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Thought I would start a thread where people can post areas where there are lax or even no building codes. Places where you can build a cob/earthship/earthbag/strawbale/cordwood/yurt/bunker/geodesic dome/etc with little to no interference from bureaucrats. There was the earthship pockets of freedom map showing different counties where they were friendly to owner builder alternative construction methods, but it seems to be old and incomplete.
Here are a few places I know of to get started, correct me if I'm wrong and please add or subtract from the list:
-Alaska outside city limits and restrictive boroughs. You can do literally almost anything and no one blinks an eye. Also no property taxes in unorganized boroughs.
-Rural Montana outside city limits in most areas.
-Eureka county Nevada. No building codes or permits needed (besides septic)
-Several counties in the Southern Missouri Ozarks. Inexpensive land as well.
-Delta county and Custer county Colorado, as well as several other counties have no building inspections, although they do require plumbing, electric and septic inspections.
-Places in rural Maine? I have no first hand experience with this, so maybe someone from up there can clear this up?
Please add to my list. There aren't too many places left like these as more states and counties "adopt" the latest and greatest building codes making it harder and harder for the average joe to build his own house without taking on a 30 year mortgage. Stay free on your own land and remember if you can't build what you want, you don't really own it ; !
Great. Glad you started the list. It will help those of us on the other side of the issue, too.
Location: When you take flak it means you are on target
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Quote:
Originally Posted by parfleche
We have no inspections in Montezuma County in SW CO but you must have elec State governed and septic county governed.I live Mancos and we just let people do stuff and don't pay much attention unless you build a new house then you are in code city
So you "can't" build a house without the uniform building code, but there's no inspections? That doesn't sound right. Also you "must" have electric? What about off grid solar? Inspections? Permits?
Can you illucidate further please, we have considered the area but most of CO if you pick you nose with the wrong finger it's trouble.
Unless of course you're the EPA, then you can destroy a whole eco system and nobody says anything.
jamies, many times there are also triggers to codes. There are places we can build a safehouse without building code requirements, but if more than 60% of the interior cubic feet space is subterranean, building codes kick in. Likewise, you may see codes exemption if under X sq ft, but if you exceed that number, permits and/or codes kick in. You will also find different types of structure development can trigger requirement for certain items to be installed. Oftentimes, people who think they are exempt only to get slapped with a violation, triggered the requirement due to poor research on their part. With some research, you can find where and what are the stay clear issues.
Location: When you take flak it means you are on target
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^^^ Interesting. We were talking awhile back about building a bunch of sheds. Here if under 10' x 12' no codes or permits. We figured, bed shed, bath shed, living shed, cook shed, dining shed, guest shed and so on. Connect them all with a boardwalk and porches it could be pretty cool! And adding a room would be easy!
I can see a 6,000 sq ft shedhouse. Archetectural Digest here we come!
^^^ Interesting. We were talking awhile back about building a bunch of sheds. Here if under 10' x 12' no codes or permits. We figured, bed shed, bath shed, living shed, cook shed, dining shed, guest shed and so on. Connect them all with a boardwalk and porches it could be pretty cool! And adding a room would be easy!
I can see a 6,000 sq ft shedhouse. Archetectural Digest here we come!
Seriously interesting idea!
Just have to 1) make sure there are no codes regulating how many sheds you can have, and 2) try not to make any of them look like a 'dwelling' (window shutters, flower boxes, sliding glass doors, etc).
Wonder just how many configurations of sheds there are...?...where's my pencil....
... -Places in rural Maine? I have no first hand experience with this, so maybe someone from up there can clear this up?
In Maine, 52% of the 'townships' are unorganized. Which means that we have no local 'authorities' on payroll to do building inspections. We have extremely low taxes.
Only 'permanent' dwellings need a permit, and they send you a 'certificate of self-inspection' that you sign when your done constructing. They only want to know the square-footage of your footprint for tax assessment.
A 'permanent dwelling' is one with a stone or concrete foundation. If the structure burns down, the foundation will still be there, forever.
In my township there are a great many 'camps'. Camps are dwellings that are not on a stone or concrete foundation. If they burn down, the forest will re-absorb the site.
I know people who live in an old school bus, yurts, cabins on blocks, houseboats no where near any water, etc.
Outhouses are legal here.
I have a permanent dwelling, with grid-power, well and septic. Though we also have solar-power.
I built a 'kit' steel building that could have otherwise been used as an airplane hanger. A barn-dominium.
Several states still have no statewide building code, but local jurisdictions within that state do. Oregon has had statewide codes since 1973, but you can still build your cob/earthship/straw bale etc. house. It just has to be structurally sound and meet minimum standards for light and ventilation. Electricity is not a requirement, but plumbing is. Yes, you can live in a shipping container if you bolt it to a foundation, whack some windows into the walls for ventilation and egress, and install a bathroom. A lot of the hippiedippie "earth shelters" are so structurally unsound that if there is an earthquake or even severe storm they will collapse and kill everyone inside.
I know that there are a lot of places in rural Maine (and some not-so-rural parts) that are still "free", as there are folks living there in turkey coops, reefers, barns, tents, teepees, and storage containers. The thing about it is, they never advertise where they live. Flying under the radar has its advantages..
Several states still have no statewide building code, but local jurisdictions within that state do. Oregon has had statewide codes since 1973, but you can still build your cob/earthship/straw bale etc. house. It just has to be structurally sound and meet minimum standards for light and ventilation. Electricity is not a requirement, but plumbing is. Yes, you can live in a shipping container if you bolt it to a foundation, whack some windows into the walls for ventilation and egress, and install a bathroom. A lot of the hippiedippie "earth shelters" are so structurally unsound that if there is an earthquake or even severe storm they will collapse and kill everyone inside.
Larry, , I can't help but I laughed so hard I spit out my drink. As In read your post near the end, I thought it hit me as hysterical. Very dry wit yet hilarious.
Ok, the ship container idea seems almost sane & reasonable, & I wonder why less folk do this? More need jump aboard these ways of living, & this makes sense. Too many think lunatics w/ ft. long beards & no teeth inhabit this ideal -- yet sane folks do. Lunatics, are found in cities w/ buses, pollution, crime, etc. etc.
I'm trying to find cheapest tho best -- way to move from s. AZ to the Pac NW & be affordable. I think building my own is way to go but haven't undertaken ever this, so unsure yet. But time will tell & ideas here help much.
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