Q: “I have a question; what about the land? Does the land have to be purchased or rented? Do your estimates include the land and hydro and water hookup?”
A: Estimates about the cost of having a tiny home usually just include the cost of the home itself and not the cost of land, water hookups, sewer, or delivery of other utilities and services.
For moveable dwellings, it’s common to rent land. For example, campers, RVs, and trailers have been popular for decades. There are campgrounds, trailer parks, and facilities coast to coast for these.
Tiny houses on wheels are a relatively new phenomenon, so it’s not always clear where they can be placed. However, most campgrounds would probably allow a tiny house to park and pay camping fees.
For long-term living, people will sometimes make arrangements to stay in someone’s back yard. This could be a friend, family member, or someone offering to rent space for a tiny house.
It’s also possible to purchase land and put a tiny house on it. However, zoning, neighborhood covenants, or local housing codes may restrict the ability to build tiny.
Some municipalities permit pocket neighborhoods and accessory dwelling units. In these communities, it’s possible to have tiny houses side-by-side with larger homes. However, most cities don’t permit tiny houses within city limits. So, if you’re planning to buy land for a tiny house, you’ll likely need to find land in a rural area where the county zoning laws may be less restrictive. In some cases, people have purchased larger acreages and setup cabins or tiny houses. Inspectors don’t typically hike through vast amounts of private lands looking for housing violations.
Small House Society 
I SAY ALL THIS KNOWING IN EUROPE PEOPLE LIVE IN SMALL SPACES WITHOUT PROBLEMS, THEY WOULD NEVER UNDERSTAND OUR HUGH SPACES.
MY DAD WAS A BUILDER OF MANY THINGS. WHAT I SEE A HUGE NEED FOR THE LAWS TO PROTECT THOSE WANTING TO AVAIL THEMSELVES OF THIS LIFESTYLE. THERE ARE NO LAWS FOR THESE SMALL HOMES, CAN WE DOWNSIZE THE REGULAR PLANS, PROBABLY NOT. AS THE ENGINEERING FOR WEIGHT, IT IS NOT THE SAME. THESE HOMES CAN BE BUILT ON A SET IF WHEELS SO HAVING THE SAME LAWS IS SO IMPORTANT.
WHEREENER THERE IS MONEY, CROOKS AND INDEPT PEOPLE ABIDE, THEY MUST BE STOPPED. THE GOVT. DOES NOT LIKE TO MAKE LAWS, BUT LAWS CONSISTANT ACROSS THE COUNTRY SAVES SO MUCH TIME AND HEARTBREAK, COULD WE WITH LARGESS DO THIS ON A FEDERAL BASIS. THAT WOULD PROHIBIT THE IMPORT OF HOMES NOT MEETING THE CODES.
JUST SOME THOUGHTS ON THIS NEW WAY OF THINKING….
Thanks for the great info. Keep it coming. What about financing of a tiny or small house?
Thanks Jayne. 🙂 Here’s an article that addresses the question of getting financing for tiny houses https://smallhousesociety.net/2015/10/10/tiny-house-qa-financing-small-houses/
Exclusionary zoning laws are unconstitutional. We all have a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Shelter is a necessity of life. So we all should be free to live in a home of our own choosing. As long as that home is not a threat to anyone’s health or safety then it should not be criminalized by exclusionary zoning laws. Such laws are then a misapplication of the police power and should be struck down. I’d like to see the small house society become politically active to strike down such exclusionary zoning laws and at the very least start challenging such laws in the courts.