nomad shelter
Nomad Shelter is a family-owned Alaskan manufacturer (founded 1995, Homer, AK) that handcrafts custom extreme-weather yurts from 12 to 50 feet for individual homeowners, hospitality operators, and government buyers worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersHomer, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What nomad shelter does
Nomad Shelter is a privately held, family-owned yurt manufacturer founded in 1995 and based in Homer, Alaska, designing and building hand-crafted portable yurts in diameters from 12 to 50 feet for extreme-weather conditions. Its product line centers on standard yurts rated for 100 mph winds and 60 lbs/sq ft snow loads, constructed around proprietary handcrafted compression rings (scaling up to 10 feet for the 50-foot model), oversized 7/8" x 1.5" lattice walls, mortise and tenon rafter joinery, octagonal cedar-and-Plexiglass skylights, and 100% Duro-Last PVC membrane roof and wall covers backed by a 15-year manufacturer warranty. The company also sells a portable 16-foot "Yurt In A Box" popup yurt (originally developed for firefighter housing), a Greenhouse Yurt variant with clear polyvinyl walls, and standalone handcrafted wood components and insulation packages (three-season and four-season).
Nomad Shelter operates a direct-to-consumer, sales-led model with worldwide shipping, a Build Calculator on its website for custom quotes, dedicated sales contacts, and a 50%/25%/25% deposit structure across 12-18 week production cycles. Pricing varies by diameter, insulation, and door/window configuration; in 2026 it introduced a Lease to Own pilot ($5,000 down, $408/month over seven years for 16-foot models in Alaska) alongside third-party financing via Enhancify. GTM channels include the website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, email newsletters, blog content, and a longstanding 2002 partnership with Alaskan Yurt Rentals, which operates Nomad yurts as nightly rentals across Alaska and functions as a live showroom. Customers span individual homeowners seeking remote or vacation housing, hospitality operators (Pali Overnight Adventures, Alaskan Yurt Rentals, Nauti Otter), an education client (Fireweed School), and government/seasonal-housing buyers (Fairbanks Firefighters).
The company is led by co-owners Jess Tenhoff and Lee Tenhoff with a crew of nine experienced Homer-based craftspeople, and it operates from a newly consolidated 60-foot-diameter workshop yurt (2025) plus a 30-foot office yurt. In early 2026 the founders engaged Transworld Business Advisors to explore a sale or investment, citing 32 years of manufacturing heritage and a stated desire for an unhurried transition to new ownership.
nomad shelter firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- nomad shelter
- Legal name
- Nomad Shelter Inc.
- Website
- https://nomadshelter.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Nomad Shelter is a family-owned Alaskan manufacturer (founded 1995, Homer, AK) that handcrafts custom extreme-weather yurts from 12 to 50 feet for individual homeowners, hospitality operators, and government buyers worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
nomad shelter industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Prefabricated Yurts
- NAICS
- Travel Trailer and Camper Manufacturing (336214)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Yurts, Tipis & Nomadic Tents (THAMADAD)
Keywords
Where nomad shelter is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Homer
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
nomad shelter business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Yurt Sales: One-time purchase of custom-built yurts. Customers pay 50% initial deposit, 25% production deposit, and 25% upon completion. Prices vary by size and customization. Production takes 12-18 weeks.
- Replacement Parts: Sale of replacement yurt components for damage repairs or upgrades. Includes Duro-Last cover patches and replacement wood components.
- Lease to Own: Pilot program for 16ft yurts only, with $5K down and monthly payments. Available to Alaska residents. Includes full setup and floor build options.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Base Yurt Package |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Add-on Options |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Three-Season Insulation |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Four-Season Insulation |
| Subscription | Monthly | Lease to Own Program |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Shipping and Handling |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
nomad shelter product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Nomad Shelter designs and hand-crafts portable Alaskan yurts in diameters from 12 to 50 feet, featuring Duro-Last PVC membrane covers, proprietary compression rings, and mortise-and-tenon rafter joinery built to withstand 100 mph winds and 60 lbs/sq ft snow loads. The company sells custom-built yurt kits directly to customers worldwide through its website Build Calculator, with a 50/25/25 deposit structure and 12-18 week production timelines. It also offers a Lease to Own program for select 16 ft models to Alaska residents, plus specialized variants like the fold-out Yurt In A Box and Greenhouse Yurt.
Product overview
Nomad Shelter is an Alaskan yurt manufacturer offering hand-crafted portable yurts in multiple sizes (12' to 50' diameter) with a focus on extreme weather durability. The product line includes standard yurts with customizable insulation packages, the Yurt In A Box portable model, and Greenhouse Yurts. All yurts feature proprietary components including compression rings, octagonal skylights, lattice walls with mortise and tenon rafters, and Douglas fir door frames. The company offers Duro-Last roofing membrane covers with a 15-year warranty, rated for 100 mph winds and 60 lbs/sq ft snow loads. Supporting services include Lease to Own financing and third-party financing options.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Standard Yurt Hand-crafted Alaskan yurt available in diameters of 12', 14', 16', 18', 20', 24', 30', 34', 40', and 50', featuring Duro-Last roof and walls, proprietary compression rings, octagonal or twelve-sided skylights, lattice walls, mortise-and-tenon rafters, and customizable door and window layouts. Sold to individual homeowners, hospitality operators, and commercial buyers worldwide with worldwide shipping.
- Yurt In A Box 16-foot portable popup yurt in which the shipping crate unfolds to become the floor, allowing the entire structure to be set up in hours and folded back for storage. Targeted at firefighters, disaster relief teams, seasonal hunting cabins, festival housing, and other temporary or seasonal setups requiring transportability and rapid deployment.
- Greenhouse Yurt Yurt variant with clear polyvinyl walls, Duro-Last trim, and semi-transparent fiberized vinyl roof designed for gardening, sunrooms, and seasonal relaxation spaces. Available in all standard sizes from 12' to 50' with no standard insulation included. Targeted at gardeners, greenhouse enthusiasts, and seasonal sunroom buyers.
- Lease to Own Program Seven-year subscription lease program for 16 ft yurts available exclusively to Alaska residents, structured with a $5,000 down payment and $408 monthly payments. Includes full setup and floor build options with payments managed in-house by Nomad Shelter.
- Replacement Parts Individual sale of Duro-Last cover patches and replacement wood components for repairing or upgrading previously purchased Nomad Shelter yurts. Sold to existing yurt owners for damage repair and component replacement.
Quantifiable outcome
- 15-year Duro-Last manufacturer warranty on covers
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use nomad shelter
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
nomad shelter technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
nomad shelter partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Alaskan Yurt RentalscorePartnership with Alaskan Yurt Rentals LLC for nightly rental experiences at select destinations across Alaska. Yurts are featured on their rental platform, driving customer awareness and indirect sales. Alaskan Yurt Rentals has been operating since 2002 in Kachemak Bay State Park. Most road-accessible yurts command around $100/night as dry rentals.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
nomad shelter competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Shelter Designs: Yurt and round structure manufacturer offering custom-engineered yurts with comparable insulation and platform systems. Comparable in product category and direct-to-consumer sales model.
- Pacific Yurts: Largest US yurt manufacturer, offering similar handcrafted round yurts in a wide size range with engineered roof systems. Pacific Yurts is the most direct competitor to Nomad Shelter, operating at significantly larger scale with a broader dealer network.
- Yurt Co: Custom yurt manufacturer offering handcrafted yurts with multiple sizes and configurations. Direct competitor in the custom yurt space with similar product offerings to Nomad Shelter.
- Colorado Yurt Company: Custom yurt manufacturer producing handcrafted yurts, tipis, and wall tents for residential and commercial use across multiple climates. Highly comparable to Nomad Shelter in product category, customization model, and target customer segments.
- Blue Ridge Yurts: Custom yurt manufacturer producing weather-rated yurts for residential, commercial, and glamping use. Comparable product offering and customization model to Nomad Shelter.
- Rainier Yurts: Family-operated yurt builder in the Pacific Northwest offering custom yurts with comparable weather-rated construction. Closely mirrors Nomad Shelter's craft manufacturing approach and cold-climate focus.
Emerging players
- Backcountry Hut Company: Designer and manufacturer of modular, transportable prefab structures for remote and off-grid locations. Overlaps with Nomad Shelter on the alternative/remote housing value proposition but uses different structural systems.
- Den Outdoors: Modern prefab cabin and backyard shelter manufacturer serving the alternative-housing and outdoor hospitality markets. Competes with Nomad Shelter for share of the consumer demand for unique, transportable outdoor structures.
- Canvas Cabana: Specializes in boutique tented accommodations including yurt-style and canvas structures for glamping operators. Adjacent product category with overlap on hospitality customer base rather than direct residential competition.
Regional players
- Gro-Yurt: UK-based yurt manufacturer producing handmade yurts for events, glamping, and residential use. Comparable product and craftsmanship approach, but operates in a different geographic market than Nomad Shelter's North America focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
nomad shelter social profiles
Digital presencenomad shelter financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
nomad shelter leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
nomad shelter funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
nomad shelter M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about nomad shelter
What does nomad shelter do?
Nomad Shelter designs and hand-crafts portable Alaskan yurts in diameters from 12 to 50 feet, featuring Duro-Last PVC membrane covers, proprietary compression rings, and mortise-and-tenon rafter joinery built to withstand 100 mph winds and 60 lbs/sq ft snow loads. The company sells custom-built yurt kits directly to customers worldwide through its website Build Calculator, with a 50/25/25 deposit structure and 12-18 week production timelines. It also offers a Lease to Own program for select 16 ft models to Alaska residents, plus specialized variants like the fold-out Yurt In A Box and Greenhouse Yurt.
Is nomad shelter a public or private company?
nomad shelter is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was nomad shelter founded?
nomad shelter was founded in 1995.
Where is nomad shelter based?
nomad shelter is headquartered in Homer, United States, in the North America region.
How does nomad shelter make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Yurt Sales are the primary driver. The others are replacement Parts and lease to Own.
Who are nomad shelter's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Shelter Designs, Pacific Yurts, Yurt Co, Colorado Yurt Company, Blue Ridge Yurts and Rainier Yurts. Emerging players are Backcountry Hut Company, Den Outdoors and Canvas Cabana. Gro-Yurt is listed as a regional player.
Does nomad shelter have an API?
No public API is recorded for nomad shelter.
What industry is nomad shelter in?
nomad shelter's product category is Prefabricated Yurts. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAMADAD, Yurts, Tipis & Nomadic Tents. Its NAICS code is 336214.