The Task Group continued work on defining tiny houses in the National Building Code and reviewed a draft Proposed Change Form (PCF) proposing a new Part 9 section specific to tiny houses.

There was general agreement that a tiny house should be defined as a self‑contained dwelling unit intended for year‑round residential use. While views differed on foundation types, the group broadly supported allowing flexibility for alternative and movable solutions, provided the building is securely anchored on site to address safety considerations such as wind and overturning.

The Task Group reached consensus on floor-area limits to distinguish tiny houses from conventional dwellings clearly. A minimum size of 10 m² was supported, aligning with common permitting thresholds. For the upper limit, the group converged on a maximum footprint of 55 m².

With respect to use and occupancy, there was strong support for classifying tiny houses under Group C residential occupancy. Home‑type care occupancies were acknowledged as raising additional safety and accessibility considerations and should follow appropriate code pathways where applicable.

There was also agreement that barrier‑free design requirements are often incompatible with tiny house size constraints and should be addressed through targeted exemptions.

For more information, contact alex.bols@chba.ca