Houseboat vs Floating home
What’s the difference between a houseboat and a floating home? The simple answer is that one is a lot more like a boat and the other, a lot more like a home. But it is a nuanced answer:
| Seattle Houseboat | Seattle Floating home | |
|---|---|---|
| Technical term | FOWR (“flower”) | Floating home |
| Looks like | A boat | A home |
| Price | $50k to $1m | $500k to $6m |
| Size | 150 to 1,000 square feet | 500 to 3,500 square feet |
| Dock type | Recreational marina | Designated floating home dock |
| Slip ownership | Usually rented or leased | Usually owned (co-op or condo) |
| Slip lease fee | $500 to $1,500 a month | n/a |
| Liveabord fee | Varies | n/a |
| HOA dues | n/a | $0-$500 a month |
| Connection to dock | Tied to dock using mooring lines | Permanent connection using arms or chains |
| Water supply | Connected to dock water via a garden hose | Connected to city water with a permanent connection |
| Electricity | Shore power connection, typically 30 amps | Connected to Seattle City Light (100 to 200 amp panel) |
| Sewer | Not connected, will need to be pumped out 2-3x a month | Connected to Seattle Public Utilities (but usually via a dock pump) |
| Gas | Propane tank | Many are connected to gas via Puget Sound Energy |
| Towability | Easy to tow | Hard to tow |
| Lenders | See our list of lenders | See our list of lenders |
| Fixed supply | Yes, no new ones allowed | Yes, no new ones allowed |
Examples of Seattle houseboats
Examples of Seattle floating homes
Want to learn more?
For houseboats, check out our Seattle houseboat guide.
For floating homes, check out our Seattle floating home guide.