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Templar12 You can try Here Prescott Green Builders | Energy Efficient Custom Homes for 21st Century Arizona. There are others just do search for green builders in Prescott AZ. It will depend on what type of materials you plan to build with. There are straw bale homes here as well as rammed earth in Phoenix and other materials depending on what your looking for. I noticed that your undecided about going off grid so you will need to research what is allowable as well in more populated areas. I know it can be harder to do wind as an example in some areas of Yavapai than others. Solar is accepted just about everywhere. Good luck let us know what you find.
Good for you Templar12.....Ash Fork is beautiful......quiet, private and room to roam. Best of luck to you and just so you know, we've lived on our ranch near Ash Fork for 7 years and it is by far the SAFEST place we have ever lived in our 40 years of marriage. You can actually sleep at night......good for the soul!
So I have been through almost every post regarding Ashfork, Juniperwoods, water hauling, off grid, septic and some bashing. What I have not seen is anything regarding building codes. What is allowable what do I need permits for and what materials for house building may be used. Im looking build green using alternative house materials. If anybody can help I would be grateful. again not looking for all the reasons I shouldn't buy here I personally love it here. All the posts seem to be pretty old so a lot has changed at least for me.
If there are any residents that would contribute I would like to hear from you. Thanks
I own a home in Juniperwoods Ranch, in Yavapai County. Building codes are strictly enforced here by Yavapai County. You will have to apply for a permit and most likely have an additional inspection by the county's environmental division for flood control. My house is on a gentle hill and it was still mandatory as the entire subdivision was marked by FEMA as being in a 100-year flood plain. There are some areas that real estate agents will tell you don't flood but those of us that have been out here a few decades know better. You'll need a perc test (no biggie) as well as pay the new transportation mitigation fees (about $2,500) so the residents on the other side of the county can have better roads than us.
You will not have power in Juniperwoods. If you are familiar with electrical work and desire to do it yourself, plan for about $20k for an adequate solar/battery/inverter/backup generator system. Panels have dropped in price drastically -- even locally you will pay around $1 a watt for the panels (down from $10 a watt a few years ago). There is zero chance there will be electricity in the area in the future. Last time I checked with APS they quoted $17 a foot -- I'm one of the closest to the last power poles and that's still a good four and a half miles away miles away.
Water is hauled. I pay about $85 a month to have it hauled by one of the many water services in town. There is zero chance that hauling will change. The nearest well is several miles away. I've had my land surveyed by a well driller and was advised it's at least 2,000 feet to the nearest water.
Don't plan on the roads to be paved either. The county will not take control of the roads until they are up to code (e.g. paved) and suggest residents form a Road Improvement District. That's not going to happen out here -- you will not get consensus from the landowners for anything related to a tax, even if it improves the roads. Plan on rough dirt.
But, for about $150k, you can have a nice off grid home and the only issue you will have a crappy roads and water haul. I have a 2,500 gallon poly tank and with the two of us, even doing laundry, we use about 2,000 gallons every four or so weeks. One call and a few hours or a couple days later and I have a full tank again.
1. I have already paid to have the land surveyed. It doesn't hurt to check the counties numbers. I have scouted an access and staked it out along the proper easements. This is a project the whole thing it brings me pleasure to just be going there on my weekends......dreaming and planing. Those of us who have put time into living (now 60) can appreciate what it is Im saying. Stay tuned will give you my progress as it happens ....Why? well it might help someone else realize there own dreams. Thanks again to all please let me know any thing else you find it's really about sharing.
Just in case you want to subdivide it to sell off pieces, remember there is a minimum size lot for building in Juniperwood Ranch -- it's 10 acres. Per County Code, you can't subdivide any smaller than 10 acres and it be legally build-able.
Juniperwoods is a 10 acre minimum. Juniperwoods is in Yavapai County. You shouldn't find parcels in JWoods under that because you can't build on less. If you find less, be warned that you won't be able to build on it per county code.
There are some really screwed up pieces of land out here because of the minimum acreage. There's a couple pieces at Bullock Road and Cattle Drive that are long 10 acre pieces. That being they are long and narrow -- one reason that way is they are flood plain and will flood every couple of years and form a lake. The properties out here were originally 40 acre pieces -- the only way a real estate agent could sell some of the pieces was to break them into 10 acre long pieces. Not because they'd sell that way but because it was the way to get rid of a flood plain (lake). The local real estate broker will tell you otherwise, but just ask a couple of real locals -- they will tell you the truth. We joke about it being "Lake Bullock". I've got pictures of the lake with mudhen ducks on it.
If you go to the Coconino County side of Ash Fork, you'll find a lot of smaller lots. Ash Fork is in two counties -- Yavapai starts in town and goes south of the I-40, Coconino is North of the I-40 on the other side of town.The Coconino side has smaller lots and bigger county restrictions. You'll find you'll have deeper footings for your foundation (Coconino County is based in Flagstaff at 7,500 feet and they base their building codes off that elevation. They don't take into account the 4,500 feet of Ash Fork, so you are building to code for a different elevation). You will have to pour more concrete than if you were in Yavapai County and you'll also have a different set of rules for your septic. Plan to spend an additional $30-50k by being in CoCo County. We have regular septic tanks here in Yavapai, CoCo County usually requires "mound systems".
The Perc test really depends. I would never, ever, ever, ever, ever recommend Cauthen Construction to do a perc test. They may be local but they will burn you and not look back. It's really just a digging of three holes. Ash Fork is basically just a big cinder pit so water flows easily. My perc was three holes and a county sign off saying I was exempt. Until they realized Cauthen Construction did my perc. It held my same-day building permit up two months and cost me an additional $4k in county fees. It also held me moving into my house by two months. I had to have someone redo my plot plan as well as have several re-inspections. Cauthen Construction is local but don't use them.
Warnings: Don't trust a real estate agent that tells you the road will be paved. It will not. Don't trust a real estate agent that will tell you power will come -- it won't. Don't trust a real estate agent that tells you the property doesn't flood -- ask people around the area before you buy. Disclosure laws in AZ don't mean much -- there aren't many. Much of the property you see on the internet or have seen in newspapers is either flood plain or inaccessible by a 2 wheel drive vehicle.
You'll have to haul water, you'll drive a dirt road and you will have to create your own electricity. If you accept these facts, Ash Fork is great.
Also, don't hire local electricians. I've met many people that have and the local electrician has put a breaker on the ground side of the power system. When they've questioned him, he's argued that he's right and they are wrong. I'm both an electrician and an Amateur Radio Operator and I know that is not good advice. In fact it's lethal advice and will kill someone. My father, a General Contractor in California, will tell you the same.
And, along the line of also, don't trust local real estate agents. Double check everything they say. Some will move the property lines on request. Some will tell you the property isn't in a flood zone. Some will tell you the property is easy to access. None of which is true. I've talked to plenty of people that have bought a flood zone property that is down a 17-mile dirt road that is not easy to access, on a dry day.
It's a great place to live, if you are in the right spot. And your realize that the nearest OK paying job is anywhere from 50-200 miles away.
Last edited by crazyjae; 04-26-2013 at 03:11 AM..
Reason: grammatical errors
We have 63 acres out in Juniper Woods. We managed to live off grid with our kids out there for 6 months. We loved it! The building codes are strict in some ways and yet very relaxed in others. You have to have some sort of waste system (septic or approved grey water/composting system). You have to either have roof top water catchment or a well. The cost of a well is generally speaking not achievable for most folks and even if the well driller drills down and does not find water, you still have to pay, so there's some risk there.
The trick is finding a property that has something on it. Ours has a trailer with a septic system. We had to put in the water system and there is currently no power, though we are hoping to put up solar. With 300+ days of sunshine, solar makes a lot of sense. The biggest challenges we personally faced was getting stuck on the property for a week because the monsoon rains washed out our roads and driveways. Because we have an arroyo on the back part of our property and the road leading to our home has been over graded, the road literally turned into a rushing river. We were well prepared and found it exciting.
As for Ash Fork, which is the closest town, I found the locals to be very kind hearted and generally caring. There is a higher than average amount of sex offenders, a couple of whom were even obvious about staring intensely at my girls. I must admit, I threatened the one man's life and he backed off and gave us space when we ran into him in town after that incident.
If I remember correctly, you can build anything under 400 square feet without a permit. There are families who have built whole houses without permits, but things got tense between the town and the family and there were charges pressed and what not. Maybe not the best path to take. If you buy a completely bare property, you are likely to experience more issues. They do take over head pictures regularly, so they can see what you're up to.
To put in a solar you have to hire a contractor, unfortunately you can't do it yourself. Solar City is a good company, but I'm not sure if they offer services out at Juniper Woods. Water hauling is what a lot of people do for their water source. You can buy water for a penny a litre (right in Ash Fork) though some people question the water quality.
I have finally carved out a trail to the property and found someone who gave me access through theirs to get to mine. Amazing !!. Essential sounds like your place is great as well.I have found prices for septic and other needs for out in Juniper Woods has increased. My issue is I dont know who to really call. So if either one of the last posts would care to private message me with more details as to water and building codes I would appreciate it. I have pored over the building codes and environmental codes as well. If you wouldn't mind giving me what your costs have been I could use it in my planning. As mentioned before my goal is not to build without the proper permits.
Essential I have looked into and am aware of the Eco -Dome surprised that you got permitted. Can you explain more or tell me what difficulties you had. Great Video and thanks for posting it.
Thanks for the great info. I have been looking into all the areas you mentioned thanks for the warnings as well.
Can you tell me someone reliable for the perc testing and septic.
We have 63 acres out in Juniper Woods. We managed to live off grid with our kids out there for 6 months. We loved it! The building codes are strict in some ways and yet very relaxed in others. You have to have some sort of waste system (septic or approved grey water/composting system). You have to either have roof top water catchment or a well. The cost of a well is generally speaking not achievable for most folks and even if the well driller drills down and does not find water, you still have to pay, so there's some risk there.
Nope. The county only requires that you have a water tank. I passed inspection on my 3 bed, two bath house with a 2,500 gallon poly tank. You can buy them in plenty of places here. CAL Ranch in Flagstaff and Prescott carry them as well as A Country Trailer in Chino Valley and Loomis Tanks in Dewey.
Quote:
Originally Posted by essentialdancer
The trick is finding a property that has something on it. Ours has a trailer with a septic system. We had to put in the water system and there is currently no power, though we are hoping to put up solar. With 300+ days of sunshine, solar makes a lot of sense. The biggest challenges we personally faced was getting stuck on the property for a week because the monsoon rains washed out our roads and driveways. Because we have an arroyo on the back part of our property and the road leading to our home has been over graded, the road literally turned into a rushing river. We were well prepared and found it exciting.
There are several contractors that do perc tests in Chino Valley. All they have to do is come out, do the perc, have the county come out and verify the information as well as draw you a plot map where your septic tank is going to be and you are good to go. You take the results down to the county and pull your permits. I did my whole project as owner builder and had very few speed bumps along the way. My biggest problem was my contractor (local to Ash Fork and to remain nameless) drew my map wrong -- he was a few thousand feet off. He refused to redraw the map, even when the county inspector asked him to. I drew the map myself and it was accepted. It's not rocket science. It's my guess that he refused to redraw the map because he was a bit upset that I didn't have him do the whole septic system. But, I didn't want a concrete tank with a standard leech line. I wanted a fiberglass tank with Inflitrators. He wanted $5k to do it with what I think are mediocre choices for equipment, I had him do the perc and that was it. I hired another contractor to come in and install my tank and Infiltrators. I saved about $1,500 but it was a little more management on my part. If I had to do it all over again, I'd have called someone in Chino Valley to come out to do the perc and install the equipment I wanted as a package deal.
Quote:
Originally Posted by essentialdancer
If I remember correctly, you can build anything under 400 square feet without a permit. There are families who have built whole houses without permits, but things got tense between the town and the family and there were charges pressed and what not. Maybe not the best path to take. If you buy a completely bare property, you are likely to experience more issues. They do take over head pictures regularly, so they can see what you're up to.
Nope. You need permits for everything. Want to put a storage container on your property -- it takes a $9 permit. Want to buy one of the ubiquitous sheds you see in everyone's business lot? It does take a permit. Sure you can choose not to, but it's only $9 and a lot less hassle in the long run. My best advice is for you to contact the county building and planning department in Prescott. They'll give you a complete breakdown of everything you'll need. They are friendly and will help you get what you need so you don't end up with a surprise that will cost you tons of money. Here's a tip: keyword search "Pam Persall" and "Property Tax" on the Daily Courier Website -- you can see exactly what's been getting people into trouble in the county. Part of it is thinking you don't need building permits, that you can build under an at-exemption without qualifying for ag or that you can build under certain square footages without permits. The county is using Google Earth and is proposing paying for fly overs to catch violators. I have a few neighbors that have been caught this way by the County.
Quote:
Originally Posted by essentialdancer
To put in a solar you have to hire a contractor, unfortunately you can't do it yourself. Solar City is a good company, but I'm not sure if they offer services out at Juniper Woods. Water hauling is what a lot of people do for their water source. You can buy water for a penny a litre (right in Ash Fork) though some people question the water quality.
Nope - you can do it yourself. I put my huge power system (solar/wind/generator with a very large battery) in by myself and the county signed off on it with no hassles. Just follow code. Solar is a very simple install -- it's really only two wires from the panels to the combiner box to the inverter (It's a DC system -- not some complex monstrosity that only an engineer can understand). From the inverter, it's a standard AC system. Make sure you adhere to their rules on grounding the system and your house and you'll have zero problems with inspection. Northern AZ Wind and Sun in Flagstaff is super-competitive in prices and will price match within reason. I bought an Outback Flexpower One pre-wired power panel (Inverter/Charge Controller/DC Flexnet/Hub, Mate) and they price matched an internet retailer. Bonus points? I paid no shipping since I picked it up (the ecommerce site would have sent it truck freight at $400) and I had no sales tax (AZ doesn't charge tax on RE equipment or supplies like wire -- so buy everything you can there (wire, etc) to get the tax break). They also sell welding wire super-cheap there (for your DC connections). Don't let anyone tell you that you can run 6 or 10-wire from your RE equipment to your batteries. I cannot stress this enough -- there is a difference between line loss for AC and DC. DC requires larger wire because it has more line loss. I see this a lot out here (using AC wire sizes to carry a DC load). It is wrong! It's why Edison failed with his DC power system and why Tesla succeeded with his AC system. It's 100+ year old history/science that still baffles some of the people out here.
There are a few water hauling services in town that can take care of you. Water hauling will destroy vehicles; especially on these roads. I see a lot of pickup trucks (3/4 ton) with broken axles because of stress and overloading (water is heavy). I found that I have my water delivered about every four weeks and it cost me about $80. Not much more than I paid for city water. Sure, I'd pay about $20 for the water if I hauled it -- but how much in wear and tear and fuel? It's a wash. Plus these guys out here will get you water same day if you need.
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You can actually sleep at night......good for the soul!
. I have scouted an access and staked it out along the proper easements. This is a project the whole thing it brings me pleasure to just be going there on my weekends......dreaming and planing. Those of us who have put time into living (now 60) can appreciate what it is Im saying. Stay tuned will give you my progress as it happens ....Why? well it might help someone else realize there own dreams. Thanks again to all please let me know any thing else you find it's really about sharing.
Juniper Woods Isolated Paradise
