Standards for a tiny house on a trailer

[chicken.little]

I was notified by my city officers that I should either make it moving or just keep it on a foundation. I'm picking the latter because we have a land here after all. I just want something more flexible than actually purchasing a house in the suburbs. Anyway, what are the standards for it? And if in any case I wanna move it a year or two later, how do I make sure the "foundation" will allow me to do just that? Thanks.

 

[DOJA]

If youre going for flexibility, look into a moveable foundation like a concrete slab with footings or screw piles. Check with your local zoning office for the specific standards. Make sure the foundation is designed to be disassembled or moved later. A contractor experienced with modular homes can help make sure its done right. Hope that helps!

 

[Clarion8]

Have you looked into modular or temporary foundation options that meet your city's requirements but still let you move the home later without too much hassle?

 

[eDJ_]

Beyond what has been mentioned (and those are all good points) consider how many years you would want this structure to last. How many moves could it endure ?
Where I live there are lots of "house trailers" and after a certain number of years they don't move very well. I think some of that owes to the elongated structure. But the metal sub frame is something a Tiny House could benefit from it it is to last some time and be moved. Often you will find House Trailer frames where the trailer burnt down. Those can be purchased in full or part affordably. And a section of such a metal frame may be suitable for building a Tiny Home on. Also using pressure treated lumber on the lower portion of the home may add to the longevity of the home.

With the metal sub-frame in the design there is an opportunity to allow for hard points for a crane to lift the home onto a truck for transportation to another site. This is one of the problems I see with the Utility Buildings you see as pre-builts at the lumber yards or places where they sell wooden utility buildings. These aren't really built for life spans given the grades of lumber that is used in their fabrication. I see many of them now being covered with the same metal roofers use. (less expensive than vinyl.

If you live in cold climates you may want to frame the walls with 2x6 so you can pack the spaces with heavier insulation. 2x4's are usually spaced 16 inches apart. 2x6's are 24 inches apart. (those are framing standards) But building while anticipating strength to hold up to moving may require a builder to deviate from the accepted standards.

 

[HouseHunter]

If youre going for flexibility, look into a moveable foundation like a concrete slab with footings or screw piles. Check with your local zoning office for the specific standards. Make sure the foundation is designed to be disassembled or moved later. A contractor experienced with modular homes can help make sure its done right. Hope that helps!

I get where you're coming from. here's some tips to have a "permanent but movable" foundation:

- Call your city's Building/Planning dept ASAP. Ask them what qualifies as "foundation" for your structure type.
- Aim for Pier & Beam on Footings. Way easier to move than a slab.
- Make sure removable anchors and easy disconnect utilities.
- You'll need pros with a crane to move it later, but the foundation itself needs to be designed for it. Get that info from the city first!

 

[smallspaceBiglife]

A couple of years ago, I helped my cousin set up his tiny home, and he chose a pier and beam foundation on footings for a good reason, it offered the flexibility to move it later if needed. It also met local codes and made it easy to disconnect utilities when the time came. Agree, I definitely recommend checking in with your city's building office first to find out what's allowed in your area.

 

[Alan]

I'd consider a modular that could be bolted to a foundation, or craned up and placed on an extended trailer for movement. Similar to what they use to carry the sheds to locations. It would depend on the width and length of your shed/home.