Frequently Asked Questions

  • Although the definition of a yurt is ambiguous, the easiest answer is probably: no. We make round homes inspired by the designs of traditional yurts. Our kits are permanent structures built with the same materials and functionality as a typical stick-built home (wood walls, metal roofs).

  • We have designed our round homes to be built as permanent dwellings, situated on concrete foundations and typically will need to be permitted as such. If you’re looking for a light-duty temporary structure to put on pier blocks, this is probably not the right product for you. If you want a forever home, let's talk.

  • Our wooden yurts are not designed to be portable. Once a foundation is built and the kit is set up, insulated and finished on the inside, it would require a tremendous amount of work to disassemble and is not recommended.

  • Absolutely! In the same way any normal built home would be insulated. Many customers use spray foam on our roof assemblies, given the challenging geometry. We also offer exterior insulation systems. Our walls are built typically with 2x6, leaving plenty of room for normal batt insulation.

  • Yes to both! Our designers will create pretty much anything you can dream of within the guidelines of our standards.

  • We sure do. Our office in Winthrop, Washington, operates out of a Maple 25'. There are also dozens of our yurts available for short-term rental around the world. Reach out and we can point you to the nearest one.

  • Of course. We run a small shop and don't typically have time for drop-in's, but if you give us a call or send a message we'd be happy to schedule a visit.

  • Unfortunately we do not offer this service. We design, manufacture, and ship our product, but do not build them. We do have advisors available to consult on-site with your team if needed.

  • Although we do not have a list of recommended contractors in every county, we are more than willing to speak to any prospective contractor to help them understand the scope of taking on a Smiling Woods kit.

  • We guarantee the kit’s components and our workmanship to be complete and free from defects. Once you have set up our kit, the structure is subject to your building department’s inspection and adherence to the engineering study performed (if you have purchased this complete study). This complete study is your guarantee that the structure is applicable to your site’s range of conditions and demands. Additionally, certain components of the kit carry a warranty from their respective manufacturers: windows (window supplier warranty dependent), skylight (5 years), and roofing (5 years).

  • We can make shipping arrangements for you or you can arrange the shipping yourself. Shipments to Canada are subject to importing fees and local duty/customs taxes. Canadian residents will be responsible for this process and any costs involved.

  • A Smiling Woods kit is a set of components and specialized parts that enable you to successfully and efficiently build a beautiful round home. There are many ways to put a kit from us to work for you, with as many different configurations for a home as there are people and places to build them! Thus, there are many variables that must be determined to accurately estimate the total costs you will incur to build a home. Some examples of these variables include: design, engineering and permitting costs, site preparation, infrastructure and foundation type, as well as local labor and materials costs. Additional interior structural elements such as lofts and rooms or exterior elements such as room additions/extensions, porches, decks, or perhaps a connection to another structure will also factor into the total building cost.

  • If you are in a location that requires permits for building, yes. There are variables as to what is permitted in different counties/jurisdictions. We can help you understand what to ask your county as far as specifics and how to approach them to get the best results. Our engineers offer structural engineering for all locations throughout the United States. If you need engineered plans you will also need a designer to create the plans prior to engineering. Please note that we focus on the architectural and engineering components of the design only, and typically not the electrical, plumbing, or HVAC. Some designers may be able to assist with your electric, plumbing, or HVAC design needs, but these are typically best handled by local trades and are not part of our typical design and engineering scope.

  • Our yurts are found all over the world. Many are cabins, second homes, or primary dwellings, while others serve as yoga studios, school classrooms, spas, meditation spaces, and other commercial uses.

  • Structural plans are not included as part of the purchase price of the kit. We provide a detailed instruction manual for the set-up of the kit we create for you, along with general instruction for building various types of floor and foundation systems. Most projects will require a complete set of plans drawn to be submitted for a building permit and for your contractor to build with. We can help to facilitate your connection with the necessary services to have a full set of wet-stamped engineered plans created for your project.

  • Smiling Woods contracts a handful of external designers that know our product very well. They will help you create the home you're dreaming of down to the finest detail.

  • Included with the purchase of each kit, we have an engineering analysis performed for the components we build for your home – the walls and roof structure – in our best effort to assure we build these to meet the demands of your site conditions. We recommend a complete engineering study be performed that will consider the integrity of your entire structure (including the foundation, floor, along with the walls and roof systems built by Smiling Woods as a whole system). This complete analysis is not included with the price of the kit and is not provided by Smiling Woods. We contract with reputable structural engineering firms, licensed in your U.S. state or Canadian province to have your home design qualified to meet and exceed the local building codes applicable for your site.

  • Yes. The standard kit requires some minor modifications to assure compliance with California Fire Code regulations for residential structures.

  • Yep! We have built many kits designed to be interconnected with either a simple breezeway or even a more substantial central living space. Interconnected homes will require taller walls to allow for the ceiling clearance in the connection structure.

  • Absolutely. Covered porches and additional rooms can be placed anywhere around the structure and can extend as far as you’d like. The walls are built tall enough to accommodate the needed headroom at the outside wall of the addition.

  • Shipping is not included with the price of the kit and is charged for based on the amount of truck space required and the distance from your site and our production facility (in Winthrop Washington).

  • We are equipped for sales to the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii, as well as Canada. Shipping outside of North America may carry additional administration charges for determining the applicability of one of our kits for international build, coordination efforts with local building regulators, as well as any exporting process.

  • Our kits can easily fit into a 20 or 40 foot shipping container. For ocean freight for anything larger than a Birch 20, we recommend a 40’ walled container. Additional packing charges may apply for loading containers, as well as the purchase or rental of a container.

  • You will need adequate room for a semi-truck and trailer to easily come to and from your site. The materials come palletized and will require mechanical equipment to unload, such as a fork lift or boom-truck. Typically you will have one hour for this and the truck driver is not required to help. You will want to have an area cleared and a way to stack the materials off the ground and flat. Have tarps on hand to keep several parts dry – most but not all materials arrive wrapped for weather-protection from our facility.

  • This depends on the size of the kit. For the largest models the basic structure can be set up in 1-to-2 weeks with a small competent crew. If you include finishing the ceiling and insulating the roof it can take up to another week for the complete setup. The smaller kits will take significantly less time to set up and complete, sometimes 1-3 days.

  • Depending on current production schedule, we may be able to supply a kit in as short as two weeks from the completion of design. We will work with you to find the best time to produce and deliver your kit based on budget, delivery location, and our production capacity.