Tiny Houses

A true tiny house is defined by the International Residential Code (IRC, adopted by the State of Oregon for tiny houses) as: “A dwelling that is 400 square feet or less in floor area excluding lofts”. 

Any dwelling structure over 400 square feet is considered a regular dwelling and must meet the current Oregon Residential Specialty Code. The tiny house information/code won’t apply to these projects.

As tiny houses become more and more popular, it’s important to remember that they are still houses that must be built to similar codes and standards as traditional houses. Just because it’s small doesn’t mean rules and codes don’t apply.  The State of Oregon has adopted the IRC and its Appendix Q as our Small Home Specialty Code.  The IRC does require residential fire sprinklers to be installed in all dwellings so this will apply to all true tiny homes under 400 square feet.

What happens if your tiny house was already built off site?  It could mean that no one certified to do inspections inspected it during construction. If no proper inspections were completed, the house must be de-constructed on site for inspections after the fact to meet code and become a legal dwelling. Fire sprinklers would also need to be added after the fact. By doing some research, you can keep your tiny house from becoming a big headache.

True tiny houses have kitchen facilities, which triggers additional SDC fees. To request a fee quote, please email engineering@milwaukieoregon.gov.

Tiny houses are another dwelling unit on a property, but your property may not be zoned for another dwelling. To check zoning requirements with the planning department, please email planning@milwaukieoregon.gov.

Please note that structures with wheels are considered a vehicle and cannot be lived in per code. Wheels will need to be removed from tiny houses for occupancy.

Yurts are not approved by the State to be used as any type of habitable space or dwellings.