All of our houses are custom-built, and our customers are always anxious to get them once they are completed. So we don’t normally have a model that can be toured. However, if you are just wanting to see a tiny house in person, people all over the US are renting them out on sites like airbnb.com and vrbo.com. This is a great way to get a feel for what tiny living would be like. For more information check out our article The Tiny House Hunt: How to Find Tiny Houses Near Me.
There are several factors that go into determining the price of a tiny house. The biggest of those is if you plan to build it yourself or have it built for you. If you plan to build it yourself, it is reasonable to estimate that the cost will be between $25,000 and $45,000 for the materials.
Definitely! In fact most people living in tiny houses have built them themselves. Just search the web and you will find countless examples of mothers, students, nurses, office workers and so on having successfully built their own tiny house. These are people you might have never suspected of being able to complete such a task and yet they have, and more than likely, you can too! For more information check out Yes you can! Be a tiny house builder and Five Lessons Learned Building My 1st Tiny House.
Tiny Home Builders specializes in helping individuals build their own houses. We do this by providing books, videos, workshops, and trailers. So while we have built many houses over the years, we aren't currently building tiny houses.
It takes us approximately 2 to 3 months to complete a custom-built tiny house. If you are building one for yourself, the time required can vary quite a bit depending on your skill level and the amount of time each week or month you are dedicating to the project. If you are new to construction, we generally recommend allocating between 6 to 12 months to complete your house.
We don't change or customize any of our plans at this time, unless we are doing so as part of building your house. However, the digital version of our plans include the Sketchup file making it easy for you (or someone else) to customize them.
Delivery cost varies based on the distance from our location. We generally quote as low as $1.30 a mile for a trailer, and between $3.00 to 4.00 a mile for a house.
While we don’t offer financing directly, many of our customers do get financing from other sources when buying or building a tiny house. We have seen people have the best luck getting financing with local credit unions and USAA. The financing offered is typically a secured RV loan. You can also get a non-secured loan, meaning that it is not connected to the house and is based on your credit worthiness. Non-secured loans often have much higher interest rates, so do your research. One company that provides non-secured loans is https://www.lendingclub.com/.
Another option is to save up the money that you’ll need while you plan and prepare. If you cut back on your spending, it might not take as long as you think.
If you already live in a house and are not part of a Home Owners Association (HOA), you can likely build your tiny house on your existing property. If you live in an apartment or condo, you will need to find another place to build your tiny house. When searching for a location, you will need to ensure that you will have access to water, power, a safe place to store your tools and supplies, and access to a restroom. To find a location that meets these criteria, you can check with friends or even post an ad online.
Are you considering starting your own tiny house business and looking for advice? What we as a company focus on, is providing resources to help individuals achieve their dream of living in a tiny house. So while we’re not in the business of helping businesses, we can give you some advice to get you started.
If you’re interested in building tiny houses for sale, you’ll want to start by getting the proper licensing and insurance. A lot of people decide that they want to start a tiny house business after building a tiny house for themselves. But building a house for yourself is a lot different than building a house for sale. Local governments are typically much more lenient on what is required when doing work for yourself as opposed to when you are selling your services. For instance, you don’t typically need to be a licensed electrician to work on your own home’s electrical system. However, when you are selling your services, licensing and insurance is required. Since tiny houses are often not required to be inspected, people sometimes consider skipping these steps, but they are in place for not only your protection, but also the protection of your customers.
We recommend asking your local government about the legality of tiny houses in your area. Many people are surprised to find out that it is illegal to live in a tiny house in most areas of the United States. This is because they are often considered to be recreational vehicles (RV’s), and you generally are not allowed to live in RV’s. Having an understanding of your local laws will greatly assist your customers in finding a home for their new home.
The responsibility of being in an industry that provides housing in tremendous. Customers will frequently be handing over their entire life savings for a home that they are anticipating will last a lifetime. This is not a business that you can simply dabble in, as the consequences of failure are extremely significant to your customers. You must be prepared to shoulder that responsibility.
Looking for more information? We can provide business consultation services at a rate of $300 per hour, 2 hour minimum. To get started, contact us.
To learn more about how I got started check out the article about us at Starter Story.
For general information about our trailers, you can check out our main trailer page. If you're ready to order, check out our Trailer Builder Tool where you can build and price your trailer.
Since your trailer is custom made for you, we require a $1000 deposit when you place your order. We accept checks, credit cards, and PayPal.
The balance is due when you pick up or prior to delivery.
We do offer financing through another company. Contact us and we'll send you an application.
Each trailer is custom made and build times vary by location as well as the time of the year (we are typically busier during the spring). To get an estimated timeframe for your trailer please contact customer support at support@tinyhomebuilders.com.
If you live in the northeastern United States, chances are that our Toronto manufacturing facility is your closest trailer pickup location. Fortunately you can order from this location, as our Canadian made trailers are legal in both Canada and the Unites States. Below are some common questions we receive concerning importing our trailers.
No. The Canadian trailers are built to the exact specifications of our US trailers.
While Canada does have different taxes then the US, since your trailer will be imported into the United States, you won’t be subject to any of them. There is however an additional customs fee of $145 when importing a trailer.
No. The total time between placing your order and getting your trailer will be about the same or faster from Canada as from ordering one from the United States.
You'll need:
When crossing the border you will drive through the main entry as you normally would. You are considered to be ‘self importing’ your trailer and will provide all your documentation to the agent at the border.
We have three locations where you can pick up your trailer: Central Florida, Northern Utah, and Southern Ontario.
Delivery is available for your trailer. We frequently deliver trailers all over the United Stated and Canada. Delivery charges vary based on your location. For an accurate quote simply enter your information on our trailer order page and one will be provided to you.
Just you! We provide all materials and tools necessary to participate in the event.
Unlike other Tiny House Workshops, our events are more than just presentations in a classroom/hotel ballroom. They entail tool demonstrations, actual construction of walls, as well as an in-person experience with a tiny house trailer and/or a tiny house. The logistics and expense to handle the transportation and facilitation of these items outside of the Southeast is oftentimes not practical. However, if you have a group of folks that are interested or a unique proposal, please reach out to us to discuss.
Please refer to refund policy for more information.
All attendees must be a minimum of thirteen years old to attend our Tiny House Workshops. Attendees under the age of 16 will be permitted to use some, but not all, of the tools. Anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
We currently do not offer any discounts for minor attendees.