Tiny home zoning, THOW placement, and builder costs in Portland, Oregon. One of the most established tiny home markets in the US with backyard ADU placements and active builder network.
Last researched June 2026
Portland's tiny-home culture is the most established on the West Coast — backyard cottages are ordinary sights in Lents, Montavilla, and St. Johns, where deep lots and alley access make siting straightforward. The climate is gentle on small spaces: gray, drizzly winters that rarely freeze hard, then reliably dry summers when life moves to the porch. The Springwater Corridor and Forest Park put long trail miles inside city limits, and a car-optional life is realistic thanks to MAX and the bike network. Expect a knowledgeable permitting culture and neighbors who have seen a THOW before.
Portland is one of the few large US cities where a tiny house on wheels can be a legal full-time home. The Shelter to Housing Continuum package, adopted unanimously by City Council on April 28, 2021 and effective August 1, 2021, amended Portland City Code 29.50.050 so that one occupied recreational vehicle — including a THOW, travel trailer, park model RV, camper, or motor home — is allowed on a residential lot that already has a house, attached house, or manufactured home. Portland Permitting & Development publishes guidance on occupied RVs and tiny houses on wheels covering the sanitation and safety expectations, as of June 2026.
Foundation-built tiny homes are handled as ordinary housing. Under Zoning Code Section 33.205, up to two ADUs are allowed on lots with a house, attached house, or manufactured home — one may be inside or attached to the house and one detached, or two detached — with each ADU capped at 75% of the main structure's living area or 800 square feet, whichever is smaller. Detached ADUs must sit 40 feet back from the front lot line or behind the rear wall of the house, and when two ADUs are built, at least one unit must accommodate visitors using wheelchairs. The Residential Infill Project's companion changes opened most residential lots to middle housing under HB 2001, so small-format duplexes, cottage clusters, and ADU combinations are all on the menu.
Verify current requirements with your local planning department before purchasing land or beginning construction.
Verify current requirements with your local planning department.
Portland's ADU rules live in Zoning Code Section 33.205. Up to two ADUs are allowed on a lot with a house, attached house, or manufactured home: one attached plus one detached, or two detached (which may share a wall or stack), but not two units inside the main house. Each ADU is capped at 75% of the main structure's living area or 800 square feet, whichever is smaller; detached units must be 40 feet from the front lot line or behind the house's rear wall; and when a second ADU is added, at least one unit must be visitable by wheelchair users, as of June 2026. In multi-dwelling, commercial, and EX zones, two ADUs are allowed regardless of site size or frontage. Movable tiny houses are handled separately under the occupied-RV allowance in City Code 29.50.050 rather than as ADUs.
Communities, RV parks, and parking options in and near Portland.
Since August 1, 2021, Portland City Code 29.50.050 has allowed one occupied RV or tiny house on wheels per residential lot that has an existing house, attached house, or manufactured home — the change that made Portland a THOW magnet. The allowance requires a host dwelling: an occupied THOW cannot stand alone on a vacant lot, and sanitation, electrical safety, and nuisance standards still apply, so review Portland Permitting & Development's occupied-RV guidance before moving a unit, as of June 2026. East Portland and outer Southeast neighborhoods generally have the larger, flatter lots and lower placement costs, and several metro-area RV parks offer monthly spaces. On the rural fringe, Oregon's SB 1013 (effective January 1, 2024) lets counties permit one RV as a rental dwelling on rural residential parcels — adoption varies by county, so confirm locally.
tiny-home-village
NE Portland (Cully neighborhood)
Pioneering intentional tiny house community established in 2014 on a 2/3-acre site, with about nine residents living in tiny homes alongside shared houses for communal kitchen, wood shop, bike shop, and garden.
co-housing
NE Portland (Cully neighborhood)
16-unit family-friendly cohousing community on nearly two acres, built in 2013 with solar power, shared common house, and an abundant garden at the center of the property.
co-housing
2525 N Killingsworth St, Portland (Overlook neighborhood)
Multigenerational 30-unit cohousing condominium development with a 7,000 sqft Common House, shared courtyard, and committee-based community governance.
co-housing
9601 NW Leahy Rd, Portland 97229 (Cedar Mill area)
28-unit multigenerational cohousing community on 4 wooded acres with a creek, evergreen firs, and a shared common house, located about a mile north of Beaverton.
rv-park
21401 NE Sandy Blvd, Fairview, OR 97024 (8 mi east of downtown Portland)
Large 400-site Thousand Trails RV park offering seasonal (28-184 days) and annual (185+ days) extended stays directly with the park; many long-term residents.
Buckley, Washington
Buckley-based builder and one of Washington's first to embrace L&I factory inspection. Builds ANSI 119.5 certified THOWs, park models, and modular tiny homes. CEO Todd McKellips also serves as executive director of the Washington Tiny House Association.
Service areas: Washington, Oregon, California
Portland, Oregon
Portland-based luxury tiny home builder featured on national television. Family-owned company offering fully custom THOWs, park models, ADUs, and commercial builds. Signature Series starts at $129,900. Builds designed for Oregon's climate with moisture resistance and thermal insulation.
Service areas: Oregon, Washington, California
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene-based luxury tiny home builder with over 300 handcrafted homes delivered. Family-owned company with PHIUS and LEED backgrounds emphasizing sustainable building practices. Offers both signature models and fully custom builds with financing starting at $697/month.
Service areas: Oregon, Washington, California
Battle Ground, washington
Battle Ground factory builder producing modular tiny homes, ADUs, and single-family homes. Over 500 homes placed in five years. New 21,000 sq ft factory doubles production capacity to two homes per week.
Service areas: washington, oregon, california, montana, idaho
Damascus, Oregon
Oregon-based pre-engineered building kit manufacturer offering prefab cabin kits (including the 495 sq ft Mazama model) and backyard ADU kits shipped nationwide. Founded in 2002 alongside sister company DC Builders; maintains Delaware-specific design and pricing resources for cabin and ADU projects.
Service areas: Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland-based prefab ADU specialist offering turnkey modular accessory dwelling units with fixed pricing. Handles all aspects from site planning and permitting to utilities, installation, and landscaping. Rent-ready units delivered in under five months.
Service areas: Oregon
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