Are Yurts a legal habitable structure on Big I

[mwalker]

I have a realtor telling me a Yurt and shipping containers are legal residential structure on the Big Island specifically in Hawaii Island Paradise Acres subdivision, Ocean View I think. This is totally incorrect by the 2006 IBC and 2006 IRC. I assume people are getting permits for these structures as non habitable space of some type then just moving in. Can local shed some light on this subject.
thanks mw

[csgray]

There is at least one company selling each of those types of housing here on the Big Island who claim to have gotten their structures permitted by Hawaii county. Both have been mentioned here if you use the archive search tools.

Good luck

Carol

[MarkP]

I was considering outfitting a single 40' container. As far as I could tell there is no reason you can't get one permitted. It would be easiest to call it an efficiency apartment, with one 220 sq ft living area, a bathroom, and a kitchen. A 40' container is large enough. However, it is difficult to lay the thing out efficiently. You need a door in the side, a bathroom at one end, and a sleeping area at the other end, otherwise you kill a lot of space with the corridor down the middle.

[John S. Rabi]

quote:

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Originally posted by mwalker
I have a realtor telling me a Yurt and shipping containers are legal residential structure on the Big Island specifically in Hawaii Island Paradise Acres subdivision, Ocean View I think. This is totally incorrect by the 2006 IBC and 2006 IRC.

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Containers?! That is why I'm proudly not a realtor. These kind of people are a disgrace for the profession.

Aloha,
John S. Rabi, GM,PB,ABR,CRB,CM,FHS
808.327.3185
johnrabi@johnrabi.com
http://www.JohnRabi.com
Typically Tropical Properties
"The Next Level of Service!"
(This is what I think of the Kona Board of Realtors http://KonaBoardOfRealtors.info)

[Kapohocat]

quote:

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Originally posted by mwalker

I have a realtor telling me a Yurt and shipping containers are legal residential structure on the Big Island specifically in Hawaii Island Paradise Acres subdivision, Ocean View I think. This is totally incorrect by the 2006 IBC and 2006 IRC. I assume people are getting permits for these structures as non habitable space of some type then just moving in. Can local shed some light on this subject.
thanks mw

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We are not YET under the 2006 IBC or IRC.

There are yurts right now permitted as residences in Sea View, and Kapoho-Pahoa Rd.

This is not a commentary of what I would do, but just what currently is.

[John S. Rabi]

Cat, I think you posted about a yurt a while back, but while I know there are people living in containers, I know they are not permitted.

Aloha,
John S. Rabi, GM,PB,ABR,CRB,CM,FHS
808.327.3185
johnrabi@johnrabi.com
http://www.JohnRabi.com
Typically Tropical Properties
"The Next Level of Service!"
(This is what I think of the Kona Board of Realtors http://KonaBoardOfRealtors.info)

[Kapohocat]

quote:

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Originally posted by John S. Rabi

Cat, I think you posted about a yurt a while back, but while I know there are people living in containers, I know they are not permitted....

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I was going to check on Monday because you can get a container permitted as a legal accessory structure if the required foundation is added and in theory a 40 footer is over minimum habitable space requirement. (a 20' does not meet minimum habitable space).

FL does permit them as residential structures, and so does Louisiana that I know of for sure, and they are both under the 2006 IBC / IRC I think.

Trailer Container park, anyone?[}][}]

[StillHope]

I don't know about the other yurts in Seeview,but the one on E.Pohakupele Loop was permitted as "other" (not residential) structure.
It was on sale 2 years ago, sold for cash (usually banks don't finance them) and I don't know whether the new owner had it permitted as a residential.
If you care about the insurance check with an insurance company if they insure a yurt.

___________________________
Whatever you assume,please
just ask a question first.

[critterlover]

@John: Cat, I think you posted about a yurt a while back, but while I know there are people living in containers, I know they are not permitted.

Unless you are referring to specific containers you know of personally, I beg to disagree with you sir. I, for one, have my name [as the draftsperson] on several plans that have been through the permit process of containers which have been used to build homes. In fact, I just completed a plan using 6 containers, stacked into a 3 story structure, 2 of which are bedrooms! As for Yurts, yes, they too have to be permitted and we have drawn plans and processed them for permits as well. Every structure over 6 feet tall, including a wall, is required to be permitted.

For the record, and clarification, the 2006 IECC has in fact become law. It is its implementation date that is the focus of the upcoming consideration tomorrow, Tuesday, at 1P, for the County Council. These, the Yurts & Containers, and other types of homes, like Bamboo and concrete [CMU] were topics of discussion at the DPW Public Meeting on Thursday evening last. It is precisely why the laws effective date must be pushed down and fitting amendments to the current law to be made. Even the man from the State acknowledged an error in the current code adopted by the County as law.

“A penny saved is a government oversight.”

[John S. Rabi]

Well, I guess I will crawl back into my hole, but I have not seen a single permitted yurt and/or container in my 16 years of being a real estate broker.[:I][:I][:I]

Aloha,
John S. Rabi, GM,PB,ABR,CRB,CM,FHS
808.327.3185
johnrabi@johnrabi.com
http://www.JohnRabi.com
Typically Tropical Properties
"The Next Level of Service!"
(This is what I think of the Kona Board of Realtors http://KonaBoardOfRealtors.info)