Alright, let us talk about tiny homes. You have probably seen the shows as well as the Pinterest boards as well as all of that. They look pretty good, do not they? Housing costs are high these days. But if you are thinking about a tiny home right here in Spokane, you need to know that it is not just about picking a nice design. It is about working with our local conditions as well as the rules. This is where local knowledge really helps.
Spokane's Tiny Home Landscape: ADUs Are Your Best Bet
First, the term "tiny home" can mean different things. For us here in Spokane, when we talk about a place to live permanently, we usually mean an Accessory Dwelling Unit, or ADU. The good news is that Spokane has made some good changes to be more ADU-friendly lately.
The City of Spokane has updated its building as well as zoning codes to allow these. It is now legal to build tiny homes here in Spokane.
In addition, a new state law, HB 1337, started in July 2023. This law means cities like Spokane must allow at least two ADUs per lot. They also cannot make them smaller than 1,000 square feet.
This gives you a lot of choices. You can build an attached ADU as well as a detached ADU. You can even change an existing building like a garage into one.
However, there is a big difference between a tiny home on a permanent foundation and a tiny home on wheels, or THOW. In Spokane, THOWs are usually not allowed as permanent homes. They are usually seen as recreational vehicles.
So, if you want a long-term living solution, you will need to build on a foundation. This means meeting residential building codes, just like any other home in Spokane.
Zoning, Permits, and the Three Spokanes
This part can be a little hard to understand. This is why you cannot just use general information. Spokane is not just one big area. We have the City of Spokane as well as Spokane County, which is outside city limits. We also have Spokane Valley. Each of these areas has different rules for tiny homes.
- City of Spokane: If you are inside city limits, your ADU follows SMC Chapter 17. They have made parking rules easier as well as minimum lot sizes. You can build units up to about 1,000 square feet. Setbacks can change, so you will want to check those.
- Spokane County: If you are out in the county, detached ADUs are usually limited to 800 square feet on the ground floor. They can have a maximum of two bedrooms. They also usually need a minimum lot size of 10,000 square feet. There is also a rule that the ADU must be no more than 150 feet from the main house.
- Spokane Valley: This is its own city with its own rules. The maximum size can be 50% of your main home's living space. It can also be 1,000 square feet, whichever is bigger. This is up to 10% of the total lot area. You will need one extra off-street parking space. The ADU also needs to look like it matches the main house.
No matter where you are in Spokane, you will need permits for tiny homes as well as ADUs. This includes building permits as well as site plan reviews as well as inspections. Electrical work as well as plumbing work as well as mechanical work all need their own specific permits.
Local Conditions: More Than Just Pretty Views
Beyond the paperwork, we have some unique local conditions here in Spokane. These conditions affect any building project, especially a smaller one.
- Soil and Terrain: Our soil here in Spokane can be very different. It can range from sandy soils to areas with more silt as well as clay. If you are building on a slope, which is common in places like the South Hill or parts of the West Hills, you will need to pay close attention to soil reports as well as setbacks. This helps to stop problems like landslides or foundation moving. We have a lot of hilly as well as steep land around the Spokane River, for example. This can make things interesting for a tiny home project.
- Weather: We all know Spokane weather. We have hot, dry summers as well as cold, snowy winters. This means your tiny home needs to be built to handle these extreme temperatures. Good insulation as well as efficient heating and cooling as well as solid roofing are all very important.
- Wildfire Risk: This is a serious issue, especially in areas where homes meet forests and grasslands. Forest Service maps show that homes in Spokane County face more fire risk than 82% of counties across the country. If your property is in one of these zones, your design as well as material choices will need to show that. You will want to think about things like defensible space around your tiny home.
Why Local Expertise Matters
You can see why Spokane Custom Shed Builders talks about local knowledge so much. A builder from out of state or even Western Washington will not understand these details in the same way. We have worked with the clay soils in the Valley as well as the rocky areas on the North Side. We also know the specific permit rules for each area in Spokane. We know what kind of foundations work best for our freeze-thaw cycles. We also know how to design for our specific snow loads as well as fire risks.
At Spokane Custom Shed Builders, we do not just build. We build right here in Spokane. Our team is familiar with the City of Spokane's Development Services Center. We know how to work through those permit processes for tiny homes.
We have seen the challenges as well as the successes. We can guide you through the whole process. This goes from initial design ideas to the final inspection. We make sure your tiny home is not just a dream. It will be a solid as well as legal as well as comfortable reality right here in Spokane.
Do not just trust anyone with your tiny home project in Spokane. Find someone who knows Spokane very well. It will save you problems as well as time as well as money in the long run.