QUICK FACTS:
Are Tiny Houses Legal In Indiana: Yes
Tiny House Costs In Indiana: $33,000 – $250,000
Tiny House Friendly Cities: Schererville, Indianapolis, Kokomo
Carpenter Owl Bloomington, Indiana
PRICE RANGE
$10,000-$85,000
Additionally, Carpenter Owl can partner with you to design and build your dream tiny house. All of their structures are whimsical and eclectic, with names like Hale’s Potting Studio, The Gypsy Tug, The Flying Sonnet, Snail’s Away, and more.
Buckshots Tiny Homes & Cabins Kokomo, Indiana
PRICE RANGE
$33,600-$95,200
Maverick Tiny Homes New Paris, Ohio
PRICE RANGE
$45,000-$110,000
Indiana Trailer Sales Decatur, Indiana
PRICE RANGE
$2,500-$24,700
Spencer Trailers Inc Spencer, Indiana
PRICE RANGE
$4,500-$10,300
Mayes Trailer Sales New Whiteland, Indiana
PRICE RANGE
$4,300-$10,000
Tiny Houses For Sale In Indiana
Residents love life in the state of Indiana. Indiana is often ranked one of the best states to live in because of its extremely low cost of living, low crime rates, affordable houses, and plenty of job opportunities throughout different industries in the state. Agriculture, energy, manufacturing, steel production, healthcare, and professional services are booming in Indiana.
Indiana is also known for its gorgeous weather with four distinctive seasons, some of the best universities in the nation, and friendly locals both in urban cities and rural areas.
Visitors enjoy exploring Indiana Dunes National Park, the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indian and Western Art, and the Indianapolis Zoo while vacationing in the state.
Moving into a tiny house community facilitates an intimate social connection between members and encourages simple living, homesteading, and sustainability. There are several communities in Indiana that do exactly that.
Green Acres Permaculture Village
Green Acres Permaculture Village is a small, retrofit, intergenerational intentional community in Bloomington, Indiana, that integrates self-knowledge and self-expression. The community shares resources and encourages one another to be good stewards of resources on the earth.
Green Acres is nestled inside of an existing suburban neighborhood in a college town that reflects suburbia, yet the community represents something very different. They share the following values:
- Breadth: sharing many facets of our lives with each other
- Length: establishing a community that endures (even as individuals may come and go)
- Depth: sharing deeply with each other and seeking to fulfill our fullest potentials, both as individuals and as a group
As a community, Green Acres takes part in plant and garden sharing, perma-gardens, solar greenhouses, green retrofitting of homes, and medicinal and edible plant workshops. Together, they enjoy community potlucks, work parties, meditation and yoga gatherings, personal growth workshops, and more.
Sage Valley
Sage Valley is a 501(c)3 registered non-profit that operates as an event space, an education center, and an ecovillage for those who want to live a more intentional lifestyle. Sage Valley represents many things to many people, but at its core, it is the foundation of a community of people who believe that better ways of living are right before us.
The Sage Valley ecovillage was first created in 2016. It originated as a group of people committed to using sustainable practices and holding space for a family-focused environment. The community is currently open to new residents and visitors who share a desire to live close to the land within a web of support from others in the community.
Sage Valley is committed to using solar energy, water catchments systems, solar showers, and organic farming. Check out their website to become a volunteer or a long-term resident of the community.
Indianapolis Tiny House Community
The Indianapolis Tiny House Community is a local group that discusses anything related to tiny house living. On their Facebook page, you can ask questions, share resources and share ideas that relate to tiny houses in Indiana. This group also hosts educational gatherings with guest speakers that are planned every other month.
Indianapolis Minimalists
The Indianapolis Minimalists is a meetup group hosted by The Minimalists. This group meets up monthly to discuss all things minimalism with others in Indianapolis who have adopted a similar lifestyle. Join their Facebook groups to gain insight on when the next meeting will be held.
Indiana Gardeners
This Facebook page is for those in Indiana who love to garden and are seeking a community they can talk with about all things garden including landscaping, vegetables and fruits, flowers, soil types, and more. Their page is devoted to gardening, wildlife, and ecology information in the state of Indiana specifically. Anyone can join!
Indiana is kind of an outlier when it comes to what they do and do not allow for tiny homeowners. In general, Indiana leaves the legality of tiny houses up to its individual counties and cities to discern. However, they do have one noteworthy statewide law which has been nicknamed the Log Cabin Rule.
The Log Cabin Rule is a statewide mandate that protects the homeowners right to build their own house of any size or type. The rule is found in Chapter 8 of Indiana’s Building Standards (Read The PDF Here) and applies to private homes that are built by individuals and used for their own occupancy.
Are Tiny Houses On A Foundation Legal In Indiana?
Thanks to this Log Cabin Rule, tiny house owners are free to build their own tiny house however they want and live in it full time, as long as that tiny house is built on foundation.
Many counties and cities are not huge fans of the rule and have tried to push back on the Log Cabin Rule. However, the State is protective of the law as many feel it represents the culture of Indiana well.
The Log Cabin Rule States That:
- The legislative body of a county may, by ordinance, establish a county department of buildings, with an office of building commissioner and inspectors.
- Establishment of building, heating, ventilating, electrical, plumbing, and sanitation standards.
- The legislative body of a county having a county department of buildings or joint city-county building department may, by ordinance, adopt building, heating, ventilating, air conditioning, electrical, plumbing, and sanitation standards for unincorporated areas of the county. These standards take effect only on the legislative body’s receipt of written approval from the fire prevention and building safety commission.
- An ordinance adopted under this section must be based on occupancy, and it applies to: the construction, alteration, equipment, use, occupancy, location, and maintenance of buildings, structures, and appurtenances that are on land or over water and are: erected after the ordinance takes effect; and if expressly provided by the ordinance, existing when the ordinance takes effect.
- The rules of the fire prevention and building safety commission are the minimum standards upon which ordinances adopted under this section must be based.
- An ordinance adopted under this section does not apply to private homes that are built by individuals and used for their own occupancy.
These regulations were added by Acts 1981, P.L.309, SEC.27. Amended by P.L.8-1984, SEC.125 in Indiana’s Legislative Laws.
Are Tiny Houses On Wheels Legal In Indiana?
Unfortunately, the Log Cabin Rule does not protect tiny houses on wheels. In Indiana, tiny homes on wheels should be treated like recreation vehicles and thus should abide by all of the laws for RVs that the State of Indiana provides.
The Indiana RV Regulations State:
- Recreational vehicles or travel trailers may not be placed on any lot or parcel for continuous occupancy of greater than four consecutive days unless the placement is in a campground used for that purpose or a mobile home park.
- Recreational vehicles or travel trailers cannot be used, located, or placed on any lot or parcel on a continuous basis for use as a weekend, vacation, or summer residence.
- No permanent structure may be erected or used on any parcel for use with the occupancy of an RV or travel trailer, such as porches or storage sheds, unless the RV or travel trailer is located in an RV park or campground.
- Any person in violation of the provisions of this section will have 24 hours to remove such recreational vehicle/travel trailer once notified of the violation. Failure to do so will subject the individual to the fines and penalties as specified by this code.
- The Building Commissioner, in his or her discretion, may issue a temporary permit for a period not to exceed 14 days, for the limited placement of an RV or travel trailer, whether for extended vacation usage or emergency residential purposes, so long as appropriate health permits regarding sewage and sanitation and electrical permits have been complied with.
Tiny House Building Codes In Key Counties Of Indiana
Counties hold a huge amount of individual power when it comes to regulating building laws and regulations in the state of Indiana. These counties have lots of autonomy.
Marion County, Indiana
Marion County has its own ordinance that limits the ability of tiny houses on wheels owners to live in their tiny homes full time. The 2017 ordinance (Read The PDF Here) states that RVs cannot be used for housekeeping purposes, sleeping, or living for more than one instance per calendar year.
It also states the length of time the RV can be used for these purposes cannot exceed 15 days, and limits where the RV can be parked. If you live or hope to live in Marion County, make sure your tiny house is on foundation to stay legal.
Vanderburgh County, Indiana
Evansville city and Vanderburgh County codes state that the smallest single-family dwelling can be no smaller than 720 square feet. This is very limiting to tiny house lovers.
Tiny House Building Codes In Key Cities Of Indiana
Specific cities in Indiana also have leeway to create their own laws for tiny homeowners. Some cities in Indiana are more accommodating of the tiny house lifestyle while other cities are much more restrictive.
Schererville, Indiana
Schererville, Indiana, is one of the most tiny house-friendly cities in the state. It was one of the first to begin approving individual couples the right to live in tiny houses on wheels full time. This is great news for those who want to own a tiny house in Schererville, Indiana.
Indianapolis, Indiana
Despite the lack of statewide clarity on tiny homes, many in Indianapolis, Indiana, have been pushing for tiny homes to be allowed in their city. It depends on which neighborhood you live in, but many areas in Indianapolis have started to welcome tiny homeowners.
Bloomington, Indiana
Unfortunately, most Bloomington neighborhoods prohibit sitting a tiny house on a lot with an existing residential structure, even if the lot is large. Accessory dwelling units are frowned upon in Bloomington and are not commonly allowed.
Tiny House Building Codes In Indiana:
Tiny House Laws In Indiana:
*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/
Elkhart county has approved a tiny home on wheels for a “single unit rv park” under agricultural improved zoning in one instance. This is outside of any city limit subject to standard set back and other codes etc.