How to get around Building Codes and Zoning for Tiny House Living

Greg Johnson of the Small House Society published a video on how city housing codes influence tiny house living. In a 4 minute video he covers a viewers question, “where can you legally put a tiny house on wheels?” Greg does a great job of explaining the problems we face in addition to different ways you can get around them. He also briefly discusses cities that are beginning to allow this type of housing as completely legal accessory dwelling units. Greg talks about the challenges faced by code enforcement to catch folks sleeping in recreational vehicles, campers, and tiny houses.

I’ll let him do the talking, Hope you enjoy and be sure to visit the Small House Society for more information related to the tiny house movement.

If you want to listen to Greg’s tips on how to get around building codes and city zoning, I encourage you to watch his 4-minute video below:

Alex Pino promotes tiny houses and other small spaces through Tiny House Talk. He currently lives in a 600 square foot apartment and has been downsizing since 2007. In the summer of 2012, he’s going to be traveling through the United States after paring down to what fits in a backpack

The First Tumbleweed Tiny House Going on Display

Guest post by Robert Patton-Spruill

I have been addicted to tiny buildings and houses my entire life. In 2002 my parents were sick and living on a farm in NH and I thought I should build a shack on their land so I could visit with them and help take care of them. So I began scanning the internet for tiny house designs when I came across Jay Shafer and his Tumbleweed Tiny house. I was stunned, a livable house on wheels? It seemed perfect for what I had in mind, a home I could park next my parents house making taking care of them a bit less of a chore and more of pleasure for my wife and I. I contacted Jay, who was living in Iowa at the time, and asked him to build me one. He said, "You know, I am moving out west, do you want by my original prototype?" Needless to say we jumped at the opportunity and a couple of weeks later there was Jay with a Tumbleweed Tiny House in tow!

My wife (Patti Moreno the Garden Girl www.gardengirltv.com) and daughter, who at the time was four years old, were so excited we spent the next week in it together, in the middle of February no less. We had so much fun, we renamed it the "excuse me" house because anytime we had to move we had to say excuse me. We made my daughter sleep in the in closet upstairs in the loft, needless to say she loved it.

But alas this plan of mine was short lived as the town came down on us and declared it a "manufactured house" and demanded that we move it or face massive fines. We were shocked and after losing numerous appeals moved it down to our city home in Boston, where it has lived happily ever since. Boy has it had a life since it was moved down here, first it served as Patti's craft shack. She spent hours in there spinning yarn, meditating and making gorgeous knitted scarves and hats. 

After a year as a heavenly hobby house, Patti sacrificed the house for Uncle Kifo, the Army Veteran, who showed up and he thought it was perfect and lived in there for five years! He loved it, sadly three years ago he suffered a series of strokes which forced him to leave the home. It didn't stay empty for more than a week though, when a student of mine who recently graduated college, with six figures of student debt, moved in and lived in it happily for another two years! But now it is time to move on. My parents passed away in 2010 and we have inherited the farm and have decided to redevelop it as a sustainable farm and want to build barns and more tiny architecture.

Robert Patton-Spruill is putting the Epu up for sale and will open his tiny house to the public on May 12 from 1pm to 4pm for an open house at 88 Lambert, St, Boston, MA (map) Our very own Derek “Deek” Diedricksen, host of our Boston workshop will be on hand too. RSVP on our Facebook event page. 

Meet Sage at the Boston Workshop

Hey all, 

I'm excited to announce that my friend, and fellow tiny house dweller, Sage Radachowsky (who lives in a tiny gypsy wagon in Boston that he built), will be one of a few guest speakers will join us at the Tumbleweed Tiny House Workshop in Boston May 19th and 20th. 

Sage walks the walk, raises chickens, keeps bees, and lives partially off the land in the city- yes, in Boston. He'll have some very interesting stories of his run-ins with inspectors, the law, and more, while doing what he does, where he is, and how he wants. He spoke with me at Walden Woods last year for a "Tiny House Seminar" I headed, and it drew THREE TIMES the crowd the park hoped for (and now they want to make it a yearly event)- score one for the tiny house movement! This guy will be a big draw at the Boston Workshop so make sure to get your tickets ordered quickly!

Here is a video tour about Sage and his gypsy wagon that videographer Steven Sherrick and yours truly shot. More on Sage can be found at GypsyLiving.org and SelvaGuitars.com. You'll love this guy- he's all heart.