What is a 'Tiny House'?

A 'tiny house', as defined by Section AQ102.1 of the 2018 International Residential Code, is a dwelling "400 square feet or less in floor area excluding lofts". Tiny houses regulated by the International Residential Code and NOT fabricated in a different location and relocated to a lot within Rutherford County. 

A pre-manufactured 'Tiny House' is any unit built off-site and regulated under the Tennessee Modular Buildings Act. This program is under authority of T.C.A. 68-126-301. It includes housing that is produced in factories and transported to building sites to be installed. The manufacturers of such 'tiny' modular homes are/shall be licensed by the State of Tennessee, regulated under the supervision of the state program, and are required to have a permanently affixed Tennessee Modular Building label. The label is required to be attached by means of four (4) pop rivets or drive screws on a permanent, non-removable building component as evidence of compliance of the program. 

A site-built 'Tiny House' is any structure constructed from start to finish on the site it is intended to be placed. A site-built unit is permitted and inspected through the Rutherford County Building Codes where compliance is regulated through the 2018 International Residential Code, Appendix Q, Tiny Houses.  This structure must be constructed upon a permanent foundation and is required to be connected to an approved Subsurface Sewage Disposal System (SSDS).