QUICK FACTS:
Are Tiny Houses Legal In Idaho: YES*
Tiny House Costs In Idaho: $40,000 – $100,000
Tiny House Friendly Cities: Boise, Moscow, Emmett
Idaho Tiny Houses Builders
Idaho is becoming a little bit more tiny house friendly every year! With updates to building laws, regulations that accommodate tiny housers, and more tiny house builders popping up throughout the state, Idaho is increasing in favor amongst the United States tiny house community.
I’ve linked some local tiny house builders in the Gem State to help you build the tiny house of your dreams. I’ve also included builders in neighboring states if Idaho itself does not have what you’re looking for, as it’s still growing toward being a tiny house hotspot.
Tiny Idahomes Emmett, ID
You can peruse their website to investigate the dimensions, colorful photos, and features each model contains to make an informed decision before you make a purchase of your own. Additionally, Tiny Idahomes is part of several local tiny houser showrooms and events. You can learn more about these on their website as well.
Brass Hammer Tiny Homes Eagle, ID
Brass Hammer Tiny Homes is a construction company in Eagle, Idaho, that specializes in tiny houses. Located 10 miles northwest of Boise, this Idaho tiny house builder can help you build the tiny house you’re looking for. Check out the website for contact info or to get a quote.
121 Tiny Homes Bend, OR
This Oregon tiny house builder, 121 Tiny Homes, offers tiny house plans, kits, shells, education, and custom tiny homes built from steel construction. The company also helps customers wade through the legal and practical aspects of living in a tiny house. It’s located in Idaho’s neighboring state, Oregon, but the group serves Idaho, Washington, California, Montana, and Utah.
TrailersPlus Nampa Nampa, ID
Located in the largest city of Canyon County, Idaho, TrailersPlus in Nampa has a variety of trailers available for purchase that work well for tiny living. The company sells enclosed cargo trailers, utility trailers, dump trailers, equipment trailers, car haulers, all sport trailers, snow sport trailers, gooseneck trailers, and custom trailers. Look into equipment and gooseneck trailers to mount your tiny home. They also sell individual parts and accessories.
Bear Lake Trailer Sales Pocatello and Montpelier, ID
With 10 different brands and eight different types of trailers, Bear Lake Trailer Sales can hook you up for your tiny house trailer needs. There are two locations in Idaho — one in Pocatello and one in Montpelier. Check out flatbed and utility trailers for your own tiny home. You can also design your own custom trailer or trade in an existing trailer.
Quality Trailer Sales Caldwell, ID
Quality Trailer Sales of Idaho opened in 1986. It carries many types of trailers from horses and cattle, ATVs, motorcycles, cars and tractors, skid-steers, backhoes, dump, gooseneck, enclosed, and utility trailers.
The company also carries a large selection of trailer parts such as lights, axles, tires, and trailer/truck plugs. If what you need isn’t stock, you can call or email to see if they can order it for you.
Tiny Houses For Sale Near Idaho
Why live the tiny life in the great state of Idaho? There are many reasons why you should live tiny in the Potato State.
First off, the state has a lot to offer geographically. The landscape is primarily dominated by rivers, mountains, and farmland across the state. Idaho is littered with luscious green hillsides, scintillating lakes, open plains, and craggy mountains.
Specifically, the Snake River Plain, which crosses laterally through the state’s southernmost region, is full of irrigated farmlands and spacious flatlands. This makes it an ideal region for off-grid, rural living with loved ones in your tiny home. It’s also an exemplary area if you’re considering homesteading with your family.
Idaho isn’t entirely rural. Lively cities make up a good portion of southern Idaho including Boise, Meridian, and Nampa.
Tiny life in Idaho gives you the best of both worlds, urban and rural. I’ve linked some tiny homes for sale throughout the state to help you find the home that speaks to you.
Idaho also has plenty of opportunities for vacations. With six national parks as well historic sites, recreational areas, archeological sites, nature preserves, volcanic parks, and many forests and lakes for hiking and camping, its an appreciable state to visit.
If you’re feeling inspired to try the tiny life but don’t feel ready to buy your own tiny house, check out the above Airbnb listings.
Valley Village RV Park, Tiny Homes, and Glamping Tents
Valley Village is a vacation haven for those who love the great outdoors. The village offers RV parking spots as well as tiny momes to rent for you and your family’s next vacation.
The park is filled with towering pine trees, hammock spots, and the sweet sounds of nature. It embodies a hippie feel and is perfect for the free spirit. Tiny homes and glamping tents are available for rent on Airbnb, or you can call directly to check availability.
River Landing Tiny Home Resort
River Landing resort includes six tiny house properties available to rent. These homes are 399 square feet each and sit right on the water.
Located just outside of St Maries, Idaho, River Landing has a lot to offer you and your family. Each unit is fully furnished, has a well-equipped kitchen, and is able to sleep up to six adults. The bedroom has a queen-size bed, the living room has a queen-size sleeper sofa, and the loft has both queen-size and twin-size mattresses.
Guests also have their own outdoor living area with a gas grill and patio set to eat dinner under expansive, starry skies. Walk down to the river and you will find a community meeting area if you are looking to make connections with other tiny housers staying on site. Check out River Landings’ website for booking, pricing, and availability.
The tiny life is about so much mor than the size of your home. It’s also about things like homesteading, gardening, and ways to live a more minimal life. Check out these social groups that tap into the heart of the tiny life.
Idaho Tiny House Enthusiasts
Idaho Tiny House Enthusiasts is a Facebook group for anyone who is interested in tiny houses. This group allows anyone to post and share ideas, materials, tools, advice, design guidance, and events in Boise, Idaho, and anywhere else in the state.
Idaho Homesteading And Microfarming
This Meetup group connects every other Monday (virtually) to discuss homesteading and micro farming with Idaho locals. No matter if you are an experienced farmer or a beginner, this group is a space to connect and share stories about where you are in your homesteading journey.
They hope their group can serve as a place for homesteaders, and micro-farmers to inspire each other and learn more about gardening and growing food as a team. It isn’t an educational class — it’s merely a community of homesteaders of all skill levels meeting to share their struggles, tips, and stories.
However, the state of Idaho also has its own code through the Division of Building Safety (Read the PDF here) that addresses regulations surroundings tiny houses. So, what should you defer to, how do you know which laws apply to your own tiny house?
Like many states, Idaho divides regulations for tiny houses on wheels and tiny houses on foundation. Let’s investigate these differentiations.
Are Tiny Houses On Wheels Legal In Idaho?
In Idaho, tiny houses on wheels are classified as recreational vehicles. According to the codes established by the Idaho Division of Building Safety (Read the PDF here), these homes can be one of the following:
- A motor home
- A travel trailer
- A fifth-wheel trailer
- A park model recreational vehicle*
- A truck camper
- A folding camping trailer
*A park model recreational vehicle is built on a single chassis with no more than 400 square feet in area. More on park model recreational vehicles can be found here.
For any of the aforementioned vehicles, the following regulations must be followed so that your tiny house on wheels is legal in the state of Idaho, as outlined in House Bill No. 114 (Read the PDF here):
- You must contact Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) to get a permit for your THOW
- Your tiny house on wheels must comply with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1192 Standard for Recreational Vehicles
Can In Live In My Tiny House On Wheels In Idaho?
Whether or not you can legally live in your tiny house on wheels as a permanent form of housing is being debated across many states, especially as the tiny house craze becomes more popularized.
In cities throughout Idaho, RV-style and manufactured homes, or any home that’s on wheels and is mobile, can’t be set up in a residential zone. It has to go in an RV park in order for the home to be legal.
This can feel pretty limiting to tiny homeowners who want to live permanently in their tiny house on wheels. Idaho isn’t known to be accommodating to this lifestyle. However, there is some hope for people who want to use their tiny house on wheels as their full-time home.
There are several independent cities and counties throughout Idaho that have created workarounds to this obstacle, so searching for property within those limits may be a good idea for homeowners. See more county and city specific information below.
Additionally, you can always park your tiny house on public space. It may not be ideal, but it is a way to get around the limitation. Defer to the Idaho RV and Campgrounds Association to get ideas about where you can legally travel with your tiny house on wheels.
Are Tiny Houses On Foundation Legal In Idaho?
Tiny homes on foundation fall into a separate legal category than tiny homes on wheels, and are classified as family dwellings. Like many others states that are up with the current tiny home trends, Idaho defers to Appendix Q from the 2018 International Residential Code when it comes to tiny houses on foundation.
Appendix Q is applicable to tiny houses used as single-dwelling units. The appendix loosens some various requirements within the general code as they apply to houses that are 400 square feet or less. Here are some of the regulations worth noting:
- Habitable space and hallways in tiny houses shall have a ceiling height of not less than 6 feet 8 inches.
- Bathrooms, toilet rooms, and kitchens shall have a ceiling height of not less than 6 feet 4 inches.
Obstructions such as beams, girders, ducts, and lighting shall not extend below the minimum ceiling heights mentioned above. - Lofts may have ceiling heights less than 6 feet 8 inches.
- Lofts shall have a floor area of not less than 35 square feet and shall not be less than 5 feet in any horizontal dimension.
- The loft guards shall be located along the open side of the lofts.
- Loft guards shall not be less than 36 inches in height or one-half of the clear height to the ceiling, whichever is less.
- Tiny houses shall meet the requirements of Section R310 in the One-and-Two-Family Dwelling Building Code for Emergency Escape and Rescue Openings. (Read the PDF here)
- In lofts used as sleeping rooms, egress roof access windows shall be deemed to meet the requirements of Section R310 (Read the PDF here).
- Windows shall be installed such that the bottom of the opening is not more than 44 inches above the loft floor, provided the egress roof access window complies with the minimum opening area requirements of Section R310.2.1 (Read the PDF here).
Defer to Appendix Q to parse through the additional regulations that may be applicable to your tiny home.
Tiny House Laws in Key Idaho Counties: Local Zoning Ordinances
Made up of 44 different counties, the state of Idaho has a lot of room for variation when it comes to its building laws. Each county has the freedom to amend the statewide building laws in order to accommodate the needs of their specific county. I’ve explored some of the counties and the laws they’ve set out below.
Gem County, Idaho
Gem County is particularly accommodating to owners of tiny homes on wheels. The county has established its own ordinance to address the influx of people who want to live in their tiny house on wheels permanently, which is otherwise limited by the statewide regulations in Idaho.
The rules for using a mobile home, RV, or tiny house on wheels as a dwelling unit can be examined on the county websites’ legal codes in section 11-6-9. These standards apply to the use of an RV as primary living quarters on property outside of a legal RV or manufactured home park for more than a 30-day period.
Here are some of the important takeaways:
- One RV used as primary living quarters is permitted on a legal parcel that is one acre or greater in size.
- RVs may be used as the primary living quarters for up to one year on the same property. A one-year time extension may be granted by the administrator if the RV is appropriately screened from public view.
- A six-month, on-site inspection to ensure compliance with these standards shall be conducted by the administrator or designee.
- All property owners siting an RV under this section are required to obtain an RV residency permit and pay the established fee prior to use of the RV as living quarters.
- The RV shall be located to the side or rear of a primary dwelling if one exists on the property. If the RV is located on bare ground, it shall comply with all setbacks as established in section 11-5-7.
- No RV used as primary living quarters shall be located within an enclosed building.
- If the RV is sited on a property with an existing address, no new address shall be issued for the RV. If there is no existing address, a new address shall be issued (unless the RV is on site for 30 days or less).
- The RV shall utilize a wastewater system approved by and/or acceptable to the health department.
- See section 11-5-7 for the height and area dimensions allowed.
If you are looking to use a recreational vehicle as a temporary dwelling unit and not a permanent home in Gem County, the regulations above are not intended for you. See chapter 19 of the code for information on temporary mobile dwellings.
Ada County, Idaho
In December 2021, Ada County proposed the introduction of a pilot program that would make tiny living more accessible for residents in the area in response to the housing crisis around Boise and other cities.
State laws limit citizens from living permanently in a tiny house on wheels, however, the proposed program would combat this restriction for the good of its constituents.
The pilot program would hypothetically include approving tiny homes on wheels in the city, incentives for homeowners to build accessory dwelling units to rent out at affordable rates, and a home-sharing platform to connect renters in need with those who have extra rooms in their home.
Tiny House Laws In Key Idaho Cities: Local Zoning Ordinances
Independent cities also have the power to create their own laws and addendums to the statewide laws. Many cities in Idaho have become more accommodating of tiny living in the recent years — lets take a look at some specific examples.
Moscow, Idaho
The city of Moscow has recently become more tiny-house friendly, adding specific laws that accommodate tiny homes on wheels in parks throughout Moscow.
Moscow City Council removed the six-month restriction of RVs in mobile home parks through a unanimous vote amongst the council. Additionally, tiny homes on wheels are also now allowed in mobile home parks in Moscow, and have access to full-time hookups year-round.
Boise, Idaho
The city of Boise has it figured out when it comes to tiny living. Their website contains all city building codes, as well as any additional the information you need to know about the legality of your tiny home in Boise.
The city defines a tint house as “a small residential dwelling of 400 square feet or less in floor area, excluding the loft” in accordance with Appendix Q, which their website links to and follows as a guide to the legality of tiny habitats.
Garden City, Idaho
In October 2021, Garden City mayoral candidate and developer Hannah Ball held a neighborhood meeting to make plans with their community to make Garden City a more friendly environment for those who want to live tiny.
The changes involved requesting the city amend its restrictive zoning code to allow tiny homes in two of the city’s zoning districts that did not currently allow tiny houses to be occupied.
Tiny House Building Codes In IDAHO:
Tiny House Laws In IDAHO:
*Disclaimer: The information provided on this website should not be taken as an expert opinion, consultation, or advisement of any kind. Building codes, home building, zoning, local laws etc are complicated and ultimately your responsibility to execute legally and safely. You must do your own research, consult with and verify with all applicable authorities, local officials, regulatory bodies, code and zoning officials, and city/state/federal governments. See our full legal page for further information here: https://thetinylife.com/about-us/legal/
Interested now for future move from California. 4 years from now
You need to add Coeur d’Alene Tiny Homes to your list of Idaho Tiny Home Builders. Their Ponderay model is wonderful!
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