.jpg)
A bill sponsored by Sen. Jeff Wilson, R-Longview, that would ease hurdles on some kit-built homes unanimously passed the Senate Tuesday.
If passed, Senate Bill 5657 would allow kit homes up to 800 square feet to receive design approval at the factory and avoid local reviews at the blueprint stage. According to Wilson, the change could help address Washington’s need for 1 million new housing units in the next two decades.
Kit homes can be assembled from materials provided by the manufacturer and can range from 60 square feet to 2,000 square feet. Prices can start at $10,000.
“Let the building begin,” Wilson said in a statement. “This bill will allow quality, quantity and affordability — exactly what this state needs.”
If passed, the factory inspections would be done by the state Department of Labor and Industries, or by counterpart state agencies in other states.
“Kit homes are an important part of the solution to our housing shortage,” Wilson said. “When we are talking about cookie-cutter designs that come from a factory, we shouldn’t have to review the blueprints more than once.”
