director Of Communications for the Tiny Home Industry Association ( THIA ).
Chuck Ballard, President of Pacific West Associates and Director of Standards for THIA was also instrumental in legalizing tiny homes in Lyons, Colorado.
Milner
Cheney Creek Tiny Homes
The project will consist of 6 tiny homes on individual permanent foundations and connected to all utilities, built to Appendix Q Tiny House.
Silt
A Tiny Home Community in Silt, Colorado.
Walsenburg
n November 2014, city council members in Walsenburg, Colorado, a crossroads community located 90 miles south of Colorado Springs, eliminated a longstanding zoning code prohibiting residential buildings smaller than 600 square feet. They wanted to make room for so-called tiny homes, the trendy structures that have become popular with everyone from millennials to baby boomers seeking simpler, less cluttered lifestyles.
Florida
Brevard
Cheatham said the tiny homes are now being allowed in some neighborhoods both in the city of Longwood and in Brevard County where the commission recently came to an agreement.
“Brevard County now has a new piece of property that has just opened up some lots, it’s called Braveheart Properties in northern Brevard, and they actually are gonna be the first ones here in Brevard that will have an actual tiny home community — both on wheels, like the one you’re staying in, and on foundations,” Cheatham said.
Brevard, Tiny Houses On Wheels
Rockledge
Tiny house Pocket neighborhood requirements:
Tiny Houses in Pocket neighborhoods.
A tiny home shall be defined as a principal residential dwelling that has a square footage of between 250 170 and 1,100. and is placed on a foundation. Tiny Homes are only permitted within the redevelopment mixed-use district (RMU) or planned unit development (PUD) in a Pocket neighborhood setting.
A tiny house on wheels (THOW), for the purposes of these Guidelines, is a structure which is intended as a full-time residence or year-round rental property and meets these five conditions:
1.Built on a trailer that is registered with the builder’s local DMV.
2.Towable by a bumper hitch, frame-towing hitch, or fifth-wheel connection, cannot move (and was not designed to be moved) under its own power.
3.Is no larger than allowed by applicable state law. (The typical THOW is no more than 8’6″ wide, 30′ long, and 13’6″ high. Larger tiny houses may require a special commercial driver’s license and/or special permits when being towed.)
a. Verify with the DMV that the THOW is with the limits of the law.
b. Roof height is from the bottom of the tires to the top of the highest exterior point on the house, including any protrusions. The roof height may be taller when stationary, as long as it is collapsible for towing of the THOW. Chimney piping may need to be removed for travel and then reinstalled to meet clearance requirements for use.
c. Built to the standards of a Florida ASCE structural engineer’s approved plans
4.has at least 170 square feet of first-floor interior living space
.5.includes basic functional areas that support normal daily routines (such as cooking, sleeping, and toiletry).
6.The following documentation will be required to be submitted for a building permit for a THOW in a pocket neighborhood:
a. Detailed structural plans illustrating the location of studs, joists, rafters, and engineered connectors (hurricane clips, tension ties, etc.). Plans should clearly address how the structure is secured to the trailer, and how the floors, walls, and roof are framed and sheathed. Plans should also include an illustration of a floor, wall, and roof section, showing the building members, insulation, vapor barrier, moisture barrier, sheathing, siding, and roofing.
b. Detailed diagram of the electrical plan. c. Photographs of the framing, roof, insulation, rough plumbing, and rough electrical.d. A statement describing your construction methods along with the names and addresses of any subcontractors you may have hired.
Marianna
On November 4th, 2020, Mayor Travis H. Ephriam and the commissioners for the city of Marianna had the first reading of ordinance # 1108 to define and allow tiny homes on a foundation, tiny homes on wheels, ADUs, and the development of tiny home communities. The second reading is scheduled for December.
Marianna, Florida Mixed Use And Tiny Home Ordinance
St. Petersburg
The term “tiny home” is not specifically defined in the City’sLand Development Regulations (LDRs), which regulate all development and use of property in the City of St. Petersburgor in the Florida Building Code which establishes minimum life safety requirements for buildings throughout our state. The codes applicable to the location and use of a “tiny home” depending on how the “tiny home” is constructed (on wheels vs. set on a foundation.
St.Petersburg Planning And Zoning
Georgia
“Tiny houses” have received a lot of attention and interest in recent years. A tiny house is typically defined as a single-family home, generally400 square feet or less, excluding lofts. Tiny homes are built in different ways, and it is important to identify which types of tiny homes fall within the scope and application of building codes. The four types of tiny homes are:
Maine
Massachusetts
Great Barrington
The Town approved Article 16 of the warrant, amending the definitions of accessory dwelling units (ADUs), updating the definition of an ADU.
Movable Tiny Homes On Agenda: Great Barrington, MA
Nantucket
In Nantucket, a citizen’s petition to allow tiny houses on wheels in most residential districts was approved by the town in 2016.
Isaiah Stover is on track to be a Nantucket folk hero — he is the man behind the tiny house movement on an island dotted with McMansions and median home prices of $1.2 million. Stover drafted the bylaw amendment to change the Zoning Code of the Town of Nantucket to include tiny house units -a dwelling of less than 500 square feet built on a moveable trailer — passed by a two-thirds voice vote at Saturday’s Annual Town Meeting.
Massachusetts
Great Bethany
Minnesota
“Tiny houses” have received a lot of attention and interest in recent years. The following information is provided to clarify how these small structures are regulated by the Minnesota State Building Code. The Minnesota State Building Code is the standard of construction that applies statewide for the construction of buildings (MS 326B.121) including tiny houses.
Minnesota Tiny House Sheet
Missouri
City Of Lake Ozark
The Lake Ozark Board of alderman are approving the first of two ordinances that will pave the way for tiny homes for working people in the city.
Duluth Planning And Development Division
Tiny Houses And Accessory Dwelling Units
Tennessee
Cocke County
It’s all happening off a side road in Newport, Tennessee. Now people are moving to Cocke County and jobs are being created. “We’ve got 68 people moving to Cocke County from all over the United States. From New Mexico. From Washington. From Arizona. While this may have you itching to invest in a tiny home, be mindful of strict local regulations and coding. Cocke County has embraced them but regulations on what defines ‘a a house’ haven’t caught up everywhere.
“The county is open to tiny homes. There are no restrictions,” Jones said.
Wheeled Tiny Homes Welcome! Cocke County, TN.
Forest Tiny Home Community- has two spaces for lease left for your wheeled tiny home in Newport, Tennessee in Cocke, County. All styles of tiny homes are welcome here! The Forest Incredible Community is the first phase of three tiny home communities planned by Incredible Tiny Homes.
Beach And Prairie: 30 People Needed For Each Development
Beach and Prairie are two more planned communities that have not started development yet, they will still have the same requirement of 30 people to start the development.
Article Source Tiny Portable Cedar Cabins
South Dakota
Beresford
Tiny House Residential District
Beresford, South Dakota has created a residential district for tiny homes. The purpose of this district is to provide for high-density residential areas in the City that may be developed from tiny homes and support facilities.
Texas
It seems that Texas is the winner for the most tiny home communities.
Find Your Tribe: Scroll Down To Texas
Lake Dallas Tiny Village: Approved As A Planned Development Referencing 2018 IRC Appendix V- Adapted By Approval Of Lake Dallas For Tiny Homes On Wheels
Lake Dallas Tiny Village Ordinances
Lake Dallas Ordinance 2019052 LD Ordinance Tiny Home PD Ordinance-107709
Lake Dallas Ordinance 2017-14 Amending Zoning Ordinance Gotcher
Note: Appendix Q was previously called Appendix V
Spur
The official resolution establishing Spur as Tiny House friendly.
In July of 2014, Spur announced that it was Tiny House friendly. Explicitly this means two things:
- If you have or want a THOW, you can order it, build it, and park it in Spur, with access to utilities. If pursuing this route, we do require a THOW to be secured to a foundation while in city limits. This is a safety concern as there are occasionally high winds which could otherwise knock your house over, or worse, into someone else’s home and property. If you buy land just outside of city limits, you’re welcome to do as you please.
- If you’ve always wanted to build your own
Ohio
New Paris
Ohio’s first tiny home village
Pennsylvania
The Ruscombmanor Township supervisors approved a zoning amendment on Sept. 5 allowing accessory dwellings such as tiny homes in residential districts. According to township Solicitor Paul T. Essig, the revision will allow one accessory dwelling unit (ADU) per property, and the unit may house relatives or caregivers for the owners of the main house. They cannot be rented.
The ordinance targets tiny homes that usually can be wheeled onto space near but separate from the home, and can either be removed or converted into non-residential use, such as storage, once they’re no longer needed.
Essig said residents with the tiny homes would be required to obtain a permit, which the board set for $150, and have the permit reviewed every six months by a township zoning officer. Details.
Oregon
The Small House Specialty Code Superseded And Replaced The Reach Code
Oregon -HB 2423, created the Small Home Specialty Code (consisting of the 2018 International Residential Code, including but not limited to Appendix Q of that code), superseded and replaced all previous related statutes and approaches in the ORSC, including the R329 ORSC amendments (temporary rule) and the REACH code.
The State Building Codes Division (BCD) adopted the 2018 International Residential Code, including Appendix Q, as part of the Oregon Reach Code to provide minimum standards for the construction of tiny houses (400 square feet or less, not including loft areas). Appendix Q became effective on Sept. 20th, 2018.
Oregon Regulation Of Tiny Houses
Gold Beach
Ordinance NO.660
Virginia
Buckingham County, Virginia
Buckingham County, Virginia-Will it become the next mecca for tiny homes? Yes, it will! The tiny home industry is so blessed to have an advocate like Melanie Copeland that has just closed on her land she purchased with her husband in Buckingham County.
The best part is the tiny home that they built with their own hands, will be classified as a dwelling.
The wheels can stay on, they can come and go as they please if they happen to want to travel and the county even approved their Nature’s Head Compost toilet. There is a septic system on the property, where the county requires the greywater to go into. The county only made one more request to tie the home down. The word dwelling is music to our ears in the tiny home industry which means a permanent residence.
Learn More About Melanie Copeland’s Story
Washington State
Washington state has adopted Appendix Q Tiny Houses, with amendments. The effective date is Feb. 1st, 2021. Appendix Q Tiny Houses was adopted into the 2018 International Residential Code ( IRC ) building code to provide regulations and standards for tiny homes on a foundation that is 400 square feet or less. Tiny homes on wheels will go through the approval and inspection process with the Washington State Department of Labor And Industries.
Washington state adopts Appendix Q Tiny Houses: Effective Feb. 1st, 2021
Senate Bill ESSB 5383 that went into effect July 28th, 2019 is a great win for moveable tiny homes. They provided a definition -“Tiny house” and “tiny house with wheels” means a dwelling to36be used as permanent housing with permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking, and sanitation built in accordance with the state building code.
Individual cities and counties may allow tiny houses with wheels to be collected together as tiny house villages using the binding site plan method articulated in chapter 58.17 RCW.
Except as provided under subsection (4) of this section, a city or town may not adopt an ordinance that has the effect, directly or indirectly, of preventing the entry or requiring the removal of a recreational vehicle or tiny house with wheels as defined in section165 of this act used as a primary residence in manufactured/mobile home communities.
Washington state is in the public comment stage regarding the adoption of Appendix Q until Sept 27th, 2019.
Check Back As I Add More Wins For Our Industry!
I guess no group in Upstate NY?
Diana
We are adding all the jurisdictions as we become aware of them. You might want to call Brittany with Upstate Tiny Homes.
https://www.upstatetinyhomes.com/