How a Tiny House is Built from Start to Finish – Fascinating Behind the Scenes Factory Tour

Hey everyone, in this video we're going to show you how a tiny house is built from start to finish in a local factory, so you can easily see each step of the construction process all in one place. We thought it would be interesting to get a behind the scenes look at how they're built and Mint Tiny House was nice enough to give us a full tour of their factory It's pretty cool to see it go from a trailer to a fully finished tiny house, so stay tuned. Hi, my name is Farai, I work at Mint Tiny House Company and we build tiny homes. We've been building tiny homes for the past 10 years. The space we're in right now is the Mint Tiny House factory and basically from Bay 1 all the way to Bay 8 is where each of the tiny houses are built. They come in here as a trailer and then by the time they live at the end they're ready to ship. So we have eight houses being worked on at the same time. To build a tiny house from start to finish it takes about six to eight weeks depending on the size of each tiny home. Our line moves happen at least once a week. A line move is when everything moves from the bay it currently is in to the next bay. So as the last house gets out a new trailer gets in and that constitutes a line move. A lot of people work here, we've got people in the office but in the shop itself you're probably going to have 20 to 25 people having their hands on your tiny house for the entire process. The square footage that we build ranges from about 230 square feet and we can go all the way to about 570 something if I'm not mistaken. But it's based on what you can move on the roads for each tiny house to actually be rolled to its destination. Welcome to the factory. This is Bay 1 where we do all the sub-flooring and where the walls start to go up. Everything begins from the trailer and then we start building from the ground up. So it all starts when a new trailer enters the production line. These trailers are super sturdy and made from high quality steel and designed with two to three axles to handle different weights. They come in various lengths to suit different tiny home designs. We install the sub-flooring and the finished flooring and then the stick frames of the walls are assembled and start going up. The walls are built with two by four construction just like a traditional house which gives the tiny home strength and durability. From there the team frames the lofts and the roof while the electrical and plumbing systems start being carefully installed to ensure everything will work perfectly. This is Bay 2 where all the walls interiors are being done. The roof framing has gone in and everything starts coming together. Here's where the structure starts to take shape and you can see the cozy compact look of the tiny house. You can really start to imagine how the space is going to feel once it's finished. Bay 2 is all about setting the foundation for the home's functionality and flow. One of the exciting things that happens here is when the framed roof is lifted into place on top of the tiny house. Always a cool and impressive thing to watch with a big crane. Our roofs come in a variety of styles to fit size and function yet keeping a modern look. Bay 3. Pre-siding and windows are installed in this bay. This is where the building envelope starts to close up to seal and protect the house from the elements to make it a comfortable space to live in year-round. So the house is insulated with spray foam insulation that hardens on contact and further strengthens the entire structure of the tiny house frame and walls. Then we install the sheathing, vapor barrier and Tyvek as well as the windows. Bay 4. The exterior siding is installed and the painting in the interior starts going. You'll see the team working on the walls, ceilings and all the trims. They spray the paint for a smooth even finish but some detail work is done by hand for any custom detailing. This is where the exterior siding goes up. We use high quality materials depending on the desired look. A couple of the most common types of siding we use are LP SmartSide board and batten siding in our base models with the option to go for metal as well. Bay 5. At this point all the electrical and the plumbing is done and the kitchen installation happens. So the kitchen cabinets, countertops and appliances like the fridge and the stove are being put in place. Plus all the plumbing electrical work gets completed here. Think water lines for the sinks, the showers and all the wiring for lights, outlets and the home's main power. And once that's all set we get started on the exterior paint to bring the tiny home's look to life. This is Bay 6 where the roof goes up and gets completed and all our custom builds and the interiors are done here. So the roofing is underway and we typically use DuraClad metal roofing with ice shielding for that perfect finish and still keeping the roof protected. Here in Bay 6 we also install some unique features that really make each tiny house shine. Things like custom lighting fixtures and custom storage, bespoke finishes and even appliances. Bay 7. Everything is looking like it's almost done but this is where all the finishings on the interior and the exterior are done. This is where the cabinets and the vanities get their final polish and any little touch-ups needed to make everything look perfect. Inside and out our team focuses on all the details from smooth finishes on woodwork to those last pops of paint. So each tiny home feels polished and ready for its new owners. It's those final fine details that really make the brand new tiny houses sparkle. And this is Bay 8. Your house is almost ready for delivery. This is the final stop before these tiny homes head out to their new owners. Here it's all about testing and quality control. The QC team checks everything from ensuring that all the appliances are functioning perfectly to inspecting the plumbing and electrical systems and hookups. They even take a closer look at the finishes making sure every detail is spot on. It's like a final wellness check for the home guaranteeing that everything is just right before it hits the road. So now we've journeyed through the entire tiny house factory from the bare trailer to a finished home. It's incredible to see just how much love and hard work goes into each tiny home. We're truly fortunate to have such an amazing team dedicated to crafting these beautiful spaces for people to live in and enjoy. Thanks for joining me on this tour. Subscribe to Exploring Alternatives and please share this video if you liked it. You can also follow Mint Tiny House on their website and on Instagram. Thanks for watching.