NOU The Cost To Build A Tiny House - hOMe Reveal

The Cost To Build A Tiny House: hOMe
Reveal
Many of you have asked us in recent days the cost to build a tiny house, in particular hOMe. Before
I go into the details, I want to be clear that prices vary from region to region. This is true for both
labor and materials. As such, the cost details may be slightly different for you than they were for us;
however, the final outcome will be reasonably close, whether you live on the East Coast, West
Coast, or somewhere in between or beyond. Furthermore, the tips about how to keep your costs
down will translate into savings no matter where you live.
So far the only time that we have felt that hOMe was
a bit too small was when we laid all of our receipts out next to each other. We could build another
tiny house out of just the receipts! Okay, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but there were a lot of long
skinny pieces of paper and a LOT of numbers to crunch to get these totals. I’m not looking for
sympathy (okay, maybe a little sympathy), I just want you to know how much went in to getting the
two numbers that follow.
So, drum roll please……………………
I’m going to give you two different numbers to describe the cost to build hOMe. Both of these
numbers are material costs only and do not include any labor costs because we built the entire thing
ourselves. The first includes everything except the cabinetry and appliances. After all, you may
want to choose different finishes than we did. That number is $22,744.06 (yes, we literally took it
down to the penny). This equates to roughly $65/SF. The square footage used to calculate this
number is based on the total square footage; i.e. it includes the loft spaces.
The second number is the cost to build hOMe exactly the way we did with all of the details
included. This includes everything in the previous number plus all of the cabinetry and appliances,
even our $1400 throne (read composting toilet). That number is $33,089.72 and equates to roughly
$95/SF.
SO LET’S TALK ABOUT WAYS TO SAVE MONEY. I’ve outlined the top three ways to keep
your budget in line below.
• BUILD IT YOURSELF. This seems obvious, but not everyone considers taking on a project like
this themselves. I have been a professional
builder for roughly 20 years and I can tell you from experience
that paying someone to build your house will likely double the total cost. What’s more, I have been
teaching hands-on construction workshops since 2004 and have personally taught well over 1200
people how to build their own
house. With the right resources and guidance, building one’s own house is well within the grasp of
most people. Over the years, I have seen many people with little or no building experience step up
and successfully build their own home. I have seen this again, and again, and again. We
wholeheartedly believe that building shelter with one’s own hands in embedded deep in our DNA
and allowing this inner knowing to come to light is an amazing experience. The sense of
accomplishment that comes with building one’s own home cannot be measured in words. It is
something that breathes life into the heart of men and women alike and will be an experience you
never forget.
• CHOOSE YOUR MATERIALS WELL. Finding the right materials at the right price can go a
long way to keeping the budget in check. There are many places to find killer deals these days from
Habitat for Humanity retail stores and used building material retailers to big box stores like Ikea.
The key here is to know what you have access to and incorporate that into your design. For
example, if you find a bunch of high quality windows at a second hand retailer for an incredible
price, buy them and then set them aside for your build. You can now incorporate those window sizes
into your design. We did this on Terra’s Lookout and got all four of her windows for a steal. In the
case of hOMe, we designed the entire layout around the Ikea cabinetry that we knew we wanted to
use. This allowed us to use “off the shelf,” available sizes and drastically reduced the cost of our
cabinetry from what we would have paid in custom cabinet work.
• GET CREATIVE/BE RESOURCEFUL. Some building materials are expensive and it may
appear at first glance that there is nothing you can do
about it. In some cases this may be true; however, in most a creative solution can reduce costs
significantly. Case and point: we really wanted hOMe to have interior panel boards like we had seen
in Dwell Magazine and on Houzz.com but the panel systems that are used in such designs are a
fortune. We came up with a creative solution to use a material called Ironply which is a substrate for
vinyl flooring. Also, instead of an expensive panel attachment and spacing system, we simply used
16d nails to provide the proper gap, according to our design layout, around each panel. The Ironply
itself was attached with construction
adhesive and finish nails to keep things simple. Here’s another example. Need an off grid,
composting toilet system but don’t want to pay $1400 for the one we have? Why not use the
“lovable loo,” a simple composting toilet system that literally uses a 5 gallon bucket and a toilet
seat? Here’s one more. Loft ladders, such as those used in private libraries, are beautiful yet
expensive. We created the ladder for our secondary loft (the tiny house lounge) by demolishing the
unnecessary pieces of a folding attic access ladder. A little stain and some structural hooks installed
into the back of the remaining ladder section and we had our access. We anchored a short piece of
black pipe (typically used for gas service lines and very inexpensive) to the wall and that became
our rail system. The whole thing cost less than $150, looks great, and provides the function is was
designed to serve. We could have built a ladder from scratch; however, this project was much faster,
and it was fun to demolish something to create something new. With enough creative and
resourceful thinking, you can bring down your costs significantly on many aspects of your build.
My last word of advice is to know where to cut costs and where to spend money. Some things are
best left alone. For example, structural elements of the home should not be compromised in order to
save money. You may also choose to spend money on specific finish details such as cabinets, siding,
and/or appliances. The important thing is that you get your budget in line BEFORE you start
building. Know what your budget limits are for each line item in your construction estimate and
give yourself a contingency fund for unforeseen changes. Stay tuned to TinyHouseBuild.com for an
upcoming article on how to estimate your construction costs so that you can save as much money as
possible on your build.
There are, of course, many ways to save money when building a home. We’d love to hear ways that
you have done it on your own projects. Feel free to share your ideas and/or ask questions below in
the comments section.

Want to learn more about tiny house living and how to build a tiny house? Want
to do so for FREE? Sign up for our totally free 7 Day Tiny House eCourse!
Find out more HERE.

About Andrew
As a professional builder for over 20 years, Andrew brings a wealth of construction knowledge to
Tiny House Build. He has also taught over 2,500 people, around the world, how to build their own
home in his 7-day hands-on workshops.
View all posts by Andrew →
Are You Getting Ready to Build a Tiny House?
3 Awesome Tiny House Plans Design Strategies
356 Responses to The Cost To Build A Tiny House: hOMe Reveal
1.
Trevor Gay February 10, 2014 at 5:51 am #
I can’t say enough how highly i think of your design and build. I’m in the design stage and
feeling glad that my girlfriend stumbled across your site.
Do you have water storage? Do you have any details on how much power is required to run
your house (modestly) on solar?
How soon are you expecting to put out your plans for sale? By far my absolute favorite tiny
home design.
Many thanks for so many informative answers to everyones questions. You two are
awesome!
Reply

Andrew February 10, 2014 at 11:44 am #
Thanks for your kind words Trevor. Very much appreciated. We have a water storage
system on the property (1500 gallon storage tank that is gravity fed down to the
hOMe site). We connect to the water system on the side of the home. We can move
the house and connect to another water source via a hose connection if we choose.
We will be putting out a video blog post in the near future about our solar system and
the details of how it works, what it draws, and what it is capable of. Stay tuned…
We hope to have the plans available for sale in the next couple of months. We are
working with our friend right now (a professional designer) to draft up the
construction drawings. I built the house from a Google SketchUp drawing I created
so there were no official building plans during construction.
Thanks again!
Andrew
Reply

Heather April 22, 2016 at 1:36 pm #
Do you have issues with your holding tank or water lines from your holding
tank freezing or burtsing during cold winter months? Also, where does your
water drain to? From your shower, sink, faucet?
Reply

Andrew May 1, 2016 at 10:35 am #
HI Heather. Our holding tank is a land based tank up the hill that holds
1500 gallons so even though the surface of the water may freeze on
really cold days, the majority of the water stays unfrozen. Our water
lines are run under ground and are insulated where they enter the
house. We have never had an issue with them freezing. Also, we used
PEX, so burst pipes are VERY hard to achieve with that material
because it can expand so much.
We run our grey water out to the meadow below us and use it to water
some of our oak trees.
Reply

dennis fountain February 2, 2016 at 4:53 pm #
Would. Like to know about how much a 650 sq foot tutor home may cost
Reply

Andrew February 9, 2016 at 12:41 pm #
Hi Dennis. You will need to provide a lot more information to the person
quoting you on the cost to build. They will need to know quality of finishes,
material choices, location of build, etc. I can’t provide you with that
information, but someone who is actively contracting will be able to once
they have the necessary details. Good luck.
Reply

Elisa Morales April 23, 2017 at 5:07 pm #
I want to take your class. How do I sign up and where and when does it start.
I’m homeless in Portland and this is a long held dream.
Reply

Gabriella May 6, 2017 at 3:04 pm #
Hi Elisa. I’m sorry to hear of your current housing situation. Send me an
email gabriella at tinyhousebuild dot com
Reply
2.
Rob Myran February 10, 2014 at 7:03 am #
Hi Andrew. I only recently signed on to your e-mails. I like the fact that you are addressing
the costs of building. Too many companies show outrageous costs and don’t emphasize that
you can build from everything from recycled/re-purposed stuff to marble floors ?
I recently go to view a build in progress by a young couple with a 9 month old baby. They
started well with a new good quality utility trailer and built it with a large percentage of
scrounged materials including recovered cedar siding from a 100 year old farm house. The
only downside to their build was it looked to being built excessively heavy. For a place that
will rarely be moved and then not too far, it is OK, however if one will be moving fairly
often and may be going cross country, weight is a real issue. Perhaps you could address
weight saving in one of your articles.
Cheers, Rob
Reply

We will certainly be putting out some details around cutting down weight concerns in
a tiny home in the coming weeks/months. It’s a big deal when traveling in the home,
as you mention. Thanks for your thoughts Rob.
Reply

Enna December 8, 2015 at 12:51 pm #
Need help with tiny home building in canada would like some advice please
Reply

Andrew December 8, 2015 at 1:18 pm #
Hi Enna. What help do you need?
Reply

VSTanley February 21, 2014 at 5:33 am #
So you will need a big truck too.A gas hog.
They call this simplification?
Reply

Trish March 15, 2014 at 3:54 pm #
Perhaps one could be rented only when it is needed for moving.
Reply

Andrew March 16, 2014 at 10:16 am #
Agreed. We made a conscious decision not to buy a truck to move the hOMe
as it would be more expensive than our house and something we rarely use.
As Trish points out below, if we want to move hOMe, we can rent a truck for
the day (or several days depending on where we are going) to do so.
Reply

Scott March 25, 2014 at 9:26 pm #
Do you know how much it weighs?
Reply

Hi Scott. We are compiling final weight numbers and should be
writing a post about that soon. Stay tuned…

Chris Cordova April 23, 2014 at 8:10 pm #
Andrew,
Excellent point. If you were to move hOMe, a Rental truck seems best
(say a twenty to twenty-four footer). You would have plenty of cargo
space to store solar or water implements, plus the truck itself would
help to cut down on wind exposure to hOMe while in transport.
I too would like to know more about the solar panels you are using on
home. I live in a warm climate and would have to install an AC unit. I
realize I may need a generator backup.
Reply

Andrew April 25, 2014 at 8:40 am #
Based on the weight of hOMe, a 3/4 ton pick up will be
enough to move it (a new model at least), but a rental truck
may be a good idea for the wind exposure (as you note) and the
fact that you don’t have to BUY a new truck!
AC requires a LOT of power in general, so it is hard to run on
solar. That said, it can be done. I would suggest you contact the
great folks at Backwoods Solar in Sand Point, Idaho for help
calculating your solar needs. they are awesome!

Michelle July 8, 2014 at 6:16 pm #
Hey Chris, you know depending on the area you could rig up a
swamp cooler (only works if you live in a dry area) to cool
you. They can run on a simple solar system and you could
dedicate a small system to run just that so it won’t be
accidentally turned off if you happen to use a bit more power
on a given day. Hope it helps!

Aubrey July 1, 2015 at 7:27 am #
Are u going to be driving your house around everywhere u go?!? Geez,
BORROW a truck or RENT one when u need it.
Reply

Anne Thornton October 28, 2017 at 11:32 pm #
FYI, you better check with the truck rental company to ensure that
they permit towing with the rental vehicle – that is _NOT_ something
that is standard. I worked at central customer service for a rental car
company for several years, and while I didn’t deal with the truck
rental division, I did hear of some nightmare issues that people got
themselves into by making the wrong assumptions.
Reply

Andrew October 30, 2017 at 12:53 pm #
100% correct Anne. Thanks for bringing that up.
3.
Janine February 10, 2014 at 6:02 pm #
Thanks for the breakdown on construction costs. I too am in the design phase of my tiny
home project. I bought my windows on Kijiji for $75 (four 3′ x 5′) windows; my door ($50);
shower base ($10); bathroom flooring ($20) and wainscotting ($24) from Habitat for
Humanity. I will be milling my own lumber with trees from a friends place, and will
purchase plywood new. Calling in some favours and will get either a very deep discount or
free spray foam insulation. I bought a 1975 travel trailer and demolished it to use the frame.
I paid $250 for the trailer and got a propane stove and oven; double kitchen sink, bathroom
sink and other odds and ends as well. I will be building my tiny home, with help from
friends and family. Having plumbers and electricians as part of my team is going to save me
money as well. I enjoy researching and finding deals for my tiny home. I know milling my
lumber will take a lot of time, but it gives me pride knowing that I can accomplish it. I will
put on my pink hardhat and start work as soon as I can find the trailer under all of our
Ontario, Canada snow. Keep sharing your journey!
Reply

Hazel February 11, 2014 at 6:51 am #
Janine, being buried in Ontario snow too, I can imagine how much you must be
looking forward to spring! I’m impressed at your obvious commitment to reuse
materials; it takes longer to source what you need, but as you say, so much more
satisfying. Dismantling an old trailer for parts as well as the trailer is such a good
idea.
Do you have a website that we can follow? It’s so encouraging to hear of a fellow
Canadian building a tiny house. I know of a woman near Kingston who has built one
and another in Montreal who has started. Our dramatic winters sure slow the pace of
the build but it does give you time to think about design and to gather materials.
Good luck to you!
Reply

Kat May 8, 2014 at 11:38 pm #
Hello!
I was just reading these comments and see a couple Canadians commenting,
how cool!
I haven’t found much for a Tiny House community in Canada…
My partner and I are from Ontario and are starting out build in 5 weeks once
we arrive back there.
We’ve been living/traveling in our 6′ x 9′ trailer through the US and Canada
and are heading back home to start building.
We will document our build.
We’d love to keep in touch and our blog is
http://hobohemians2013.wordpress.com/ , if you’d like to follow along with
our build.
Kat ?
Reply

Janice January 11, 2015 at 5:45 pm #
Hello fellow Canadians!!!
I have just recently given some serious consideration to this lifestyle
and am happy to see fellow Ontarian’s already in the process.
Where are you guys building Kat? I have never built anything in my
life and would be grateful if I could lend a hand to you so I might
learn how to do some of these things or if I should look at having it
built for me.
I will be sure to follow your blog anyhow.
Jan ?
Reply

Linda September 24, 2015 at 12:23 pm #
Hi Kat, we would so love to live in a tiny house, but loads of
questions. How much does the one you’re building weight, what do
you pull it with? Don’t you need to buy a lot or where do you put it
and where are you building it? is it mobile? We’re in Ontario too,
Wasaga Beach, could move, love southern Ontario, Port Dover etc. If
we decided to sell our house we could afford to buy a pick up truck,
would love to have one again anyway. Thanks
Reply

jo May 30, 2016 at 12:23 pm #
Hi Kat – the link to your blog goes to a blank domain page. I would
love to hear more about your building experience!
Reply

Fred Huzel January 3, 2015 at 9:35 pm #
Hi I also live in montreal Canada and would love to build this same house we
see on this site . But does it support 4 seasons and our cold climate ?
many thanks
Reply

Andrew January 8, 2015 at 7:13 pm #
Hi Fred. If I were to build it in the colder Great White North, I would
increase the wall thickness to allow for more insulation or I would use
SIPs. Also, the rigid insulation is hard to get tight in the walls and you
may want to either use batt insulation or Icynene spray foam (an
industry favorite but one with chemicals that are “questionable” in my
mind). A 2×6 wall thickness would fit into the overall design if you
opted for that.
Reply

Janice January 11, 2015 at 5:49 pm #
Thank you Andrew, the insulation requirements were also on
my mind.
Have you heard of the soy based spray foam option? A
gentlemen from BC had mentioned it on one of his sites.
(TinyAcornHouse, not sure)

Hi Janice. As with everything, there are decisions to be made
and trade offs to be had. The “soy based” insulation is a bit of a
misnomer. In fact, those insulations rarely have more than 3 or
4% soy ingredients in them and are mostly chemicals. They do
a great job of insulated; however, if there is any problem in the
combining of the two components of the mixture during
application (clogged line, bad ratio settings, etc.), off gassing
can and will occur. So, if you can get it done well by a
reputable company who stands behind their work, it can be
great. If you can’t get a solid commitment from the contractor,
then I would be weary.

Rubi October 1, 2015 at 3:53 pm #
Hi, does anyone know how I can contact the lady in Kingston, ON. Maybe
you could pass my email address on to her?
Thanks
Reply

Hi Rubi. Hazel seems to be the one to ask. I have forwarded your
email address to her.
Reply

Troy February 15, 2014 at 11:43 pm #
What size was the trailer you used and what mods were needed? I am interested in
going this route for my build.
Reply

Robert September 8, 2014 at 6:52 am #
Janine,
Hello. I am looking to network with Canadian tiny home builders, owners or those
just curious. My eventual goal will be to develop a platform specifically for
Canadian’s to support and share with one another as it related to time houses/living
in Canada.
At this point, I am just determining the need and interest of such.
Should you be interested in networking with, please email me at
robertleonardo@gmail.com
Reply

Dani October 27, 2014 at 12:05 pm #
Is there a blog or website for Canadians to refer to now? I love what Andrew
has taught me but I need more information with dealing with the cold. I’ve
been doing some research for the past year and would love to hear from more
Canadians. I am located in northern Alberta and will have to deal with
freezing temperatures for at least 6 months a years!!
Also I’ve been thinking of using a goose neck trailer with king pin for more
length. Call me “crazy” but I’d like to incorporate a small garage type area to
house a quad or two (needed for work). Figured this could add more of a loft
area as well. Anybody else had this thought or heard of this being done?
Thoughts or links would be appreciated, as I am greatful for more learning
tools!
Thanks.
Reply

Andrew November 5, 2014 at 12:53 pm #
Hi Dani. Please let me know if you find a good resource for Canadian
builds. I have other friends who would love to hear more about that
too. The gooseneck is a good idea and yet it will present its own
challenges as well (as everything does).
Reply

Ashley February 4, 2015 at 11:16 am #
Hello Andrew,
We love your home! We are looking at building our own and
are leaning towards a gooseneck. You mentioned it could
present its own challenges. Do you mind sharing your thoughts
on that? I just want to make sure we are seeing all the angles to
determine the right fit for us.
Thanks so much!

Hi Ashley. Thanks for loving our hOMe. We love it too!!! I
have not actually built a version on a gooseneck, so I don’t
have specific warnings for you. I just know, after 20 years as a
professional builder, that everything new has hiccups and
challenges. A simple example would be that the bathroom
window would look out onto the gooseneck. I wouldn’t want
that, personally, so would need to make a change. Making that
“simple” change could have a domino effect on the rest of the
plan. I guess the best advice I can give is to think long and hard
about the differences between the gooseneck and a standard
trailer and do your very best to anticipate any potential issues.
In the end, as long as you are flexible and willing to address
issues when they come up, you will be fine. The more pre
planning you can do, the better. Best of success to you!

Mike November 25, 2014 at 9:36 pm #
Like Dani I too live in Canada’s colder climates in Saskatchewan. I
am currently designing my own tiny home to be built on a 28ft
gooseneck trailer with an 8ft storage/garage on the tail end for my
bike and side by side.
I plan to use as much reusable and recycled materials I can and to
make my home a combination of stand alone and hook up to services.
Weight will be an issue and I will address that in different ways during
my build.
Stay tuned folks cause this is going to be a blast ?
Reply

Mark August 1, 2015 at 1:00 pm #
Hello, I’m curious if you can tell me what part of Sask you are
from? I live in Sask also.

Chad February 26, 2016 at 2:51 am #
Hi Mike,
Just moved to Sask. How is the build going? Any trouble with
the laws here? Thinking of building my own tiny house.

BreeAnna June 26, 2015 at 12:09 pm #
Hi Dani,
I was wondering if you ever went through with this project? We are
getting our process started and are hoping to start building in the
spring and have also wanted to use a goose neck as well to add some
storage on the back.
Reply

Jen February 25, 2015 at 4:07 am #
My husband and I have been interested in building a tiny home for about a
year now. We love the idea of shaking off the “cultural norm” of owning a
3000 square foot home that will take half our lives (really the majority of our
adult life) to pay off. We want to LIVE — a real life that has meaning and is
not just one steady stream of mortgage payments.
We also live in Canada (New Brunswick) as some of the commenters here,
and have been investigating the reprucusions of our cold Canadian winters.
I would love to connect with some fellow Tiny Home builders here in
Canada. Email me at jennie_brown@hotmail.com to connect and talk about
Tiny Homes ? Also, if any of you have a blog or website, let me know. I’d
love to show my support and join/read it.
Reply

Yanik.O May 6, 2015 at 6:12 am #
Hi Janine!
I hope this message finds you well. I’m from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada which
sees 80 degrees celsius in year-round temperature fluctuation (-40 to +40) and I want
comfort. Your path seems to be the one I’m taking, though I haven’t made any
purchases as I’m putting together a presentation for friends and family so that they
can see what I need and I can in turn leverage their connections.
Trailer – you bought and older one – did rust seem to be an issue? With an aging
population here getting rid of their toys, I think I can find one, but my hesitation lies
in the fear of having something that isn’t strong enough of will rust out.
Heat – how do you heat your place? I’m uneasy with propane for environmental
reasons and wood seems like a lot of work. Have you checked out alcohol sourced
heat? I need advice on these ?
a part from that, my sketch up design seriously resembles Andrew’s.
Much love,
Reply

Steve LeBard October 10, 2015 at 12:05 am #
Great site – very informative. I read through all of the posts to date. I’d like to
suggest that folks building any tiny house install fire & carbon monoxide
detectors as early as practical in the building stage – stay safe. For interior
finishes folks might also want to take a look at cork. It’s a great product for
many application, and it’s beautiful. Harbor Freight is a good option for
inexpensive tools – if you build post haste the warranty will probably cover
your building time. And you can sell them when your through on craigslist to
recoup most of your money.
Reply

Elena June 19, 2016 at 11:33 pm #
where did y ou get the travel trailer at?
what web sights did you get them
Reply

Andrew June 24, 2016 at 7:48 am #
We had our trailer custom built for us in Oregon. There are several places you
can consider. http://www.TinyHouseBasics.com is one such place. Let them
know we sent you and they will take extra good care of you.
Reply

Marc November 20, 2016 at 8:50 am #
Hello could you email me information on this design. I live in Alberta
Canada and want to start looking at starting one of these. Thank you
Reply

Laura June 28, 2016 at 9:54 am #
To Janine: or anyone reusing a travel trailer: craigslist has so many and its tempting
to be sure. BUT… question: did you determine the load and weight restrictions?
Many rv’ s are significantly lighter than tiny homes. I’ve wanted to try the same thing
due to cost but worry on these ancient rv’ s that the weight limits won’t be clear. Is
there an easy way to find out if tags are missing?
P.s. I’ve seen 2 youtube tiny houses on reclaimed rv trailers. I was worried for both
of them since they both built what looked like heavyTHOW’ s and they made no
mention of checking load ratings. Both trailers looked pretty light duty…..
Reply

Andrew July 1, 2016 at 10:36 am #
I could not agree more. RVs are NOT the same thing as tiny houses when it
comes to many aspects, weight being a major one. Do not skimp on your
trailer. It is the foundation of your home and an undersized trailer will cause
all kinds of problems moving forward. Further, it is more than just the axle
ratings. The steel itself must be designed to carry the loads you will place on
it (i.e. the house). Be sure to buy the right trailer friends. ?
Reply
4.
Elsie Gilmore February 11, 2014 at 8:38 am #
Will you be selling the plans for this home?
Reply

Hi Elsie. Yes, we will be selling the plans and a comprehensive, step-by-step
instructional DVD as well. We plan to release both in the coming months. Stay
tuned…
Reply

mariah February 20, 2014 at 9:30 pm #
Love your floor plan and the design…..as well as the cost….thank you…now
if I could just find folk interested in an old fashioned “barn raisin” I’d be in
business.
Reply

Maja March 23, 2014 at 1:35 am #
I greatly look forward to the plans & DVD. Will you also include a list of the
brand & model of cabinets, appliances, windows, & bathroom vanity?
Reply

Andrew March 28, 2014 at 5:48 pm #
Thanks Maja. We will be releasing that information in blog posts in
the coming weeks. Stay tuned…
?
Reply
5.
Kim February 11, 2014 at 8:39 am #
We are completely taken with your build. Everything from the design to the quality of your
work to the details of the interior is really beautiful and so well done. Love the video you
just put out about it.
We are currently building a single story 12×20 weekend cabin with a shed roof on 12
beautiful wooded acres. We have incorporated 9 windows to bring in natural light and make
the cabin feel spacious. Eventually we will build a permanent home on the same property
that connects to the cabin with outdoor decks from both buildings.
Thank you for sharing your talent and knowledge. We will definitely be following your
articles.
Reply

Thanks Kim. We appreciate your kind feedback. Good luck with your project(s)!!
Reply
6.
Carole February 11, 2014 at 10:16 am #
I am 63 years old female and thinking of building a tiny house like yours. However, I think I
need to build it on a slab. It would then be a permanent construction. I would love to go with
the trailer option but I also live in the Ottawa Region in Canada which is very cold. My only
issue is how to get water during the cold season without it freezing. With the wind, it can go
down to -40 celsius.
Really, this is the only thing stopping me right now. I plan on using reclaimed materials as
much as I can since I only have a budget of $40,000 for a piece of land and the building and
finishing costs.
Am I dreaming awake or is this possible, I wonder?
Reply

Hazel February 11, 2014 at 2:22 pm #
Hi Carole, I’m the same (young) age and live in eastern Ontario. The concept of tiny
living is so sensible at our age, don’t you think? Declutter, downsize, enjoy
experiences instead of stuff! Our society really hasn’t dealt with the middle years of
living very well, after the kids and before the nursing home!
You’re so right that up here in the frozen north we have more to consider when
building. I’ve found other simple, permanent, one floor designs that would work for
a single person or a couple.
By-laws and building codes are an issue too with minimum size requirements as well
as septic and water.
I’m so happy to hear of more Canadians building tiny homes…near Kingston,
Montreal, Saskatoon, and now you in Ottawa.
I would love to chat more if you respond here.
Cheers!
Reply

Carole February 11, 2014 at 9:46 pm #
Hi Hazel,
As you say, nice to know there are other Canadian from Atlantic Canada who
are interested in downsizing. If I lived in a warm place, I don’t think it would
be so difficult to do. But here we have long winters which complicates water
set-up, plus the size of our home. If you can spend at least half of the day
outside, the size of the house can differ a lot. But here, we’re stuck inside
longer than we are outside. I would love to buy one or two acres of land, with
some tree on it, and raise chicken. And grow a healthy garder with
permaculture and raised beds, etc. etc.
What are your dreams and where do you live
Reply

Carole, Hazel,
I am looking to network with Canadian tiny home builders, owners or
those just curious. My eventual goal will be to develop a platform
specifically for Canadian’s to support and share with one another as it
related to time houses/living in Canada.
Should you be interested in networking, please email me at
robertleonardo@gmail.com (Ottawa)
Thanks!
Reply

Darren Park February 14, 2014 at 6:35 am #
Hello there.
I’m also living in Ottawa. I really love this design more than any other tiny
house design that I’ve seen. The only changes I could see myself making are
moving the door to the middle of the bathroom wall, and adding a full width
fold down deck as seen on the molecule tiny houses. Great work both of you
on such a beautiful home!!!
To my fellow Canadians on here please send an email if you’d like to share
ideas/finds/discuss.
darrenpark22@gmail.com
Have a great day, and thanks again for sharing your beautiful hOMe.
Reply

Peter M April 24, 2014 at 12:02 pm #
Hello Hazel and Carol, and Fellow Canucks,
It is with great excitement that I came across the plans for this tastefully and
functional designed tiny home.
I am wondering if any one here has got building apporoval to build on a
trailer bed or on a block foundation and what additional winterising would be
required to be functional in our great canadian winters. I’m in the greater
toronto area, and have been considering the option of tiny home living which
would allow me to do more of the things I love with is hike, snow shoe and
xc ski in the winter and bike and hike in the summer.
Pls email me at panache4u2@gmail.com would love to connect with fellow
Canadians that are considering downsizing and making a tiny home a reality.
Regards,
Peter
Reply

Kat May 8, 2014 at 11:43 pm #
Hello Peter!
So nice to see so many Canadians posting here, I got excited!
My partner and I start building in 5 weeks, we are from Kitchener
Ontario and wont be returning home until late June, after what will be
8 months of traveling the US and Canada in our 6′ by 9′ trailer, the
tiny house will be an upgrade in size, haha!
We’d love to keep in touch!
our blog is http://hobohemians2013.wordpress.com/ and we plan to
fully document our build!
Reply

Robert September 6, 2014 at 6:28 pm #
Kat, I just looked at your webpage. Excellent. Thanks for
sharing!
I hope to be starting my Canadian Tiny home this Winter, next
Spring at the latest.
It is nice to see more Canadians doing this. We are a bit behind
the times.

Gil Snyder March 28, 2015 at 11:38 am #
Hi Kat
We’re almost neighbours, my wife and I live near St. Jacobs
ON. We are planning to build a 24′ model this year, hopefully
starting in May. I have been in the building industry for 30
years and am looking forward to getting started.I am self
employed so have only eves and weekends to source and build
the tiny house .The water is also a concern for us.we would
welcome any suggestions . We are looking to the RV systems
for solutions.
It’s awesome to see our fellow Canucks catching the vision.

Laura May 24, 2016 at 7:29 am #
Hello fellow Canukistanians and fellow Ottawans,
With regards to the water, hubby and I were planning a
rainwater catchment with an indoor tank that we can refill from
a garden hose as necessary. External pipes freezing is only an
issue if they stay outside; if you connect the garden hose to a
tap inside a permanent structure, fill your tank, then return the
hose to a heated area (e.g. a basement) there should be no
issues with freezing. Garden hoses aren’t “food grade” so we’ll
want to flush the hose before each fill and rainwater is
probably preferable for regular use, but even in winter we
should get some melt off the roof, especially if we install PV
on the roof. I’d appreciate any thoughts you might have.
Best,
Laura

Lisa January 25, 2015 at 9:13 pm #
Hi fellow Canucks!
I also live in Eastern Ontario (Brockville) and have been dreaming of
building a tiny home! I would love to learn from others who are
building!
Can anyone address the issue of where to put the tiny house? I would
like to buy a small inexpensive lot, but I understand that these tiny
houses on wheels wouldn’t be allowed.
I think it would be great to have a group of us all supporting each
other in our builds!
I have no building experience whatsoever (I’m a middle-aged female)
but I have will to learn!
Lisa
Reply

Hi Lisa. This is a very hot topic and one that many of us are
working on. Things will change in time, in fact, they have
already begun to change in some locations. It’s just a mtter of
getting the right information in front of the right people.

The budget will be tight, especially if that includes land costs. I don’t know what the
costs are in your area, but that is something you will have to consider closely. In
terms of the water, it is easy to bring in if you build on a slab. Simply bring the water
up through an internal wall through the slab and make sure the portions that are
outside of the building are buried below frost line.
Reply

Ashley Burke September 1, 2014 at 8:06 am #
Hi Carole,
I’m a reporter at CBC News Ottawa. I’m working on a TV story about the Tiny
House trend. I’m interested in chatting with you. Can you send me an email at:
ashley.burke@cbc.ca or give me a call at 613.875.5164 when you get this.
Thanks,
Ashley Burke
CBC News Ottawa
Reply

Carol Adolphe April 21, 2015 at 9:35 am #
Hooray!! Finally some interest and promotion in Canada. Just so I don’t have
to retype, the following is an email I sent commenting on building a Tiny
House in Canada to Robert and Jennie.
Hi, I just read your post on Tiny House Build. I live in Mission, BC. I have
bee researching tiny homes for over a year to learn as much as I can before I
start building. The biggest obstacle is finding a place to build it and a place to
put down roots in it. I’ve love to talk with others who have the same dilemma
or who have solved it.
I want to build a tiny house for three reasons:
1. I love the concept of using every square inch and the organization required.
2. Finances – I’m a senior on a very “fixed” income and want to live in a
“nice” place that has my personal tastes in style. I also want to be rent and
mortgage free.
3. I am extremely sensitive to odours, particularly all kinds of smoke. I’d like
to find a place to live that minimizes those issues. That may take me to colder
climates in Canada.
I’d love to be part of a Canadian tiny house site, internet and/or community,
so feel free to put me on your contact list and let me know how I can become
involved.
Looking forward to the challenge.
Please feel free to contact me. I have a lot to learn about this “trend”.
Carol Adolphe
carol.adolphe@gmail.com
Reply

Frank January 29, 2015 at 12:33 pm #
Greetings Canucks!
I’ve been pondering the same quandry as yourselves, tiny houses in the cold… I have
now built two really small buildings using straw bales. First, if you stick to 1 story,
the bales themselves qualify as the structural element, instead of needing post and
beam construction, or two by fours. They are also extremely good insulators. I don’t
have the exact figures in front of me, but depending on the orientation of the bales
you’re talking 50 to 60R! If you include some other elements in your plan, such as
south facing glass in copious quantities, earth-bermed East, West, and Northern
walls, and even earth-bermed roof, you’ve got an easily heated structure that most
anyone can build, that should do really well in the Great White North.
I am presently working on a Sketchup drawing of an Earthship-style house made of
shipping containers, tires, logs, etc. I’m considering several options. Fitting myselves
(me, the missis, the misses, and a son or two) in a tiny house at this point wouldn’t be
very feasible, but an alternative house design might be better than what I’ve got now.
Reply

Hi Frank. Great stuff, although the reality of a straw bale wall is actually R-40
(or so) for a two-string bale and R-50 (or so) for a three-string bale. I’ve been
teaching people how to build straw bale houses for many, many years and I
love them. They are an amazing way to build. Not so great for houses on a
trailer though! ? For anyone who is interested, you can learn a ton about straw
bale construction on my other website: http://www.StrawBale.com. Stay
warm!
Reply

Sherie Otteson January 2, 2016 at 10:21 pm #
Your situation sounds familiar. I am 60…not alot of money and will have to this
basically by myself. I, unlike you, will have to fight the heat…I live outside of
Redding, Ca. I want to travel in mine! Go and stay several months, then find the next
place to paint. I am an artist…want to travel paint and see the United States and
experience the people in their own territory. Hope your build went well and you are
enjoying it now!
Reply
7.
Laura February 11, 2014 at 12:44 pm #
Andrew and Gabriella, I hugely appreciated that you shared these costs! Maybe the dream
my partner and I have of building our own home isn’t so far off. And I LOVED the video of
hOMe posted on tinyhouseblog.com! (http://tinyhouseblog.com/yourstory/home-video-tour/
for those who want to check it out) I was glued to my monitor throughout and will show it to
my partner tonight.
I admit I would want a bathtub, myself, and my partner’s bad knee wouldn’t permit him to
kneel to get in and out of the sleep loft. Nonetheless, I find all these details fascinating,
including those of the shed-style roof – I’m 5’11” and need head room myself. All things to
keep in mind when we build our own home, right? Thanks so much for sharing!
Reply

You’re welcome. Glad you liked it!
Reply

mirageseekr July 25, 2015 at 6:36 pm #
I am having some of the same issues with the loft concerns. I have decided to raise
the kitchen floor and have the bed pull out from under it as an alternative to a
murphy bed. Otherwise I probably won’t be seeing much of my 6’4″ boyfriend.
Reply
8.
Jim February 11, 2014 at 5:40 pm #
Hello! I posted the below comments on the blog site you have your video. Not sure if you
will see it so I am also posting here ?
This is the best video I have seen yet on showing and explaining the insides of a “Tiny
House” along with why you both made the choices you did. Thank you! As my wife and I go
through the “Can we do this” process of moving on the the tiny home lifestyle, this video
has set my mind at ease.
It would be nice if you can elaborate the same way on your power/water/waste management.
Are you completely off the grid? Do you have to truck in your propane? You do not have the
washer/dryer setup under the stairs. Do you have one somewhere else? Finally, what made
you chose the pitch in the shed roof design? Was that an obvious or is there room to change
it? Could a flat roof work? Sorry – so many questions but very excited from this video.
Hurry with the plans!
Reply

Thanks Jim! Lots of great questions. We will address each of these in the coming
days/weeks on our blog and in our newsletter. We have a lot to do with finishing the
post production on the instructional DVD and getting the plans complete and ready
for sale, so we are taking little bites of everything else right now. We have plans to do
a video on the solar system and we will add the waste system to the list along with
the other questions you have. Thanks for the input!
Reply
9.
Saki February 15, 2014 at 10:55 am #
Do you have any plans to release a more detailed breakdown, similar to your accounting of
time spent building hOMe, where each you post the cost for each component? That would be
so incredibly helpful.
Reply

Maybe Saki. We have not really broken it down that way and that may be too much
work for us to figure out from the receipts as we often bought materials for several
different jobs at a time. I’m not sure we have the free time to reorganize those details.
Reply
10.
Patrick February 15, 2014 at 11:23 pm #
A fantastic resource! I really like your design ideas. Finally a tiny home that actually looks
liveable. Thank you so much for being so generous with your insights and for sharing your
experiences.
Reply

Thanks Patrick!!
Reply
11.
Troy February 15, 2014 at 11:41 pm #
I will be building this type of home for myself to live and my daughter when I have her on
weekends. I really would like to know more informatiin on the trailer that you used. I’m in
the stage of finding one and would like to repurpose a travel trailer like one of the other
people commented on. So how long was the trailer? What was the weight rating on the
axles? What was used for your stabilization. I’m so worried about the trailer.
I live in Texas and the main concern is AC. Where would you put one and what size?
The house you built looks so calming. Can’t wait to hear more and see planes.
Reply

Our trailer was custom built, and not terribly expensive. I believe the total cost for
the trailer, including delivery, was about $4000. It is 28′ long (the actual buildable
portion, not the tongue) and 8′ wide. We have two 8,000lb drop axles. The trailer is
set on four stabilizer jacks, the tongue jack, and wood stabilization is added under the
wheel wells when parked.
I am not sure about the AC. My guess would be that an RV style would be the way to
go I believe they mount to the roof. A regular home unit would be to big and a
window unit (used in apartments, etc.) would be unsightly. You could also use a
version of the more modern, wall mount units. There are definitely options here, so it
could be done.
Thanks for you kind input.
Reply

Greg Schroeder May 3, 2014 at 9:14 am #
Hi Andrew,
My girlfriend and I bought your plans and intend to begin our own tiny home
project in July. In the meantime, we’re trying to get our ducks in a row and
order a trailer. A SoCal manufacturer quoted us $9800. Any chance you could
offer us some guidance or perhaps connect us with your manufacturer? Even
if it’s shipped from Oregon, I suspect buying from your guy will save us
considerable dough.
Thanks,
Greg & Mikal
Reply

Andrew May 4, 2014 at 8:25 pm #
Hi Greg and Mikal. Our guy’s name is Levi and his number is
541.660.7553. Please let him know we sent you over. The frame is
slightly different on the plans than the one he built for us as the
engineer boosted things for those folks who will be driving down the
highway (which we do not plan to do).
Reply

Andrew,
What was the motivation in the updated drawing to go tri-axle?
I am looking at costs (and space) and keep going back to a tandem when
seeking quotes.
Cheers,
Robert
Reply

Andrew September 8, 2014 at 1:03 pm #
The biggest decision was based on the feedback we had gotten from
several folks who are building hOMe that the cost to build the trailer
as originally designed was expensive. The triple axle has helped to
lower the cost to build the trailer as part of an overall, cost effective,
redesign.
Reply

Robert January 26, 2015 at 9:55 am #
Thanks!

Paula March 25, 2014 at 2:48 am #
Here is some information on AC units for tiny homes. http://tinyhousetalk.com/top-
5-air-conditioners-for-tiny-houses-on-wheels/
Reply

Hope Henry April 4, 2014 at 8:44 am #
I live in Texas, too…you can find rv a/c’s on Craig’s List…some, I believe, run off
12v…making them more sensible for a solar setup. If you need the axle ratings, you
can get them online for most rv’s…intact rv’s have that info on an attached plate,
empty weight, hauling
capacity, etc.
Reply

Jennifer April 6, 2014 at 9:09 pm #
Finally! A concern about AC! I will be moving back to Texas and want to go the tiny
house route. I love all the windows in hOMe but, want them all to be openable to get
cross breezes in the summer to try to reduce AC usage/cost.
Reply

Hi Jennifer. The good news is that all of the windows in hOMe are operable
except two of the top windows in the front. They most certainly could be
made operable if you wish; however, you may not need them to be with all
the other ones that are.
Reply
12.
Marcelino February 17, 2014 at 3:55 pm #
My wife and I fell in love with your home and decided to do an equal, only on dry land. We
live in Brazil and we are forming in the architecture. What are the dimensions of the walls
and as we have access to the project plan?
Reply

Thanks so much. We will be releasing the full construction drawings in the coming
months. They will have all of the details you need to build the home and you could
simply place it on a completed foundation to avoid the use of the trailer.
Thanks again for your kind words.
Reply

Wes February 26, 2014 at 7:02 pm #
Hey Andrew when you put up the panels on the wall what did you do about
the gaps? did you fill them with anything?
Reply

Hi Wes. If you are asking about the interior panels, we left the gaps.
We wanted the space to create the architectural detailing.
Reply

Wes February 27, 2014 at 8:02 pm #
Oh okay so it is open to the wall cavity and insulation? Doesn’t
stuff fall in the cracks?

Sorry for the confusion. The 1/4″ plywood is attached over a
surface of 1/2″ OSB. That provides the backing and stops
anything form falling into the cracks.
13.
Michael February 18, 2014 at 12:59 pm #
What a beautiful home and concept – I’ll be on the look out for those plans when published!
I am interested in understanding in any thoughts you have about project cost variability as it
relates to less expensive options for building materials. As one example, you cite the $1400
composting toilet and that there might be a cheaper option. Very cool! As a counterexample,
you probably couldn’t save on OSB. Are there more things where you choose a kind of
expensive option where a less expensive option might do? Would it possible to build this for,
say, 20% less? Any thoughts appreciated!
Reply
14.
Deirdre February 20, 2014 at 7:48 am #
I absolutely LOVE this idea! My parents own two acres of land and already have a nice
home there. However, they are getting older and need someone nearby. PLUS, I love to
travel and do not really need a huge home – single and no kids. Also, I am interested in solar
power, but I would likely tap into their water supply. I like the idea of a composting toilet,
but I am not sure if I would go that route.
I would love to build the home myself with the help of family and friends. How can I attend
a workshop for this?
Reply

Christopher February 20, 2014 at 9:50 am #
I must say, that I am most intrigued by your due diligence and look forward in seeing
the up and coming blogs and plans/DVD. And most of all, any future possible
workshops, near the greater Pittsburgh area. Please keep me updated.
Reply

Gabriella February 21, 2014 at 9:49 am #
Thanks Christopher! Stay tuned to our newsletter or come back and visit us
from time to time for upcoming info. ?
Reply

Just a quick note to let you know the plans are now available…in case you
hadn’t heard. ?
Reply

Super Deirdre! Sounds like this lifestyle would be a great fit for you! Especially as a
single person hOMe will feel huge. It feels big with two of us in it full time. I love
the idea of composting toilets and I am keeping an open mind to ours but we haven’t
quite mastered it yet. I finally understand the allure of flush toilets! We don’t have
plans to offer a workshop this year but likely next year we will put one together for
building tiny houses. ?
Reply
15.
VSTanley February 21, 2014 at 5:31 am #
So after spending from 23-33k plus your time you have what?
I assume you didnt borrow for this.
Say it takes 6 months for amateurs to build this.
If in their spare time,. it will take longer.
Is that really a good investment? $ and time wise?Not really.
The compost toilet and granite countertops seems an odd choice.
I like the plan but the whole idea of downsizing is negated by the really high cost.
Its like having a small yacht to live on.With all the negatives.
Reply

Thanks for connecting VSTanley! Sounds like it wouldn’t be a wise investment (time
and money wise) for you. For us it made perfect sense since we had the time and
resources to do it. But to each his own. The countertop is a cheap off the rack counter
faux material. Someone could easily build hOMe for at least 10k less with using
different finishes. These were the ones we wanted and we love them.
Reply

Candice November 3, 2015 at 6:44 pm #
I am not sure how this is not a good investment…. home ownership is taking money
from one pocket and putting it in the other, rather then renting and it going into
someone else’s. Not everyone can afford $200,000 houses and even if I could there
are so many other things that money could go towards. A home for $30,000 I’ll take
it! Not sure how getting a mortgage works for this kind of thing, if there are issues
with insurance if you build it yourself. So I agree that it is somewhat challenging
when you don’t have the money already in the bank, but I will definitely be looking
into all the resources possible, government grants possibly? who knows.
Reply

VSTanley…have read some of your other posts. Are you always this negative or has
it just been a bad day? I think the whole idea of downsizing is wonderful. Leaving
less footprint and learning to live with less…just what we need. Doesn’t necessarily
mean we can’t have high quality things. It is our choice, and yours!
Reply
16.
Brenda February 21, 2014 at 6:02 pm #
Love love love this plan and the spaciousness of this home.
So glad I stumbled across your website.
I live in Halifax Canada and would love to connect with the other Canadians who love tiny
houses amd wrote comments here.
Bmwinhalifax@gmail.com is my email.
Reply
17.
R.A.L. West February 22, 2014 at 10:33 am #
Beautiful home Andrew! Seen on Tiny House newsletter this morning. It is, for me, the most
elegant and functional one I’ve yet seen! Inspiring! Question: no where do I see any specs
on insulation, what did you use? and in what region is your house? (vis a vis winter cold and
summer heat). I need a bathtub ? and I guess would consider a hot tub arrangement of some
kind outdoors. (Wonder if those foam portable ones from about 20 years ago are still on the
market….would be good if one did wish to move the house. I will browse around.) This is
truly an elegant and functional house that I can envision living in. Probably would still need
an additional studio space; but even so like the idea of the tiny space for ease and efficiency
of day-to-day living. Sincere thanks for your work, documentation and inspiration! I will be
interestes in your plans for this house when you publish them. Happy Day!
Reply
18.
Dan February 22, 2014 at 1:01 pm #
Hi Andrew and Gabriella,
My hat is off to you two on the amazing home you built for yourselves! ?
I’m not sure where to signup for the newsletter, so if someone could direct me towards the
correct webpage, it would be appreciated ?
I’m near Hawkesbury ON, Canada, and understand the concerns posted early about cold
weather. With the snow accumulation in this neck of the woods, a shed type roof seems a
better choice here than a flat roof.
I just recently started looking in mobile homes, and to be honest don’t really know much at
this point, but having said that, this is the 1st mobile or semi-mobile hOMe i’ve seen that I
am seriously considering. I love the layout and design!
For the metal framing of the trailer, would it safe to guestimate about 10-15 years before
corrosion becomes a big issue? Any suggestions on what can be done to improve the
lifespan of the trailer frame, especially if it will be stationary for a long time over
ground/grass?
When I retire in a few years, I’m also interested in having something that I can pull from
here to Alberta at least once a year, as the family is out there. Thank you for mentioning two
8K axles. I hadn’t considered that! Someone had mentioned above (or the other page?) about
a third axle. I’d like to have a water tank onboard, to hold enough for a few days supply for
two people (~60 Gallons). Tank would need to be slightly heated (to stop freezing) due to
our winters. Would having a third axle (near the front?) cause a big problem with the design
or strength of the trailer structure? I don’t recall ever having seen a 3 axle trailer before, so I
don’t know where it would go! lol ?
I guess I’ll have to also think about adding a propane tank onboard for heating and the
kitchen stove. Yuck, more weight. lol
Though I’m sure it is explained well, I’m having difficulties understanding how the
underside of the home is insulated, and that it doesn’t fall off when pulling the trailer. I
understand there is insulation on top of the cross members, which are flush with the top of
the beams going lengthwise, but I get the impression there is also insulation under the cross
members? I’m very much a visual type person, which sometimes for me is a big drawback
lol ?
I’m looking forward to when you guys have the plans for sale, and also details for the solar
energy.
All the best,
Dan
P.S. to the other Canucks, or any others who call the artic weather home, hi! ?
Reply

Dan,
I am looking to network with Canadian tiny home builders, owners or those just
curious. My eventual goal will be to develop a platform specifically for Canadian’s to
support and share with one another as it related to time houses/living in Canada.
Should you be interested in networking, please email me at
robertleonardo@gmail.com (Ottawa)
Thanks!
Reply

Robert September 8, 2014 at 2:07 pm #
Dan, Insulation will not fall through the bottom of the trailer as it will be placed tight
between the cross members and the bottom of the trailer will have steel flashing or
other road resistant material securing and protecting everything from the underside.
Reply
19.
Dan February 22, 2014 at 1:05 pm #
Just figured out how to get on the mailing list. Sorry about that!
Reply
20.
James February 28, 2014 at 12:36 am #
What vehicle do you use to move the hOMe around with? Is it able to fully tow?
Reply

Hi James. We have not moved it since we built it. It would take a 1 ton diesel pick up
at the very least. Being it is so long, the turn radius and the ability to go up and down
transitions in slope will be the biggest challenges.
Reply
21.
Catherine Wilson March 11, 2014 at 7:58 am #
Hello Andrew and Gabriella;
I am another Canadian who would like to congratulate you on your tiny home design.
This is a design that I could finally see myself living in and not feeling claustrophobic.
I especially appreciate your choice of windows, as I believe that the horizontal ones will
provide more daylight. I live in Western Quebec and am also concerned about insulation
values and freezing. Since you have building experience could you tell me if there was a
particular reason why you chose not to use SIPs in your structure? Also, up here solar
heating would not prove cost effective. If you had to choose a different alternative to solar
what would you choose?
Thank you for taking the time to tell us all about your build.
Looking forward to seeing your plans!
Catherine
Reply
22.
Hi Catherine. Thanks for your kind words. We chose not to use SIPs for two main reasons.
First, I have extensive experience with traditional framing and less with SIPs. I wanted to
work with something I am familiar with.
Secondly, being that we were making a DVD to teach others how to build hOMe, we wanted
to show something that anyone could tackle. SIPs are not common to many people whereas
framing is.
Our heat source is actually propane. We have a propane stove near the entry way that heats
our home. The passive solar design helps to augment the heat, but is not enough for the
primary source. You can see the heater in some of the photos in the gallery.
Cheers!
Reply
23.
Mollie March 11, 2014 at 1:56 pm #
Hey Andrew,
Where did you get your trailer? I am thinking of going with Kaufman Trailers, but am still
looking into other sources for a trailer as well. I would like to buy a used one but I am wary
of those.
Reply
24.
Hi Mollie. We had ours custom built for us by a man in Medford, Oregon named Levi. Hi
phone number is 541.660.7553. If you call him, please let him know you heard about him
through us. We are trying to inspire him to make trailers for as many of us tiny house folks
as possible!
Reply

Mollie March 12, 2014 at 1:20 pm #
Andrew,
Will he deliver to other states? I live in Illinois. Also, what are your thoughts on
using a used trailer?
Reply

I’m not sure if he would deliver to Illinois. You could certainly ask him;
however, I think it would be more cost effective to find a local shop that can
build one for you nearby. I’m not a fan of a used trailer. As the foundation of
the house, I want it to be designed to fit the loads it will be carrying and a
used trailer may not be up to snuff.
Reply

Is Levi still in Medford? I live just outside of Redding, Ca.
Reply
25.
Destery March 21, 2014 at 11:08 am #
Andrew,
I’m curious as to what cabinets from Ikea you used? I absolutely love them!
Reply

Thanks Destery. We will be putting out a “material detail” blog post in the coming
weeks with that information and more. Please sign up for our newsletter to make sure
you see the blog or just swing on back in a couple weeks.
Reply
26.
Ravi March 23, 2014 at 12:32 am #
Hi Andrew,
I’m considering building a tiny house, but I’m not sure if I’ll ever move it. Why did you
guys decide to build on a trailer?
In general are tiny homes built on trailers for the sake of mobility or to skirt around
overzealous building codes, overpriced building permits and insanely expensive property
taxes in places like the PRC (Peoples Republic of California) where I live.
Really looking forward to the release of your plans.
Best regards,
Ravi
Reply

Hi Ravi. Great question. For us, the desire to live tiny did not jive with the building
department’s idea of what the smallest structure to be considered a home actually is.
We don’t want 600+ SF, so we would not be given a permit to build our hOMe. We
opted for the trailer so it is a “temporary structure” which we can move and indeed
use as temporary housing if they have issue with it.
Some folks build their homes to move them around; however, I think the majority of
us are interested in simplifying our lives and lowering our living expenses as a
primary driver of the trailer concept.
Reply
27.
Gretchen April 3, 2014 at 4:26 pm #
Hi Andrew,
My question is about tools — does your cost factor in needing a table saw or nail gun or
anything like that? I don’t have any power tools except a small cordless drill. What tools did
you need for this project?
Thanks for all the info!!
Reply

Hi Gretchen. Thanks for your message. The cost does not include any tools as
everyone has different amounts of tools in their possession. The list of tools you will
need is pretty standard. We will have a full list of required tools in the upcoming
DVD. For now, plan on things like a circular saw, table saw, miter saw, framing
nailer, finish nailer, compressor, drill, power screwdriver, jigsaw, and other standard
construction tools. You can rent them as necessary or buy them if you plan to do
other work in the future. Of course, with a tiny home, there isn’t much space to store
all those tools! We have a 10×12 storage shed for ours.
Reply

Gretchen April 4, 2014 at 10:58 am #
Thanks for the reply! This is what I figured. It would be nice for a beginner
like me to have recommended specific tools (i.e. brand/model) that are cost-
effective but also good enough quality.
Thanks again for all the info!
Reply

That’s a tough one. I’ve always been the kind of person who buys
quality tools. They cost more up front, but are a much better value in
the end. For example, I may need to replace my Milwaukee Worm
Drive Mag 77 Skil Saw this year. It will likely cost me $200 for a new
one. I am replacing one that is over 15 years old. Not a bad $200
investment, especially since I used it in a construction company all
those years…it has seen some hours!
Reply

Gretchen April 4, 2014 at 2:39 pm #
I agree completely! I would much rather buy tools that last. So
I should have said, “quality tools that are worth the cost” rather
than cheaper tools that are good enough.

I’m a fan of Milwaukee Tools for drills, drivers, skil saw,
sawzall. I have a DeWalt miter saw and table saw. I also like
Bosch for routers and jig saws, more fine crafted tools.
28.
Brian April 8, 2014 at 7:43 pm #
Hi Andrew!
My wife and I are thoroughly impressed with your build and are in the planning phase of our
own tiny home journey. We live in South Florida, so, understandably, there will be a
significant amount of changes we may need to make to the home, to make it suitable for the
weather. Also, we’re attempting to create a home that can comfortably fit us both, as well as
a little one (or maybe two!) that is on the way.
That said, I see that your plans are publishing in 9 days (exciting!) and since we are going to
be making changes, I was curious; Will you be offering any kind of consultation help with
this as well? If so, what would you charge? We would also be happy to publish our building
or work in any way to document our plans/build, so that it might be a profitable resource for
your site.
We have ideas already for different materials, such as heat- and impact-resistant windows,
and have figured out other trades and compromises we can do to get by better down South.
However, the elegant solution for a space for a kid’s bed, maybe two, still eludes us. Even
some pointers with this would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks for all your documentation, I’m looking forward to the plans!
-Bri
Reply

Hi Bri. Thanks for your kind feedback. Hopefully you have had a chance to purchase
the plans. The good news is that they come with (or you can buy as a stand alone) a
fully editable SketchUp file, so that should help you make the changes you need. I
am not planning on offering consulting at this time as I have enough “irons in the
fire” as they say. I’m sure there is a way to get what you want in terms of sleeping
arrangements, it will just take some creative visions. Best of success to you and I
would love to see what you come up with! ?
Reply
29.
Shad April 25, 2014 at 12:10 am #
This house is amazing! My wife and I really want to build one ourselves and as such we are
planning on buying the DVD. Any ideas on how close the DVD is to being released?
Reply

Hi Shad. Thanks for feedback and excitement! We are aiming for the third week in
May for the DVD release. The plans are available now, just click on the hOMe Plans
tab at the top of the page. ?
Reply

Kristen May 2, 2014 at 2:37 pm #
Hi Andrew. Will the DVD be built into the plan packages or will it be offered
as a separate item? I am asking because I am considering purchasing a plan
package soon but do not plan on building for a year or two (so I could easily
hold off to avoid choosing a package without the DVD). Thanks.
Reply
30.
Sarah April 29, 2014 at 4:49 pm #
I just had to comment after watching your video, I think your home is amazing! Really
opens my eyes on what one really thinks is “necessary” in life. I currently live in a 2100
square ft home and after watching your video I think, why do we have all this STUFF? I
have this overwhelming feeling now to do a major spring cleaning! ? I congratulate you both
for living your life the way you want, and in the home that makes you happy. You guys did a
fantastic job!!
Reply

Hi there Kristen! Thank you for your interest in hOMe! The plans will be offered
separately. ?
Reply

Thanks so much Sarah!!
Reply
31.
George April 29, 2014 at 5:51 pm #
The small unit is fantastic and has always been an interest of mine. I have always thought
that turning 100 acres of land into a self contained subdivision of small affordable homes
would allow a couple, of any age, to have pride of ownership at an affordable price. The unit
you built is on wheels and I would think is set up with lights etc. for towing? What is the
approximate weight and can it be towed on a highway if needed? We live in northern
Ontario Canada and have very cold winters, would this be a problem with pipes freezing or
is this unit set up for a warmer climate. Do your plans include the building specs for the
trailer bed? Great job and well done.
Reply

Hi George. Thanks for your message. The hOMe is designed and engineered for
highway speeds and the trailer details are indeed in clouded in the plans. The walls
are thin in our design as our climate is relatively mild. We built the walls with 2×4
construction; however, there is room in the layout to increase the walls to 2×6 which
is standard for us here in most of the US. Your vision sounds great. I wish you
success with seeing it come true.
Reply

Dan,
Should you be interested in networking in regards to tiny homes in Canada, please
email me at robertleonardo@gmail.com (Ottawa)
Thanks!
Reply
32.
Kevin May 1, 2014 at 10:12 pm #
Thoroughly enjoyed the half hour spent watching your video tour of hOMe. Just a thought…
but I wonder whether a variation would be possible, such that the stairs would lead to a
“landing” corridor in the main bedroom loft (that would also unfortunately create a framing
alteration that would affect the kitchen area below the said corridor). An advantage of this
would be able to walk upright in the loft and have the bed above the kitchen as you have
constructed. Not sure if I’m making my point clear. Either way, you’ve piqued my interest
with you design.
Reply

Hi Kevin. That would be possible; however, it would drastically reduce the space in
the kitchen as a result and we prefer to have our space there. It doesn’t bother us to
have the loft height as is, at all.
Reply
33.
Sarah May 3, 2014 at 5:32 pm #
Hello,
I’m actually from canada and as far as I know I wouldn’t be able to just park a home on
wheels anywhere without purchasing the actual property and paying taxes every year for that
property, now I don’t know how it was when you built your home but does the cost you’re
stating on this website include those kinds of costs (if there were even any to begin with)? I
haven’t explored this site fully but so far I haven’t seen anything about it.
Reply

Hi Sarah. The costs given are for the trailer and the hOMe itself, but not for any land
or tax costs associated with the structure.
Reply
34.
Arlene May 7, 2014 at 7:30 am #
Hi Andrew and Gabriella,
Thank you for all you’ve shared. And the heart you put into every aspect and questions folks
ask.
My hope and dream is to simplify and live in harmony as you have. Have you any input as
to what part of the country are most embracing the tiny house movement in regards to
zoning and code compliance?I live in Florida and that’s such a tall order here. As Gabriella
mentioned, I still want to do right and be conscious of others property value but don’t truly
want to take on city hall. This USA is a big site to choose from.
Reply

Thanks Arlene. I wish I had some solid data for where best to build tiny; however,
I’m afraid that I don’t know the answer to your question. I think the best thing to do
is to talk to the local building authorities and see if they have concerns about tiny
living. If they do, ask what they are and see if you can create positive solutions to
those issues. Like anything new, change will take time to set in. It’s important that we
all do what we can to influence that change to be positive and supportive for all
parties involved.
Reply
35.
Jake May 7, 2014 at 4:10 pm #
How do I find information on your workshops availability? I’m confused. is it online?
Reply

Hi Jake. I have straw bale workshops that I am leading now (www.strawbale.com). I
do not currently have any tiny house workshops scheduled. Stay tuned…
Reply

Jackie January 8, 2015 at 7:27 am #
Hello. I am not sure but did you say you are from Kitchener Ontario? Is there.
A phone number I could reach you at. I had some questions about this model
and I also was curious if you are able to be contracted to build me one?
Thanks.
Reply

Hi Jackie. I am from Oregon, not Ontario, sorry. I’m not contracting
builds; however, you do have a couple options. One is to purchase the
plans and build the hOMe yourself and the other is to connect with
Darin at EcoCabins. They will be building hOMe and delivering it to
locations all around the US and Canada (I think they can deliver to
Canada as well). Here’s a link to learn more about that option. Darin is
a friend of ours, so please let him know you heard about him from us.
He will take especially good care of you. ?
Reply
36.
Kat May 8, 2014 at 11:47 pm #
Thank you for posting these details, it helps seeing peoples end cost and budgets.
Looking forward to posts about solar and budget breakdown!
Kat ?
Reply
37.
Jessie May 14, 2014 at 9:52 pm #
Might be a silly question!
Obviously you can customize your tiny home however you would like it, but could you
make it longer? I know in the video you said your bathroom is bigger because you took
some room out of the living room, but that is just a SMALL bathroom. Nothing else in the
house felt that small. Is there a way to extend the house even a few feet to have a bigger
bathroom?
Thanks!
Jessie
Reply
38.
Hi Jessie. Not a silly question at all. You can add some length to the trailer as needed;
however, there are some issues that arise. The first is that the trailer stars to get difficult to
move around without “bottoming out.” It is long, as is, so adding more to it would make
things interesting to say the least. You will need to check in with the department of
transportation where you live and plan to move the hOMe for maximum trailer lengths. Each
state is different.
The good news is that we changed to a new (and WAY better) composting toilet that is much
smaller. That makes the bathroom feel much more spacious as the original one was gigantic!
We are also installing a glass shower door which will make the shower feel bigger as well.
Reply

Lynsee October 14, 2014 at 10:14 pm #
Hi Andrew,
What kind of toilet do you have now and why is it better (other than size)?
Love your hOMe, btw!
Reply

Andrew October 15, 2014 at 12:34 am #
We have a Separett. It is a Swedish company and is very well made. Smart
design. Does not smell. Very functional. We love it. Gabriella did a full video
review of it on the website. I think you will find it if you search for Separett.
Reply
39.
Lyndsay June 9, 2014 at 2:30 pm #
I’m curious, do you think a tiny home is possible for a family of 5? 2 adults, 3 boys
Reply

Andrew June 12, 2014 at 1:18 pm #
Hi Lyndsay. That would be interesting to say the least. Much, if not all, will depend
on your willingness to communicate clearly and authentically.I think it would be a
huge gift for the family, but not everyone is able to rise to this challenge. The space is
certainly small, and sleeping quarters would be something to identify early on as
well. I imagine the secondary loft would need to be made bigger to accommodate for
extra space.
Reply
40.
Mark Livingston June 10, 2014 at 10:54 pm #
Great place! So far I have built a jon boat from nothing to include: a live well with aerator, a
deck, storage, saddlebag configured cooler and dry storage bin, running lights, casting seats
fore and aft and so much more.
I am now working on a conversion van (2001 Ram 1500) 5.9 liter v-8 (sucks gas but it’s like
driving a cloud). Removed the carpet and am putting bamboo flooring in, as well as
cabinetry. It will have a western cedar roof liner when completed. Did I mention the $3k
stereo system?
I wanted to take the second row captain chairs out as well as the third row bench/sleeper seat
and frame up my own custom bed, but everyone said, “You’ll kill the resale value.” That and
,”What are you going to do, live in it?”
I ponder what the resale value of a Ram 1500 van is anyways… and yeah, maybe I will live
in it.
Point is this, I have built a boat and soon to be deluxe conversion van. So, what’s next?
I was thinking of getting a utility trailer and decking it out, like you did. Question is, is yours
portable, or is it built to stay at its location?
Thanks for the reassurance that I am not completely crazy, or alone.
Mark Livingston
Reply

Hi Mark. Your projects sound great! Forget what other people of the resale value.
SOMEBODY will love it!
Our house is designed to be fully portable. You would need different cabinets as ours
was not built with the intention to move (designed for it, just not part of our reality),
and thus the items would fall out during transport.
Keep having fun with it!
Reply
41.
Tono M June 11, 2014 at 6:55 pm #
Hello Andrew and Gabriella,
You have crated something really special! I hope more people see your design and begin to
understand that less is best.
I’m not just speaking on the size of the home. We Americans are consumed with hoarding
things, and lots of things (cars, clothes, gadgets, ect…
Your video is proof that you can be just as happy in a smaller environment with less clutter.
I’m interested in joining you.
Tono
Reply

Way cool Tono!!
Reply
42.
Tracy June 12, 2014 at 7:10 am #
I was very interested in this idea but I would never be able to build it myself which would
double or triple my cost. I would probable be better off just buying a mobile home.
Reply

Hi Tracy. Sometimes the simplest answer is indeed an RV or mobile home. If you can
find a way to build it for less, the custom hOMe build is really amazing! I would
expect the cost to double with the added labor.
Reply

Jacque June 19, 2014 at 12:33 pm #
Hi Andrew and Tracy
I have been seriously considering this journey to build a tiny house(and I
smile because I have absolutely no experience building anything) but the
desire outweighs the lack of experence.
I did a quick search on RV’s and if you have to finance at all you’ll end up
paying 2-3 times as much in the long run for someone elses idea of
comfotable living.
I’ve dipped my toe into this ocean and looking forward to what I can be proud
to say I built with my own hands. One step at a time will get me there and this
first step wasn’t as ard as I thought. I will keep sucking up the information
and moving forward!
Reply
43.
Marie June 12, 2014 at 6:35 pm #
I live in quebec where winter is heavy! It is a good moove to expect built a tyni house ?
Reply

Gabriella June 14, 2014 at 7:50 pm #
You would likely want to increase the insulation. A good option for doing this would
be to add at least 2″ of rigid foam insulation to the walls and ceiling. You could even
change the rafter design to use thicker lumber (that would allow you to decrease the
height of the rafters so you can add rigid foam). In all, it is certainly an option for
your colder climate.
Reply
44.
Marie June 12, 2014 at 6:39 pm #
Last question : do you rent a land or you buy it?!
Thank´s again ?
Reply

We bought our land. Some folks place their tiny homes on existing properties as
“ancillary units” in the back yard.
Reply
45.
EUGENIA MCALLISTER June 12, 2014 at 8:32 pm #
Okay, I love and need this for myself. Do you build to order?
Reply

Thanks Eugenia. We don’t build them to order; however, we offer the plans for sale
as well as a 6 1/4 hour DVD set on how to build it. Hope that helps.
Reply
46.
Lisa June 22, 2014 at 10:31 am #
Hello my name is Lisa and I’m from Germany!
I totally fell in love with your tiny house and the design. My boyfriend and me thinking
about to build such the same but the rules in germany are really tight…
I have a question, how do you drive with your house or is it standing on one place all the
time? Which type of car are you using for moving the house? I mean it weights 6 tons and
here in Germany is it not allowed to drive with so much weight on the streets with a car so
I’m a little confused about that…
Reply

Hi Lisa. We don’t drive ours around at this point. If we did, we could use a standard
3/4 ton pick up truck to successfully move the hOMe. Hope that helps.
Reply
47.
Mike June 25, 2014 at 6:57 pm #
Can SIp panels be used?
Reply

Yes they can.
Reply
48.
Denise June 28, 2014 at 4:39 pm #
I absolutely LOVE this design. It is the best tiny home design I have seen so far. I especially
like the staircase since I worry about using a ladder as I get older. I also like the modern feel
of the design. I like the log cabin look so many tiny houses have, but I agree that the
lightness of this design makes it seem bigger than all the wood. And the dark wood floors, so
chic!
Thanks so much for sharing in such detail everything about this project. It is going to help so
many people with their future builds.
Denise
Reply

Thanks Denise!
Reply
49.
David July 8, 2014 at 11:18 am #
Good blog, love tiny houses, and yours is a great design – my favorite so far.
BUT, don’t you agree that for the average person (without 20 yrs building/design experience
like you), it would be next to impossible to build that tiny house for $23k?
IMO, someone like that would be better off buying a 30′ 5th wheel travel trailer, otherwise
they will need to hire out most of the labor and completely blow the budget.
Thoughts?
Reply

You raise a good point David. It is not easy to build something on your own without
experience; however, it is not impossible. I have been teaching people how to build
their own homes for almost 10 years and even those without experience can do it
with the right education and enough time. If you had to hire out the process, the price
would likely double (at least) as labor is expensive. We offer an in depth DVD that
teaches all of the details of building hOMe and additional hands-on workshops
would be a great starting place. If those are not options, or if one doesn’t have the
time to complete the project, then an RV would be a good alternative. Of course,
living in an RV is restricted with black and white regulations while tiny home living
is still considered a bit of a grey area.
Reply
50.
valerie mcouat July 8, 2014 at 3:30 pm #
Sorry if I missed this, but what sewer arrangements are used for these homes?
Reply

Hi Valerie. We have a composting toilet and a grey water system. Each jurisdiction is
different and, unfortunately, very few will allow for grey water systems and
composting toilets at this time…even as our water becomes more and more scarce.
Reply
51.
Josh Stientz July 15, 2014 at 6:26 pm #
Hey guys! I am a contractor/ builder in Oklahoma city, and I’m a huge fan of the tiny house
movement!! In a nutshell, I’m thinking about building and selling affordable tiny homes on
wheels!! Any idea what kind of market there is for this sort of thing? Of course I can deliver
anywhere in the US. Id appreciate any ones thoughts on this. Thanks!
Reply

Hi Josh. I think there is definitely a growing market for this. We hear from people all
the time who are interested in having a tiny home built for them. We also work with
contractors to build our hOMe for other clients as well by licensing our plans to the
contractor. If you are interested in this, shoot us an email at
info@tinyhousebuild.com so we can talk about it more.
Reply
52.
Remy July 19, 2014 at 11:37 am #
Hey, I hope to start building in a year and I was wondering about companies who finance the
build for construction of tiny homes. Even though my goal is to be financially free, I’m
young enough to have the bulk of the home paid off at the same time as my car. I’ve tried
traditional banks like JP Morgan Chase, Well’s Fargo and Bank of America as well as local
credit unions. No company, yet, has told me they offer the kind of financing I’m looking for.
Do you guys know of any place else I can try? Please and thank you:)
Reply

Hi Remy. I don’t have any specific banks that I know of that fund tiny house
projects. I do, however, have an email I’d like to share with you from a woman who
recently received funding for her tiny home project. She has some good details to
share with everyone here. Here’s how she did it…
=====
1. Excellent credit! (we have something similar to your fico score)
2. Zero bad debt. My credit cards are at a balance of 0 and I have no other loans than
a car loan.
3. Built up a line of credit and had minimal balance). (I have a 10,000 line of credit)
4. The max number of years for borrowing from a bank for personal loan is 5 yrs. I
was only able to borrow $20,000 for this reason. That made my monthly payments
just under $200 bi-weekly. I will use the loan plus the line of credit for the build.
5. My other option was to ask a friend/family member to either co-sign the loan, sign
over some of their home equity, or they take out the loan and you pay them back
adding 2% interest so it has an investment return for them.
* the way they calculate it here (according to my understanding) is they take your
monthly income and your monthly debt payments (mortgage/rent, property tax,
heating, water, loan payments). These payments cannot exceed 40% of your monthly
income. If your loan payment fall within that 40%, you will get the loan.
During the day I work at a high school as an educational assistant (working with kids
with learning difficulties). I fell in love with the idea of living in community a few
years ago so the last three years I have lived in two different senior homes. I am on
call at night in case of medical emergencies. In exchange I receive a room (12×12)
and meals. I LOVE it! Because of this, I have no living expenses so that 40% for me
was next to nothing.
So I would say, I am in a very unique situation. I would also add that it may depend
on your relationship with your bank. I’ve banked with the same bank my whole life.
No other credit cards or accounts. They liked that loyalty. The manager heard about
my project and wanted to meet me and shake my hand. He fell in love with the
project.
Reply

Faith April 22, 2015 at 3:33 am #
Hi Remy,
I hope all is going well for you! If you are still looking for a solution for financing a
tiny home or its construction, you may find this article useful. I have never used this
tiny house loan service, but I am hoping to build one in a couple years and in all of
my research, I’ve come across this same service recommended by a few people as a
very good alternative to traditional bank loans.
http://tinyhouseblog.com/announcement/are-these-tiny-house-loans-for-real/
Reply
53.
Matthew July 21, 2014 at 8:18 pm #
Hi Andrew,
I really like your design. Thank you for all the information. My goal is, in about 2 years, to
be living in my own tiny solar off-grid cabin. I want to buy several acres of land somewhere
in the U.S. and put the cabin on a foundation. I want to get really creative with the design.
REALLY creative. I’ve been playing around with SketchUp. Unfortunately I have zero
building experience, but I want to learn it all, acquire tools and build with help from some
friends/family. This is going to be a lot of work, but it’s totally worth it.
I will be 30 this year. I am recently divorced and I have a 30lb dog. My student loans are
outrageous. Fortunately I have a great IT job and I work remotely (I can go anywhere and
keep my job which is super awesome). I really want to do this so I can minimize my bills,
get these loans paid off, help out family financially, travel and enjoy life. I want to get away
from it all and live peacefully with nature. A simple, less stressful life.
As a builder, can you offer any advice for a cabin on a foundation? There’s so much to think
about. I don’t want to be connected to the grid (electric, water, septic).
Thanks and take care!
Reply

Hi Matthew. I love your desire to step out of the rat race. Great plan. Simplifying
things is so important and will (in our experience) make your life so much more
enjoyable.
In terms of what advice I would offer, there is much I could say. I have been building
for around 20 years and so exactly what technical info I would offer, I’m not sure
where to start. Some ideas would be to watch vides, read books, practice on small
projects, volunteer on building projects (Habitat for Humanity, for example) to get
some hands on experience.
If nothing else, follow your dream and bring it to life!
Reply
54.
Judy Pratt July 25, 2014 at 5:23 pm #
Hi! We are trying to have a 28 foot trailer made and are wondering about cost. We live in a
rural area and the price estimate we got seems rather expensive to us. Wondering if you’d
share what your trailer itself cost and where did you have it made? Thanks!!
Reply

Hi Judy. The trailer can be quite expensive to fabricate. We are working right now
(literally) with an engineer and a trailer manufacturer to bring down the costs. We
hope to have something to report in short order. Please stay tuned…
Reply
55.
Bryan Franz July 29, 2014 at 6:38 pm #
Hello Andrew! I stumbled across your build on YouTube. I love your design and ideas. My
wife and I are seriously contemplating jumping into the Tiny House movement. Surprisingly,
this was her idea. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised. My wife and I are starting a small
business, so a lot of changes are about to happen. I look forward to learning more about your
ideas and I hope I can contribute some as well. Thanks for what you do!
Reply
56.
Robin July 29, 2014 at 7:14 pm #
Hi there,
I’m working on different creative financing methods for the Tiny Home and your design is
my favorite so far. If I purchase the plans from you do you have a problem with me
contracting another Tiny Home Builder who is RVIA certified to do the build for me? This
opens up significant finance and insurance avenues.
Robin
Reply
57.
Pam July 31, 2014 at 11:32 am #
Great article on the cost estimation subject. I am trying to pin mine down before jumping all
the way in on my project. I found this App and it gave some really great results Great article.
“Tiny Home Estimator App” https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tiny-home-
estimation/id898952318?ls=1&mt=8
Reply

Andrew August 1, 2014 at 9:58 am #
Thanks Pam. I’ll have to check out the app. It looks, from the preview, that it could
be very helpful. The biggest question I have (without having looked beyond the
preview of the app) is whether it allows for adjustments based on location. In other
words, building costs in San Francisco are much higher than they are in rural Iowa,
etc.
Reply
58.
Robert R.H. July 31, 2014 at 3:28 pm #
Hi,
i must say i am highly impressed. I´ve got my Degree in Graphic-Design and Architecture.
Currently Employed as an Architect. And founding my own Company.
I allways loved the idea of less is more. But with your Design and Way of Living your
Living Proof that my Way of Designing new Buildings isn´t wrong. -> You couldn´t imagen
my Professor in the University; “more Space is better”… and so on. They gave me quite the
hardship.
Well, I am in fact working in the Moment on how can i downsice my own way of living. Its
really is difficulter than i expected it to be. -> Healthier, what are my needs?
I am quite struggling with it.
How do you manage? How long did it take you to get where your are now, with that kind of
thinking and living it?
Has it been different in your early days? where you allways living in a small place?
Thanks for such a great work and opportunity for providing the plans.
with best regards from Stuttgart, Germany.
Robert
Architect in Training
Graphic-Designer
Reply

Hi Robert. How strange that professors still push the idea that more space is better. I
guess for the average home buyer, that is still true; however, I expect to see that shift
dramatically in the coming years. Good for you for forging your own path. That’s not
easy to do in the face of people calling you crazy!
Our transition to tiny was relatively quick. We noticed how much time, effort, and
money it was costing us to live large and we decided we wanted out. We sold most of
what we owned and took a roughly 5 month trip to live on the beach in Mexico in a
tent trailer. That trip help solidify our desire to simplify our lives. We have been
taking steps in that same direction ever since.
We had lived in a 2000 SF (or so) home and our transition was challenging, yet
inspiring at the same time. We have lots of our stories in the blog. I encourage you to
read through, especially the early stuff during our trip to Mexico. Hopefully it will
inspire you as well.
Cheers!
Reply
59.
Stephanie August 1, 2014 at 9:36 am #
Love hOMe! I live in BC and I’m looking at relocating to Newfoundland and the idea of a
tiny house perched above the ocean makes my heart hurt I want it so badly. I’m in my mid
30s and would be doing the build on my own ( never done anything like this before, kinda
scary! ). I’m debating doing the build here in BC ( where I may be able to get some help
from friends ) and transporting cross country ( would need to rent a truck ) or starting from
scratch in Nfld and crossing my fingers it doesn’t take me 10 yrs to build on my own! I wish
there were workshops to learn basic construction skills out my way etc. Maybe one day!
Where are those TIme Life home improvement books when you need them!
Looking forward to more hOMe updates!
Reply

Hi Stephanie. Thanks for your message. I would suggest that you build it once you
get to Nfld as it is a large structure for towing and would take some serious trailer
skills to master for such a long trip. The good news is that there are some ways to
learn how to build. For starters, we have a 6.25 hour, 4 disc DVD set that teaches you
how to build hOMe. We have made some changes to the design to make it easier and
less expensive to build since we filmed the DVDs; however, the skills presented are
the same.
You can also volunteer for builds with Habitat for Humanity or other non profit
building entities. You get to learn skills and contribute to your local community all at
once.
We are trying to figure out a way to create a workshop scenario that would walk
someone through the process so they could do it on their own. It’s hard to figure out
how to present all of the information needed in a week or so time frame (my usual
hands on workshops for straw bale construction are 7 days) as there is much to
teach/learn. I’m open to ideas of how you think you would benefit from a workshop
and how you envision it happening…
Reply

Stephanie August 2, 2014 at 12:51 pm #
I have another question for you that popped in to my head last night…where
do you do laundry? Sorry if this has already been asked and addressed.
Reply

Andrew August 2, 2014 at 2:15 pm #
We designed into hOMe a space under the stairs that allows for a
washer/dryer combo. That said, we have opted to place our washer in
our solar shed (where our solar system electronics are housed) as it
gives us so more space inside. We hang our clothes outside to dry.
Reply

Stefanie,
Should you be interested in networking in regards to tiny homes in Canada, please
email me at robertleonardo@gmail.com (Ottawa). I am evaluating a need for a social
platform for Canadians with interest in tiny homes.
Thanks!
Reply
60.
Josh August 13, 2014 at 12:16 pm #
Andrew,
Quick question in an earlier post you mentioned a video concerning the solar panel system
that you used specifically, that was back in Feburary and maybe im not seeing it or you
havent posted it..if not when cause i am curious as your home has everything i would want
in my future tiny home as far electricity use goes. Also in your overall cost was that system
included?
Reply

Hi Josh. We have still not come out with the video for the solar system. We wanted to
live with it for a while before we discussed it in detail. That has proven to be a good
idea as we had originally undersized the system and are in the process of upgrading
its capacity. I promise we will get a video out soon… Thanks for your patience.
The cost to build hOME does NOT include the solar system.
Reply

Bob January 12, 2015 at 11:14 am #
Any progress on the Solar System video?
Reply

Not yet. We are so busy with some other things and have not found
time to do it yet. In the meantime, I highly recommend the folks at
Backwoods Solar in Sandpoint, Idaho. They are very helpful.
Reply
61.
Jewel Pearson August 18, 2014 at 9:37 pm #
Hi, I’m considering purchasing your plans and have a few questions:
1) Does the materials list include information regarding the your appliances?
2) I see on your blog where you provide information regarding building with Iron Ply, is that
type information also included in the construction plans?
3) I understand that your TM is basically stationary, but am assuming the building plans
utilize materials for the person who may plan to move their TH. Is that correct?
Thanks!
Reply

Hi Jewel. My answers are below.
1) Yes, the materials list includes information on the appliances.
2) All of the details you need to build the house are on the plans. They are
“professionally complete.”
3) The plans for hOME are for a project that will be moved and is engineered for
road travel.
Cheers!
Reply
62.
Shane August 22, 2014 at 2:39 pm #
This truly is one of the best designs I’ve seen. I love the interior layout and look I could live
very comfortable in that house with no issues…
Reply

Thanks very much Shane.
Reply
63.
Chey September 2, 2014 at 7:28 am #
I’m so excited about my future. My initial plan was to buy a tiny vintage trailer and live in it
when I retire in 8 years. But now I’m thinking of creating a tiny village to rent out…
Reply
64.
Chey September 2, 2014 at 7:38 am #
I have a question, if I bought land and put a few of these on it, how does the plumbing work
in these tiny houses. Is it like a trailer, motor home?
Reply

Here is what I have learned.
All plumbing can be set up with traditional on grid sewage systems, off grid, or a
combination of. Largely it will depend on location and lifestyle.
Black water (from human waste) can be dealt with a few ways. Common is a
composting toilet. There are a few types to pick from. From as simple as a 5 gal.
bucket to an engineered self contained system that composts within the toilet, or
below floor. These are safe, clean, odorless and do not use the precious finite
resource of drinking water to flush!
As for grey water, there are recovery and filtering systems for reuse. It can be flushed
to a number of reserve systems or mulch-filled basin.
It is vitally important to know the municipal laws and how not to disturb nature when
handling any waste water! There are many resources out there. Here is just one,
http://oasisdesign.net/greywater/misinfo/#matter
Reply

It can be done as in an RV with tanked systems or it can be attached to a standard
septic/waste water system. It could also be installed as a grey water system with a
composting toilet. Many options are available…
Reply
65.
Jerry McIntire September 2, 2014 at 8:11 pm #
Nice design! I love the stairway to the master loft.
Did you think of using SIP panels for the roof? Seems like it could be a single panel with
perhaps one framing member needed as a center beam.
Reply

Hi Jerry. We considered SIPs. One could likely do the entire roof without any support
beam at all. We felt that it was best to stay with a design that was easy for everyone
to build as SIPs can sometimes be hard to source, depending on your location. SIPs
could actually be used for the walls as well if one was so inclined.
Reply
66.
BJ September 6, 2014 at 3:59 pm #
Can you provide a spreadsheet line item budget?
Reply

If I may offer my thoughts on this… The best thing to do is buy their plans package.
They have the materials list with it to which I was then able to edit a bit and take to
various vendors for quoting. Prices of material may vary in different areas and even
material availability may have to be dealt with.
This is the best way to get a a line item budget that is tailored to your own home
design.
You will not be disappointed in the plans package!
Cheers!
Reply

Hi BJ. That would not actually be as helpful as you might imagine. The cost of labor
and materials varies so much from region to region. It is best to simply take the
materials list that comes with the plans and price the items locally.
Reply
67.
Pete September 7, 2014 at 8:06 pm #
A truly great design! I have been looking for months and keep coming back to yours.
A few quick questions:
1. How do you keep the water line from the well to the house from freezing (especially at
the inlet)?
2. If you were going to place an interior water tank in your hOMe, where would you put it?
3. Has anybody built with your plans and then shared pictures of any changes in materials
(more variations in materials, possibly more chances of getting reduction in cost)?
4. Did you have any health concerns with using “engineered products” like the
underlayment, OSB, etc? I have used OSB as a subfloor, but sealed it well to keep the Mrs.
happy. Would like your opinion.
Thank you for everything.
Reply

Thanks Pete. My answers are below.
1. We have an insulated water line where it enters the house. Between the well and
the house, it is buried a minimum of 18″ deep (the standard for our area).
2. There is not a lot of room for an interior water tank. If you are talking a small
drinking water tank, then in the corner of the kitchen behind the wine rack (next to
and slightly behind that is) is where I would put it. That is where we house our water
filtration system at this time.
3. I have yet to see any photos of a finished hOMe design other than the one that was
heavily changed and used in the Tiny House Nation show.
4. I am not a big fan of OSB to be honest. That said, we we not able to source any
“green and healthy” panel material in our area. I would suggest that you look to see
what is available and go with the healthiest option available that fits in with your
budget.
Reply
68.
Nathalia October 26, 2014 at 2:55 pm #
Hi Andrew,
I want to build a tiny house up in the mountains.
Would you recommend this?
Reply

Sure Nathalia. You may have some different wind and snow loads to deal with, but a
tiny house can handle all of that as long as it is built and designed well. Have fun!!!
Reply
69.
Traci October 29, 2014 at 11:11 pm #
My city will allow me to build an accessory until without a permit; and place it in my back
yard. However, the structure must contain 200 sq ft or less of floor space. Are there any
recommendations that you would make to reduce the size of your home so that I can have
one built in my back yard. Any suggestions would greatly be appreciated.
Reply

That’s cool Traci! Being that the house is roughly 8’6″ wide, you could take 1′ off of
the kitchen and that would save you a little more than 8 SF bringing the total down to
199SF. If you have 10′ height restrictions, then you would have difficulty as our
building is 13’6″ tall and you need that for the sleeping lofts. If you had to stay
below that height, you would probably be better off starting with a blank slate for a
new design.
Reply
70.
Jay October 30, 2014 at 2:58 pm #
Hey Andrew, I found an eco friendly SIP manufacturer in NC (uses sugar beets in the
insulation process) and had the very same idea you mentioned in the comments about using
one large SIP panel for my roof on my 8×24 trailer tiny home. You mentioned no need for
supplemental roof support other than the sip shell (might try to order one panel for each side
as well).
How does a flat roof drain on a tiny home? I’m in Northern VA; at what span would middle
supports be suggested?
Reply

That’s great Jay. I have to defer to the manufacturing company on the SIPs span as
that is totally dependent on how the panel is built, the expected loads in your area,
and the strength of the core, etc. They can surely tell you that. In terms of the roof,
ours is not flat, it is a 3/12 which drains very well. I am not a fan of flat roofs at all as
they drain to the lowest point which might be into your house! Even a “flat” roof in
typical construction has at least some prescribed slope to help direct drainage. You’ll
also note that roofing manufacturers recommend using their materials on slopes of no
less than “X”, so you would need to make sure the material you plan to use will work
with the slope you intend to build.
Reply
71.
Florie November 7, 2014 at 11:05 am #
Your home is perfect. How much do you think it would cost (with all appliances, etc.) to
have it build. I am too old to do this myself!
I live in SoCal. Thinking seriously about moving into a tiny home, if I can find a place to put
it. Mine would not be moved.
Thanks,
Florie G
Reply

Andrew November 11, 2014 at 10:47 am #
Hi Florie. Thanks for your kind words. I have some good news…we are currently
working with a manufacturer who will be building our hOMe and offering it for sale
at a VERY reasonable price. Of course “reasonable” is a relative term; however, I
know what it takes to build a home as I have been a builder for 20 years and the
initial price estimates are very favorable indeed. Would you like us to put you on the
advance notice list for more information about the hOMe availability?
Reply
72.
Megan November 11, 2014 at 1:56 pm #
Hi Andrew,
First off, thank you for the elegantly functional plan!
Second, how feasible is it to build this with a shipping container? One motivation is that I’d
prefer a flat roof as a rooftop deck, if possible.
Finally, can this plan get a RVIA sticker if someone RVIA certified helps just a little? If not,
will most states’ DMV inspections find that this plan meets standards for titling and insuring
it as an RV?
Thank you for any help. I’m planning on building starting in the next month if I can get a
trailer that soon. Excited! Please keep posting your useful tips. ?
Megan
Oh, and the website is my hodgepodge of tiny house ideas, resources, pictures, and tidbits,
on Google Drive. Sorry, it’s not very organized at the moment. I’ll add to it as time goes by,
then once brainstorming starts to ebb, I’ll organize it in OneNote.
Reply

Hi Megan. Thanks for your message. I imagine that hOMe could be built with a
shipping container, assuming they come in the right size for the current floor plan. I
have not built with them before and what I have seen makes sense; however, building
with shipping containers has its own set of challenges (extra condensation,
breathability, etc.). My understanding of the RVIA certification is that the entire
house has to be built in controlled conditions and by a facility that is able to certify. It
cannot be a little help here or there. Each state’s DMV is different and how they
permit tiny homes is different as well. Typically, you can get a certificate of origin
for the trailer and then get that trailer licensed with the DMV. What goes on top of
the trailer may not be certified as an RV (the DMV doesn’t do that) but if the trailer is
legal and the “load” on top of it meets road standards for width and height, then you
should be just fine.
Reply
73.
autumn November 19, 2014 at 4:33 pm #
well hey there lol.. love everything about yu..the houses are cute too:)
Reply
74.
Lyn November 29, 2014 at 2:48 pm #
From what I’ve seen so far I love em. Only watched a few of the shows but I would move in
a heartbeat. Never been a materialistic person so I think I could be very happy in one. Being
an older person, not crazy about going up a ladder, have you ever made one with a murphy
bed(when down) and a table(when up)? I have thought about this idea to save space. Can the
owner be involved in the design or are there just certain floor plans. I would rather have
more living room space and a smaller kitchen. I loved the airstream trailers back in the day
because they used every inch of space for some clever use. Keep up the good works Love it!
Reply

Thanks Lyn. We are actually working on a version of hOMe that will be smaller and
may include a murphy bed on the main level. Stay tuned…
Reply

madison November 24, 2015 at 8:43 am #
hi
Reply

bye
Reply
75.
Alberta Bookkeeper December 1, 2014 at 12:17 am #
Thank you for revealing this good plan.
Reply
76.
Kainen December 5, 2014 at 3:30 am #
Amazing design, thank you very much for the information this will kickoff my planning
stage for my tiny house build, i am sure the prices of material skyrocket once they make land
here in hawaii wish me luck
and thank you again
Reply
77.
Kaitlynn December 9, 2014 at 6:20 pm #
Hi,
How much did it cost for your trailer and where did you get it made? My boyfriend and I
bought your largest set of plans and I started watching the DVD and I love everything. He is
6’3″ which makes things a bit more difficult though. We plan on starting next January.
Best regards,
Kaitlynn
Reply

Andrew December 27, 2014 at 8:59 am #
Hi Kaitlynn. We had our trailer custom built by a local manufacturer; however, we
have made significant changes to it in order to make it less expensive for others to
build and more efficient for road travel. As such, our pricing is not really relevant
anymore. We have spoken with many people who are building hOMe and the trailer
price seems to consistently range from $6000 – $9000 depending on location and the
manufacturer.
Reply
78.
Kathy W December 17, 2014 at 8:43 am #
I so love this concept & glad I found it on Facebook! I’m also a Canadian (Alberta) & winter
may be the biggest issue.
As I was reading other comments – I started thinking of all the 5th wheel trailers we had
viewed this last summer (we were going to purchase one). A person could do a design
similar to that concept also. They are self contained; some have bedrooms (or bunks for
kids); winter camping is a matter of skirting the 5th wheel. One downside is that the propane
tanks are small.
If a person could figure out how to do the “slides” on 5th wheels – that would be awesome!!
More width when needed!
Also – I don’t know how to start the conversation, but these hOMes could be used for low-
income housing; winter shelter for the homeless – without taking up a lot of space.
Keep up the good work!
Reply

Andrew December 27, 2014 at 8:50 am #
Hi Kathy. There is a guy in Texas who is using the slide out technology in tiny
homes. I don’t have his contact information with me, but you may be able to find him
with some internet searching. Agreed about the use of tiny homes to help with those
in need of housing. There are some folks working on that angle as well. In terms of
the winters, I think with the right insulation envelope that you would be just fine.
You may need to incorporate more insulation than most, but you could use SIP
panels, or thicker walls and floor to get the right level of insulation. Keep in mind
that such a small space heats up quickly and with the right envelope stays warm for a
long time.
Reply
79.
TJ Houston January 4, 2015 at 5:26 pm #
Hello Peeps,
I sent a question in a while back to the ‘contact’, but I’ll bet you guys are inundated with
mail, so I’ll try again here.
Basically what I asked was: I’ve collected several hundred 2x4s from tear downs, but they
are mostly from stud walls, so are around 7′ or so, and I’ll probably have to cut about an
inch off of each end. I’m assuming that my wall stud height will be about 9′ thereabouts. So,
I was going to make the height up with two shorter walls, with liquid nails between the
headers, ring shank nails and some lag screws. I figured that with the interior and exterior
sheathing it would be plenty strong enough. Of course, I then had a non-expert friend tell me
it wouldn’t be as strong. I was wondering what your thoughts on this were.
My second question has to do with the trailer frame. I’m making mine out of I-beams from a
mobile home frame and a couple of heavy duty (electric braked) axles I took out of another
trailer I had. I’m going 35′, and like you, will be keeping it parked on my land unless I have
to make a move. I saw that you had some concern about bottoming out on a hill. Looking at
it now, would you move your axles back further? I’m trying to figure out how to do a slide
axle safely. I plan on putting ‘cleats’ under the rear frame, heavy angle iron in a “V”.
TJ
Reply

Hi TJ. I am no trailer expert, so all I can do is offer an opinion there. In general, the
axles are placed at a 60/40 ratio for the overall length with 60 being towards the
tongue. As things get longer, that makes the turning radius hard to work with and it
adds a lot of weight to the tongue. You may want to speak with an expert about this
to see what the best and safest solution is.
In terms of the framing, it is always best (in my opinion) to go with full length studs;
however, you can still use the shorter studs and build a sectional wall. Be sure to get
a tight bond between the two plates where the wall extends. It sounds like you are on
the right path for that. You may find it hard to find ring shank nails that are long
enough to make a solid connection. You should use 16d nails for that connection.
Angle them in different directions to help hold tight. After that, be sure to span over
the joint with your plywood so that it does not become a pivot point in the wall.
Reply

TJ Houston January 11, 2015 at 8:47 pm #
Hello Andrew,
Thanks for the reply. I ran across product called timberloc heavy duty wood
screws yesterday, from a company called FastenMaster. Seems like a better
solution than nails or regular screws for a mobile application.
http://www.fastenmaster.com/products.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNRBZW2vLx8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0nxyNYiGog
I was reading the Tiny House Newsletter and ran across this tiny houseboat
built by Mike Auderer. It’s pretty amazing that enlarging the build photos it
looks like he only used one timberloc screw per joint. Wild!
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?
set=a.260003707390581.64522.202539376470348&type=3
Take care guys and stay warm.
TJ
Reply

Those are great screws. I would think that two per joint would be
better to stop the wood from being able to spin/rotate in the joint.
Perhaps his joinery accomplishes that and the screw is just to lock the
joint together. It’s as beautiful floating home he has created.
Reply
80.
Chan Soo January 7, 2015 at 1:41 pm #
Hi, I’m trying to figure out how to get myself a tiny house. A company called Tiny House
Co. north of Houston, http://tinyhouseco.com/ , offers shell at $12900. After checking
several websites explaining tiny house cost, it seems rather low. Are you, or anyone reading
this, aware of this company or, as an expert, have a feeling about the price range? Would
appreciate any input. Thanks.
Reply

Nova Panel February 3, 2015 at 10:08 am #
Hi Chan Soo, from far north I am not aware of this company, but I believe any price
is possible. $12,900 is amazingly low though it is subject to a lot of factors, e.g. size,
shape of the building, performance of the materials used – you may pay attention that
the R-Matt Plus 3 has R-value of 12 which could be only good enough in the
southern region. Would suggest you to contact them for details.
I am working on the pre-fab panel for building at even more competitive price, in
coastal British Columbia we can provide pre-fab panel for easy assembling at US$65
per sqf, including R22 semi-finished wall, floor, roof, excluding doors, windows,
internal fittings and appliances. That is US$10,400 for a tiny home in 8 x 20 x 12.
You may visit http://www.nacsi.ca for details, or email me at biz@nortunecorp.com
Reply

Bob February 4, 2015 at 5:45 am #
Tiny houses come in at all price ranges. Tiny houses made by a company or
contractor for you will usually cost more. But those made by the owner using
their own sweat equity can cost a lot less. One example at the very low end of
that scale was in our local news last night and posted on g+ last week and was
built to be lived in here in central Iowa, with below zero°F temps so well
enough insulated, for $489! 160 sq ft main level with sleeping loft. Built by
students as a class project but could be lived in instead of the dorm.
The local news: http://www.kcci.com/news/no-mortgage-no-rent-building-a-
house-for-less-than-500/31075046
And the Tiny House Blog article:
http://tinyhouseblog.com/announcement/students-build-tiny-home-489/
They collected most of the materials from items being taken to the dump!
I would still spend a bit more to end up with something like hOMe with all
the features of any other house, just on a more “right sized” level.
Reply

Gabriella February 5, 2015 at 3:56 pm #
Thanks Bob!!
Reply

Chan Soo March 11, 2015 at 5:21 pm #
Thank you for your replies! I found that the biggest problem (at least for me)
is finding land to place a tiny house… It seems it’ll be a while until I can do
what I want in this matter. Still, appreciate your inputs. ^_^
Reply
81.
Robert January 26, 2015 at 9:59 am #
I had posted in this thread some time ago about wanting to connect with Canadians, as many
of us have been found on the great resource that is tinyhousebuild.com
Several people have contacted me over the last several months, thank you.
I did not want to post here again and hog the thread, but thought I best do one more post to
let fellow Tiny House (and other sustainable housing) Canadians aware that Tiny Home
Alliance (Canada) has launched Dec. 2014.
http://www.tinyhomealliance.ca
Cheers!
Reply
82.
Simmer February 2, 2015 at 9:35 pm #
Andrew
This is great post very informative. I am fascinated with tiny homes. thank you for your
straight forward and interesting commentary.
Simmer Dougherty
Reply

Thanks Simmer!
Reply
83.
Kerri February 4, 2015 at 10:49 am #
I love this home and I’m really interested in building it for my two children and me. My one
concern is that I live in tornado alley and I’m really nervous about a house on wheels. Do
the plans come with the option of a permanent foundation or would that conversion be
possible?
Reply

Hi Kerri. Thanks for your feedback. The plans come with a way to brace and anchor
the home on wheels; however, it is set up for homes outside of tornado alley (or at
least I didn’t specifically plan for that. You can certainly add additional bracing to the
hOMe or you could build it on a permanent foundation. The plans don’t show that
option; however, any local engineer or designer could create an appropriate
foundation plan for you and for the hOMe. Best of success.
Reply
84.
zach February 7, 2015 at 6:52 pm #
hey andrew I’m fairly new to the tiny house idea but from all the ones I’ve looked at yours is
by far my favorite. the only problem is i dont have to much building experience and thats
what mainly is holding me back. my father framed and remodeled houses for many many
years but he doesn’t really want any part in this. so i want to ask you how i should go about
this and where i should start financially and mentally cause this is fairly large project.
Reply

Great question Zach. Right from the start, the emotional/mental aspect is very
important. Make sure you are ready to live a tiny sized life. There are many ways to
go about this. I would recommend that you watch my TedX talk
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYhtKE-oEEM) and also check out the many
stories about down sizing on our blog. From there, get some hands on experience
building by volunteering at Habitat for Humanity or something similar. In the end,
it’s about believing in yourself, what you want, and that you CAN do it!
Reply
85.
Steven February 9, 2015 at 4:10 pm #
Hey there Andrew; Im a 21 year old guy looking to build his own tiny house with the help of
my father whos a carpenter/builder of 35 years. I figure I’ll be set for the building portion,
but I have a few questions regarding changes that I’ve thought of.
First of all, I’, 6’3 and as a result I think the kitchen would be a bit of a squeeze for me. How
difficult would it be to steal a few inches from the loft area (I dont mind it being a tad
tighter), and add that downstairs? I’d think it would be just a matter of moving the
ceiling/floor up a few inches during construction.
My other questions mainly relate to water/heating. What would you estimate propane costs
each month to heat the place without solar power? Where is the propane kept, and would
this be viable for year around heating? I live near Vancouver, BC so our winters are not as
harsh at the rest of Canada. Secondly, until I buy a small piece of property and get water
lines in, whats the best way to provide water? An external tank like you have may be
possible, but the risk of freezing is still there in the winter. Is there a water heater in this
home? I have no purchased the plans yet!
Any help regarding these questions would be fantastic; this home is the perfect combination
of form and function I’ve seen while deciding what I want to build.
Reply

Hi Steven. Thanks for your interest. You could certainly steal some headroom from
the upstairs loft as long as you don’t mind losing that upstairs space. Ver simple
change.
In terms of water and propane, you can bring the water in through insulated lines
(that’s what we do) and just monitor things to make sure the weather doesn’t win!
Propane costs vary depending on the weather. We use it to heat and to cook and to
heat our water. When we are not using it for the heating, we do really well. The
house as we built it has 2×4 walls. If I could make a change for colder climates, I
would go with 2×6 and would use batt insulation. The rigid foam is hard to cut
perfectly and as such, there are air gaps in our home that I am not thrilled about. Our
climate is mild enough that it’s not a big deal, but BC would be a different beast.
Hope that helps.
Reply
86.
Robert February 12, 2015 at 12:36 pm #
Hello Gabriella and Andrew! I guess I’m a little late to the party. I plan to build a tiny, rent a
spot next to a house and have electricity coming from the house via extension cords. Rent
would be $200 max plus utilities until I can afford to buy land. My only issue here is that I
live near Niagara in Canada and I’m not sure how I would go about getting water in this
situation. From the garden hose it would just freeze right? And even running it from inside
the house, the portion that would be between the house and my tiny would still freeze up. Is
there a solution to my problem? The only thing I can think of is to sacrifice space in my
hOMe for a water bag like they use on boats. Any Ideas are greatly appreciated!
Reply

Robert February 12, 2015 at 12:41 pm #
Silly me! My dad recommended that I use a heated water hose! I didn’t know that
was a thing haha! I’m all set. Thank you anyway, I love this site!
Reply

Bob February 12, 2015 at 12:44 pm #
I would still be sure to NOT use a regular garden hose even heated, but
instead opt for one of those special (heated) RV hoses (usually white, but
certified for drinkable water supply to a RV) to be sure it provides clean water
and continues to provide clean water.
Reply

The heated water hose would work (it’s important to get the potable
water hose as Bob suggests); however, if it were me, I would build an
insulated connection between the house and the tiny house. The heated
line requires power and that costs money and resources. An insulated
box, if built well, will provide the insulation without any daily costs.
On another note, you cannot simply use extension cords to power the
tiny house. The loads will be too high and you will run into problems
doing it that way. Instead, install a new double breaker in your panel
and run a larger line, most likely 50amp line/breaker. Check with your
electrician as to what he/she thinks is best; however, stay away from
the regular extension cord idea.
Reply
87.
Donna Chavarria February 18, 2015 at 11:53 pm #
HI Andrew, Love your tiny house,, exactly what I am looking for, can you put me on your
hOME Availaity list-I am looking for a tiny home like yours, I need someone to build for
me. I absolutely love the moderness and simplicity. Also, do you have prices for something
about your size.
Thank you so much. Donna Chavarria
714-815-5251
Reply

Hi Donna. You can get your name on the list over at http://www.EcoCabins.com. Be
sure to tell them you came over from here. We just rolled the first house off and it is
in transit as we speak! Very exciting. There is more information there about pricing,
etc…
Reply
88.
TJ Houston February 22, 2015 at 7:20 pm #
Hello guys,
I tried contacting you through your “contact” page again, but I’m starting to think that it
goes to the north pole, so I’ll try here.
I want to order your cd set, but I have two questions.
I don’t do plas-TEEK, so can I send a money order? If so, where do I send it? I found your
p.o. box LLC address once, but can’t seem to locate it again.
With the 25% discount, does that bring the total to $44.98? Any other charges?
Thanks,
TJ
Reply
89.
Mirene February 24, 2015 at 10:50 am #
Hello, love your design! Could you give me your thoughts on how you could use the seating
bench and dining area to make it a pull out, as in the designs for pull outs on campers? This
would maximize living area without compromising road regulations. How much extra space
do you think could be gained from doing this? Also would it work in colder climates with
insulating? Can it be done?
Thank you!
Reply

Hi Mirene. There are companies that can provide that type of design. You are talking
about “slide outs” and they work in all climates; however, they are not as well
insulated on the side walls. I am not an expert in them by any means, but I know it
can be done. Not sure how many square feet you would gain, but it would be the
width (I believe 6′) times the depth (I believe 4′ would be the max based on the
current design).
Reply
90.
Ray Daniels March 16, 2015 at 11:17 pm #
Hi, was wondering if anyone has used a wood cook stove in stead of propane kitchen cook
stove?? Wouldn’t that cut some propane expenses down a bit?!
Reply

Hi Ray. Wood stoves can be great; however, they may not be legal due to the
transport of the home. You will need to check with codes about that. If you don’t plan
to move the home much, you will be better off. If you plan to move the home, even a
little, you will need to confirm that a wood stove is acceptable. At the very least, you
will need to firmly attach the unit to the floor. Good luck.
Reply
91.
Jon & Elizabeth Benson April 3, 2015 at 1:57 pm #
Hi ..Andrew and Family … I fall in love with your house and designed tiny house. My
husband Jon he as experienced as a builder ; we going to make your tiny house for us to live
in …Andrew your tiny house it’s so beautiful and as everything we need ..
Our mortgage it’s so high and we can’t paid our house 2 store … But I am not sad ..because
I found your video for your tiny house ? … We will start building soon ..
I just want to highly Thank you … To post your house in you tube .. That it’s how I found
you ,, also we will get the DVDs. And sketch plan as well .. I am so happy ..because we have
2 dogs shitzu and 1 kitty Siamese .. So we can live happy ..
Thank you ..from the bottom of my heart ..
God bless you
Jon & Elizabeth Benson
Reply

Andrew April 3, 2015 at 3:40 pm #
Thanks so much for your kind message.
Reply
92.
Rick April 5, 2015 at 5:27 pm #
Andrew, my wife and I are very interested in your tiny house design – great video! We will
be ordering your sketch-up design. We have no intention of hauling our home about, but
want to build “on wheels” to avoid permanent structure regulations. I am interested in
modifying your plans to make the trailer 10 foot wide. In South Dakota, we can haul a 10
foot wide trailer on any two lane road without a pilot car, just a small fee for the permit. So,
I can get the basic trailer custom built and legally get it on my property for tiny house
construction. Thanks for the inspirational video!
Reply

Very cool Rick. I hope you’ll send us photos of your progress…
Reply
93.
Jeannie May 17, 2015 at 6:36 pm #
Hello Andrew and Gabriella.
I have a few questions for you. First, can I buy just the trailer from you for now?
Second, can I have a house partially built and then I do the rest myself? Third, will you be
having any workshops in Albuquerque, NM anytime soon? Fourth, do you know of any
people in New Mexico who have a Tiny House that we could tour to see if we think we
could live in one or to get ideas from? Fifth, what materials could we use to make the home
lighter in weight? Thanx for all your help and kindness!!
Reply

Hi Jeannie. We don’t sell the trailer alone at this point. We are working with a
company (www.EcoCabins.com) to create options for folks including trailers, shell
systems for owner completions, and complete hOMes. We are close, but not quite
there yet. The material we use is lightweight steel framing and that cuts down on
weight by a large amount. I don’t have any connections in New Mexico, nor do I
plan any workshops there in the near future. You might try some of the Facebook
pages to see if there are people in your area whose homes you could tour. Good luck!
Reply
94.
Justin May 25, 2015 at 10:54 am #
Beginning stages of building a tiny house (legit beginning, dont even have the frame design
down) but im thinking similar to yours ( sq feet and somewhat similar design) i will have a
lot of personal material possessions that are very expensive in the house, is it possible to
install an alarm system of some sort? Or maybe a lock that is finger print recognizable? That
will accommodate 2 finger prints?? (mine and my girlfriends) i am thinking either sliding
glass doors for the side (which will be the front technically like your placement of the front
door) or just 2 doors that open out with glass to give openness to the house and so i can
easily fit my road bike through with no troubles ? any advice is appreciated.
Reply

Justin May 25, 2015 at 10:55 am #
also forgot to mention that i will probably want to learn how to build this because i
dont want to spend double just having someone build it for me ?
Reply

That is all possible (assuming the technology for fingerprint access is available. You
could always use a coded entry if not. Keep in mind that the more glass you have on
the home, the less wall space you have inside and the more risk for breaking during
transport.
Reply
95.
Jeremy June 3, 2015 at 1:44 am #
Hi, I was looking to use your build because it is beautiful, on of the best I have seen.
However I am big on traveling with my home. My question is would your build be okayor
safe to travel around the US/Canada until we decide to settle down in one spot?
Reply

Andrew June 7, 2015 at 10:18 am #
Hi Jeremy. You could certainly travel in hOMe as it is designed for that use;
however, it is a large structure and may be overwhelming to drive around a lot. I
LOVE our hOMe, but I would be a bit stressed driving it all over the place for years
at a time due to the size. Who knows…maybe I’d get used to it!
Reply
96.
John July 8, 2015 at 1:19 pm #
What is the wall covering on the interior surfaces?
Reply

Andrew July 8, 2015 at 8:51 pm #
Hi John. It is 1/4″ finish plywood over 1/2″ OSB sheathing. We spaced the sheets
1/4″ on all ends before fastening.
Reply
97.
Lindsey August 4, 2015 at 2:41 pm #
I am so inspired by this!! I am doing research now to begin my own!! Beautiful job!!
Reply

Yay for inspiration! Have fun!!! ?
Reply
98.
Lee Hardy August 14, 2015 at 6:24 pm #
Do you make a tiny house and give them to people that really need a place of their own .
They have no way to buy a place of their own . They cant afford one on their income .
Reply

Hi Lee. As much as we would love to offer free housing to those in need, we are not
in a financial position to do so at this time. If you have ideas of ways to fund such a
vision, I would love to hear them. It would be great to be able to offer that as there
are many people in need out there.
Reply
99.
Jordan September 7, 2015 at 4:38 pm #
Hey there, read through all the comments but did not see where you addressed what you do
with your grey water. I am curious to know how, if rv type hookups are used to connect to a
septic, you would keep them from freezing during the winter. I hope to have a home similar
to yours in the not too distant future, am currently living in a tiny motorhome, and I love it,
but it’s not practical to stay in once the weather turns cold, hoping that I will not encounter
similar problems in a colder climate even with a THOW. Thanks in advance, love your
beautiful home, fantastic use of space!
Reply

Hi Jordan. Our grey water runs into a homemade sand filter before it is distributed
onto our property (watering our trees). We have never had issues with freezing, but I
can’t be sure how it would do in your climate. The only real standing water would be
in the P traps of your plumbing as the rest runs out into the sand filter.
Andrew
Reply
100.
Rene October 1, 2015 at 2:32 pm #
Hi Andrew,
Came upon your site and love your hOMe. It seems so straight forward and efficient. I am
wanting to get your DVD /plan Package but a couple of questions. You have your home on 5
acres, do you have access to any city/county lines for possible power, internet or just go all
off grid?
Also, I am looking to go with a little longer trailer, few more feet. It is possible to
incorporate that into your plans, correct. Just do math?
Please advise. I too am looking at Oregon, Northern CA (quake fear though). Somewhere
where no a/c is needed.
Thanks,
Rene’
Reply

Hi Rene. We are totally off grid on our acreage. If you wanted to hook up to grid tie
utilities, that is totally possible too. In terms of making the house longer, you could
do that, but keep in mind that design in a tiny house space is difficult as every inch is
so carefully calculated.
Reply
101.
Tommi Grace October 3, 2015 at 3:35 pm #
I am very interested in building my own tiny home. I love your home, I love the kitchen and
bathroom is so big. And I really love, love, love the stairs to the loft. I live alone (or at least
no other people). I have five dogs, one of which is a 110 lb Dog Argentino. I feel the space
will still be just fine for me and my five dogs. However, I want to build one on existing land
and I don’t want it on a trailer. What kind of foundation do you recommend? What is an
approximate cost difference for the foundation and septic system? And how would I get
electricity to the house?
Reply

Hi Tommi. The foundation would need to be designed to meet the soil requirements
of your area. Th most common options are a concrete slab foundation and a stem
wall foundation with a framed floor. There are pluses and minuses to both options.
There are other options as well, depending on what is legal in your area. Septic costs
vary greatly by location as well. You would need to talk to your local code
enforcement agency to see what is required and then get a few estimates from local
contractors (or build it yourself if you prefer). It’s relatively straight forward to do if
it is a standard system. Electricity costs and process will depend on your local
situation as well. If you bring in land power, the local power company can tell you
exactly what you need to do in order to have them drop power to you. If you plan to
be off grid, then that is more hands-on. I would recommend contacting the great folks
at http://www.BackWoodsSolar.com for help in that realm.
Reply
102.
Rod October 8, 2015 at 11:34 pm #
Andrew
I want to do a tiny house build in Central America (Panama or Honduras) on a very small
island. I am planning to have a few friends to help out with the buuilding of it and paying
them by allowing each person to use it one or two weeks out of the when I am traveling as a
way of repayment.
If it goes well I want to do small artist retreat of a total of 3 or 5 cabins.
But I would like to try and build in pocket doors possibly. Do you see this as feasible or not
a good idea?
I’m an artist, but have a background in HSE and I am trying to fiuure what’s my best option
for waste (toliet and black water) on a remote location that makes sense. Any ideas would be
incredible.
Reply

That sounds great Rod! I love the idea of repayment through use. Pocket doors can
save space in terms of the door swing for interior doors; however, they require a
thicker wall to accommodate the door sliding inside of it.That may or may not be
worth the effort in the end. If you measure the overall thickness necessary for a
sliding door (surface mount) versus a pocket door, you will have a better sense of the
value. It may be a great option.
In terms of waste. If you don’t have access to a waste station, then a composting
toilet will be your best bet along with a home made grey water system. There are
videos on line about how to make a grey water system and we strongly recommend
the Separett Composting Toilet (see the video review on our site and on YouTube). I
would suggest getting extra buckets with the toilet and simply composting in the
buckets as it is the cleanest and most self contained way to manage the waste.
Reply
103.
Mila October 19, 2015 at 2:39 pm #
Seeking all Canadian tiny home builders and enthusiasts! I am in the infancy of my project,
and would love to touch base with my fellow Canucks!
I’m on the West Coast, in Vancouver. I would love to take my tiny home on a tour of Canada
and figure out where I might want to put my roots down; what I mean by that, is where do I
want to buy a wee plot of land, to grow veggies on and call home while maintaining the
ability to uproot on a whim.
I LOVE this site, and am eagerly reading everything I can get my eyes on haha
Reply
104.
Helena October 24, 2015 at 9:24 pm #
We are converting a garage into a grannie flat, but are having trouble finding small
appliances for it.
Do you have a list of places in Canada (Ontario) that I might contact for information.
Space is, of course limited, so we need to work all the angles possible to fit all the
necessities into flat.
Thanks, I hope you are able to help us.
Reply

Andrew October 25, 2015 at 10:12 am #
I would suggest looking for appliance specialty stores. Places like Home Depot,
Lowes, and other big box stores don’t specialize in appliances and so will likely not
carry what you need.
Reply
105.
Candice November 3, 2015 at 8:22 pm #
I am in love with this way of living, with your design, although I have two boys so I will
probably put a safety railing up on that secondary loft space so I keep my two boys alive an
well ?
I know everyone’s build will be different but I was curious how long it took for yours. I
apologize if that has been asked 57 times already…
Thank you so much for the inspiration to build myself too!!
Reply

Hi Candice. I believe it was about 4 months to build it from start to finish. I did all
the work myself and Gabriella filmed the entire process (which took some time off of
the build schedule). That said, I have been a professional builder for 20 years, so I
had a head start. ?
Reply
106.
Taylor November 17, 2015 at 9:53 am #
I love your design, by far the most “liveable” for me personally I have come across so far. I
just have a few questions; I have access to some land so if I built a tiny home I would want it
to be a more permanent arrangment vs. being built on a tralier. That being said, how would
that change the design/pricing? Thank you so much for really making this seem like an
achievable dream.
Reply

I think that most people who want to live tiny should consider building on a
foundation over a trailer as most don’t actually plan to move the house in reality.
Anyway, that’s another conversation for another time. There would be a change in
the design in terms of how the hOMe attaches to the foundation and the foundation
design itself, but it would be relatively minimal. The cost would likely be about the
same as buying a custom built trailer in the end, depending on concrete and labor
costs in your area and how much excavation would be required.
Reply
107.
how much wood?
Reply
108.
connie December 28, 2015 at 7:29 am #
Hi there,
What are the options in Ontario once you have your tiny home? Where can you put it? I see
nothing on this very important point?
Looking forward to anyone who can help me. I work in Toronto so I am willing to travel up
to an hour, I just have no idea what my options are…anyone have any advice or
information?
Reply

That is a challenge everywhere Connie. The answer is not straightforward either. In
some locations, you can park it in an RV park, in others, as an ancillary unit behind a
full size home, in others, it can be a stand alone on land, and so on. You really need
to connect with people locally to see what your options are. I always recommend that
people try for what they want most because the more we all do that, the more likely it
is that we will see change in the current restrictions. We are currently working with
our building and zoning departments here in Oregon to legalize our tiny hOMe.
There are hoops to jump through, but it’s not terrible so far! ?
Reply
109.
Patrik March 12, 2016 at 9:39 pm #
You are an inspiration, Andrew!
I am in the planning stages, and I make a practice of being ACTIVELY and outwardly
grateful. You have caused me to leave a comment when I otherwise might not, simply to tell
you thank you for everything you do.
Keep up the good and important work!
Patrik Hendrickson
San Francisco, CA
P.S. I’ve purchased a couple of the items from your resource center, too, so thanks again for
that!
Reply

Thanks for connecting Patrik! Wishing you success and joy. ?
Reply
110.
R March 26, 2016 at 10:31 pm #
Hi Andrew –
I am thinking of purchasing your plans (the full package) and either building this myself (as
I have a year off from work coming up, with pay) or getting local builders to do so. The only
thing I see that may be problematic is that we live in Australia, and a lot of the information I
have read on your site appears to be for US/Canada. I wonder, can the plans (eg electrical
system) be converted for Australian standards?
R.
Reply

Thanks for your question. We do sell a set in metric, so that is a start. In terms of the
other details, that is something that you could easily adjust on the plans yourself. For
example, the electrical details are drawn to typical construction plan standards and
simply show locations for outlets and fixtures. The details of the wire routes, etc. are
determined by the installer. I don’t think you will have any issues (other than the
issues all of us in the TH movement experience) using these plans in Australia. In
fact, we have sold many sets there in the past. Hope that helps you decide. Cheers.
Reply
111.
I am considering buying a customized tiny home as I simply don’t have time to build one
myself. However there is one thing that is stopping me from doing so and that is the
uncertainty of whether if it is a great idea to own one if you have a family. I have a wife and
a child. We are hoping to have another kid in couple years. So, my question is: is it possible
to live comfortably while providing them a space to call their bedroom while keeping the
concept true (500sq ft but open up to 700sq ft). If it is possible, please tell me how…
Reply

Hi Andrew. I think that is a question that each individual needs to answer for
themselves. That said, I know of many people who are living tiny and have a family.
Consider that “tiny living” from the US perspective is what pretty much the rest of
the world does as their norm. It’s not as crazy as our large house owning American
neighbors would have you believe. To me, it’s about finding the right “Human Scale”
for your family. What size home is right will be something you will need to decide
together. I suggest you start small and then add on if you need to at a later date. If
you start too big, you will find ways to fill the space, whether you need to or not.
Hope that is useful information.
Reply
112.
Yunfeng June 1, 2016 at 3:59 am #
Hi,Andy, I am very interested in the DIY house and just bought issue40 as trial run. And
keep on your excellent work. Well done!
Reply
113.
jaydip July 22, 2016 at 11:37 pm #
respected sir.
my self jaydip. i am student study in b.tech civil engineering in gujrat(India). i want to help
for salter to provide tiny house in there area but problem is that the soil is full contain of
salt , salty type soil so what can i do to choice proper material . i wait your ans sir.
Reply
114.
Sam August 15, 2016 at 10:16 pm #
Greetings from far Russia!
I have a question on the use of bottom house in territories such as Russia, where very cold
winters (-30 C).
Maybe there is some kind configuration?
Thank you!
Reply

Hello Sam. I would suggest using SIPs (Structural Insulated Panels) for your build to
maximize on insulation value. You can stop any thermal bridging (heat loss through
framing members) this way as well. Probably the best approach for your climate.
Reply
115.
Michael August 26, 2016 at 6:42 pm #
Andrew…any advice for building one of these houses down in a hotter climate?
I live down in Central Florida and instead of having the problem of keeping things warm in
cold winters—-our winters are mostly cool and sometimes “cold” with the coldest temps
going down in the low 20s–but that is only a relative handful of times each year.
We have the issue of most of the year—like it has been this summer— most of the year it is
very hot down here. So far this summer we not stand at having well over 40 consecutive
days with highs well into the 90s (with the heat index being well over 100) and the lows
only going down to the mid-70s at night. We will not break this heat until at least mid-
October.
We also have issues of little things like Hurricanes. Even though I am inland with the Gulf
side being closer to me than the Atlantic side—the Gulf is about 30 or so miles off to my
west, so—any suggestions as to constructing one of these houses in Hurricane country?
We don’t get storm surge this far inland, but we do get the high winds and heavy rains when
they do come through the area.
Now–I as I am envisioning my plans—I will not be building my house on a trailer frame if I
can do so per zoning rules. I plan to build a series of small, individual structures, over time,
on a platform raised up on deep sunk pilings—with the final look being along the lines of
“The Dogtrot” style, which was what the first white settlers did here, looking at what the
Seminoles and other native peoples did.
This falls under a style of architecture known down here as “Florida Cracker.”
This is a manner of building structures that worked well down here for the times we have
not only hurricanes, but just some very heavy rains, mixed with the fact that much of our
land down here is basically reclaimed swamp land.
Now–the area I am looking at buying a plot of land out in the countryside not far from where
I currently own a house in a huge development. The land down here has long been used for
agriculture, namely orange groves, cattle grazing or raising and training of horses.
I want to build my house, using as much reclaimed and salvaged material as possible, that
even though brand new and made as energy efficient as possible, looks like it was built in
the time of the novel “The Yearling” by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. Her homestead is now a
Florida State Park, just a little over an hour north of me.
When it comes to the construction of Tiny Houses—there is little guidance for those of us
down in places like Florida, away from temperate climate zones.
Pretty much all the information I find, is for people building these houses in places like
California, Oregon, Canada, Minnesota or Upstate New York.
If you do know of any info about some modifications for those of us looking to do this in
sub-topical or tropical areas?
Also, what are your thoughts on insulation values for these areas to keep them cool. I am
going to have central A/C, but will look into putting solar panels up on that top roof
structure and use that energy to power A/C units.
I do figure that by having an overarching roof structure above the roofs of each individual
“module” that will eventually make up the “house” will help somewhat in keeping the
separate units cooler.
Thanks
Reply

Andrew September 5, 2016 at 11:09 am #
Hi Michael. There are lots of folks building in Florida, both on and off of trailers. It
is always easier to build on a foundation than a trailer. In terms of what you would
need to do to make it safe for hurricanes, wind, and rain, that is all spelled out in the
IRC code that is available to you on line. You can contact your local building
department to find out what version they are currently using.
In terms of insulation and cooling, there are options out there and you need to decide
if it is more important to you to focus on insulation or environmental issues/indoor
air quality. For example, you could use spray foam and get a high R value per inch
but risk poor indoor air quality or you could lower your R value and go with a more
natural material and less health risk. That’s a personal call.
I would certainly suggest considering a mini split system as they are ductless, easy to
install and operate and they provide both heating (for those few days you need it) and
cooling.
Andrew
Reply
116.
Sharon Parke September 25, 2016 at 9:05 am #
I would like to build a tiny home beside my son’s home on a slab. I would use the water
from his well and septic attached to his tank. Would you recommend heated floors. I’m 67
year old female living alone. Ontario is allowing secondary suites for family. Is there anyone
in the Ottawa area who you would recommend to build this for me.
As I’m living on a tight budget.I would finish inside by myself only require the outside,
electrical and plumbing completed. i have some experience with dry walling and finishing. i
would purchase kitchen and bathroom from Ikea.
Thank you in advance
Reply

Hi Sharon. Glad to hear of your plans! I don’t have anyone I can recommend in your
area for the TH build. Sorry. Heated floors can work; however, if they are thermal
mass floors, they will be heavy. You may want to stick with radiant panels for the
floor. Good luck!
Reply
117.
Anala September 28, 2016 at 12:32 am #
Hey Andrew, and Gabriella~! : )
I met you out at the Tiny House Conference in Portland a couple of years ago.
It’s always nice when someone exceeds your expectations or idea of who/how they are when
you meet them in person . . . rather than the opposite! ; ]
Question: wasn’t there a place somewhere on your site, where you detailed how much each
thing cost you? Perhaps I’m mixing it up with another build, but somehow I’d thought you
had done so.
Anyhow, I’m specifically wondering how much your custom trailer cost you —
As well as, trying to get a sense of how much more $ it might reasonably tend to be, to have
a 10′ one custom built, rather than the 8.5′ standard.
I’d be grateful to hear about anything you know / can share !
Thank you,
Be well ~ !
~Anala
Reply

Hi Anala. Nice to hear from you. I don’t think we ever broke it down dollar for
dollar. We put the total price out there, but I didn’t spend the time to write each line
item down. To be honest, I can’t remember what we paid for the trailer. I will say that
we managed to make some changes to it to make it less expensive but that it is still a
big item price tag. Best of luck/success to you.
Reply
118.
Jalisa Brown November 3, 2016 at 1:02 pm #
hey where are your classes and how much?
Reply

/bob November 4, 2016 at 5:31 am #
Go to the top of this page and click on the menu bar item “Workshops” and you will
be taken to a page with all the details you want to know about where, when, and how
much for all currently scheduled and confirmed workshops offered. If it’s not listed
on the right side of that page then it is not established or confirmed for place and
time yet. ?
Reply
119.
Babu C.Daniel November 11, 2016 at 1:24 am #
Dear Andrew, I am an Indian named Daniel, I have gone through your site and you are
helping people to build their own small homes, It is a wonderful helping nature, God bless.
In India I have build ed five homes, but materials we used here is different, we use concrete
materials and make strong houses. Any way I want to tell you something, my son and family
stays in Ontario,Canada, we are planning to buy a small home with back yard, or buy a piece
of land and make myself a small home, I need your help and advice and friendship. If you
reply me, do it on my email.
God bless you
B.C Daniels
Reply
120.
Corinne December 4, 2016 at 10:53 pm #
Hello, again, Andrew and Gabriella!
I am about to purchase a trailer and have a spot all designated for my build. However, the
build site can only be accessed via my parents’ very steep driveway… Is there a max grade
that would be feasible for hOMe to be towed down that you know of? Have you ever had
issues, heard off issues, or could you foresee issues? That was a lot of “issues” ?
Thank you again for all of your help!
Reply

Hi Corrine. Glad to hear you’re moving forward. How exciting!!! I don’t know of a
specific grade where towing hOMe becomes an issue. I think that’s more about your
comfort level with towing a large trailer. That said, hOMe, when complete, is pretty
“big” and heavy, so you’ll want to take it very slowly. I think that as long as you go
slowly, and have a level of comfort driving a trailer, you’ll be fine. Good luck and
have fun!!!
Reply
121.
Joel February 2, 2017 at 10:13 pm #
Can the hemp walls works in canada betweeen hot and cold weathers of 4 seasons as I heard
about new company build the hemp walls. I like to travel across Canada mostly in Sask and
bc. I been thinking about how much does tiny house needs the watts for solar panels. What’s
the top number (max) to put solar panels on roofs? How much weight are they? Can I add
the slide under trailer to make it expand square feet. For that needs to be soundproof for
computer Gamers. How much suare ft can it handle to weight with the slider uner trailer?
Like rv have these slide you know.
Reply

Hi Joel. There are a lot of big questions in here that would be hard to answer in just a
few words. They really need longer explanations. I will do my best to touch on each
one here.
Hemp walls are very heavy and require a thickness not conducive to tiny houses on a
trailer.
The size solar system you need will depend on your loads inside the home. For
example, we have a six panel system (270kW/panel) that powers our home well.
Others might need more or less, it just depends on so many things. As far as weight
goes, that depends on the panel that you use along with the size and scale of the
charge controller, inverter, batteries, and other solar components required.
Slide outs are being used more and more in tiny houses. They work fairly well, but
no doubt make the tiny house feel a bit more RVish. I’m not a huge fan, personally.
We have to remember that the intention of tiny house living is, partially at least, to
live simply and in a tiny footprint. The more we add slide outs, goosenecks, wide
load trailers and the like, the less we are staying within that tiny house dream. That is
not to say it cannot or “should not” be done, as that is a personal decision. Just
making the point so that we can all stay aware of the implications of increasing the
house size. I don’t know enough about the slide outs to comment on the weight
capacities.
Reply
122.
Shey February 8, 2017 at 7:31 pm #
Hey guys,
Do you have a more in depth material cost breakdown on your blog? Was looking but
couldn’t find anything.
It would be very helpful to know what you spent on lumber, insulation, appliances, etc.
Really impressed by how little your material cost was!
Reply

Hi Shey. We don’t have a more in depth breakdown of the material costs on line. We
do include a material list with our plan sales, but not a dollar for dollar breakdown as
costs vary so much from location to location. Thanks for the kind feedback!
Reply

Shey February 9, 2017 at 6:58 pm #
Nice! Do you have a sample plan set you could email me so I can see what it
includes?
Reply

Hi again Shey. You can check the plans out here and get a sense of
what’s included. It is a quality set of construction drawings with
everything you need to build the house. Cheers.
https://tinyhousebuild.com/home-plans/
Reply
123.
Mike February 9, 2017 at 7:05 pm #
Hi, Adrew. Love your tiny home . while watching your walk through video I was trying to
figure out what you used for your interior wall covering? the seams are very small and
minimal
Reply

Hi Mike. We used Ironply (1/4″ thick plywood typically used for vinyl floors) over
our wall sheathing, which we had installed on the interior face of the studs. We space
the sheets at 1/8″ so to create the shadow line/gap on all edges. Cheers.
Reply
124.
Jeffrey March 27, 2017 at 5:50 am #
Built our first tiny house about 2 years ago. We had to sell it last year because of our
growing family (baby came months after we finished). Now we’re looking into building
another this time with our hOMe plans we purchased a few years back. My advice to people
on saving money is this. There are 10 percent off coupons you can get for Lowes. On eBay
they cost about 2 bucks a piece. These things helped us save thousands on our build!
-WifeMeAndTea
Reply

Gabriella April 14, 2017 at 4:41 pm #
Jeffrey…that’s awesome! Had never heard of those coupons!
Reply

BEtH June 8, 2017 at 7:58 am #
Those coupons used to come in the Change-of-Address kit from the Post
office. I picked up a kit, and used one coupon every time I shopped at Home
Depot. Then, they switched to Lowe’s coupons, and I switched my shopping
there.
Reply
125.
carolina July 18, 2017 at 12:32 pm #
HI! Thank you very much for your information it´s very usefull. I´m actually living in Spain
and my mother languaje is spanish, I would like make the construction course but I can´t
find nothing close here. Do you have any contact? I´m thinking travel to your country if I
can´t find something here.
I´m in the planing stage of my tiny
Thank you
Reply

Hola Carolina. No tengo algunas clases en España este año. Fui en alemania para una
clase en julio, pero esa clase es terminada. Lo siento. Espero que usted puede viene a
los estados unidos para una clase. Gracias y lo siento para mi español…
Reply
126.
House basement September 9, 2017 at 12:52 am #
Thank you,Very interesting informtion.
Reply
127.
Salim Pabani October 1, 2017 at 7:37 pm #
Do you build small homes in Ontario?
Does your $33,000 include your labor?
Do you build on site?
If not what would it cost to transport the house to say London, Ontario?
Reply

Hi Salim. We don’t build commercially. We focus on teaching people how to create
their own tiny house lifestyle and construction practices. The price of $33,000 does
not include labor.
Reply
128.
Roberta October 3, 2017 at 7:45 pm #
I have researched and read hundreds of articles on tiny houses. Realizing construction costs
from $65 to $ 95 psqft I simply cannot understand why more mobile home parts are not
utilized. Ie water tanks, dc pump power, cabinets, stoves hot water and refrigerator systems
using ac/dc/ propane. Simple boat toilets can be utilized with tank for waste with a simple
flush out tank hose….the cost drops using scrap parts from wrecked mobile homes with a 13
ft ht limit mobile home slide ups and out mechanisms are priceless additions at Minimal
cost. Rubber membrane roofing pieces (scraps);can be utilized under siding and flooring.
Let’s face it the mobile home business has made fantastic strides in its progress….we could
incorporate their ideas. Another thought…This Old House has an end wall bedroom
complete with awesome storage built for under $700
Check that out. Would be interested to hear your thoughts. Sincerely
Reply

Hi Roberta. It’s just a matter of preference. Some people are building in ways very
similar to what you write about while others are not. It’s an individual approach to
building.
Reply
129.
House basement January 2, 2018 at 3:48 am #
Awesome post.Thank you so much.
Reply
130.
Vickie Hicks August 3, 2018 at 4:31 pm #
The reason I want to take this course is because I want to build myself a Tiny House or at
least learn how to build one and so that I can one for myself and build Tiny Houses for
others, especially for the ones who are handicapped and for the homeless.
Reply
131.
Frank Ball December 17, 2019 at 5:12 pm #
It’s good to know that finding the right materials at the right price can help keep your budget
in check when building a tiny home. My wife and I are wanting to move into a tiny home
and we were wondering how we can do it for cheap. I’ll be sure to get the home built with
the right materials to help keep it cheap.

NOU The Cost To Build A Tiny House - hOMe Reveal

Încărcat de

Informații document

Drepturi de autor

Formate disponibile

Partajați acest document

Partajați sau inserați document

Opțiuni de partajare

Vi se pare util acest document?

Este necorespunzător acest conținut?

Drepturi de autor:

Formate disponibile

NOU The Cost To Build A Tiny House - hOMe Reveal

Încărcat de

Drepturi de autor:

Formate disponibile

The Cost To Build A Tiny House: hOMe

356 Responses to The Cost To Build A Tiny House: hOMe Reveal

S-ar putea să vă placă și