Cabin Installation Guide
- Zinc Studio
- Jun 12
- 5 min read
Updated: Jun 27
A Simple Step-by-Step Delivery & Install Guide for Your New Zinc Studio Cabin
Thinking about life in one of our heritage inspired cabins or tiny homes, but wondering how on earth it actually lands on site? You’re in the right place. Below is a complete walk-through of the delivery and installation process. Whether you choose a steel-skid cabin or a tiny-home-on-wheels, every step is covered.
1. Checking Your Site Access
Before we even fire up the truck or hitch a trailer, it's best to check that your access route has the necessary clearances for delivery.
Access Criterion | Minimum Requirement |
Overhead Clearance | 4.2 metres (from ground to lowest branch, wire or structure) for our steel skid cabin while it sits on the truck. Slightly lower clearance of around 4 metres for our tiny home trailer model. |
Width Clearance | 3.5 metres along the full driveway / access track for our steel skid cabin. 2.5 metres clearance for our tiny home trailer model. Add some extra buffer clearance for corners or uneven ground. |
Tip: Walk the path yourself with a tape measure. Remember that it can be helpful to prune back any pesky branches, and temporarily remove any gates or fence posts. If in doubt, reach out and send us a video of your access and approach, we are happy to provide feedback.
2. Prepare the Pad & Footings
Both cabin styles (steel skid or trailer) sit on a purpose-built footing system that spreads the weight evenly. Whilst a tiny home trailer can sit standalone, we still recommend adding footings to anchor the building in place. Here's a simple guide on footings:
Level a Pad - roughly the size of the cabin’s footprint . It's good to leave about a metre clearance around the cabin too for access to utilities (and a composting toilet if selected). Some road-base or gravel can be added to the pad to promote drainage and prevent undergrowth of grass and weeds.
Dig & Pour Concrete Footings - We generally recommend 700 mm × 700 mm × 700 mm concrete footings for a standard site. These are typically dug and poured in situ but can also be precast blocks if access is tricky. Allow poured concrete to cure (minimum 7 days) before delivery day. We will send you a custom footing plan based on the size and layout of your build once we are under way. If you have any concerns about loose soil, sand or other foundational issues, then an engineer should be engaged to recommend a bespoke footing plan.
Concrete footings (x6) poured ahead of delivery day.
3. Delivery Day
Delivery day is designed to be quick and drama‑free. The exact choreography will depend on which model you’ve ordered.
A steel‑skid cabin travels on a flat‑bed semi or rigid truck. Once the driver has come as close as practical to your prepared pad, a tractor or telehandler (brought by the delivery company) unloads the cabin. We use the removable axle/wheels to tow the cabin the final metres and into place over the pre-poured footings, a process that typically takes about an hour. If the truck can’t reach the pad directly, we unload at the nearest firm ground and tow the cabin the last mile instead.
A tiny home on wheels arrives behind a 4 × 4 tow ute (or a prime mover for longer units) on its trailer chassis. The tow vehicle simply drives the tiny home onto the pad, drops the jockey wheel and stabiliser legs and disconnects. The tiny home is then ready for stumps.
Either way, the process is complete in well under two hours.
4. Setting & Levelling the Stumps
We generally recommend that both cabin types sit on LevelMaster™ adjustable steel stumps, which bolt into the cabin’s underside and into each concrete footing.
The process for attaching the stumps is simple:
Place chocking (e.g. Besser blocks, off-cut timber) under the cabin frame to roughly level the cabin to desired height.
Cut the supplied steel legs to applicable length.
(Note: If installing a Composting Toilet system, minimum clearance on the bathroom side of the Cabin needs to be 550mm between the ground and the lowest part of the cabin frame. This will allow enough room for exchanging the chamber periodically);
At each concrete footing:
Slot the bottom of the leg into the base plate, and the top plate onto the top of the leg;
Fasten the top plate to the cabin frame;
Unscrew the LevelMaster nut under the top plate, lowering the leg and baseplate until the baseplate sits flush on the concrete pad.
Fasten the baseplate onto the cured concrete.
Check level front-to-back and side-to-side with a spirit level or laser; tweak the LevelMaster nuts until perfect.
Tighten all bracket bolts to final torque.
Wheels
When it comes to the final look of your cabin, there are a couple of options:
Cabin Type | What Happens Next |
Steel-Skid | Wheels, axle assembly and drawbar are unbolted and removed, leaving only the sleek steel skid frame. This “anchors” the cabin visually and gives a more permanent look. Note: Wheels & Axle set can be optionally returned to Zinc Studio for a cash-back offer (we need them all the time!) |
Tiny Home | Wheels stay put (they’re part of the legal trailer). We recommend fitting heavy-duty UV-resistant wheel covers to protect tyres from long term sun damage. |
6. Final Touches & Uninstalled Items
Your cabin ships almost fully finished, but a few elements travel uninstalled for safety and compliance:
Component | Why It Ships Loose | Who Installs |
External gutters & downpipes | Keeps us from going over the 3.5m allowable transport width | Your builder/handyperson |
Exterior lights | Keeps us from going over the 3.5m allowable transport width | Electrician |
Composting toilet kit | Needs to be installed on site as the external components protrude from the bottom of the cabin | Your plumber/you |
7. Connecting Your Services
Once your cabin is in its final position, all that remains is connecting utilities:
Electrical – Run mains or solar feed into the pre-wired switchboard, or if you had solar installed at our factory, just start soaking up the rays!
Plumbing – Connect fresh water (tank or town water) to cabin inlet. Plumb grey-water outlet to an absorption trench or similar. Plumb toilet as appropriate depending on whether you have selected a flushing or composting toilet.
Gas (if applicable) – Connect gas bottles.
For a full guide on choosing and connecting utilities, see our Utilities Guide.
Done in a Day! Ready to Make It Happen?
Whether you’re eyeing a steel-skid weekender or a road-ready tiny home, the installation journey is straightforward when you know the steps. Our team coordinates transport and provides clear instructions bespoke to your build.
Still have questions? Send us an email or give us a call; we're keen to hear about your project!
Zinc Studio | Heritage Inspired Cabins and Tiny Homes that Work Hard & Rest Easy.