Learn to build your own tiny house in 2026! View our new Tiny House Workshop dates and locations.
If you’re designing your own house or perhaps even some furniture, you’ve likely heard of SketchUp. Below are some common questions we receive about SketchUp.
SketchUp is a computer program in which you can create both simple and complex 3D models fairly easily. SketchUp was originally developed by Google (so it is often called ‘Google SketchUp’) but has since been sold to Trimble. Currently, there is a free and ‘pro’ version of the program available.
If you plan to make changes to the design of a house, having the SketchUp model can make this significantly easier. Changes can’t easily be made to a set of printable plans. If a change is desired, the plans will generally need to be recreated. This can be complex since a change to one page of a set of plans (or section of a house) may impact other pages (and so on). By instead modifying the model for which the plans are based on, you can immediately see how your changes will impact the other parts of the house and then recreate the plans with the new changes.
Even if you don’t plan on making changes to the design, having the SketchUp model can be extremely helpful. SketchUp can be used to visualize and understand how the house is assembled, and to get additional details and measurements during construction.
While SketchUp is extremely powerful, it is also relatively easy to use. If you just want to navigate an existing model and perhaps take some measurements, you’ll only need to know a very small subset of the available features in the program. For a quick overview of those, I’ve put together an introductory video. I've also recorded a few other video that dive into some of the more advanced features of Sketchup.
If you plan to use SketchUp to create a model from scratch or to change an existing model, you’ll need to know a lot more about the program. For a wide range of video tutorials visit: https://www.sketchup.com/resources/trainers.
Getting geared up for another season of hands-on workshops, we love to look forward to watching the growth of people and their confidence in just one weekend. There are many people who come to a workshop just for that very reason: because they feel like they could never build a tiny house.
Choosing from the many Tiny House Builders can be a daunting process. But with a little know how and a lot of research, you can find someone that you will be able to trust and who will get the job done properly. Here are five questions to ask yourself to help you choose the right tiny house builder.
There are many people who only live in their tiny house for a couple of years and then decide that they need a change. Some of these folks rent out their house or make a vacation cabin out of it. But some choose to sell it.
We’ve all heard it before, and perhaps you’ve even said it, “It’s in my five-year plan”. While planning is extremely important and encouraged, you need to be careful to avoid falling into the ‘planning trap’ where you spend more time planning for your goals than moving towards them. This trap is especially easy to fall into when you set your goals to 5, 10, or even 15 years out.
Most tiny houses get their utilities the same way RV’s and conventional homes do. Through services provided by utility and power companies. However, occasionally people wish to locate their homes where these services are not provided.