Tiny Homes in Billings County, North Dakota

What 'park-model tiny home' means as a regulated category, not just a size

North Dakota has no single statewide tiny-home code, so a county's zoning ordinance is what actually determines whether a small dwelling is treated as a legitimate residence or as an unpermitted structure. Billings County addresses this directly by permitting park-model tiny homes down to 256 square feet -- units generally built to the RV industry's own manufacturing standards (RVIA certification, built to the ANSI A119.5 park-model standard) rather than to a conventional residential building code from the factory floor. That distinction matters because a park-model unit isn't automatically treated as a standard site-built or even a HUD-code manufactured home; Billings County's allowance is specifically for this park-model category, conditioned on the unit separately meeting county building codes once it's placed.

Before buying or placing a park-model unit on Billings County land, confirm that the specific model carries current RVIA certification and that its manufacturer's specifications will satisfy the county building inspector -- a unit built for recreational, seasonal use in a warmer climate may not automatically meet the wind, snow-load, or insulation expectations a Billings County building official applies for a year-round residence in North Dakota's badlands climate.

The permanent-foundation condition is the hinge point -- for the permit, for financing, and for taxes

Billings County's allowance is conditioned on the unit being placed on a permanent foundation, not simply parked on wheels or blocks. That single requirement does three things at once: it's what separates a "tiny home" the county will permit as a dwelling from an RV or camper the county would instead regulate as a temporary or recreational use; it's typically what a mortgage lender needs to see before treating the unit as real property eligible for a conventional home loan rather than requiring personal-property (chattel) financing at a higher rate; and it's what allows the county assessor to value and tax the unit as real property improvement rather than as a separately registered vehicle. A buyer planning to finance a park-model tiny home purchase with a mortgage, rather than cash or a personal loan, should confirm with both the county and the lender that the specific foundation design being planned will satisfy both sets of requirements before finalizing plans.

The county has not, as of this review, been confirmed to have a clearly defined accessory-dwelling-unit (ADU) category in its zoning ordinance. That means a second, smaller dwelling -- a tiny home added to a parcel that already has a primary residence -- would likely need individual review and approval as a distinct use rather than being automatically permitted the way a garage or shed addition might be. Confirm directly with Planning & Zoning whether a second unit on an already-developed parcel needs a conditional use permit or a zoning variance before assuming it's a simple building-permit matter.

The actual paperwork: a Zoning Certificate before a building permit

Billings County's own published process runs through a Building & Zoning Certificate application -- a specific form the county uses to confirm a proposed structure's use, placement, and district compliance before construction or placement proceeds, distinct from (and generally a prerequisite to) the building-permit review itself. For a park-model tiny home, that means the zoning-certificate step is where the county actually confirms the district allows the use, the foundation plan meets the permanent-foundation condition, and any setback or lot-coverage rule is satisfied -- not simply a formality layered on top of an ordinary building permit.

Get the current Zoning Certificate application and the county's building-permit checklist directly from Billings County Planning & Zoning before purchasing a specific park-model unit, since the office can confirm which zoning district a parcel sits in and whether any recent amendment (the county has actively revised its ordinance, including 2026 amendments addressing temporary uses and campground-related categories) affects a small-dwelling placement on that parcel.

What to check before buying land for a tiny home in Billings County

• Confirm the parcel's zoning district and whether it's one where a single-family or park-model dwelling is a permitted use outright versus one requiring conditional-use review.
• Verify the specific park-model unit's RVIA certification and manufacturer specs against Billings County's building-code expectations for a year-round North Dakota residence -- not just against the 256-square-foot minimum.
• Confirm the permanent-foundation design with both the county building inspector and, if financing is involved, the lender, since foundation requirements for a zoning permit and for mortgage eligibility are not automatically the same thing.
• If planning a second small unit on an already-developed parcel, ask directly whether that requires a conditional use permit given the county's apparent lack of a defined ADU category.
• Get the current Zoning Certificate application and building-permit checklist directly from the county rather than relying on a general online guide to North Dakota tiny-home rules, which typically describes state-level defaults rather than Billings County's specific provisions.