There are many reasons that the buzz around tiny homes is on the rise. It could be the desire to downsize, a way to reduce cost of living, or to minimize your environmental footprint. But do our Building Codes really facilitate tiny home design? Here are a few requirements to keep in mind:
Minimum areas. Gone are the days where the building code dictated minimum room dimensions and areas (the 1990 National Building Code required living rooms to have a minimum area of 13.5m2, with no dimension less than 3m). But that does not mean there are not still local bylaws and community design guidelines that require minimum home sizes, or limit if/where accessory dwelling units can be built.
Minimum ceiling heights. While minimum room sizes may no longer be required by code – minimum ceiling heights still are. Many tiny home designs include lowered ceilings or loft bedrooms, but to meet code - 2.1m (approx. 6’-11”) ceiling heights are required over at least a minimum area for all habitable spaces.
Minimum door sizes. Similar to above, some tiny home plans may not allow for the minimum door sizes of our Canadian building codes. All doors require a minimum 1.98m height, and most interior doors require a 760mm width, though some spaces can be reduced to 610mm wide. At least one entrance door to the dwelling unit must be 810mm wide.
Stairs. This is a big one. Many tiny home designs – especially those that include lofts – provide stairs (or even ladders) that would not meet current code requirements. Stairs within a dwelling unit must be at least 860mm wide. Each step must have a minimum length of 255mm and a maximum height of 200mm. Guardrails are required wherever there is more than 600mm in elevation difference.
As markets and demands change, so may the building code. Just like secondary suites have been added to our codes and include specific requirements (and some relaxations) – we may see more allowances for smaller dwellings. Until that comes – and acknowledging that codes can be notoriously slow to update - be sure to do your research. And as always – we are happy to help!