Frequently Asked Questions

We now offer RVIA (the black label) certified tiny homes. With this certification, along with our National Safety Mark (NSM) and our NHTSA certification you will have no problem getting your Teacup Tiny Home imported, insured and registered anywhere in the U.S.A. We are located 1 hour north fo the Montana border which makes it easy to get you on your way.  Delivery arrangements can be made anywhere in Canada and the USA.

A general tiny home definition is a home 500 sq. ft. or under on the main floor. There is no confirmed definition of a tiny home, however the 500 sq. ft. tends to be industry standard.  (don’t be afraid to ask if you want to go bigger!)

Rv’s are manufactured to be moved frequently with lightweight, affordable materials, and can be built with an all-season package, however typically are not rated for cold weather. RV’s will depreciate, and with full time use, deteriorate much faster than a tiny home. RV’s are classified for seasonal living only, however people do live in them all year round.

Tiny Homes however are built using conventional building materials to ensure they wear the same as a conventionally built home.  Tiny homes are typically heavier, use higher quality materials, are built specifically for full time living with better insulation and are customizable.  Tiny homes have been found to appreciate, and it is easy to add your own personalized touches after possession to increase the value of your tiny home.

You will need at minimum a ¾ ton truck. Size and weight dependent, we suggest a 1 ton and that may increase with a larger and oversize home.  We also suggest a diesel vs. a gas model for more power. Don’t let this part stress you out. We can arrange delivery and set up for you if moving your tiny home yourself is not an option!

Yes! We have 2 options for making sure your tiny home works for you:

1) By using one of our Teacup Stock plans (or a home that we have previously manufactured)  we can make interior tweaks to the layout to make it functional. In this case, we can change anything that is not structural in the design.  Any changes that are structural and change the mechanicals will have to be re-engineered. 

2) Custom Build:  We build custom tiny homes, yes we do!  Our typical fully custom tiny homes usually start at $150,000.00 and can have a value of over $200,000.00 CAN.  This is a very exciting process and can usually take a few extra weeks to go through the design process thoroughly to make sure you have everything you have dreamed of in your home, and it is going to function for you now and long into the future. 

Tiny Life Supply is a great resource for tiny home projects check them out here: Tiny Life Supply

Overall our timelines can be as quick as 4 months from start to finish, or 6 months.  This is largely dependant on size, complexity and the bookings in our production line. Book early to avoid delays as spring and summer possession book up quickly.

Jen McCarthy, the owner of Teacup has been designing homes since 2004. Spending her entire career in residential home construction she has integrated her passion for beautiful looking spaces and the ambition to create more functional living spaces for people into every Teacup Tiny Homes. 

Before we went tiny, our team was (and still is) highly involved in the residential home building industry. For decades of combined experience, our team has spent our professional careers passionate about building quality products. Everything from conventional homes, to manufactured homes, multi-family, and even renovations.  Our team consists of certified journeymen contractors to complete our work, certified moisture control installers for our building envelopes, and are collaborating with professional engineers and certification bodies to ensure you receive a product that will last you years into the future.  Want a resume? Feel free to contact us and we will send over all our bragging rights!

We build our tiny homes to be 8.5 ft. wide and 13.5 ft. tall.  Our Park Models are 10 ft. wide and will require a permit to be moved irregularly.

Have you ever had an RV with a slide?  We feel slides contradict the concept of energy efficiency, durability, and permanency.  A product is only as good as its weakest point.  Slides are known to slump, create heat and energy loss, as well as wear down when extended over long periods of time.  We want your home to last for years and years and not cause you headaches.

Your Teacup Tiny Home will be built to comply with road regulations. Our CSA or RVIA certified tiny homes can be pulled province to province and state to state. Different states and provinces have small differences in their Transportation Acts.  It is important to check those regulations as you travel with your tiny home.  Also, very important to check overpass heights on your route!  Homes that are certified as CSA Z241 Park Models will need a permit to be transported.  *It is important to note that an oversized (10'-0")  D.I.Y. tiny home on your own that is NOT certified as a park model will not be permitted in B.C. or Alberta (updated Jan 2020)

The tiny home movement is sweeping across the US and Canada.  Typically, a tiny home can be lived in an RV park, a mobile home park, a park model park, or can be installed on a site with a foundation in municipalities.  All of these options need to be thoroughly investigated in the sought-out area.

Can I just park a tiny home in a back yard, or on a piece of land and live in it?   You can try, but most likely you will get asked to move.  This is not a legal option. Other tiny home builders suggest parking your tiny home in a discreet, non-visible location not to attract whistle blowers. 

Different than conventional home building, we do not find you a place to park, or install your tiny home, nor will we accept any responsibility for the location in which you choose to park and live, that part is up to you to do your due-diligence.

If you are located in Canada, we may have financing options for you!   

CLICK HERE to see if you may be eligible for financing through our Teacup Partners.   Submit your information and you will be taken to a quick and easy 5 question assessment that will help you see if you may be qualified or if you may need to do a little extra work. 

We build our homes to be CSA and/or RVIA certified it makes it much easier. If you are located in the USA LightStream or Banks may be a good lending option for you. We have had American clients that have been able to receive financing through their bank for Canadian manufactured RVIA certified tiny homes.  

Please note: You cannot get a mortgage on a tiny home on wheels.  You are looking for either a personal loan or an RV loan.

If you know you need some extra cash for your tiny home, get in we can assist you with getting in touch with the right people to try to make your tiny home dream a reality.

To begin this process, we recommend getting in touch with a personal banker or lender and discussing options.

Cosigners have also been very beneficial to have to secure RV loans and financing for your tiny home.

Things you will need for financing:

• Good credit
• Last 2 year tax returns
• Proof of savings and worth
• Pay your bills on time
• Typically a minimum of a 20%-30% down payment. Although some of our financers can arrange with less. 

Our average tiny homes fully built typically range from $85,000 - $180,000.00 CAD or $65,000.00 - $140,000.00 USD.  

Price is very dependent on the weight of the home (which will determine the GVWR) and the products in which are installed. This has a huge impact on the frame or foundation and the weight of the axles used to support the load. We recommend leaving a minimum of $15,000 - $20,000 CAD for personalization and upgrades to ensure your tiny home will meet your needs.

We believe that every experience in life should be cherished and enjoyable. We have streamlined processes to make sure your Teacup experience is top notch!

We begin with an initial 1-on-1 Discovery Call to learn about YOU and all your "tiny" hopes and dreams. This allows you to get to know us, and us to get to know you! From there, we set out an action plan for next steps and the possibility of creating a general price point on how much your Teacup Tiny Home will cost. 

To take your dream to the next step, we require a non-refundable design deposit, in which we will generate a plan, design and specification for you, and nail down any opportunities to personalize!

Once the plans are finalized, we require a 40% deposit, to take the home to “lock out stage” (once the doors and windows are installed) an additional 40% to complete the build, and lastly the remaining 20% upon possession and completion.

The process is a bit more complex than this, and we can elaborate on those details on your Discovery Call.

BOOK YOUR DISCOVERY CALL NOW