Guidance for Adding a Mobile Dwelling to a Property in Portland
Determine location for mobile dwelling (Tiny House on Wheels or RV) parking pad
Considerations: property access for a mobile dwelling. Consider branches, gutters, slopes, turning radius near fences, which end of the trailer will back into place to keep the tongue accessible
Ensure that the parking pad can actually situate a dwelling that is 25ft long, 13ft high and roughly 12ft wide to accommodate comfortable buffer access around the 8ft wide dwelling
Consider surfacing. Gravel or pavement work best. Grass and/or soft soil may make placement & extraction challenging due to weight of the trailer (mobile dwellings weigh up to 10K LBS, which can cause soft ground to settle).
Consider privacy/site design. eg. Tall fencing or landscaping may be desired for privacy and feng shui for primary dwelling and/or for neighboring properties
Ensure that the plan meets zoning code standards (eg. dwelling must be placed behind the front plane of primary dwelling, only one habitable mobile dwelling per property)
Consider what type and size of mobile dwelling to get
RV- less expensive. $10K used to $30K new. Lightweight, better for road usage. Not especially cute.
Tiny Houses on wheels- $40K to $100K, depending on size and quality. Heavy, more permanent. Very cute.
Consider orientation of the trailer tongue on your site relative to the selected trailer’s entry location. Also, consider the window locations.
Investigate hook up requirements:
Sewer- where on the trailer drain(s) are located and where the drain line will run.
Electric- determine what amount of power is needed for the desired THOW/RV. Where is the electric subpanel in the THOW/RV. Take a picture of the THOW/RV outlet. Consider long the electric cord will need to be to plug into your new outlet.
If the dwelling requires a sewer connection, determine where sewer will run. Refer to sewer diagram for property if it is available. If not, a “TV sewer scope” should be used to determine the location and elevation of the sewer underground.
Determine exactly where RV dump will be located to accommodate mobile dwelling and still provide good feng shui and allow for dwelling placement and the eventual occupant’s navigation of the site.
Determine how to run the sewer and electric lines to the RV hookup location.
Determine whether to run a new water line or use an existing hose bib.
Determine how to execute the project (eg. hire contractors, DIY it)
Determine rough cost and whether there are adequate funds to complete the site development. Site development work could range from $2K-$20K.
Obtain necessary permits for new infrastructure work (electric and plumbing trade permits)
This work may require a licensed electrician and plumber.
Parking pad and infrastructure site work will possibly require an excavator
Gravel will require labor and a compactor to spread it out and compact it well. Depending on the site conditions, the pad may require pressure treated edging.
New fencing and landscaping work may occur during site development or once the mobile dwelling has been situated and established
Place the mobile dwelling on the property. Have 3-4 people on site to assist with this process. Have 4x4x 8 ft posts to use as leverage maneuvering posts, come-a-longs for anchoring and tugging, and heavy-duty jacks available, for leveling the dwelling.
Prop up the corners on blocking or jack stands onto compacted surfaces.
Hook it up to water, sewer and electricity. Installation hookup may require a plumber and electrician, depending on how the mobile dwelling electric connection and sewer connections are done.