A Tucson trade school is offering students the chance to earn a tuition-free contracting license in exchange for building tiny homes.

Idea’l Institute trains students in every aspect of homebuilding, from electrical wiring to plumbing, carpentry and HVAC.

Students pay $500 to enroll in the program and, if they finish the 199-square-foot home during the six-month course, the $13,000 tuition is waved. They also receive a R-62 contracting license that allows them to work on projects of up to $5,000, said Clayton Abernathy, owner of Idea’l.

The school sells the homes for $25,000, in lieu of charging tuition.

“The writing was on the wall about what was going on with skilled labor shortages,” Abernathy said. “We needed to find a way to train people and also build some homes.”

The fully functional homes can be taken to someone’s property and can be attached to other modules for a larger home.

Teachers are construction professionals with years of experience in their respective trades, Abernathy said.

“We need to transfer these skills from the older generation to the younger generation,” he said. “To meet future demand, we need 1 million construction workers to start today.”

Currently the school has 48 students enrolled and hopes to grow that to 10,000 in the next five years.

Students are from various backgrounds. The minimum age to enroll is 18.

A look at the finished product, a 199-square-foot module constructed by students at the Idea’l Trade Institute.

Austin Mayfield, 38, wanted to get into home construction after a 16-year career with Union Pacific.

“I enjoy learning hands-on,” he said. “It’s hard to describe how to become good at something by reading a book.

“If you’re putting your hands to the work it becomes muscle memory.”

He has especially enjoyed the electrical work.

“Actually wiring a house is exciting,” Mayfield said. “And you have these people with 30 years of experience and the knowledge they pour into you is amazing.”

He plans to pursue a general contractor’s license after the program.

“I want to be building homes,” Mayfield said. “I may start by working for a homebuilder but the big dream is to be building homes myself and make a family business.”

As a real estate agent, Kasandra Prieto was eager to learn more about a home’s construction.

The Idea'l Trade Institute currently has 48 students enrolled and hopes to grow that to 10,000 in the next five years.

“I didn’t understand the functionality of a house or what’s inside the walls,” the 39-year-old said. “Whenever someone made a comment about a house’s plumbing or something I wanted to learn that to be more valuable as an agent during the inspection process.”

The transition has been a bit challenging.

“I’m not going to lie to you and say I enjoy hammers and glue guns,” Prieto laughed. “I’m a girly-girl that wears dresses and heels and now wear steel-toed shoes and construction pants.”

Tucson trade school offers certification for aspiring construction workers. 

But, actually putting a home together is the reward.

“This has been one of the toughest decisions and challenges but the way I feel when these come together … I’m in shock,” Prieto said. “It makes me feel independent and strong.”

While she has no plans to switch careers, she can envision investing in a piece of land and building tiny homes on it.

“The possibilities that this is opening up are great,” Prieto said. “And once I get into the flipping side of real estate, I’ll have more confidence because I’ll understand the build.”

Devin Duran far left, and Kasandra Prieto, far right, listen to instructor Nelson Brown during a building class at the Idea'l Trade Institute, 2918 E Ginter Road.

Students attend class Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the campus, 2918 E. Ginter Road.

Abernathy said not all students will fall in love with construction, but this program gives them a chance to walk away debt-free with the knowledge to care and maintain their own home.

Idea’l Institute has local industry partners that will take a student further into their chosen specialty.

They include, Hotshot Steel & Fabrication, Coronado Air Conditioning & Heating, Barker Contracting and Advanced Electric and Solar.

Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community.

Contact reporter Gabriela Rico at grico@tucson.com