Tiny Home
|
Tiny Home
|
Email thetinyhomelady@gmail.com to get set up with the Pacific West Tiny Homes certification
PWA Example Compliance Tag
Pacific West Tiny Homes (PWTH), owned and managed by Pacific West Associates (PWA), is an accredited third-party agency that has been recognized in the industry for over 30 years.
PWTH offers the most thorough and comprehensive process of certifying your DIY Tiny Home. Whether you are 100% DIY or a hybrid DIY with a shell PWA offers you the certification of the NFPA 1192 or ANSI A 119.5 code, depending on which standard you are building to.
The Tiny Home Lady is an affiliate of Pacific West Tiny Homes.
The goal of getting your Tiny Home certified through PWTH confirming that your home is built to either the RV code NFPA 1192 or Recreational Vehicle Park Trailer Code (ANSI A119.5/A119.2) and their respective NEC sections. With Tiny Homes, we strongly recommend building to either the NFPA OR ANSI Code vs. not getting certified and here's why.
BENEFITS of CERTIFICATION: The benefits of certifying your Tiny Home include:
Certification includes:
PWTH does not charge any recurring membership or yearly fees and they are not an industry association.
PWTH doesn’t limit the time required to go through the certification process, however, tags will only be provided once all documentation and sections are approved by PWTH.
PROCESS: Obtaining your Pacific West Tiny Homes compliance tag is as follows:
PWTH offers the most thorough and comprehensive process of certifying your DIY Tiny Home. Whether you are 100% DIY or a hybrid DIY with a shell PWA offers you the certification of the NFPA 1192 or ANSI A 119.5 code, depending on which standard you are building to.
The Tiny Home Lady is an affiliate of Pacific West Tiny Homes.
The goal of getting your Tiny Home certified through PWTH confirming that your home is built to either the RV code NFPA 1192 or Recreational Vehicle Park Trailer Code (ANSI A119.5/A119.2) and their respective NEC sections. With Tiny Homes, we strongly recommend building to either the NFPA OR ANSI Code vs. not getting certified and here's why.
BENEFITS of CERTIFICATION: The benefits of certifying your Tiny Home include:
- Safety- Most of all you want to affirm to yourself and anyone that lives or visits your home that your home is built safely
- Resale- With the growth of the Tiny Home industry comes awareness and education. More and more buyers of used Tiny Homes will require the home they are buying is certified. A certification can assure the new owner of how the home was built.
- Parking in RV parks- Many RV parks require that the RVs parking in their park meet ANSI 119.5 and NFPA 1192. (Note: there is some confusion that the RVIA sticker is the gold standard for certification. RVIA simply stands for Recreational Vehicle Industry Association and they also certify to the same ANSI 119.5 and NFPA 1192 codes. If there is ever an issue with an RV park not aware of the PWTH certification call PWA and they will get on the phone and explain it to the park).
- Permitting in jurisdictions- In areas where Tiny Homes are allowed as permanent, habitable dwellings, it is a requirement that in order to get a permit to locate the Tiny Home, the home has to be certified. Additionally, it is wise that the certification organization is listed on the respective state 3rd party verification list. (Note PWTH is listed on all states that have a 3rd party verification list.)
- (for the state of CA https://hcd.ca.gov/building-standards/manufactured-modular-factory-built/docs/third-party-agencies-may-2019.pdf )
Certification includes:
- Unlimited phone/email support throughout the build - Alex Ontiveros will be your contact with Pacific West Tiny Homes and be available through text, email, phone calls.
- Drop Box access - All codebooks, checklists for the build, 6 tests related to propane, water and electricity are all accessible through Drop Box. It will be through Drop Box that all communications and documentation of the build will take place.
- Certification documentation - This documentation will be related to the VIN# and will accompany the life of the home.
- Health and Safety Labels - These labels will be placed around your Tiny Home for Water in, sewer out, electrical, exits, safety, etc.)
- Compliance Tag - See the image above for the PWTH tag example you will receive when you have completed all sections of the build.
- 1 hour of consulting with The Tiny Home Lady - This time can be used to discuss a range of topics related to Tiny Home living including: Layout and design, appliances, trailer recommendation, recommendations for the hipot testing, Tiny Home insurance, places to park your Tiny Home, how to register with the DMV, and much more.
PWTH does not charge any recurring membership or yearly fees and they are not an industry association.
PWTH doesn’t limit the time required to go through the certification process, however, tags will only be provided once all documentation and sections are approved by PWTH.
PROCESS: Obtaining your Pacific West Tiny Homes compliance tag is as follows:
- Once full payment is received an email will go out asking to schedule an on-boarding call between yourself, Alex Ontiveros with Pacific West, and Lindsay Wood, The Tiny Home Lady.
- In the email you will be asked to answer information about your build and will be given information on the next steps in the certification.
- Drop box will be where you upload images and video of the build to share with Alex.
- A checklist related to your Tiny Home build will be provided. If you have any questions about the items included in the checklist, you will have unlimited phone and email consultations available.
- As you build your Tiny Home you will be guided to upload videos and proof of testing documenting the process through four specific “Gates” or checkpoints of your home.
- PWTH provides a virtual evaluation of the pictures and video per the appropriate section and provides feedback about any issues that may affect compliance.
- You will be asked to correct any issue that PWTH finds with the specific section and be given guidance on how to solve the situation.
- Once all sections are appropriately completed, PWTH issues the required tag and documentation certifying compliance to the standard.
ADDITIONAL SERVICES: PWA is a full discipline engineering firm and design approval agency. Depending on your state and where you are locating your Tiny Home, if you should need additional engineering plans, PWA can provide that service for an additional fee.
Email Lindsay at thetinyhomelady@gmail.com to get set up with the Pacific West certification
PWTH Manufacture Certification
When certifying as a manufacturer, PWTH starts by providing you with multiple quality assurance manual samples.
We then assist you with the process of developing your own quality assurance manual.
PWTH initial inspection is based on the information you provide in your QA manual. The processes can be adapted to both spec model and full custom builds. The initial inspection is not a pass/fail review. Instead, PWTH goes through the inspection process with you and provides all of the consulting needed to optimize your production.
For the inspection, PWTH coordinates our onsite visit for when you have a roughed-in unit to walk through for the unit inspection.
Our requirements for ongoing inspections are to physically verify 10% of your production. (Example: If you produce 10 units per year, you would see us once per year, if you produce 10 per month, you'd see us no more than 4 times per year unless you request additional visits.
When PWTH certifies your facility, PWTH does both RV certification and Park Model in the same visit.
Every home produced under the program will also get a Pacific West Associates, Inc. certification insignia priced at either $80.00 for a metal tag or $75 for a vinyl tag.
Pricing:
The flat cost of the initial set up is $4000.00 per facility and this includes your first inspection of a roughed in unit.
Subsequent inspections beyond the initial inspection are priced per travel costs.
PWA offers additional services as we are a full discipline engineering firm. There will be additional engineering services to become certified for modular or HUD certifications. Please inform Alex Ontiveros if you are interested in these levels of certification.
We then assist you with the process of developing your own quality assurance manual.
PWTH initial inspection is based on the information you provide in your QA manual. The processes can be adapted to both spec model and full custom builds. The initial inspection is not a pass/fail review. Instead, PWTH goes through the inspection process with you and provides all of the consulting needed to optimize your production.
For the inspection, PWTH coordinates our onsite visit for when you have a roughed-in unit to walk through for the unit inspection.
Our requirements for ongoing inspections are to physically verify 10% of your production. (Example: If you produce 10 units per year, you would see us once per year, if you produce 10 per month, you'd see us no more than 4 times per year unless you request additional visits.
When PWTH certifies your facility, PWTH does both RV certification and Park Model in the same visit.
Every home produced under the program will also get a Pacific West Associates, Inc. certification insignia priced at either $80.00 for a metal tag or $75 for a vinyl tag.
Pricing:
The flat cost of the initial set up is $4000.00 per facility and this includes your first inspection of a roughed in unit.
Subsequent inspections beyond the initial inspection are priced per travel costs.
PWA offers additional services as we are a full discipline engineering firm. There will be additional engineering services to become certified for modular or HUD certifications. Please inform Alex Ontiveros if you are interested in these levels of certification.
