Remember that last custom tiny house design I undertook? If not, check out the picture below for a reminder. The not-so-tiny, tiny house is 24′ long and features a living area, kitchen, bathroom, studio space, and a sleeping loft.
UPDATE: The plans for this tiny house are now available, click here to check them out.
The clients that asked me to produce this tiny house, Jay and Jen, have started their own website, Trainer Tiny House, that follows their progress with the build. They’re aiming to complete their micro-home within the next month and are currently looking for somewhere in the Bay area of San Francisco where they can park their house. If you have a plot of land, and are interested, why not let them know!
Jay and Jen collaborated with me to produce the design and plans for their tiny house. After the plans where completed they were able to move on to the next stage – construction. And, as with all tiny houses on wheels, it starts with a trailer.
To create the 24′ trailer they contacted Bill Kastrinos of Tortoise Shell Homes, who built the custom trailer as well as the framing. I have to take my hat off to Bill, because it looks like a top notch job.
Insulation is often a sticking point with tiny houses. There are several factors to weigh up – cost, r-value, whether or not the product is environmentally friendly etc. I’m happy to see that the J’s have gone with eco-friendly sheep’s wool (after much thought and research).
You’ve probably noticed the unusual metal sheathing. Metal sheathing is more common in lightweight steel frame structures, and not often applied in traditional house construction where OSB and plywood dominate. In this case it makes sense to install it in key locations, where it will brace the home against wind loads and reduce the overall weight of the home.
Isn’t steel sheathing inferior to OSB/plywood sheathing in terms of racking resistance? The answer depends on the type and gauge of the steel you’re using. 20 gauge (0.027″) corrugated steel sheathing actually outperforms the 1/2″ wood-based equivalent.
This tiny house has no less than three skylight windows. Two over the main living area, and one in the bedroom for stargazing. The skylights will ensure that the home is both bright and well ventilated (skylights can act as great exhausts during warm summer weather).
So far the house is looking fantastic, and I’m looking forward to seeing the finished home.
If you’re thinking about building a tiny house, check out our portfolio of tiny house plans.
neat. I hope to be living in a tiny home in 6months to a year. just started researching
How tall is this tiny house. Also what is a viable option for solar power and a possible tank less water heater or a very small water heater? Building a tiny house seems like a great opportunity for my husband or I as we are dual mil and always moving.
Hey Elizabeth, the house has been designed to be 13.5′ tall (typically the maximum trailer height in most states). You can indeed incorporate both solar power, a tankless water heater, or a small water heater into a tiny house. If you’re looking to travel around with a tiny house it’s also good to bear in mind that they are really quite heavy (often weighing 7,000 – 12,000 lb), but most trucks should be able to cope. :)
This looks amazing!:-) My husband and I have just started talking about Tiny Houses due to our current college debt and know that major of Tiny Home Owners are mostly debt free after a few years. Our biggest problem is through, we have 3 boys ,2-12y/o and we can’t seem to find any floor plans that may work for us to down size into. I like how this design has the dormers on it to give more head move in the loft and was thinking that’s what we would need to put the boys up in a full loft, not a partial loft. Could you email me with any suggests on where we could start? Thanks!:-)
Hi Niall,
This seems to be a beautiful and well light design. I am curious and anxious to see the finished product! Do you have any more working photos? What would the ceiling height of the loft be? How did you learn about the codes for this temporary structure? My partner and I are in the midst of designing a space for ourselves and don’t quite know where to start. Thanks!
Dylan – Jay and Jen have actually been documenting their build through a website. You can view their progress here: trainertinyhouse.com
I actually put the plans for this house up on sale, but I haven’t had the time to properly add it into the house plans page yet. The Blue Jay plans page contains info about the overall dimensions, head room etc, you can view it here: https://humble-homes.com/tiny-house-plans/blue-jay-tiny-house/
As for learning about the codes… In my day job I work as structural engineer, so familiarity with structural and building codes is a must for me. But there are lots of resources online regarding framing, and building envelopes.
Hello Niall,
Thanks for adding me to the newsletter! I really enjoy you tiny home plans. Fantastic direction to go to bring my vacation home dreams to reality.
Best,
Joel
Joel – No problem, I’m glad you like it! Good luck with your planned future build :)
Wow this is neat. When I was a kid I thought it would be neat to live in an RV and travel, but this seems way more efficient and I like the green aspects to it
Hi again!
I just wrote about being interested in your McG Loft Tiny House plans, but I had a few modifications in mind and the guy preparing the trailer is Bill Kastrinos, who you mention in this article. I see he is preparing the trailer bed for the floor the way he is doing mine. So perhaps I’m wrong about the finished height of the house with these plans? Thanks!
Hi Patty, when did you contact us before? It’s probably easiest to reach me through email if you have any queries! Drop me a message any time at: info@humble-homes.com