Sioux Falls, SD Accessory Structures: Tiny Homes (2026)

Sioux Falls regulates tiny homes through three intersecting code sections: (1) Sioux Falls Code Title 150, which adopts the 2021 IRC including Appendix Q (Tiny Houses) — defining a tiny home as a dwelling 400 sq ft or less, excluding lofts, with relaxed ceiling-height (6 ft 8 in common areas, 6 ft 4 in bathrooms/kitchens), loft (35 sq ft minimum, 16 ft 1 in length minimum dimension), and emergency-egress requirements; (2) Sioux Falls Code § 159.305 (Accessory Dwelling Units), which is the ONLY pathway for a stand-alone tiny home on a residential lot — the tiny home must qualify as an ADU, observe the 50% (detached) or 75% (attached) primary-dwelling size cap, provide 2 extra off-street parking spaces, and meet owner-occupancy; (3) Sioux Falls Code Title 153 (zoning), which establishes minimum lot sizes and residential district standards that a tiny home cannot waive. Tiny homes on permanent foundations qualify as 'dwellings' under the IRC and Sioux Falls zoning and must connect to municipal water, sewer, and electric utilities under Title 170. Tiny homes on wheels (THOWs) — built on trailer chassis with no permanent foundation — are classified as recreational vehicles under SDCL Title 32 and Sioux Falls Title 39 and cannot be used as permanent residences on residential lots. THOWs may be parked on residential property as RVs subject to RV storage rules (typically no occupancy beyond a few days/year and not as a primary residence). South Dakota has no statewide tiny-home preemption; all rules are local under the home-rule charter (SDCL Chapter 6-12). If the lot is in the FEMA floodplain, the lowest floor of the tiny home must be at or above the base flood elevation under Sioux Falls Title 16 (floodplain management).