Two bills sponsored by Sen. Jeff Wilson were sent to the governor on Mar. 3 after the state House approved measures promoting kit homes and changing the definition of rural counties.
The advancement of these bills is significant as they address both housing shortages and economic development in certain counties. The kit home bill, which had previously passed the Senate three times but never received a House vote until now, passed unanimously with a 93-0 vote and now awaits the governor’s signature.
“I’m not going to declare victory until the governor gives us his autograph,” Wilson said. “But this certainly has been a long time coming. This legislation addresses the housing shortage we face today by hearkening back to a construction method popular in our grandparents’ time.”
Senate Bill 5552 instructs the state Building Code Council to create rules specifically for kit homes that are 800 square feet or less. Under this measure, standardized kits would only need one design review, unlike custom stickbuilt homes that require individual reviews. The new rules are expected to be in place by 2027. Kit homes, once common before World War II, provided an affordable way for homeowners to build various types of houses using precut materials. While modern kits tend to be smaller and often used for tiny homes or accessory dwelling units, prices can start at under $10,000.
“We’ve all heard of the famous Sears-catalog homes, but this method of construction fell out of favor for economic reasons in the 1940s,” Wilson said. “Today the economics can be compelling, especially in smaller do-it-yourself projects.”
The House also approved Wilson’s Senate Bill 6149 with a 93-1 vote. This bill changes how rural counties are defined: currently as those with fewer than 100 people per square mile; under the new measure, counties with higher population density will also qualify if no city within them exceeds 45,000 residents. This ensures Cowlitz County remains classified among Washington’s rural counties for public facilities financing and economic development purposes.
