No permits required for structures under 600 s.f.

[hotinhawaii]

Here is what the code says. Is it true that structures under 600 s.f. don't require permits?!

Section 5-25. Construction documents required.
(a) Two sets of plans and specifications shall be submitted for dwelling (R-3 Occupancy) and accessory
structures for dwellings. Three sets of plans and specifications shall be submitted for all other
occupancies.
(b) Plans, specifications, engineering calculations, diagrams, soil investigation reports, code search, special
inspection and structural observation programs and other data shall constitute the submittal documents
and shall be submitted in one or more sets with each application for permit.
© All plans and specifications relating to work which affects the public safety or health and for which a
building permit is required shall be prepared, designed and stamped by a duly registered professional
engineer or architect in accordance with chapter 464, Hawai‘i Revised Statutes. For residential (R-3
Occupancies) and accessory (U Occupancies) only, plans and specifications shall be designed and
stamped by a professional architect or structural engineer when any of the following applies:
(1) Single story structure and more than 600 square feet of floor area for R-3 Occupancy.
(2) Single story or two-story structure of mixed occupancies (R-3 and U Occupancies) with more than
1,200 square feet of total floor area. Item #1 criteria applies.
(3) Structures of R-3 or U Occupancies that are three or more stories in height.
(4) Flood Zone.
(5) Structural members are concrete, masonry or steel.

[Seeb]

5-19 exceptions 18 storage sheds in Ag zone

[hotinhawaii]

5-19.18 states that one story detached structures used for storage sheds under 600 s.f. and on ag. zoned land don't need permits. That is different from what 5-25 says. 5-25 specifies when construction documents are needed. For residential dwellings, plans shall be designed and stamped when a single story structure is more than 600 s.f. I am sure this can't be right but how am I reading this wrong?

[Seeb]

any thing over that criteria need plans stamped by an engineer.

[Rob Tucker]

The old code exempted AG structures, not for human occupancy, of less than 120 SF.

The new code at 600 SF would appear to be more lenient for AG buildings.

[Seeb]

the original IBC had a provision that single family detached residences under 1500 square of living area that followed IRC prescriptive ( cookbook) design did not need an architect. The idea was to reduce the cost of low income rural housing

[Carey]

There may be a catch 22 in this, as there was in the old building code...but it is not as clear, as far as I have looked, the old code 5-1-.8 was that detached structures less than 6' were exempt.... in the new code... 5-19 sec. 17 has the permit exemption statement "Detached structures for animal shelters, storage sheds, towers and similar uses not more than 6'-0" in height"

also remember that the structure in 5-19.18 as very specific uses....any non-specified use is a a potential for "neighbor' problems (ie: if you build a 600sq ft 5'-11" heigh storage shed on you AG zoned lot & use it for a house, your neighbor could complain...& you could end up in violation... )
link:
http://records.co.hawaii.hi.us/Weblink8/...spx?dbid=1&id=59647&page=5

[hotinhawaii]

This section does not seem to limit the exception to ag bldgs. as it refers only to R-3 dwellings and seems to say that under 600 sf. for R3 occupancy do not need a stamped design or construction documents. How am I misreading this?

[Carey]

OK...curiosity got to me....
HIH, your quoted info was specific to R-3 and U occupancy.... the building code links in the Hawaii IBC revisions are only for Chapter 5 of the IBC, so I checked the link for the IBC online for what is R-3 & U occupancy, that is in Chapter 3 of the IBC

R-3 Residential occupancies where the occupants are primarily permanent in nature and not classified as Group R-1, R-2, R-4 or I, including:

Buildings that do not contain more than two dwelling units.
Adult facilities that provide accommodations for five or fewer persons of any age for less than 24 hours.
Child care facilities that provide accommodations for five or fewer persons of any age for less than 24 hours.
Congregate living facilities with 16 or fewer persons.
Adult and child care facilities that are within a single-family home are permitted to comply with the International Residential Code.

R Link:
http://publicecodes.citation.com/icod/ib...006-000001&bu2=IC-P-2006-000019

Group U shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

Agricultural buildings
Aircraft hangars, accessory to a one- or two-family residence (see Section 412.3)
Barns
Carports
Fences more than 6 feet (1829 mm) high
Grain silos, accessory to a residential occupancy
Greenhouses
Livestock shelters
Private garages
Retaining walls
Sheds
Stables
Tanks
Towers

U Link:
http://publicecodes.citation.com/icod/ib...006-000001&bu2=IC-P-2006-000019

[hotinhawaii]

Carey, thanks for the additional info, but you didn't seem to address the specific question which is raised by section 5-25.c.1. This refers to R-3 structures greater than 600 s.f. needing plans and implies that R-3 structures under 600 don't. Does anyone else read this that way or some other way?