06-24-2020, 05:50 PM
At great risk, I'll jump into the whole non-permitted discussion.
If you really would like to "live simply" and yes, admittedly, cheaply, you can't do it with permits. Especially since septic became required. Lots of folks would like to have a composting toilet, and water their plants with their grey water. Include me in that camp. It happens to be vastly cheaper, and I'd argue, far better for the environment as a whole. But county says, "nope, pay somebody $15,000 so you can use perfectly good water to wash your turds away."
FYI, there is a "glamping" tent on Airbnb, on the Big Island, right now, with a separate "bath house", shower (gravity fed, drain to ground) and composting toilet, with photos. When will the county "go after" this person? Does anyone think they should? Would it make anyone feel better to know there's a plastic tank with 1000gallons of sewage in the ground instead of a compost pile and some wet lava rock?
I agree cesspools are bad. Raw crap in the ground is bad. Kapoho tidepools had something going on. Then Pele solved that problem.
Next topic, you can't do everything yourself with permits. You still need to hire and pay "certified" electricians and plumbers to do that work. Yes, if you know a guy you can pay him to just inspect your own work. Pay into the approved system designed to take money out of your pocket.
And most recently, IECC. International Energy Conservation Code. I have to stuff R-30 in my ceiling now? Why? Do the rats need a nice bed? I'm REQUIRED to install ceiling fans? Why? What if I'm building in Ocean View and the wind is blowing through at 15mph day and night? I MUST have 15% of my floor space in "operable fenestration?"
What if you'd like to build a unconventional structure, because you want to? Because you have a passion for it, whatever it is? And the code doesn't recognize it, even if there are hundreds of them out in the world already? I love monolithic domes, think they are great. I like the "eco-shell" approach, which you shoot concrete on the outside of a airform, then you can deflate it and use it again when you are done. Cool huh? Well, flexible basalt "rope" is by and large the best way to reinforce these types of shells. But, code doesn't recognize the material. I have to use Chinese manufactured rebar instead. OK, fine, I'll do that. Oh wait, IECC has kicked in. And it says, I need to insulate. Since there is no distinction on a dome between wall/roof/ceiling (again, code doesn't care), I have to insulate the whole thing. Which in turn, DOUBLES the completed material cost of the shell. The labor goes even higher, as I don't have the means or equipment to do the urethane spraying. For something I don't need, nor want. To "satisfy" the code.
It all just starts to grind on you.
If you want a full time conventional house for a family with flush toilets, I'd agree, get the permits, follow the rules. Not for everyone.
If you really would like to "live simply" and yes, admittedly, cheaply, you can't do it with permits. Especially since septic became required. Lots of folks would like to have a composting toilet, and water their plants with their grey water. Include me in that camp. It happens to be vastly cheaper, and I'd argue, far better for the environment as a whole. But county says, "nope, pay somebody $15,000 so you can use perfectly good water to wash your turds away."
FYI, there is a "glamping" tent on Airbnb, on the Big Island, right now, with a separate "bath house", shower (gravity fed, drain to ground) and composting toilet, with photos. When will the county "go after" this person? Does anyone think they should? Would it make anyone feel better to know there's a plastic tank with 1000gallons of sewage in the ground instead of a compost pile and some wet lava rock?
I agree cesspools are bad. Raw crap in the ground is bad. Kapoho tidepools had something going on. Then Pele solved that problem.
Next topic, you can't do everything yourself with permits. You still need to hire and pay "certified" electricians and plumbers to do that work. Yes, if you know a guy you can pay him to just inspect your own work. Pay into the approved system designed to take money out of your pocket.
And most recently, IECC. International Energy Conservation Code. I have to stuff R-30 in my ceiling now? Why? Do the rats need a nice bed? I'm REQUIRED to install ceiling fans? Why? What if I'm building in Ocean View and the wind is blowing through at 15mph day and night? I MUST have 15% of my floor space in "operable fenestration?"
What if you'd like to build a unconventional structure, because you want to? Because you have a passion for it, whatever it is? And the code doesn't recognize it, even if there are hundreds of them out in the world already? I love monolithic domes, think they are great. I like the "eco-shell" approach, which you shoot concrete on the outside of a airform, then you can deflate it and use it again when you are done. Cool huh? Well, flexible basalt "rope" is by and large the best way to reinforce these types of shells. But, code doesn't recognize the material. I have to use Chinese manufactured rebar instead. OK, fine, I'll do that. Oh wait, IECC has kicked in. And it says, I need to insulate. Since there is no distinction on a dome between wall/roof/ceiling (again, code doesn't care), I have to insulate the whole thing. Which in turn, DOUBLES the completed material cost of the shell. The labor goes even higher, as I don't have the means or equipment to do the urethane spraying. For something I don't need, nor want. To "satisfy" the code.
It all just starts to grind on you.
If you want a full time conventional house for a family with flush toilets, I'd agree, get the permits, follow the rules. Not for everyone.