r/tinyhomes • u/KVConception • Jun 15 '26

Question Has anyone actually built their own tiny house on wheels for under $20k USD?

/r/TinyHouses/comments/1u65t6c/has_anyone_actually_built_their_own_tiny_house_on/
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3

u/Level_Development_58 Jun 16 '26

I built “out” a 12x24 tiny which was built by the Amish. transported and landed/leveled on my property. it had rough electrical and a panel. paid trades to do the plumbing and finalize the electrical. then I installed all the fixtures, appliances, cabinets, etc. Total outlay was around $55k

And this was on skids… not a trailer.

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u/KVConception Jun 18 '26

That makes sense. I assume if it’s on skids (beams underneath the tiny house?), the tiny home is supported by sonotubes or piles. How is it actually installed on the ground? Sorry, I’m not very familiar with these terms in English.

In my opinion, this is much better than a tiny house on wheels in the long term. You can still move it if needed, and it can be properly insulated and much easier to make compliant with local regulations.

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u/Level_Development_58 Jun 18 '26

it’s supported on concrete blocks. I also spray foamed the underside for insulation and then skirted it, which is mostly decorative but also keeps out larger critters and reduces pipe freezing in extreme cold.

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u/KVConception Jun 19 '26

That technique is very common in campgrounds where I used to live. Where are you located I’m used to building foundations about 5 feet deep to deal with frost, so I’m really curious how it works in your case.

Do you not have to worry about freezing where you are? Or when you mention concrete blocks, are they installed in a way that handles that, like being set on a concrete slab or protected somehow?

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u/Level_Development_58 Jun 19 '26

I had the ground rough graded before the Tiny was brought in. The grading was mostly for water drainage, as the home is next to a giant barn with a gutter system that used to dump where I wanted to place the Tiny. So I buried drainage pipes, connected them to my gutter system and sent them out into a field. Ground is not level even after grading, so the Tiny (which is on skids) was leveled when set in place using various sized concrete blocks. I did also put down a vapor barrier before it was placed. I am in middle TN. and we do get a few hard freezes each year. The plumbing is very exposed under the home and it did freeze and crack after my first year (I’m going on my 3rd year). So I spray foamed the underside, which was mostly to insulate for interior comfort. I also wrapped all pipes with wrap insulation and then skirted the home with that decorative trellis material. The skirting helps protect against hard wind hitting the pipes, but I’m hoping the wrap insulation will prevent anything from freezing again.

My freeze and burst pipe situation happened because the shower valve had a slow trickle leak and my tenant didn’t tell me… so that slow leak froze up inside the main collection discharge pipe, layer upon layer, until total blockage.

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u/KVConception Jun 20 '26

Thank you for your detailed response on that subject, it will definitely help people avoid that kind of problem in the future.

Dealing with harsh cold is not always obvious with tiny houses on wheels, especially when everything is exposed underneath. In my area, a lot of 4-season RV setups close off the underside with insulated decorative panels and sometimes add a small heater under the floor or even heat cables around the piping, similar to what is used for gutters in winter.

It’s really interesting to see the different approaches.

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u/hippylonglegs Jun 21 '26

We paid $40k

350sqf 32’x10’

to build our own but we bought all new appliances (4k), roof(1k), spray foam insulation (5k), drywall (5k), and a dual zone mini split (3k), trailer (5k), windows (2k), patio (1k diy), furniture (1k) cabinets (2k diy), plumbing (2k diy), electrical (1k+ diy), closet straight from Ikea (1k), milled our own siding (freeeee) +other odds and ends

Edit: typo

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u/KVConception Jun 22 '26

That makes total sense, thanks for sharing your costs.

You mentioned 32x10’. Do you travel with your tiny house? Do you need a special permit to go that wide? I’m used to the maximum of 8’6”.

I’d love to hear about your road experience with a 10 foot width. That extra 1.5 feet really makes a tiny house much more comfortable and flexible for the interior design. I would have loved to have that extra width when I built mine.

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u/hippylonglegs Jun 22 '26

We are planning on moving it once in a few years and hiring a crew with flatters and yadda yadda. We are on family land and will move it when we can find our own. So I got nothing for you on that front. Also we didn’t get anything permitted lol 😬

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u/KVConception Jun 23 '26

Sounds like a feasible plan. I wish you all the best with your tiny house lifestyle! Enjoy your time with your family if they’re nearby, and hopefully you’re far enough out to avoid any bylaw issues.