Tiny home zoning, ADU laws, and builder costs in Phoenix, Arizona. The 2024 state ADU law makes Phoenix one of the most promising Sun Belt markets for tiny homes.
Last researched June 2026
Phoenix tiny living is a study in heat management: summers run 110°F-plus for weeks, so a small structure here lives or dies on insulation, shade orientation, and a right-sized heat pump — while October through April is the payoff, with the kind of winter that fills the metro's RV resorts with snowbirds. The casita tradition runs deep in the historic districts — Coronado, Garfield, Willo — where alley lots and HB 2297's statewide ADU rules have made backyard units genuinely buildable, and The Village on 13th near downtown shows the intentional-community version. South Mountain Park and the Sonoran preserves ring the city with trail access, and water-wise xeriscape keeps yard upkeep honest. Budget for cooling, not heating.
Phoenix runs one of the most generous casita frameworks in the Sun Belt. Accessory dwelling units are allowed in single-family residential zones citywide under Section 706 (Accessory Uses and Structures) of the Phoenix Zoning Ordinance, with the underlying districts set out at Section 608. The city's 2024 rewrite conformed to Arizona HB 2297, the state's partial ADU preemption: no owner-occupancy requirement, side and rear setbacks capped at 5 feet, no added parking, and short-term-rental use of an ADU prohibited while long-term leases are allowed (as of June 2026). A single-family lot may carry two ADUs, and a third is possible when one qualifies as affordable housing on a lot of at least 43,560 square feet.
Size scales with the lot: an ADU may not exceed 75 percent of the primary dwelling's gross floor area, capped at 1,000 square feet on lots up to 10,000 square feet and at the lesser of 3,000 square feet or 10 percent of net lot area on larger lots; height is limited to 15 feet when placed within a required yard (as of June 2026, per the City of Phoenix ADU guide). Arizona treats a dwelling under 400 square feet as a tiny house, and a foundation-built unit that meets the residential code permits as an ADU — but a tiny home on wheels is a recreational vehicle and is not allowed as a permanent residence on a Phoenix residential lot.
Unincorporated Maricopa County parcels follow county rules that differ in meaningful ways from the city's. Verify current requirements with your local planning department before purchasing land or beginning construction.
Verify current requirements with your local planning department.
Phoenix allows up to two ADUs on a single-family lot (three with an affordable unit on an acre-plus lot) under Section 706 of the Zoning Ordinance, as amended in 2024 to comply with Arizona HB 2297: no owner-occupancy requirement, side/rear setbacks capped at 5 feet, no additional parking, and a hard prohibition on short-term-rental use (long-term leases are fine), as of June 2026. Size limits: 75 percent of the primary home's gross floor area, capped at 1,000 square feet on lots up to 10,000 square feet, or the lesser of 3,000 square feet / 10 percent of net lot area on larger lots; 15-foot height limit inside required yards, with the primary dwelling's height allowed elsewhere on the lot. The city publishes a beginner's ADU guide walking through permitting through Planning & Development.
Communities, RV parks, and parking options in and near Phoenix.
A THOW cannot be a legal long-term residence on a Phoenix residential lot as of June 2026 — the wheels make it an RV regardless of build quality, and the city's otherwise-permissive Section 706 casita rules apply only to foundation construction. Wheels-on living in the metro means an RV community: Covered Wagon RV Park off I-17 in central Phoenix explicitly markets to long-term, all-ages RV residents, and Desert's Edge RV Village in north Phoenix carries long-term spaces as well — both are RV-first parks, so confirm in writing that a tiny home on a trailer (and its certification, RVIA or NOAH) is accepted before towing in. The foundation route is far stronger here: The Village on 13th, an intentional tiny-home community near downtown focused on affordable veteran housing, shows the model — foundation-built tiny houses only, no THOWs. With HB 2297 behind it, the practical Phoenix play for most buyers is a code-built casita of up to 1,000 square feet behind an existing home rather than a home on wheels (as of June 2026).
tiny-home-village
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Intentional tiny-home community on 13th Avenue in Phoenix focused on affordable housing for veterans; tiny houses on foundation only (no THOW), with 3 lots on 1 acre and a community garden. Operates with a waitlist and income restrictions.
rv-park
6540 N Black Canyon Hwy, Phoenix, AZ
All-ages central-Phoenix RV community off I-17 that explicitly markets to long-term RV residents.
rv-park
2398 W Williams Dr, Phoenix, AZ 85027
Phoenix RV park with 220+ sites specializing in extended-stay residency, family-friendly with full hookups and on-site amenities.
rv-park
11201 N El Mirage Rd, El Mirage, AZ (West Valley, ~25 mi NW of downtown Phoenix)
55+ RV and golf resort with 378 sites that explicitly accommodates monthly and annual residents; long stays require utility transfer to the resident's name.
Guin, Alabama
Guin, Alabama manufacturer of energy-efficient manufactured and modular homes, founded in 2004. Operates a 200,000-square-foot facility and has produced 15,000+ homes across 18 states. Offers a "Cozy Cabins" tiny-home line within its Signature series, built to HUD code or state modular standards. Member of the Alabama Manufactured Housing Association. Active as of May 2026.
Service areas: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix-based, woman-owned ADU and tiny home builder serving the greater Phoenix Valley, including Phoenix, Tempe, Glendale, Scottsdale, and Mesa. DwellWell brings deep roots in custom home building, design, and affordable housing to small-footprint construction — offering granny flats, in-law suites, backyard studios, casitas, backyard cottages, and custom one-bedroom and two-bedroom ADU plans. Typical build time is six to nine months depending on project scope. Homes start at approximately $125,000. The company's Yelp profile was updated April 2026, confirming active operations. DwellWell publishes detailed Arizona ADU regulatory guides on its website, reflecting hands-on knowledge of Phoenix Valley permitting requirements.
Service areas: Arizona
Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale, Arizona ADU and modular home builder founded in 2021 by Zander Diamont and Jared Amzallag. Minimal Living Concepts delivers turn-key accessory dwelling units and semi-custom modular homes across the Phoenix metro, with five models ranging from the 429 sq ft Flex to the 1,600 sq ft Resi. The company holds a KB-2 Dual Residential and Small Commercial contractor license in Arizona and a BuildZoom score of 117 (top 1% of 71,576 licensed Arizona contractors). With over 38 verified customer reviews averaging 4.6 stars on Birdeye, MLC is widely cited as one of the state's leading ADU builders. As of May 2026, the company is expanding its offerings to include semi-custom primary homes.
Service areas: Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson-based design-build company specializing in accessory dwelling units (ADUs), casitas, and small homes for Southern Arizona properties. Founded by Brad Jones — a University of Arizona alumnus and Certified ADU Specialist with over 30 years of sales and executive experience — the business operates as an Anchored Tiny Homes franchise and opened in Tucson in June 2024. The company manages every step from initial property assessment and design through permitting and construction, ensuring compliance with City of Tucson and Pima County codes. Services include detached ADUs, attached ADUs, garage conversions, pool houses, and home additions. Within its first year of operation, the company secured more than 35 signed construction agreements.
Service areas: Arizona
Goodyear, Arizona
Goodyear, Arizona tiny home manufacturer building quality homes of 400 square feet or less since 2021. Founded by CEO Gail Kingsbury, United Tiny Homes offers several product lines — the Signature Line, Park Line, and Back Porch Line — designed for affordability and quick delivery (as little as 90–120 days). The company holds membership in the Tiny House Alliance USA and was named to the Inc. 5000 list of America's fastest-growing private companies for 2025. Their showroom in Goodyear is open for tours, and they partner with lenders offering up to 30-year financing. As of May 2026, the company is actively partnering to develop a 65-home tiny community in Sedona to address regional housing shortages.
Service areas: Arizona
Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin
Utopian Villas is a Wisconsin-based manufacturer of custom tiny homes and park model homes with published service-area pages that include Delaware. The company builds customized and personalized tiny homes and modular homes, with a current Wisconsin location in Mount Pleasant and a second listed location in Texas.
Service areas: Indiana, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho
A comparison between tiny-home living and conventional homeownership in Phoenix.
Tiny home path
Traditional home path
Potential monthly savings
$1,700–$2,300/mo
Source: Zillow Phoenix market data, April 2026
Verified links for planning, permitting, and community connections in Phoenix.
Official
Community
Not on a residential lot. As of June 2026, Phoenix treats THOWs as RVs and the Section 706 casita rules cover foundation construction only. Long-term wheels-on options are RV communities such as Covered Wagon RV Park in central Phoenix — confirm tiny-home acceptance with the park first.
Two on a standard single-family lot, and a third when one unit qualifies as affordable housing and the lot is at least 43,560 square feet — under Section 706 of the Phoenix Zoning Ordinance as amended for HB 2297 (as of June 2026).
Up to 75% of the primary home's gross floor area, capped at 1,000 sq ft on lots up to 10,000 sq ft, or the lesser of 3,000 sq ft / 10% of net lot area on larger lots; height is limited to 15 feet inside required yards (as of June 2026).
No. Phoenix prohibits ADUs from operating as short-term rentals; long-term leases are permitted, and HB 2297 bars the city from requiring the owner to live on site (as of June 2026).
Phoenix-metro turnkey casita and small-ADU builds ran roughly $159,000–$298,000 as of June 2026, in line with published Valley builder pricing; wheeled and park-model units run well below that but cannot be sited as residences on city lots.
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