Build Your Own Tiny Home

By | January 23, 2025

Build Your Own Tiny Home – Want to learn how to build a tiny house step by step? Then you are in the right place! 

Creating a THOW is easy with the right instructions. Here are the exact steps I took to build my 24″ tiny house on wheels from start to finish with no construction experience.

Build Your Own Tiny Home

There is a lot of information out there about how to build a THOW – guides, videos, books, tutorials and lots of tiny house tours etc.

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However, it’s easy for those who start their tiny home building journey with no construction experience to get lost and give up before even starting a project.

So I wanted to make everyone’s life super easy by creating a simple and easy to follow step-by-step guide that includes all the resources used and the steps to build a 24′ x 8’5″ THOW. .

Hey! Sing here. In 2018, I was tired of spending thousands of dollars every month. I thought there had to be another way. 

Long story short, later that year I spent the next 5 months planning and building my 24′ THOW from scratch! I named my little house @ and have been living there. 

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During the construction process, I taught myself everything I needed to, including framing, electrical, plumbing, roofing, mini-split installation, appliances, etc. 

Today, there is a lot of information out there about building a THOW – guides, videos, books, tutorials, and lots of tiny house tours. Because of this, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and many people give up before starting a project.

So I want to make life super easy for everyone by creating a simple and easy to follow step-by-step guide with all the resources I use and the steps I take to build a tiny house on wheels, even if you’re a novice!

So you want to learn how to build a tiny house on wheels, but how do you get started?

Detached Bedroom As Tiny Home

Building a successful tiny house goes through two main stages: designing a tiny house and building a tiny house. If you’ve finished planning your build or are currently building your tiny house, skip straight to How to Build a Tiny House: Tiny Buildings.

Before you even think about building a tiny house, you need to make sure you have enough money to cover the construction costs. 

So how do you know how much to save to build a tiny house? Yes, it costs $30,000 to build a new 24-foot tiny house from scratch. You can build it even cheaper by following the instructions below.

SketchUp is a tool that allows you to digitally design, visualize, and modify a structure—in our case: a tiny house. After a few hours, you can turn your ideas into reality.

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The folks over at Tiny Nest have a SketchUp tutorial that will teach you everything you need to know about designing a tiny house.

SketchUp is a paid tool, but you can get the 2017 version for free. This is the version I used for the case and it has more than enough features. It is not necessary to get the paid version.

Once you’ve learned SketchUp, play around. You can design your own tiny house from scratch or buy tiny house plans online and recreate and modify them in SketchUp.

You are currently learning SketchUp. But how do I know if the house I am designing is structurally sound?

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Once you’ve previewed the overall process of building a tiny house, you’ll be more confident going into it.

If you’ve never done anything in your life, I suggest you keep your design as simple as possible.

If you live in an area with an HOA. You can’t build there. That’s a hard no-no.

So if you’re like me, you live in a townhouse with no extra building space. Consider the options below.

Diedricksen, Zeiger, N’ Pino= Oh My! Relaxshacks.com 2011 Tiny Shelter Workshop In Massachusetts

Once you’ve finished designing your tiny house and found a place to build it, it’s time to make a list of materials and start building.

To create a bill of materials, simply calculate the number of studs, beams, roof panels, siding, insulation, fixtures, windows and doors, fixtures, etc. you need based on the tiny house plans you’ve designed or purchased. 

Then find the price and quantity of the ingredients you want to buy and add them to your ingredient list.

So that’s out of the way, let’s start building! Here are ALL the tasks you need to do in the order below.

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If you have no previous experience with used trailer repairs, I recommend purchasing a new trailer designed specifically for tiny homes.

Now, when ordering a tiny house trailer, I recommend getting the manufacturer’s square fenders and undercarriage flashing option if available.

These extras will cost you a few hundred extra dollars, but will save you a lot of time, money, and energy.

Its pre-installation makes the job easy, as you only need to insulate the subfloor and install the subfloor directly on the trailer.

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Insulate your foundation with R-23 Rockwool insulation (the cheapest, DIY-friendly option) or insulation that matches the foundation.

Leave a 1/8-inch gap between all boards for expansion. Attach the board to the trailer using self-drilling metal-to-wood screws.

The wall frame becomes a part that you and your helpers (family, friends, even neighbors) can lift later. Frames and boxes.

Raise the walls one by one. After the wall is lifted and installed, prevent the wall from moving by crossing the wall sections.

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For example: Wall mounting. Now that your trailer is equipped with welded bolts, secure it with Simpson Strong ties.

Otherwise, you can drill a 1/2″ hole through the bottom plate, subfloor, and trailer deck and use a combination of nuts, bolts, washers, and Simpson’s Heavy Duty Ties to secure the wall section to the trailer frame.

After lifting and securing the wall, you will notice that it is still “wobbly”. Do not worry. The walls become strong when the walls and roof are installed.

There are many loft designs. No need to reinvent the wheel. Choose one and proceed!

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Use 3/4-inch plywood or OSB for attic sheathing. Use as many scraps as possible to reduce waste and save money.

Building an attic at the beginning of construction allows for easy installation of roof rafters. Attach it in the same way as with the subfloor.

Pre-cut rafters based on the roof project. For most small homes, 2×6 rafters will suffice in most cases.

Depending on your design and insulation choices, your roof may or may not require ventilation. Research and build accordingly.

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Use 1/2″ plywood/OSB for the walls and 3/4″ for the roof. Use as many pieces as possible and stagger them for extra shelf strength.

After the walls and roof are completely covered, cut the covering to create openings such as windows and doors.

Housewrap is a weatherproof barrier that protects your home from rain, wind and moisture. This will help keep the house dry while you work on the interior design of your home.

The house is installed between the exterior and wall lining. The tar paper/roofing felt/underlayment is above the roof sheathing, but below the roofing material. In addition, it acts as a moisture-proof barrier.

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For small houses, metal roofs are the optimal choice. They are expensive, but they last over 50 years, are energy efficient, and make your home look great!

If you’re looking for an affordable option, you can order a simple metal roofing in the classic rib style from Lowe’s and Home Depot.

But if the roof design is more complex (although not recommended) and requires additional hardware and roofing parts, I recommend visiting a local roofing company to get roof quotes.

Before working on the roof, make sure that you install the facade tiles and make the necessary preparations for proper installation (according to the manufacturer’s requirement).

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I went with the LP SmartSide. It is an engineered wood product that has the texture of wood but is mixed with magical ingredients that can last over 50 years.

It is inexpensive, pre-primed and easy to install. (Sounds like DIY friendly!!) Lowe’s and Home Depot usually carry this product because they are quite popular.

I don’t have much experience with offline setups. Although it can be done, I recommend connecting it to the mains for easy plumbing in a small house.

Here’s a step-by-step guide that will teach you everything you need to know about plumbing a tiny house on wheels.

Cost To Build A Tiny House

I have a degree in physics and graduated in electrical engineering. At the time of construction, I knew nothing about the wiring of the house.

You don’t need an electrical engineering degree to wire your home. You just have to know 

If you’re still feeling unsure about wiring your home, it might be time to get some professional help.

I will tell you that I like to use the air conditioner and the heater. I love the explosion in summer and winter.

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Because small houses do not need a lot of energy for heating