What are the tiny house laws in District of Columbia?

You need a Department of Buildings permit for a new house in DC². A separate rule expressly allowing tiny-home occupancy throughout the District remains unconfirmed³. Ask DOB to review your proposed dwelling use before you commit to a design.

DC has no counties, so you cannot choose a different county within the District⁷. Start by finding your property’s zoning classification on the official DC zoning map⁸. Then ask the Office of Zoning Administration for a zoning certification covering your proposed use⁹. That certification does not promise later approval of your building plans⁹.

DC allows accessory apartments in Residential House zones under specific conditions¹. You can have one accessory apartment per R-zone lot¹. The owner must live in either the main dwelling or the accessory apartment throughout that use¹.

Most DC R zones allow a qualifying apartment in the main dwelling or an accessory building as a matter of right¹. R-1B/GT and R-3/GT require a Board of Zoning Adjustment special exception¹. An apartment in an accessory building needs permanent access and must meet the other conditions in Subtitle U § 253.8¹. Your proposal needs a special exception if it falls outside those conditions¹. Ask DOB to check your backyard design against that section before you order the structure.

Permission for full-time tiny-home or RV residence on private land in DC remains unconfirmed. Ask DOB about your proposed use.

DC has a narrow camping rule for owners of alley lots in R, RF and RA zones¹⁰. You can camp in a tent, wagon, van, automobile, truck or trailer under that rule¹⁰. Your stay is limited to two consecutive weeks and one month per calendar year¹⁰. Open fires are prohibited, and your use must not create objectionable conditions for nearby property¹⁰. These limits apply to temporary camping on qualifying DC alley lots; they do not grant general residential permission¹⁰. Ask DOB for a separate answer about year-round living.

A general minimum total floor area for a DC dwelling remains unconfirmed. Ask DOB which size and layout rules apply to your plans. DC’s adopted construction codes govern construction covered by those codes⁴.

An accessory apartment inside a DC main house has separate size conditions¹. Your main house needs at least 2,000 square feet of gross floor area in R-1 zones, excluding garage space¹. You need 1,200 square feet in R-2 and R-3 zones¹. Your apartment cannot exceed 35% of the house’s gross floor area¹. These conditions cover apartments within the principal dwelling; they do not set a District-wide minimum size for every new home¹.

DC’s published fee for new construction and additions is $0.03 per cubic foot, plus a 10% enhanced fee⁵. For new construction, you also pay a filing deposit of 50% of the assessed building-permit fee, capped at $20,000, plus the enhanced fee⁵. Ask DOB to price your specific design before you set a construction budget.

You can use the DOB Permit Wizard for single-family and two-family residential projects¹¹. Your building plans go through online review in ProjectDox¹¹. If you are an eligible homeowner, you can attest that you are the contractor of record¹². You still need a building permit under that homeowner pathway¹². Ask DOB which application route fits your proposed house.

Confirm your DC water and wastewater service before you buy the structure. DC law calls for sewer and water-main connections for dwelling lots on streets with both public systems¹³. Covered water or sewer pipe installation and street-main connections need a water or sewer excavation permit¹⁴. Only licensed DC contractors in the relevant trade can apply¹⁴.

DC law requires a permit for covered privies and human-waste disposal systems; alternative sanitation is not automatically exempt¹⁵. Ask DOB which office currently approves your proposed system.

Your single-family dwelling needs an approved building final inspection before you move in, though it does not need a certificate of occupancy⁶. Ask DOB how your proposed accessory-apartment use changes the occupancy approvals you need.