What Types Of Law Do You Need To Know Before Building A Mini House?
Are you looking to join the tiny house movement? Have you considered possible repercussions and laws which involve this type of building? If that’s the case, then you aren’t alone.
A lot of people have gone crazy over small houses.
They can be quite charming, and on to of all measure less than 400 square feet of space, which is suitable for couples, or people living alone. However, if you want to know more about costs, construction, and possible restrictions, then keep on reading.
What are the costs?
This largely depends on the size of the property, as well as materials and finishes applied. For instance, luxury, custom-built small houses could cost up to $150,000. On the other hand, a DIY build, of course, costs much less.
You could build a home for $100,000, but you’ll have to spend a lot of time searching for affordable materials and even skimp on space and comfort. But, according to some statistics, you will require approximately $45,000 to build a DIY tiny house. However, if you would like to hire a reputable contractor, then you’ll have to cash out around $70,000.
Where can you live?
There are two types of small houses, RV and ones built on a foundation. The first one you use to travel with, and it doesn’t involve zoning or mapping regulations, you only require a place to park it. In this case, you can use your friend’s and family’s driveway, or a backyard for this purpose.
Or, you can pay space and stay at camping or RV site. The majority of state forbid staying full-time in zones that aren’t RV parks.
When it comes to tiny properties build on a foundation, things can be a bit tricky.Building and zoning laws in many counties and states prohibit people from purchasing a land and building on it. In that case, you will need to construct an accessory dwelling unit. It means you will require a secondary residential dwelling unit on a single-family lot.
Building codes and zoning
It is crucial to know about differences between building codes and zoning. Each of them can determine and limit the built of small homes. For example, construction codes regulate how you build your property, while zoning determines where you build it.
The majority of countries have adopted codes from the International Residential Code, which contains size specifications. It involves square footage, no less than 70 square feet, and height of the ceiling, which is at least 7 feet.
On the other hand, zoning regulations are based on local laws, and basically, the zone determines the size of your house.
For more information, you should call your local planning department. For instance, a lot of counties and cities have minimum size requirements, and they must be at least 1,000 square feet or more to build a small house on your land.
Some states, such as California, Florida, and Colorado have flexible codes and zoning, so maybe you should look into them.