Tiny home rules in St. Louis, MO — covering tiny houses on wheels (THOWs), park model RVs, and tiny home on foundation builds — determine where they are legal and how they get permitted.
Tiny homes on permanent foundations are allowed in St. Louis as ADUs or primary dwellings subject to zoning district minimums, building code, and historic district review.
St. Louis treats tiny homes based on construction type. Tiny houses on permanent foundations built to IRC residential code standards can serve as primary dwellings or ADUs, but must meet zoning district minimum lot size, setback, and minimum habitable floor area requirements (which historically favored larger homes but are more flexible under the updated code). ADU-style tiny homes benefit from the 800 sq ft cap allowance. Tiny houses on wheels (HUD RVs or Park Model RVs) are classified as recreational vehicles and cannot be used as permanent residences in residentially zoned areas, only in licensed RV parks. Manufactured homes must meet HUD Code and can only be placed in manufactured home parks. In Local Historic Districts, tiny home exterior design must pass Cultural Resources Office review and match the scale and character of surrounding homes, which is often a significant constraint.
THOW used as permanent residence: zoning violation, $100-$500 fine and order to remove. Unpermitted construction: stop-work and fines.
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See how St. Louis's tiny homes rules stack up against other locations.
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