Tumbleweed Tiny House Company
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Construction, Architecture |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Founder | Jay Shafer |
| Headquarters | Colorado Springs, Colorado , United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Steve Weissman (owner as of 2007) |
| Products | Tiny houses, building plans, workshops |
Number of employees | 80 (2016) |
| Website | tumbleweedhouses |
Tumbleweed Tiny House Company, located in Sonoma, California, specializes in the design and construction of compact dwellings typically ranging from . Many of these are timber-framed residences permanently mounted on trailers to allow for mobility. The firm offers fully built, customizable mobile homes on wheels and provides detailed building plans for both portable and larger residences, as well as educational workshops focused on tiny house construction.
As a prominent contributor to the small house movement, Tumbleweed holds a significant position in this sector.
History
Established in 1999 by Jay Shafer, Tumbleweed originally concentrated on creating sheds and chicken coops. In 2002, Shafer co-founded the Small House Society based in Iowa City, Iowa. By 2003, the company introduced The Mobile Hermitage, one of its earliest commercial tiny homes. That same year marked the beginning of Tumbleweed’s publication of instructional books and the organization of building workshops.
Following Hurricane Katrina, the company supplied some homes to residents along the Gulf Coast who sought alternatives to government-issued temporary housing solutions.
In 2007, after volunteering with Tumbleweed, Steve Weissman purchased the business. Sales increased from a single unit in 2008 to five units in 2009. By 2011, Tumbleweed manufactured only a limited number of houses annually, with most constructed by customers utilizing its provided plans. Shafer departed in 2012 to launch Four Lights Tiny House Company.
The company headquarters relocated to Sonoma, California in 2012 while production facilities remained situated in Colorado. Starting in 2013, the firm shifted greater emphasis toward pre-built homes and by 2015 began promoting tiny houses as unique vacation accommodations.
Between 2011 and 2016, Tumbleweed expanded its workforce from three employees to eighty and increased manufacturing output by approximately 50% each year. By 2016, it had become the top tiny house manufacturer in the United States, producing around 125 units annually.
In February 2017, the company moved its main office to Colorado Springs, Colorado, where it operates a manufacturing facility spanning 20,000 square feet.