The short answer
Start with the site and operating plan. Compare the two pathways only after the exact use, model engineering, transport envelope and local approval path are clear. Wheels and product-standard conformity do not decide placement or hospitality operations.
Similar architecture can sit inside different rulebooks. First settle the classification. Then follow every responsibility from the factory to the site.
The labels “tiny home,” “modular cabin,” “mobile unit” and “Park Model” often describe an appearance. They are not interchangeable technical conclusions. Get the model pathway in writing, then establish the separate review for the parcel, placement and operation.
Fort Lauderdale, Broward County
UNIKOST maintains an operating assembly facility at 3030 SW 42nd St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312. Visits are available by appointment only. Each customer site still needs its own authority and professional review.
Use this guide for pathway screening. It does not provide a product certification, code opinion, permit determination, transport permit or legal advice. Verify current rules for the exact unit, route, site and operating use.
Decision inputs
Start with one site, one model and one intended use.
Ask which route fits this project, not which one is better in the abstract. A different parcel, model derivative or length of stay can change the answer. Resolve the inputs below first.
Exact parcel, jurisdiction and intended hospitality use
Length of stay, seasonal pattern and operating model
Model geometry, construction system and engineering file
Delivery route, turning, staging and placement envelope
Foundation, anchorage, utilities, drainage and accessibility scope
Local planning, building, fire, health and lodging review path
Light-foundation pathway
The structure and the site become one building scope.
A foundation-based project needs a defined construction class: site-built, open construction or a qualifying closed-construction modular building. That choice controls plan review, inspections, production records and the division of responsibility between the manufacturer and local professionals.
Florida DBPR explains that modular buildings regulated through its Manufactured Buildings Program must comply with the Florida Building Code. Site work, erection, assembly, foundations and utility connections remain under local permitting and inspection. Local authorities also retain land use, zoning, setbacks, site development and installation decisions.
- Defined construction classification
- Applicable code and design criteria
- Released plans and calculations
- Florida and HVHZ inputs where applicable
- Survey, civil and foundation design
- Anchorage, drainage and utility connections
- Local permits, inspections and occupancy path
- Fire, health and accessibility review as applicable
Broward County sits in the high-velocity hurricane zone, so HVHZ is a direct design input. DBPR’s modular FAQ directs plans for buildings intended for Broward or Miami-Dade installation to reflect the applicable requirements. The word “light” describes the foundation concept. The engineering duty stays in place.
Wheeled-chassis pathway
A chassis is a product pathway, not a land-use shortcut.
Florida defines a Park Model RV around a single chassis, a gross trailer area no greater than 400 square feet in setup mode and construction to the applicable ANSI A119.5 standard. The federal recreational-vehicle exemption adds intended-use, certification and notice conditions. The exact model must fit the complete definition. Adding wheels to another design is not enough.
RV Industry Association materials identify ANSI/RVIA A119.5 as a safety standard for construction and systems. Its member manufacturer program includes regular unannounced plant inspections. Those records speak to the manufacturer program and unit pathway. Site permission must still be obtained for the specific hospitality property.
- Eligible single-chassis model and compliant floor area
- Applicable ANSI edition and production program
- Chassis, systems and safety engineering
- Labels, notices and manufacturer records
- Permitted use and placement for the property
- Delivery, setup, support and anchorage plan
- Approved utility and life-safety connections
- Operating and lodging requirements
Federal, state & program rules
Read the edition, definition and notice together.
Current RV Industry Association materials list the 2025 edition of ANSI/RVIA A119.5. Current 24 CFR § 3282.15 contains federal exemption and notice language that references ANSI A119.5-15. Florida statutes add standards and licensing provisions. For the actual production date and unit, the manufacturer and qualified compliance team must reconcile every applicable text. One current-edition label cannot answer all federal and state obligations.
Product standard, manufacturer program, federal exemption, state law and local site permission interact. Each answers a different question.
Light foundationA building pathway defined by the construction method, design criteria and approved plans.
Wheeled chassisA single-chassis recreational vehicle pathway for an eligible model and intended recreational, camping or seasonal use.
Light foundationSite and model engineering, code analysis, structural plans and the selected foundation design.
Wheeled chassisModel-specific chassis and systems engineering, applicable ANSI program evidence and production controls.
Light foundationFoundation, anchorage, utilities, civil work, access and inspections remain part of the project.
Wheeled chassisPositioning, blocking or support, anchorage where required, utilities, access and operating approvals remain site work.
Light foundationRelocation is possible only if the design, disconnection, lifting and transport strategy support it.
Wheeled chassisA chassis supports transport logic, but route permits, carrier planning and site access still control delivery.
Light foundationNot granted by factory construction or an engineered foundation.
Wheeled chassisNot granted by wheels, a label or product-standard conformity.
Site permission
Ask the local authority about the use and the unit together.
Bring the parcel, operating narrative, stay pattern, site layout, access, unit classification and utility concept into the same early review. Ask a precise question: “Which review path applies to this lodging concept, on this parcel, using this unit class?”
For Deerfield Beach, begin with Planning & Development Services and the City’s Building Services path. Broward environmental and code layers, fire review, Florida lodging licensing and accessibility requirements may also apply. Neither pathway waives those reviews.
Transport & placement
Design the route before production fixes the envelope.
Record the transport width, height, length and weight, along with axle and hitch assumptions. Then test the entire route, including state roads, local streets, turns, overhead clearance, bridges, gate geometry, staging and final placement. FDOT’s State Permit Office handles oversize and overweight permits on state-maintained roads. Each permit is specific to its route and load.
A foundation-based module may travel as a permitted load and be lifted into place. A Park Model RV travels on its chassis. Both can still require carrier planning, permits, escorts, temporary site controls and a defined acceptance point after placement.
Total project scope
Compare complete installed and operable scopes.
Put both options on the same scope sheet. Include design and engineering, program or plan review, production, freight, permitting, foundation or setup, civil work, utilities, installation, inspections, commissioning, accessibility and opening work. Mark every allowance and exclusion. A structure price alone cannot choose the pathway.
Best evaluated as a coordinated building-and-site package, with a local design basis and a defined handoff from factory scope to foundation, utilities and inspections.
Explore structure systemsCompare examples: NOMAD, ECHO 20.8, HobbitHut Sauna and Mashko Panorama.
Best evaluated as an eligible derivative with its own engineering and release file, followed by route, setup, utility and local operating approvals.
Explore the UNIKO pathwayBefore ordering, use the Park Model RV purchase-file guide to verify the exact unit, manufacturer, standard, transaction records and site handoff.
Release gate
Pause when the pathway is still a marketing word.
The owner should be able to see the evidence behind the selected class, the open local questions and the boundaries of each participant’s scope. If one of the conditions below remains true, gather the missing evidence before making a production promise.
Class is unresolved
The team is using “tiny home,” “modular,” “mobile” or “Park Model” interchangeably without an agreed product and code basis.
Model evidence is incomplete
The exact derivative lacks released plans, calculations, component schedule or pathway-specific production records.
Placement is assumed
No local authority has reviewed the intended use, site layout and unit pathway for the parcel.
Route is unknown
Transport dimensions, carrier, state or local permits, turning and staging have not been tested.
Scope is only a unit price
Foundation or setup, civil work, utilities, delivery, installation, inspections and opening work remain unassigned.
Frequently asked
Questions that separate the two pathways.
Does a wheeled chassis make a unit legal on any Florida site?
No. A wheeled product classification describes the unit pathway. Zoning, site-plan, placement, fire, health, utility and lodging permission still depend on the exact parcel, use and authorities.
Is every factory-built cabin a Florida modular building?
No. “Factory-built” describes where work happens. It does not complete the regulatory classification. Florida’s Manufactured Buildings Program applies to qualifying closed-construction modular buildings. Site-built, manufactured-home and recreational-vehicle pathways use different rules.
Is ANSI/RVIA A119.5 certification the same as a building permit?
No. It is part of the product-standard pathway for Park Model RVs. Local land use, placement, utilities, life safety and operation still require their own review. Federal and state definitions and required notices must also be reconciled for the actual unit.
Can a Park Model RV connect to utilities?
The Florida statutory setup definition anticipates utility connections. Local review still has to confirm the permitted connection design, installer responsibilities and site approval. Connecting a utility does not change or validate the product classification.
Which pathway is faster or less expensive?
There is no universal answer. Model engineering, production readiness, route constraints, local review, foundation or setup, utilities and site work can move both schedule and cost. Compare complete scopes for one parcel and one operating plan.
What can UNIKOST review first?
UNIKOST can compare the property, intended stay, candidate model, delivery envelope and known approval context. From there, we identify the pathway that deserves engineering and authority review. A model is released as a UNIKO derivative only after its pathway-specific gates are complete.
Sources & limits
Use the rule that governs the exact unit and site.
We checked these official sources on September 2, 2026. Standards, statutes, code editions, agency guidance and local interpretations can change. Obtain the current standard text and project-specific direction before design release or placement.
- eCFR: 24 CFR § 3282.15, recreational vehicles
- RV Industry Association: adopted standards
- RV Industry Association: manufacturer inspection program
- Florida Statutes § 320.822: definitions
- Florida Statutes § 320.8231: recreational vehicle standards
- Florida Statutes § 320.8225: manufacturer licensing
- Florida DBPR: Manufactured Buildings Program FAQ
- Florida Building Commission: Building Code Information System
- FDOT: oversize and overweight permits
- U.S. Access Board: ADA standards
Review status: Source-led Florida pathway guide, approved for publication and humanization-reviewed. It makes no claim that a specific UNIKOST or UNIKO model is currently certified, licensed, permitted for a parcel or released for production.