(Olympia, WA) A Longview senator says the state should eliminate hurdles to construction of kit homes that offer a promising solution to the state’s housing shortage.
Sen. Jeff Wilson, R-Longview, has introduced a pair of bills for the 2025 legislative session to streamline state and local permitting processes for homes built from kits. Wilson says kit homes offer a practical way to build new housing quickly and affordably.
“They had the right idea a hundred years ago,” Wilson said. “In every prewar neighborhood of America, you can find homes built from kits sold by Sears and other manufacturers. These kit homes provided an affordable path to homeownership for millions of Americans. Kit homes can do it again, if we clear the way for them by eliminating cumbersome regulations and review processes designed for one-off stickbuilt homes.”
Wilson’s measures are:
- Senate Bill 5249, giving cities and counties the ability to site kit homes wherever single-family homes are allowed, and granting permission to use kit homes for temporary housing where permanent housing is not allowed. The measure received a hearing last week in the Senate Housing Committee.
- Senate Bill 5552, creating a new state building code category for kit homes. The State Building Code Council would be forbidden from adopting requirements costing more than $150 a square foot. The separate rules for kit homes would allow state and local governments to keep the rules they already have in place for stickbuilt homes. The measure has been referred to the Senate Local Government Committee, but no hearing has yet been scheduled.
Historically home kits provided all wood, fittings and other materials to build a house, and often included pre-cut lumber. Modern kit homes often include prefabricated walls, floors and roofs. They are distinguished from modular and other factory-built homes in that the bulk of the assembly occurs on-site. Prices start under $10,000, and models range in size from 60 square feet to more than 2,000.
Wilson’s building code legislation applies to kit homes on the affordable end of the scale, less than 800 square feet. He said kit homes of that size offer an option for the ambitious do-it-yourselfer looking to build an ADU in the back yard, or for larger-scale developments.
Wilson said the legislation should help kit homes bypass requirements that can add considerably to the cost of a home. This year’s proposals are a refinement of a bill he introduced in 2023 and passed in the Senate last year. The previous proposal died in the House following a tepid response from state agencies. Wilson said he believes the issue will get a stronger reception this year because of incoming Gov. Bob Ferguson’s executive order to state agencies to identify regulations interfering with the construction of new housing.
“The bill died last year because of apathy from state agencies and the Inslee Administration,” Wilson said. “But our new governor is making housing a priority, and I don’t think state agencies will find it so easy to dismiss the idea. I find it significant that Gov. Ferguson recognizes government is a contributing factor in the shortage of housing we are experiencing today. It also can play a major role in solving the problem. Like many Republicans, I am encouraged by the governor’s willingness to tackle this issue, and in this environment, I think there is much we can accomplish.”
The state Department of Commerce estimated in 2023 that the state will need 1 million new housing units over the next two decades to keep up with population growth.
