← Back to: Where can I put my house?Tiny house · Baubewilligung · Switzerland
Want to place your house in Switzerland? Here you'll find everything you need to know.
A tiny house in Switzerland
In Switzerland, your municipality decides under cantonal building law, and the federal Raumplanungsgesetz (spatial planning act) sets the framework. For a house you live in, you need a Baubewilligung (building permit) and a plot in the building zone. Here you can see the rules, what importing costs and which of our houses fit.
- PermitBaubewilligungfrom the municipality, under cantonal building law
- Outside the building zoneHardly possibleRPG 2 has limited new buildings since 2026
- Import8.1 % VATno more industrial tariffs since 2024
Confederation, canton, municipality
What applies to a tiny house
Switzerland has no separate category for tiny houses. Under the Raumplanungsgesetz, a house you live in is a building, even if it has wheels. The 26 cantons set the details, and you submit your application to the municipality.
- 1Who is responsible
- 2The rules for houses on wheels
- 3The situation outside the building zone
All our houses compared with the rules ↓
- First ask the municipality which zone your plot is in and what the Bau- und Zonenordnung (the local building and zoning regulations) allows there. In a residential zone, a tiny house is a normal building application.
- Outside the building zone, a new dwelling is practically impossible to get approved, and RPG 2 does not make it easier. Don't buy land before this has been clarified.
- The Konferenz der kantonalen Energiedirektoren adopted the MuKEn 2025 in August 2025; the cantons are adopting it step by step. Your municipality or the cantonal energy office can tell you which values apply to you.
- We'll send you drawings, weights, U-values and the technical documents for your building application free of charge.
Sources: Raumplanungsgesetz RPG (fedlex) · ARE: Faktenblatt RPG 2 · Kanton Basel-Landschaft: Antwort zur Interpellation Tiny-House (2019) · Kanton Zürich: Baueingabe und Bewilligungsverfahren · BAZG: Aufhebung der Industriezölle
Which houses fit
All our houses, measured against the rules
Switzerland has no size limit below which a dwelling can do without a Baubewilligung. What matters is insulation and transport. Our semi-mobile and non-mobile models are insulated for year-round living; the mobile ones are built light so that they can be towed.
| House | Dimensions (L × W × H) | Floor area | MuKEn U-values | Transport up to 2.55 × 4.0 m |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Nature Pod | 6.00 × 2.30 × 2.50 m | 13.8 m² | Wall U 0.44 instead of 0.17 | Without special permit |
 Moon | 6.10 × 2.50 × 3.50 m | 15.3 m² | Wall U 0.44 instead of 0.17 | Without special permit |
 Sofia | 6.10 × 2.55 × 4.00 m | 15.6 m² | Wall U 0.44 instead of 0.17 | Without special permit |
 Maya | 6.70 × 2.55 × 4.00 m | 17.1 m² | Wall U 0.44 instead of 0.17 | Without special permit |
 Sunshine | 6.70 × 2.55 × 4.00 m | 17.1 m² | Wall U 0.44 instead of 0.17 | Without special permit |
 Felicia | 7.20 × 2.50 × 3.94 m | 18.0 m² | Wall U 0.44 instead of 0.17 | Without special permit |
 Venus | 7.30 × 2.50 × 4.00 m | 18.3 m² | Wall U 0.44 instead of 0.17 | Without special permit |
 Luna Office | 7.30 × 2.55 × 3.50 m | 18.6 m² | Wall U 0.44 instead of 0.17 | Without special permit |
 Luna Home | 7.30 × 2.55 × 3.50 m | 18.6 m² | Wall U 0.44 instead of 0.17 | Without special permit |
 Porto | 7.30 × 2.55 × 4.00 m | 18.6 m² | Wall U 0.44 instead of 0.17 | Without special permit |
 Elise | 7.30 × 2.55 × 4.00 m | 18.6 m² | Wall U 0.44 instead of 0.17 | Without special permit |
 Smile | 7.30 × 3.00 × 4.00 m | 21.9 m² | Insulated for year-round living | Special permit |
 Julia | 7.90 × 3.00 × 4.00 m | 23.7 m² | Insulated for year-round living | Special permit |
 River | 8.50 × 2.90 × 3.90 m | 24.6 m² | Insulated for year-round living | Special permit |
 Lucia | 7.50 × 4.00 × 4.00 m | 30.0 m² | Insulated for year-round living | Special permit |
 Sky | 11.00 × 3.45 × 4.35 m | 38.0 m² | Insulated for year-round living | Special permit |
 Zenith | 11.00 × 3.45 × 4.35 m | 38.0 m² | Insulated for year-round living | Special permit |
 Leah | 12.00 × 3.45 × 4.00 m | 41.4 m² | Insulated for year-round living | Special permit |
 Antonia | 9.00 × 7.95 × 4.00 m | 46.6 m² | Insulated for year-round living | Special permit |
 Evergreen | 8.30 × 6.00 × 4.00 m | 49.8 m² | Insulated for year-round living | Special permit |
 Helena | 9.20 × 5.98 × 4.00 m | 55.0 m² | Insulated for year-round living | Special permit |
 Evergreen XL | 11.80 × 5.95 × 4.00 m | 70.2 m² | Insulated for year-round living | Special permit |
The U-values of the mobile models (wall about 0.44, roof about 0.42 W/m²K) were measured with the older insulation build-up; with the new mineral wool they should be somewhat better, but still far above the cantonal values for new buildings. Our River was calculated with wall and roof U 0.15, floor 0.17 and windows Uw 0.87. Ask us for the drawings and U-values, and then you and the municipality can see exactly what applies.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions about tiny houses in Switzerland
Does a tiny house on wheels need a Baubewilligung?
Yes, if you live in it and it stays on the plot for a longer period. Only Fahrnisbauten that are set up briefly and temporarily are permit-free; Basel-Landschaft, for example, puts the limit at about three to six months. The wheels don't change that.
Can I put it on agricultural land?
Usually not. Outside the building zone, only buildings that depend on that location are allowed, and a dwelling is not one of them. Since RPG 2, the cantons must limit the growth of buildings outside the building zones to 2 % and offset any excess.
What does importing cost?
We sell the house without Swedish VAT. On import, you pay 8.1 % import tax, calculated on the purchase price plus transport to your plot, plus any clearance fees. Industrial tariffs have not existed since 1 January 2024. Customs clearance is included in our quote for deliveries outside the EU. A customs agent we employ prepares all the required paperwork.
Which energy regulations apply?
The cantonal energy act, based on the MuKEn. When each building component is assessed separately, walls, roof and floor facing the outside may have at most U 0.17 W/m²K, windows 1.0. Our mobile models don't reach that. For a year-round home, take a look at River, Sky, Zenith, Lucia, Evergreen or Evergreen XL.
Can I register my address there?
Yes, in fact you must register with the Einwohnerkontrolle (the residents' registration office) within 14 days of moving (Art. 11 Registerharmonisierungsgesetz). This matters in municipalities with more than 20 % second homes: there, new homes are only approved as a primary residence or as a home managed for tourist rental (Art. 7 ZWG).
How does the house get to Switzerland?
Up to 2.55 m wide and 4 m high without a special permit (Art. 64 and 66 VRV); our mobile models meet that. Wider or taller houses need a special permit, for an import journey from the Bundesamt für Strassen (ASTRA, Art. 79 VRV), and that makes delivery more expensive. Send us your postcode and we'll tell you the price.
We'll look at your plot with you
Tell us which canton and municipality your plot is in and which zone it is in. Then we'll check which houses fit and send you the documents for your building application. It costs nothing.