Our Tiny Home Build Process: Step-by-Step Timeline

What to Expect When Building Your Tiny Home with Rulaco

At Rulaco Tiny Homes, our process is designed to guide you through every step of your custom tiny home journey—from idea to delivery. With expert planning, transparent communication, and a team dedicated to quality craftsmanship, we make the experience smooth, exciting, and personal.

Phase 1: Discovery + Downsizing

Your tiny home journey starts with a conversation. We’ll ask detailed questions to understand your vision, priorities, and how you plan to use your home. Whether you're downsizing, going off-grid, or adding an ADU to your property, we help you clarify your goals and begin planning your ideal space. This is also a great time to begin decluttering and preparing for your new lifestyle.

Phase 2: Planning + Proposal

This phase is where ideas become plans. We work with you to define your must-haves, space needs, and layout preferences. From here, we create a detailed cost breakdown, outline features and options, and build a schedule. Once everything is aligned, we enter into a build contract. A 50% deposit is required at this stage to secure materials including the trailer, framing package, siding, windows, sheathing, and roofing. Current lead times for these components range from 4–8 weeks.

Phase 3: Design Selections

Now comes the creative part. This is where your personal style takes center stage. Together, we finalize selections for your layout, exterior finishes, cabinets, hardware, and more. We’ll help guide you through smart design choices that reflect your needs while making the most of your space.

Phase 4: Final Build Agreement

Once selections are confirmed, we prepare your final build agreement. This locks in your design choices and gives both you and our team a clear, focused path forward. It also ensures that your home will be built exactly to plan.

Phase 5: Materials + Scheduling

While we wait for your custom trailer and window package to arrive, we begin sourcing the rest of your materials and locking in your build schedule. If your trailer is already in our inventory, we can often speed things up. During this time, we continue collaborating on finish details and ensure everything is ready for a smooth construction phase.

Phase 6: Construction + Inspections

Your tiny home is built over the course of 10 weeks, following strict standards for safety and quality. All Rulaco Tiny Homes are constructed to meet or exceed NOAH+ Certification, ANSI 119.5, NFPA 70 (NEC), and IRC guidelines including Appendix Q. Your home will go through a five-stage NOAH inspection process, and payment draws will be invoiced after each passed inspection milestone. We’ll provide a clear payment schedule up front.

Phase 7: Final Walkthrough + Delivery

Once construction and inspections are complete, we perform a final walkthrough to ensure every detail meets our standards—and yours. After the final payment is received and your Certificate of Compliance is issued, your tiny home is officially ready for delivery.

You’re now Built to Wander.