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Example plans · 2 plans

400 sq ft tiny house plans

A 400 sq ft tiny house sits right at the upper limit of IRC Appendix Q, which is measured without lofts. Both of our plans have 400 sq ft of finished floor, laid out in two quite different ways.

Plans
2
drawn to scale
Sizes
400 sq ft
finished area, ANSI Z765
See the plans Open the first plan in the editor

· How we calculate · Example plans, not real addresses

20′20′LIVING ROOM102 sq ftKITCHEN70.2 sq ftHALL ANDLAUNDRY26.8 sq ftBATH51.9 sq ftBEDROOM96.2 sq ftFRONT PORCH117 sq ft
1 bed tiny house, 20 × 20 ft

The plans

400 sq ft tiny house plans, 2 examples

Each plan is drawn to scale and measured room by room. Open one in the editor and change it to fit your lot.

1 bed tiny house, 20 × 20 ft

A square plan with a bedroom you can close off and a bathroom with two windows behind a short hall that doubles as the laundry. Living room and kitchen share the front.

Finished area
400 sq ft
37 m² · ANSI Z765
Not counted
117 sq ft
listed apart, see below
Layout
1 bed, 1 bath
one floor
  • 117 sq ft porch or deck
Open in the editor Download the plan file

Opens as your own plan with the same numbers. Save the drawing (PNG)

1 bed tiny house, 20 × 20 ft floor plan: 400 sq ft (37 m²) finished, 1 bed, 1 bath · one floor, drawn to scale with every room labeled.
20′ × 20′ outsideExample floor plan, not a construction drawing

Rooms · 1 bed tiny house, 20 × 20 ft

Room areas, 1 bed tiny house, 20 × 20 ft
RoomFloorSq ftCounts as
Living roomFloor 1102Finished, counts
KitchenFloor 170Finished, counts
BedroomFloor 196Finished, counts
Hall and laundryFloor 127Finished, counts
BathFloor 152Finished, counts
Front porchOutside117Outside, not counted
Finished area, ANSI Z765400outside the walls

1 bed tiny house with a loft, 16 × 25 ft

The bed goes up in the loft, so the ground floor stays open: a living room with a slider to the deck, a long kitchen, and an entry with a laundry corner beside the bathroom.

Finished area
400 sq ft
37 m² · ANSI Z765
Not counted
248 sq ft
listed apart, see below
Layout
1 bed, 1 bath
2 floors
  • 76 sq ft porch or deck
  • 172 sq ft under 5 ft
Open in the editor Download the plan file

Opens as your own plan with the same numbers. Save the drawing (PNG)

1 bed tiny house with a loft, 16 × 25 ft floor plan: 400 sq ft (37 m²) finished, 1 bed, 1 bath · 2 floors, drawn to scale with every room labeled.
25′ × 16′ outsideExample floor plan, not a construction drawing

Rooms · 1 bed tiny house with a loft, 16 × 25 ft

Room areas, 1 bed tiny house with a loft, 16 × 25 ft
RoomFloorSq ftCounts as
Living roomFloor 1139Finished, counts
KitchenFloor 1102Finished, counts
Entry and laundryFloor 161Finished, counts
BathFloor 150Finished, counts
Sleeping loftLoft77Under 5 ft, not counted
Loft storageLoft77Under 5 ft, not counted
DeckOutside76Outside, not counted
Finished area, ANSI Z765400outside the walls

What counts

What counts in the square footage

The 16 × 25 plan has a sleeping loft of 172 sq ft on top, all under 5 ft, so it stays at 400 sq ft. The porch on the square plan and the deck on the long one are outdoor space and are listed apart.

Each room is measured inside its walls. The finished area of a house is measured to the outside of the exterior walls (ANSI Z765), so it is larger than the rooms added up.

More plans

Related plans and sizes

Questions

400 sq ft tiny house: questions

About these 400 sq ft tiny house plans. Can’t find your answer? Send us a message.

How do you lay out 400 sq ft?

Decide first where you sleep: a bedroom with a door takes about a quarter of the floor, a loft takes none of it. Then group the kitchen and bathroom on one side to keep the plumbing together.

Is 300 sq ft enough for a tiny home?

For one person, yes. Below about 300 sq ft the bed usually moves to a loft and the kitchen shrinks to a single wall, like the trailer plans on our tiny house page.

Can I change these plans?

Yes. Click Open in the editor under a plan and it opens as your own plan in the Squaremetry editor, with the same numbers as on this page. Move a wall and every area and the total update.

Is this a construction drawing?

No. This is an example floor plan, not a construction drawing. The Squaremetry team drew it for this page; it has no address. For a permit you need drawings from a qualified designer.

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