About the directory
The reference directory for tiny dwellings in Aotearoa
An honest NZ tiny-home directory. Five build models in plain English, twelve vetted builders across eight regions, and the consent rules that actually apply in 2026.
Why this exists
Most tiny-home websites in New Zealand are either a single builder presented as a directory, or an aggregator listing every business in the country without ever standing inside one of their builds. Everything Tiny Homes NZ takes a different approach: a curated reference of 12 vetted builders across 8 regions, with both ends of the realistic 2026 NZD price band published for every model and consent posture stated up-front for each of the 5 buildable archetypes.
Builder vetting
- Walk a finished build. Before a builder is admitted to the directory, an editor walks through one of their finished units with the owner present.
- Confirm the paperwork. LBP-registered where the work requires it, PGDB-licensed plumbers, and EWRB-certified electricians for power.
- Ask about the membrane. Builders who cannot talk through wall membrane, vapour control, and tie-down detail unprompted are not listed.
- Publish the price band. Both the low and high end of the realistic 2026 NZD price. No "from $X" bait pricing.
Consent posture
The single largest source of buyer regret in NZ tiny homes is consent ambiguity. Schedule 1 of the Building Act 2004 exempts certain detached buildings under 10 m², but the moment a build includes cooking and sanitation it becomes a dwelling and triggers full building consent — MBIE's position is unambiguous on this. Towable units sit on a different rulebook entirely, governed by NZS 5465 self-contained certification. Each model page states the rule that applies, council by council. The directory does not characterise a build as consent-exempt where it is not.
Editorial principles
Everything Tiny Homes NZ is a lead-matching reference directory. Submit region and model preference and the directory routes the enquiry to two or three builders working in that part of the country. Placement is editorial and cannot be purchased.
Five buildable models, drawn to scale
Sleeper cabin, one-bed cabin, two-bed family, off-grid self-contained, towable RV-cert. Every model lists actual length × width, internal floor area, sleeping configuration, and a 2026 NZD price band — no 'from $X' bait.
Builders we've stood inside
Twelve builders on the directory. We've walked through a finished build with each one, asked about the membrane, confirmed they're working with PGDB-licensed plumbers and (where applicable) LBP-registered builders.
Consent rules, by council
Under 10 m² and not a sleeping space — usually no consent. Towable, self-contained — a different rulebook. Permanent dwelling — full consent and the long pre-build queue. We translate the Building Act 2004 schedule, council by council.
On-grid, off-grid, or somewhere between
Solar-and-batteries, a 60L composting loo, a 200L greywater tank — most NZ tiny homes sit on a spectrum, not a binary. The directory tags every builder by what they actually deliver.