KAYSVILLE—Tiny homes are becoming more and more popular with the rise in land and home prices. At the Davis Catalyst Center, students in the construction management program are learning the skills to build a house by building tiny homes. The homes are similar to an RV but are heavy duty units that are designed to be permanent like a home.

“We have four onsite,” said instructor Jeremiah Allen. “One is complete and three are under construction. A couple of them will go to the Other Side Village in Salt Lake for the homeless outreach. It’s a fun community project.”

The homes are 207 square feet plus 110 square feet of loft space. The approximate weight is 17,000 pounds. “Despite its size, the tiny home offers all the amenities of a traditional home,” said Allen. “The completed one is for sale for $85,000.”

It’s got a full-size gas stove, shower and toilet and a 24 inch fridge, he said. “It has beautiful cabinets, with real windows, doors and a tankless water heater.”

Allen said the homes are comfortable. “They’re made for one or two people. You can put a queen size bed in the loft and there’s another loft for a twin size bed.”

Catalyst instructor Jeremiah Allen stands inside a light and airy tiny home nearly completed. Photo by Roger V. Tuttle

There are lots of ways to use a tiny home, he said. “It might be for someone who works out of town and needs a place to live when they’re there. It could also be used as an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) and rent it out or use it as a mother-in-law apartment.”

Traditionally high school students have built a house, said Catalyst Director Dr. Tyler Poll. “Land has become so expensive we’ve made this transition. The full-size homes took two to three years so kids didn’t get to see it from start to finish.”

The construction management class partners with Davis Tech, he said. “Their students in the electrician and plumbing classes come over and take care of that in the tiny houses. Our students work on roofing, finish work, etc. It’s a joint effort.”

“It’s great exposure for my students,” said Allen. “As an educator I tell them to ‘find your path, keep moving forward and find what speaks the loudest to you.’”

“I’ve learned how to frame a tiny house and use tools to build a house and fix it as well,” said Britton Dopp, a junior at Farmington High School. “I want to be an electrician so I want to see how things work and learn the ropes. I plan to go to Davis Tech in the fall. I’ve been learning a little bit of everything, painting, framing and making sure it’s up to code.”

“I took Construction II last year,” said Clearfield High School sophomore Maycie Pearce. “I saw this and thought actually building a full-size building was way cool. I want to go into construction management. I took shop classes in junior high and high school. My favorite part is painting all the walls and doors. It’s full-size, not just a canvas.”

Tiny homes lined up nearing completion. Photo by Roger V. Tuttle

“My grandpa and dad were in construction management,” said Viewmont High School senior Jonathan Creer. “I’m learning how to do new things and different trades and skills. I’m getting a sneak peek at the different parts of building. My favorite is putting on siding. I’ve never done that before.”

“This is a fun experience,” said Alex Oladi, a junior at Viewmont. “I want to see if I like it.”

It gives students exposure to the options available, said Allen. “They can go into residential or commercial construction. They might go out and start their own business.”

There are construction openings everywhere, he said. “Utah is a hotspot. We want to get kids excited to get out there.”

“This (program) is a big one for us,” said Poll. “It’s incredibly popular and there is a demand in the industry for quality employees. We’re trying to prepare them for the next stage of life. That’s key to what we’re doing here.”