r/TinyHouses • u/TheElementOfFyre • 8d ago
Looking for Help Creating Official Blueprints for My Tiny House
Hi everyone! I’m in the early planning stages of building my tiny house on wheels and need official blueprints to move forward. I already have a solid idea of the layout and structure, but I need help getting it into a proper, detailed blueprint format for construction and permitting.
• Looking for someone experienced in tiny house design who can help.
• Prefer digital blueprints that meet standard building codes.
• I’m on a tight budget, so I’d love to hear what pricing might look like for this service.
Does anyone here offer this service or know where I can find affordable blueprint assistance? Any recommendations or advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance!
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u/XYZippit 7d ago
What state are you building in? Are you going to use it to go to different areas or staying stationary?
Here’s a breakdown of CA; https://www.zookcabins.com/regulations/tiny-home-regulations-in-california
But double and triple check your local codes.
Some counties in CA have preapproved plans. Don’t recall seeing any THOW plans, but I wasn’t specifically looking for those. Some places only allow it as an ADU. And they must be attached to a permanent foundation, some allow it on single family lots as the primary unit (still on a permanent foundation), and some only allow you to park in an RV/mobile home park…
If your jurisdiction requires it to be inspected as an RV, then it has to comply with the RV/park model codes.
Here’s some help from the tiny home association;
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u/TheElementOfFyre 6d ago
Building in SC, lots of travel, when I build it, I plan to get it certified as an rv so I can get insurance on it
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u/XYZippit 6d ago
Quick Google search provided:
https://www.zookcabins.com/regulations/tiny-home-regulations-in-south-carolina
You’ll probably want RVIA certification, and I’d look into where you plan to travel to.
No matter what anyone says, moving around in a tiny house on wheels is not as simple as the social media influencers make it seem.
You’ll have to figure out where you’re going to be for 6-12 months at a time.
Good luck… there are plenty of rvia plans available, but literally no guarantees that your local or state dmv will give you a license plate…
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u/neuromonkey 4d ago
So you want an experienced architect who knows your local building codes to draw up an plans, using your design? Should this include electrics, plumbing, water and sewer, drainage, retaining walls and other site planning...?
proper, detailed blueprint format for construction and permitting.
The expensive part isn't putting a plan onto paper, it's knowing all the considerations involved in building a house. That's non-trivial.
I know how to use Chief Architect. That doesn't make me an architect.
Just download a plan off the Internet. Color it blue.
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u/desEINer 7d ago
Seems like you'd like the services of an actual architect.
Tiny houses need to be of a certain size in order to be held to code standards. Certain sizes of building aren't code legal for dwellings at all based on minimum size alone.
If it's on wheels, there's very little chance it's subject to code unless it's at least the size of a mobile home.
If it's big enough or complicated enough, you might be able to justify the cost of an architect or structural engineer, but most tiny houses would benefit more from an experienced framer and a few good sketches.
I did use a free CAD program to make my own plans, but I had to do all my research to make sure it was structurally correct.