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TINY HOUSES IN INDIANA

Tiny house friendliness:
9/10

Tiny house builders in Indiana

Tiny House Regulations and Zoning Requirements in Indiana

When it comes to tiny houses, Indiana is a very special state. They have what they call the Log Cabin Rule.
This is a law rooted in the traditions of the first Americans to venture westward. These families would typically build their own houses with their own hands.

The state of Indiana leaves it to counties to establish building codes within their jurisdictions. However, the log cabin rule (Section IC 36-7-8-3 (d)) specifically excludes any of these codes from applying to “private homes that are built by individuals and used for their own occupancy.”
Among the exceptions granted by the log cabin rule are: regulations on heating, ventilation, electrical, plumbing, sanitation standards, use, location, occupancy, conversion of building etc.

It is a state-wide law, which means anyone can for all all intents and purposes choose not to follow the county regulations, as long as they are building their own house for their own occupancy.

The Indiana Court of Appeals has twice refused to allow authorities like the Indiana Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission to bypass the law.

The argument is that local building codes and ordinances may discourage or impede individuals from building their own houses, since an individual may not possess the skills necessary to construct a house which complies with the technical specifications.

Most tiny houses are built by the owner, which makes Indiana the perfect state to do it.
The exception to this law is tiny houses on wheels, which are regulated as RVs.

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