Do I need permits to have a tiny home in my backyard?

Currently, if you are not planning on having your tiny home as an ADU (granny flat), you do not need permits to have an RV certified tiny home in your backyard. While cities allow you to own and store an RV on your property, not all cities allow them to be lived in full time. There are some cities or counties that have passed tiny home ordinances, requiring an application and permit to legally have it on your property. Please check with your local city and/or county for more info on having an RV in your backyard. 

Please note that RV tiny homes and an ADU are completely different. There are some cities that have passed an ordinance allowing tiny homes on wheels as an ADU, but they are different from a traditional ADU. 

For more information, please check out our ADU page and blog.

The water connections are just like an RV but without water tanks. We use the same connections, which means they are in the back area of the tiny house. The water connection is simple, you use a water hose to connect the tiny house to a water bib. 

The appliances that can run on gas are the propane stove, and propane tankless water heater, there is also the option to upgrade to a propane refrigerator. When you upgrade to a propane appliance, the upgrade includes the unit along with the gas lines that run thru the home. We recommend having a spare propane tank to swap them out when one runs out.

All our tiny homes come with R-13 and R-19 pink insulation. Each home is insulated properly like a typical house and we offer an upgraded version of 1 inch foam insulation, and R23 insulation.

The tiny home is rated for 50 Amps and all appliances are 120 volts. You can use an extension cord to plug in your tiny home to an outlet (temporarily), but you should have a 50 amp receptacle installed close to the tiny house. If the property or site is only rated for 30 amps, you can purchase an adapter.

We do not put an electric stove and/or electric tankless water heater more than 10 gallons as these options require more energy than the tiny house can handle. Most of these type of appliances are 240 volts, which does not work with a tiny house.  Our tiny homes are rated for 110/120V, anything more than that will not work in the home.

We offer regular sized bathtubs with all the proper connections and fixtures. If you would like a regular tub we do recommend that your tiny home be 24 ft -30 ft long, as we need to make the restroom bigger in order to fit the tub. 

The tiny homes do not come with holding tanks. Although they are RV certified, tiny homes do not generally have a holding tank like a regular RV. We provide a 3 inch sewer line in the back corner under the restroom for you to connect to the sewer line. Depending on your property and where your tiny home will sit, you can either hard pipe the tiny home to the sewer line or use a flexible RV sewer hose. You must find out where the sewer line runs and might have to install a clean-out close to the tiny house.

Here at Pacifica Tiny Homes we aim to provide the best prices in all of the US. Although we are located in California, we deliver to out of state customers as we currently have tiny homes in Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Minnesota, and Florida. 

Our tiny homes are 8-4" wide and 13'-4" tall, and this is the maximum allowable to be able to transport the tiny home on the road. Any taller or wider, cannot be easily transported and would require additional permits to be able to tow it. 

We also build park models that are up to 10' wide, keep in mind that this is no longer an RV but a park model, so you become limited to where you can place the home. This also becomes a wide load, so you cannot easily transport it. This requires special permits to transport. 

Good question! Here's the basic experience:

1. Select the perfect tiny home for you. Get an estimate and do a tour.
2. Submit your deposit and signed purchase agreement.
3. Design your home (Select colors for flooring, paint interior/exterior, countertops, roofing, siding, etc - over 30 areas, nearly 120 choices -- FUN FUN FUN), all through our partnerships with Home Depot and IKEA.
4. Receive a proof for your final approval.
5. Send first half of your balance and wait while your home is being built.
6. Home is finished, final balance is paid, and your home is scheduled for delivery.
7. Delivery and walkthrough for your inspection.
8. Live happily ever after! 🎉

Here are 9 ideas that many have found successful:

1. Facebook Group that connects tiny homeowners with landowners.
2. RV and mobile home parks 
3. Tiny Home communities - just Google them near you, they are popping up everywhere
4. Consider your own network of family and friends that might have backyard or property space. (We don't recommend this as a business)
5. Craigslist under land, real estate, or property: Have in mind a really nice introduction of yourself and make a pitch to rent someone's space.
6. Message people on Airbnb/VRBO in the area you want to setup. An underrated way to find land for your house.
7. Post bulletins in your area of interest, i.e. post office, local markets, RV parks, campgrounds: Let them know you're looking for a space. 
8. Contact ranches, farms, and any other business that might have some spare land: Make them a pitch to rent their land.
9. Buying land for a tiny house: 3 very helpful tips.