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Tiny House Blog

Straight answers to the questions people ask before they go tiny: what a tiny house is, where you can put one, how to buy or finance it, what it weighs and how long it takes to build. Plus long-form guides on cost, building, zoning and layouts.

  • 16 articles
  • 8 in-depth guides
  • Free calculators to run your own numbers

Latest article · Building

Mini Excavator Size for Tiny Home Land Prep: A Site Guide

Pick the right mini excavator size for your tiny home site: pads, piers, utility trenches, septic and driveways, matched to your plan style.

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All articles

Filter by topic. Every article links to the plans, guides and calculators that go with it.

Building Mini Excavator Size for Tiny Home Land Prep: A Site Guide Pick the right mini excavator size for your tiny home site: pads, piers, utility trenches, septic and driveways, matched to your plan style. Read article Building How Long Does It Take to Build a Tiny Home? How long does it take to build a tiny home? Realistic timelines for DIY, shell and builder projects, phase by phase, and what slows a build down. Read article Costs How Much Does It Cost to Move a Tiny Home? How much does it cost to move a tiny home? Per-mile towing rates, permits, escorts, setup costs and how to save when relocating a tiny house. Read article Buying How to Finance a Tiny Home: 7 Loan Options Compared How to finance a tiny home: RV loans, personal loans, construction loans, mortgages for foundation tiny homes, builder financing and cash strategies. Read article Placement How to Start a Tiny Home Community: 8 Steps How to start a tiny home community: choosing land, zoning paths, site planning, utilities, legal structure and budgeting for a tiny house village. Read article Placement How Many Tiny Homes Can Fit on an Acre? How many tiny homes can fit on an acre? The math for density, setbacks, roads and parking, plus the zoning rules that set the real limit. Read article Building How Much Do Tiny Homes Weigh? Weight by Size and Build How much do tiny homes weigh? Typical weights for 16 to 32 ft tiny houses on wheels, what makes them heavy and how to keep weight under your trailer rating. Read article Buying Are Tiny Homes Worth It? Costs, Resale and Real Trade-Offs Are tiny homes worth it? An honest look at savings, resale value, appreciation, financing and lifestyle trade-offs before you buy or build. Read article Legal Are Tiny Homes Considered Mobile Homes? RV vs HUD vs House Are tiny homes considered mobile homes? How tiny houses on wheels, park model RVs, HUD manufactured homes and foundation tiny homes are classified. Read article Design How to Design a Tiny Home: 10 Steps From Sketch to Plan How to design a tiny home step by step: set your size, zone the floor plan, place the wet wall, plan storage and lofts, and turn a sketch into a buildable plan. Read article Lifestyle What Is the Tiny House Movement? History and Why It Grew What is the tiny house movement? Where it started, why it grew, who lives tiny today and what the movement means for housing costs and zoning. Read article Buying How to Buy a Tiny House: A Step-by-Step Buyer's Guide How to buy a tiny house: new vs used, builder vs DIY, inspections, certification, financing and the questions to ask before you hand over a deposit. Read article Placement Can I Put a Tiny Home in My Backyard? Rules and Steps Can you put a tiny home in your backyard? How ADU rules, zoning and utilities decide it, plus the steps to get a backyard tiny house approved. Read article Placement Where to Put a Tiny House: 9 Places You Can Park or Build Where to put a tiny house: backyards, rural land, RV parks, tiny home communities and more, with the rules and costs for each option. Read article Basics How Big Is a Tiny Home? Typical Sizes and Square Footage How big is a tiny home? Typical square footage for tiny houses on wheels and on foundations, the 400 sq ft code limit and how much space people really need. Read article Basics What Is a Tiny House? Definition, Size and Types What is a tiny house? The size that counts as tiny, how a tiny home differs from a small house, the main types and what the building code says. Read article

In-depth guides

Tiny house guides

Our longest, most detailed pages: full cost breakdowns, a 12-step build guide, zoning and trailer rules, layouts and plan buying advice.

Tiny House Trailer Size Guide Tiny house trailer sizes explained: legal width and height, common lengths from 16 to 32 ft, GVWR ratings and how to choose the right trailer. Tiny House Layout Ideas Tiny house layout ideas with floor plan diagrams: galley kitchens, loft placement, flex rooms, storage stairs and bathroom layouts that save space. Tiny House Kits vs Plans Tiny house kits vs plans compared on cost, build time, customization and permits, so you can pick the right path for your tiny home build. Free Tiny House Plans vs Paid Are free tiny house plans good enough to build from? What free plans leave out, what a full blueprint set includes, and when paying for plans saves money. Tiny House Zoning Laws Tiny house zoning explained: minimum dwelling size, IRC Appendix AQ, RV vs ADU rules, and how to check what your county allows before you build. How to Build a Tiny House How to build a tiny house step by step, from plans and permits to framing, utilities and finishes, with timelines, tools and mistakes to avoid. How Much Does a Tiny House Cost? How much does a tiny house cost? A line-by-line 2026 breakdown of DIY, shell and builder prices, land, utilities and hidden costs, with a free calculator. The Advantages of Compact Living The advantages of compact living, backed by real numbers: lower costs, less upkeep, smaller footprint and more freedom, plus the trade-offs to weigh.

Free planning tools

Run your own numbers with Tiny Homes Blueprint calculators. No sign-up, and they run in your browser.

Tiny House Cost CalculatorHow much does a tiny house cost? Use this free calculator to estimate your build by size, foundation, finish level, utilities and DIY vs builder labor.Tiny House Layout PlannerSketch a tiny house layout in your browser. Drag rooms and furniture onto a scaled grid, check square footage and save your floor plan as an image.Tiny House Size CalculatorFind the right tiny house square footage for your household, work and storage needs, then compare it to trailer, cottage and ADU sizes.

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