Tiny House Appendix Adopted In Idaho!

We drove back 1,700 miles to make our last presentation to the Idaho State Code Board to adopt the Tiny House IRC 2018 Appendix.  It was not in vain!  The Board unanimously approved the early adoption of the appendix.

It will be official statewide after presented to the legislature in January but my city says they are able to go forward now while figuring out our legal situation.  For us this means we move to the next steps of trying to figure out the zoning part of movable tiny houses.  There are plenty of other parts to be worked through on the code side as well like how are the homes inspected and permitted?  This appendix is a very crucial first step though!  It is impossible to start working through those other things without this adopted first.

We, unfortunately are hitting the road again next week so our forward motion will be at a stand still, mostly (I am happy to assist any others who want to pick up the ball and run!).  In the meantime I will be coordinating as much as possible via email to try to find a path that works for everyone.

Just an overview of my process and how you may do the same thing in your state:

• The appendix will be organically adopted as the 2018 IRC becomes the new standard but that isn’t usually the case for a few more years.
• States can opt to approve portions of code early if they have a reason to (i.e. if requested!)
• My understanding is that most states have to do this at the state level first so the place to start is the code board who advises the legislature.  If that proves to be a dead end you can go directly to the legislature to make a case before the house and the senate.
• First step, ask your local jurisdiction (town hall, building department) what you can do to get the tiny house appendix adopted in the state.
• You may have to make a presentation or two to get the state board to understand WHY tiny houses matter and why they should be early adopters.  If you want some starting points you can see exactly what I said in my presentations here (fourth, third, second, first) *note: you do NOT need any fancy credentials, in fact I think non credentialed interest goes even further, just my opinion though.

Basically the things they will want to know is:

• • Why does this matter to them?
  • Who does it help?
  • How much does it cost?
  • A good point to add is the opportunity costs with NOT adopting (i.e. not helping those in need, compromised safety for occupants and neighbors currently)
  • The scariest thing is putting yourself out there for any reaction from others who may not get your point of feel the same way, it is MOST important that they hear from you though, a concerned citizen!

I am very grateful to have a very receptive city who helped me the whole way and made sure I knew the process and cheerleaded me along!

Every state will need to push this independently.  You can use the facebook group Tiny House People to get help on the process.  If you have been working in your state and making progress touch base with Andrew and Gabriella here.

If you have any questions about how you can gain legal status please leave a comment, I will do my best to get you answers or point you in the correct direction!