“The International Code Council (ICC) reported that the tiny house appendix passed its final round of voting, receiving the required 2/3 majority vote. According to the organization, a tiny-house-specific appendix will be part of the 2018 International Residential Code (IRC), allowing people to receive Certificates of Occupancy for tiny houses when built to meet the provisions of the adopted code appendix.
The code has no legal effect unless it is adopted by local governments.
The organization said RB168-16 was backed by Andrew Morrison of TinyHouseBuild and a team of architects, builders, designers, and educators. The team initially defended the proposed appendix at the ICC public comment hearings in October 2016 at which time they received the first 2/3 majority vote necessary to place RB168-16 on the official ballot.”
“IMPACT:
Having a tiny house appendix in the IRC code would mean more than you may imagine.
It means that people who are strapped for money because of insanely high rents or mortgages could get out from under that weight.
It means that people who have lost their homes and are living on the street could have a dignified place to live move into and get their lives back on track.
It means that college students could afford housing to start themselves out on the right foot after graduation.
And for all of us building tiny houses, it means that we will have a guidepost to building safe and healthy homes with a certificate of occupancy at the end of that road.”
So now they will be able to tax them and inspect them and generally raise the cost and hassles around building one and inhibit the creativity for no benefit whatsoever. And it seemed from the videos I watched one of the movers behind this whole thing is someone who doesn’t even live in one, built one and moved out of it in a year, with no intentions of living in it again except as a very temporary measure.
A few people deciding what everyone else should be allowed to do.
I am definitely not impressed.
I am also concerned. I tossed and turned last night for about two hours thinking about where this could lead. It’s basically what you just said — grid ties for all tiny houses, more and more codes just as we’ve seen on other types of construction, only factory made and approved tiny houses, possibly permanent foundations, no recycled structural materials, only code approved materials (no freebies from the forest), taxes, taxes and more taxes. It sounds terrible but this is the pattern we’ve seen from the entrenched bureaucracies. There is a lot at stake because there are many millions of people just in the US who are falling between the cracks — unemployed, part time employed, single parents, baby boomers who lack sufficient savings for managed health care, veterans, students with loans they can’t repay, young people living in their parents basements, handicapped, homeless, etc. Even the ICC code council agreed the low end housing market is a major problem that needs to be dealt with. That’s probably one reason they were so quick to approve this tiny house code.
Does that mean the regulations and red tape will raise the prices of tiny houses as regulations continue to move in on “truly mobile” homes?
Every time something becomes “acceptable” it becomes taxed and regulated as a means to pay those that work for the state.
We don’t need a tiny house building code, permits, and inspections.
We need a tiny house variance like for sheds and perhaps a minimal regulation that says it needs to be a certain distance from other buildings that are permitted and inspected buildings.
I don’t want to build a tiny house in a residential 0.15 acre lot in a neighborhood of houses.
I want to be allowed to build any size house out in the boonies without state workers using my wallet like a teet to feed from…
This is merely a way to raise the prices of “big houses” and begin selling “tiny houses” at regular prices.
Agenda 21 was what started this whole tiny house thing and then it became trendy.
Tiny apartments go for top price in the city.
How is this a good thing?
You make some good points and I have had similar concerns. I think the bottom line is you can still build tiny out in the boonies, and that’s what I would do since I’m a country guy. This new code is a way for those who want to live tiny in cities where it’s easier to find jobs, etc. It’s a compromised plan but should help lots of people. What is not addressed as far as I can see is mobile tiny houses. It sounds like they want people to put these on permanent foundations so they can tax them. I assume this because it says people have to follow all other codes as well as those listed. Can someone please clarify this?
Also note, almost for sure this tiny house code will not allow use of recycled wood for the structure. Building with recycled wood is a big advantage in my opinion and it would be a shame to see it banned.
The video presentations from the first day of the 2017 Tiny House Summit are about to expire, and will be replaced at 12:00 pm US Eastern Standard Time with new presentations by Felice Cohen, Andrew M. Odom, Vera Struck, Saul Rip Hansen, John & Fin Kernohan, Thom Stanton, Andrew Heben, and Carmen Shenk. (For the many who have asked, Andrew Heben’s presentation specifically addresses tiny houses and homelessness.) These new videos will be available to watch for free for 24 hours, ending at 12:00 pm US Eastern Standard Time, Wednesday, February 22nd.
This is great news for all those who want to build small houses. Bit by bit the barriers are crumbling.