What Size Can a Tiny House Be Within the Laws?
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What Size Can a Tiny House Be Within the Laws? One of the first questions asked when someone is thinking about building a tiny home is, “what size should a tiny home be? Or how big can my tiny home be within tiny home laws?” There are many ways that this question could be answered. The biggest factor when it comes to how large a tiny home can be depends upon whether you plan to keep it mobile or build it as a personal structure on the ground.
Mobile tiny homes that allow the owner to travel from destination to destination are the most popular right now. So let’s take a look at size parameters for mobile tiny homes.
Height
Mobile tiny homes have a height limit of 13.5 feet. This height limit is set by the Department of Transportation. This rule is set in place to make sure a mobile tiny home can fit under bridges and anything else that would be overhead on the road. Most bridges on major roadways are built to allow for vehicle clearance of at least 13.5 feet. To make certain your tiny home will have plenty of clearance it is advised you build it a little shorter than 13.5 feet.
Width
The width of a mobile tiny home should be no more than 8.5 feet. The width of a tiny house is also determined by the department of transportation. In most states, the regulation for trailers of any type (or anything affixed to a trailer) is to have a width of fewer than 8.5 feet. If you have a trailer wider than this a special extra-wide permit will be expected for your tiny home. Official width measurements for trailers are taken from the two widest points of the trailer. This usually means from wheel well to wheel well. When building a mobile tiny home make sure to be aware of the roof overhang as this can easily become wider than the wheel well and may end up putting you over regulations.
Length
The length of a mobile tiny home is not regulated by the department of transportation. This allows you to build length if you would like more square footage. Something to be mindful of though, is how strong your tow vehicle is. Most trucks are strong enough to tow the average tiny home that is up to 30 feet long. The longer the home, the bigger the tow vehicle. If you build too long it could lead you to need a large vehicle that would require a CDL license. Something to keep in mind.
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