FAQ

STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?

SCHEDULE A 30 MINUTE CONSULTATION WITH OUR CERTIFIED INSPECTORS!

We recommend a 30 minute consultation with a NOAH Certified inspector to answer the questions you might have before becoming a member. The cost is $180.00 and you can ask whatever questions you may have.

The fee is non-refundable but will be applied to your membership fee when you join NOAH Certified as a Member.

There are many opportunities for Tiny Home placement and more becoming available every day! You can park your TH at an RV Park, in a Tiny House community (or pocket neighborhood), and another opportunity is if you are zoned for an ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit). We have a link to the Tiny House Association on our website and once you click the link you will see a completed listing of places accepting Tiny Houses across the US. Also, we have our company sponsored crowdsourcing website www.imatinyhouser.com that lists even more placement opportunities.

Yes! We can certainly assist you, as long as you use USA approved materials. Access our International Builder Form here: https://noahcertified.org/international-builder-form

A Tiny House is a house built to be mobile, so the value is not only based on material and functionality. So the cost would be approximately $325 per square foot before upgrades. Noah Certified can perform value opinions on a limited basis.

Yes! As long as the trailer design has an engineered stamp, NOAH will accept a DIY trailer.

It really boils down to how heavy your Tiny House is. Some will only require a ½ or ¾ ton truck. You do not need a special use permit when towing your Tiny Home if it meets the 8 ½ wide, 13 ½ feet tall & under 26,000 lbs. requirement. That should be the total of your vehicle and your Tiny Home. You may rent one if you don’t already own a vehicle that meets suggested specifications. Since there are many varying factors like size and weight, you can refer to our Member Portal and visit our Member Manual under weights. There are also transport companies that will transport your tiny home for you. Read our featured blog on calculating weight of your Tiny Home: NOAH RDI | How to Calculate the Weight of Your Tiny Home and why it is So Important! (noahcertified.org)

Electric split unit heating & cooling systems (Mini-splits) are available, as well as pellet stoves, propane heaters, electric heaters, wood stoves, etc. All must be a testing agency listed device such as UL (Underwriter’s Laboratory) listed and installed according to manufacturer’s specifications

Please follow all manufactures safety instructions.

 

Testing should be performed before outlets, switches, lights, appliances and any equipment is installed except for the electric panel. Testing can be done after the above is installed but all switches must be in the off position and all appliances & equipment must be disconnected.

 

Make sure all workers are clear of ALL wiring before performing this test.

 

The following will be the easiest way to perform the testing.

1. The electric panel should be installed with all circuits connected to the breakers with the breakers in the off position.

2. Be sure all power to the electric panel is off.

3. Connect one probe of your tester to the GROUND bus bar.

4. Set the test voltage to 900V to 1000 V DC and turn on the tester.

5. Take the other probe and touch it to the breaker screw that the circuit being tested is connected to for 1 to 3 seconds and note the readings on the tester. Do this for each additional circuit in the electric panel.

6. All circuits should have a similar reading unless there is a problem or fault.

7. Fill out the form provided by Noah on their website.

 

The inspector does not have to be present when performing this test.

We accept framing designs that will meet standard building requirements. The NOAH ANSI+ Standard NOAH RDI | ANSI+ Standard (noahcertified.org) incorporates structural and energy requirements, in addition to, the ANSI 119.5 Standard ANSI A119.5 Standards (2009 Edition).pdf – Google Drive. Please note that the 2009 ANSI 119.5 is a free version provided as a reference only. For the most up to date version you will need to purchase one. We are proactive since Tiny Houses are on wheels and can essentially travel anywhere. That being said, we have seen SIPS and metal studs used on a Tiny House. Anything outside of the standard building practices may also be approved, provided that a licensed engineer or architect approves and stamps the design.

In the scheduler we allow 30 minutes for the inspection, however it rarely takes that long. We require 24 hours’ notice to perform the inspection. You also have the option to cancel any scheduled inspection up to 12 hours in advance without incurring any fee.

We would like to see the plans you are building from, so plans are required but they do not need to be stamped. If something looks odd during the inspection, we may require an engineer letter of explanation for approval.

Any insulation approved by the home building industry is appropriate. The only challenge would be in the ceiling & floor. Insulation in the floor must be secured so it doesn’t blow out when transporting the Tiny Home

Yes, absolutely. Many people that build in colder climates choose to run the plumbing on the inside of the walls where possible, to keep it from freezing.

As long as nothing has been covered over we can still inspect the Tiny House. If the shell manufacturer is a NOAH member he can perform and pay for Stage one and Stage two. This would be a $200 saving to you and your membership. The stopping point for your builder is up to you. Just be sure he does not cover something without an inspection. One place that we see getting covered at times is the floor insulation, where the trailer has a metal pan and the insulation is installed and covered with the floor plywood prior to an inspection being performed.

Yes, we offer an As-Built product, however you may need to deconstruct some areas at the inspector’s discretion.

  • Tempered glass windows
  • Plywood, chloroplast or other approved shutters or coverings
  • Tempered glass film on exterior of all windows

Yes, the NOAH ANSI+ Standard, NFPA 1192, ANSI 119.5, NEC and Energy Efficient & structural guidelines from the home building industry are on our website, NOAH RDI | ANSI+ STANDARD (noahcertified.org) and you are welcome to share them as needed with a governmental body.

There is currently an effort to develop Tiny House on Wheels standards using ASTM Committee.

With steel framing you do have some advantages (light weight, ease of build) and some disadvantages (thermal bridging). A build can install thermal breaks to mitigate the thermal bridging. Steel may not be your best choice where thermal bridging is a concern. The same holds true with a metal trailer.

We try to make the process as seamless as possible. The onboarding is done at your pace, it entails reviewing information, becoming familiar with our process & electronically signing a few things. It should not take more than a few hours at most. The inspections must be scheduled 24 hours in advance.