How to Find a Tiny House Builder?

Finding a Tiny House Builder

There are a number of considerations to take into account when looking for a Tiny House Builder:

Experience and Skill

• How long has the builder been building Tiny Houses?
• How many Tiny Houses has the builder completed?
• Does the builder have a portfolio of finished projects that you can look at?
• Are there any finished projects that you can look at in person?
• Are testimonials or reviews of the builder’s work available?

Referrals from past clients

If it’s possible to contact former clients, ask about their experience with the builder, what their construction workflow is like, and whether or not they would recommend that person or team. As you look at the builder’s work, take note of how similar those projects are (or are not) to the project you have in mind.

If your project significantly differs from the builder’s current portfolio of work, you’ll want to communicate clearly what you have in mind during the interview process and find out if your project is within the builder’s abilities.

The importance of choosing a Tiny House expert

A Tiny House is not just a regular house in miniature; there are construction methods, systems, and considerations that an experienced Tiny House builder will understand and be able to execute. Be wary of someone with standard residential construction experience jumping on the band wagon and hanging out a shingle as a ‘Tiny House Builder.’ You might find your Tiny House sliding off the trailer as it travels down the highway.

Location

If you want to check in on the progress of your Tiny House in person as it’s being built, choose a builder within a reasonable distance from your current location.

Otherwise, choose based on other criteria and plan to have your Tiny House towed to its living location when it’s finished. Or travel to the construction site and tow it yourself.

Choosing a Tiny House builder located near you also allows you to meet easily in person before the construction begins. If you plan to work with the builder to develop a custom design, it may be helpful to be able to meet several times at the onset of the project. Of course, this can also be done at a distance, if you don’t have a strong preference for in-person communications.

Schedule

Here are some questions you might ask before going further in the project! The answers can change the game completely:

• How busy is the builder?
• Will you have to put your name on a three-year-long waiting list before your project will begin?
• Is the builder available to start when you’re ready to get going?
• How long will the construction take? Keep in mind that an individual builder may have a longer build time than a team of people.
• Does the builder work on one project at a time, or have several going at once?
• Do you prefer a builder who will focus all of his attention on your project until it’s finished?

Standard designs

Does the builder have standard Tiny House designs that she offers? Are any of them to your liking? Are customizations an option? How does the customization process work?

Design input

Some builders are only willing to build their own designs.

• Do you prefer to provide the builder with your own completed set of construction documents to work from?
• Or do you prefer to work with someone who will go through a custom design process with you from scratch?
• Are you interested in a variation on a purchased set of plans?
• When choosing a builder, be sure to find someone who is open to working in the way that works best for you.

Budget

Get a detailed budget from the builder that includes all construction costs and labor costs. Does it include any applicable sales tax?

When looking at budgets, look at more than just the bottom line. To a degree, there’s an element of ‘you get what you pay for.’ A higher construction budget may mean higher quality materials or workmanship.

Pay close attention to what’s included in the budget when comparing different builders’ bottom lines.

And when looking at budgets, be sure to take into consideration delivery costs (DIY or otherwise), whether the builder is located close to you or across the country. As delivery costs increase with distance, this factor could impact which builder you choose according to the builder’s proximity to you.

Financing

Does the builder offer financing? Even if there’s not a formalized financing plan offered, many builders will allow percentages of the budget to be made in stages during the construction. Find out ahead of time when your payments (or single payment, as the case may be) will be due.

If possible given your location, it’s a good idea to retain the final payment until you’ve had a chance to carefully look over your finished Tiny House to ensure that everything is to order.

Certification

Does the builder offer certification for the Tiny House? Is there an extra fee for that?

• RV certification is required for parking your Tiny House in certain locations, such as some mobile home parks, RV parks, and campgrounds.
• Certification can also make it easier to acquire insurance for your Tiny House.
• And it may make it easier to sell the Tiny House in the future.

Delivery

Does the builder offer delivery of the Tiny House to the location and with time slot booking of your choice? Is the fee for doing so competitive with independent delivery services?

Note that your builder is likely to take pride in your project, having spent the number of requisite hours in its creation, and will handle and deliver it with care. An experienced builder will also be familiar with the unique procedures involved with towing a Tiny House.

Guarantees or warranties

Does the builder guarantee the work? If so, for how long? Is there a distance allowance for how far the builder will travel to address any workmanship issues? Or are you responsible to bringing the Tiny House to the builder instead?

Change order policies

It’s not unusual to come up with new ideas or to change your mind about certain design aspects during the construction period. You’ll want to know ahead of time what the builder’s policy is on change orders, how they’re handled, and how they’re budgeted.

Option to self-finish

Maybe you’d like to do the less intensive projects yourself. Is the builder willing to build the major components and allow you to do the finish work yourself in order to save on labor costs?

Option to provide own materials?

Sometimes you’ll come across great salvaged building materials. Or you’ll find an amazing deal that beats the cost of building components listed in your builder’s budget. Or maybe you just want to do your own shopping for appliances. Is the builder open to letting you provide some of the construction materials, and adjust the budget accordingly?

Build site

Does the builder have adequate facilities for constructing Tiny Houses? A weather-protected shop is ideal for keeping the Tiny House covered and protected from weather before the exterior envelope is completed.

Personality

Get a sense of the person or team you’ll be working with. Are they people that you feel comfortable working with in the creation of your new home? It’s an involved process and you’ll want to make sure you feel good about your ability to get along with them and that communications will flow well in both directions.

Choosing a Tiny House Builder

Now that you’ve narrowed it down to a number of possibilities, how do you pick who you’ll work with?

Interview

Conduct an interview by phone or, preferably, in person and send a follow up email. In addition to asking the following questions, get a sense for whether this is a person (or team) that you want to work with.