QUICK FACTS:
Are Tiny Houses Legal In Iowa: Yes
Tiny House Costs In Iowa: $30,000 – $95,000
Tiny House Friendly Cities: Davenport, Des Moines, Logan
Escape Traveler Nearby in Rice Lake, Wisconsin
PRICE RANGE
$48,300–$143,000
Located in Rice Lake, Wisconsin, Escape Traveler has been designing and building tiny houses for over 25 years. Their open designs have won many awards and can be shipped anywhere in the continental U.S., as well as Hawaii.
Escape designs have been in use for years in one of the most brutal climates in America — northwestern Wisconsin — and they are built to withstand harsh weather. They have nine prefabricated designs as well as a custom option. Contact Escape Traveler through the website to start building your tiny house.
Tiny Homes Missouri Nearby in Jefferson City, Missouri
PRICE RANGE
$50,000–$95,000
Located in Jefferson City, Missouri, Tiny Homes Missouri has three main tiny house models to choose from: The Alexander, The Seabreeze, and The Sedona. They also have an option to customize your own design. You can learn more on the Tiny Homes Missouri website.
Midwest Tiny Homes And Cabins Nearby in Leavenworth, Kansas
PRICE RANGE
$50,000–$85,000
Located in Leavenworth, Kansas, Midwest Tiny Homes & Cabins builds tiny houses on foundation, tiny houses on wheels, and cabins. They have prefabricated designs as well as a custom design option. You can purchase a tiny house for use on or off the grid.
The company offers many options when it comes to materials and also provides a delivery service. You can learn more about what they offer on their website.
Iowa TINY HOUSE BUILDER RESOURCES
I-80 Trailers De Soto, Iowa
PRICE RANGE
$1,500–$13,000
Located in De Soto, Iowa, I-80 Trailers offers many kinds of trailers including car hauler, deckover, dump, equipment, flatbed, and utility trailers. Additionally, the company has a program where you can custom design your own trailer as well as get service on any trailer.
D & S Midwest Trailers Des Moines, Iowa
PRICE RANGE
$3,000–$21,000
D & S Midwest Trailer Sales offers a large variety of hauling products including landscape trailers, utility trailers, dump trailers, cargo trailers, enclosed trailer, car trailers, equipment trailers, and more for all of your trailer needs. They also offer rentals and provide trailer repairs.
Frytown Trailers Kalona, Iowa
PRICE RANGE
$3,000–$12,000
Located in Kalona, Iowa, Frytown Trailers offers a wide selection of enclosed trailers, car hauler trailers, gooseneck trailers, utility trailers, and many more trailers that can hold your tiny house. They also sell truck beds, hunting blinds towers, and other homesteading equipment.
Iowa TRAILER RESOURCES
Tiny Houses For Sale In Iowa
TINY HOUSES FOR SALE IN Iowa RESOURCES
THOW RENTALS IN Iowa RESOURCES
There are many different types of tiny house communities. Some are resorts filled with those looking to get away, while others are intentional living communities that you can live in full time. Currently, there aren’t any tiny house villages in Iowa, but check out the communities in neighboring states. Or, if you know of any nearby communities in Iowa, leave a comment to let us know!
The Sanctuary Minnesota
Located in St. Paul, Minnesota, The Sanctuary is a tiny house village located on 80 acres of wooded trails, privately owned by Bill and Brenda Campbell. The couple created The Sanctuary after spending many years in the corporate world. They felt there was a simpler way of life and wanted to lean into that vision.
The village consists of spaces for parking tiny houses. Residents share several common areas and have access to amenities within the main house. Village spaces to park your tiny house are available to rent for $350–$450 a month with a minimum lease of six months. Contact Brenda and Bill through their website to set up an appointment to visit and learn more about life at The Sanctuary.
Canoe Bay Escape Village
Located in Rice Lake, Wisconsin, Canoe Bay Escape Village is the first tiny house vacation village in the Midwest. Canoe Bay is made up of 21 tiny units and sits on over 100 acres of rolling, mixed hardwood forests with multiple private lakes and wetlands.
Features in each tiny house in the village include panoramic windows, a full kitchen, large bathrooms and bedrooms, washer and dryer, plenty of storage, and full climate control. Many tiny house lovers have raved about this idyllic vacation getaway. You can book your stay at Canoe Bay Escape Village through the website.
Stelle Community
Stelle is rooted in a philosophy of community, cooperation, and democracy. In this intentional living community, residents have shared control of many infrastructures including a community center, utilities, common grounds, greenbelts, parks, and roads. You can join through their website.
If you want to connect with people who share a passion for tiny living, consider joining a social group centered on the tiny house lifestyle and all that goes with it like gardening, homesteading, or living in small spaces.
I encourage you to look for your own social groups in Iowa and comment your findings at the bottom of our page. Or better yet, start your own group and tell us about it!
Tiny House Iowa City
Established by Doug Williams, Tiny House Iowa City is a virtual and in-person social group that has grown to include many local tiny house enthusiasts throughout Iowa. This would be a great group to join if you are looking to meet other people in Iowa who are dedicated to the tiny house life. The group also has representatives who can come and talk to builders, organizations, and companies about tiny house living and all it entails in Iowa.
Iowa Homesteaders
The Iowa Homesteaders Facebook page is a group of folks in Iowa interested in learning homesteading basics like canning and food preservation, off-grid living practices, greywater methods, farming basics, and more. They have just under 500 members right now and anyone in Iowa can join.
Iowa Vegetable Gardening
Iowa Vegetable Gardening is a Facebook page for anyone living in Iowa who loves to garden and is craving a space to discuss all things when it comes to gardening vegetables and fruits in Iowa. The group has 12,000 members and anyone in the state of Iowa is welcome to join.
TINY HOUSE COMMUNITIES IN Rhode Island RESOURCES
Unfortunately, it’s not too easy to live in a tiny house in Iowa full time due to the building codes the State currently has in place. As of right now, Iowa uses the 2015 IRC for all traditional dwellings.
The State hasn’t yet adopted Appendix Q and the 2018 IRC, which is a little more generous with its regulations on tiny homes.
However, all is not lost for tiny house enthusiasts in Iowa. Tiny House City Iowa as well as several other groups are actively working to make it easier to live tiny throughout the state.
Can I Make My Tiny House Legal In Iowa?
Due to the use of the 2015 International Residential Code, it is hard to live in a tiny house on foundation in Iowa. The stricter regulations within the code are not very accommodating to tiny house life. However, it’s difficult to know exactly what’s allowed and what’s not allowed without going local.
My best suggestion to decipher whether or not your tiny house is legal in Iowa is to check out building codes in popular Iowan counties and cities. This is the best way to discern the legality of your tiny home in the Hawkeye State.
Tiny House Building Codes In Key Counties Of Iowa
Some counties are more friendly to tiny homeowners while others prohibit the lifestyle. County building laws have a lot of power in the state of Iowa when it comes to what is and is not allowed.
Harrison County, Iowa
Tiny houses have recently become permissible in Harrison County, Iowa. As of August 31, 2019, all homes measuring 400 square feet or less on a permanent foundation are legal in Harrison County.
Tiny House Building Codes In Key Cities Of Iowa
Some cities in Iowa make it harder to live tiny. Others, however, are especially accommodating the those who live in tiny homes.
Davenport, Iowa
The city of Davenport, Iowa has become tiny house friendly in recent years and is undergoing a project to build tiny houses throughout the city. One Eighty’s executive director, Rusty Boruff, is looking to propose building tiny houses on vacant lots on Davenport’s west side.
*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/
I want to build a tiny house in the Iowa City/Cedar Rapids area. What are my options? Seeking to connect with locals who are into tiny houses. but the only group listed here appears to be inactive.