noahs story
NOAH became The Original National Inspection Company for Tiny Houses on Wheels after their CEO, Robin Butler saw an issue and began to compose a solution.
“Builders were building tiny houses to whatever standards and codes they saw fit. Many builders were experienced yet some were not, and building a tiny house on a movable foundation has challenges that a home on a fixed foundation does not,” said Robin.
NOAH Certified began filling this void by setting tiny house standards using national standards from the RV and home building industry. Even though NOAH Inspection and Certification was a voluntary process, over 100 builders across the Nation became members of NOAH in their first years of conception for assistance in the building of tiny houses.
After his own struggle to properly title a vehicle, Butler found was that many builders were just building tiny homes as they saw fit, without building codes or zoning laws. Some were longtime home builders and general contractors, yet many were first time home builders with little or no construction experience.
Concerned that the builds might not be ‘done right’ and something could blow off going down the highway, Butler knew there was a safety issue that needed to be addressed immediately before anyone got hurt. The movement needed to self-regulate before the government stepped in. In 2015, Butler stepped up to help the tiny house community ensure safer builds.
Three generations of the Butler family currently work for NOAH. His team selected nationally recognized Life Safety and Fire Safety Standards from the RV industry as well as Energy and Construction Standards from the home building industry, to build and inspect.
To best serve our members, we ended up with a digitized inspection system where our builders/members pledge to build to the NOAH Standard. They download an app to a smart device and our inspectors perform a live stream inspection with video, photos, and notes.
After adding all types and sizes of residential dwellings in 2020—including manufactured homes, residential houses on foundations, RVs, and skoolies—any house has to pass all five inspections (which are voluntary for any Builder, Manufacturer, School or DIYer). Once passed, the builder receives a certificate and a NOAH seal that is affixed to their home.
All digitized inspections are stored securely.
Here at NOAH, we:
- ‘Promote Freedom to Live Safely’
- Embracing the creativity of Educators, DIYers, and Manufacturers
- Encourage the financial freedom that some alternative housing methods provide
“My sincerest wish is that NOAH continues to utilize its platform to set the standard. As standards change, we will inspect to any new criteria because our business is ever-evolving to ensure compliance with all relevant building codes. Until then, we will continue to perfect our inspection process and serve residential housing of all shapes and sizes and continue to further the Tiny House movement.