If you are familiar with Minecraft then you already know the drill. Gather resources, build a shelter for the night, and survive the onslaught of monsters till the break of dawn. But a shelter doesn’t count as a house. You can build walls all around you and you are good to go. But you will need a house for NPCs to move in. The game has several NPCs like a Nurse, Demolitionist, Arms Dealer, and more. They will help you progress further in the game but they move in only if you build them a proper house. In this article, we will tell you how to build a house in Terraria.
Table of Contents
How to Build a House in Terraria
In Terraria, a structure can count as a house only if it completes the requirements in “House Validity Evaluation”. It consists of three parts: Frame, Furniture, and Properties.
Frame:
The interior background of the house should be covered with crafted tiles. These tiles should be connected on each of its 8 sides – horizontal, vertical, and diagonal directions. Frame refers to the walls bordering these tiles. The frame must be completely closed so none of the interior tiles are connected to the exterior tiles. To build a frame you can use Solid Blocks, Doors, Trapdoors, and Tall Gates. If you want to build a window then use Glass Walls. Leaving a hole in the tiles can lead to enemies spawning in the house
Furniture:
Your structure needs to have certain furniture to qualify as a house. There should be at least one valid light source, one valid flat-surface item, one valid comfort item, and one valid entrance. The most basic things you can use are a Torch, a Work Bench, a Chair, and two Wood Platforms in the following order.
Properties:
Apart from the frame and the furniture, you need to be wary of where you build the house. The house can be rejected for the following reasons: it is already occupied by an NPC or it is close to an evil biome.
These are the requirements you have to complete to build a basic house. The size of the house should also meet certain parameters.
How Big Does a House Have to Be In Terraria
The number of tiles in your house should be more than 60 tiles and less than 750 tiles. Although it’s up to you to determine the shape of the house, the following dimensions can be used while building. Thanks to terraria.fandom we have the following table as a reference.
| Excluding Ceiling, Floor, and Walls | Including Ceiling, Floor, and Walls |
| 3 tiles wide × 10 tiles high | 5 tiles wide × 12 tiles high |
| 4 tiles wide × 8 tiles high | 6 tiles wide × 10 tiles high |
| 5 tiles wide × 7 tiles high | 7 tiles wide × 9 tiles high |
| 6 tiles wide × 6 tiles high | 8 tiles wide × 8 tiles high |
| 7 tiles wide × 5 tiles high | 9 tiles wide × 7 tiles high |
| 8 tiles wide × 4 tiles high | 10 tiles wide × 6 tiles high |
| 10 tiles wide × 3 tiles high | 12 tiles wide × 5 tiles high |
| 13 tiles wide × 2 tiles high | 15 tiles wide × 4 tiles high |
NPC House Requirements Guide
- A Light Source
- A Flat Surface Item
- A Comfort Item
- An Entry Item
The light source can be a torch, candle, lantern, or any other illumination item in the game. You don’t have to fully illuminate the room. A single light source will be enough but it’s up to you to decorate the place. Tables, Dressers, Bookcases, Pianos, Workbenches, or even Bathtubs count as acceptable Flat Surface Items. A Comfort Item can be anything that the NPC can sit on. This includes a Chair, Sofa, Bed, and even a Toilet. The NPCs cannot stand on platforms and will need a Solid Block Floor. The last thing to keep in mind is to build a house away from Crimson and Corruption Biome. They add to the Evil Score of the house. The following table from terraria.fandom will tell you the tiles and their Impact on the score.
| Tiles | Impact on the Score |
| Corrupt grass |
+1 point for each tile
|
| Ebonstone Block | |
| Purple Ice Block | |
| Ebonsand Block | |
| Ebonsandstone Block | |
| Hardened Ebonsand Block | |
| Corruption thorny bushes | |
| Corruption Plants | |
| Vile Mushroom | |
| Crimson grass | |
| Crimstone Block | |
| Red Ice Block | |
| Crimsand Block | |
| Crimsandstone Block | |
| Hardened Crimsand Block | |
| Crimson thorny bushes | |
| Hallowed grass |
−1 point for each tile
|
| Pearlstone Block | |
| Pink Ice Block | |
| Pearlsand Block | |
| Pearlsandstone Block | |
| Hardened Pearlsand Block | |
| Short Hallowed plants | |
| Tall Hallowed plants | |
| Sunflower | −40 points each |
Tips on Building a House
- Use NPC portraits to assign rooms to specific villagers. A Gold Border means the NPC will always return to that room if they die and respawn in the game. Whereas a Red Border means the NPC can leave if they die.
- Terraria has a variety of materials to build a house. Combine them with stones or bricks to make them aesthetically pleasing.
That’s all from us on how to build a house in Terraria. If you are looking for some cool house designs then you can check out our guide on Best Home Designs on GamerTweak.