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I have a large lot i recently purchased ( > 10 acres). I will be putting up a temporary structure - a deck, canvas tent, outhouse, solar, etc - to live in for a few years to allow myself time to plan out a permanent living structure, landscape the area and get a construction loan.
Will there be any issues with this temporary structure being around while going through the permitting process for my eventual home? I've been told that i should build the temp structure in a part of the lot that won't be visible from the inspectors when the permanent house is going up. I don't understand how a completely separate structure on your land could have any impact on a permanent dwelling.
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You have more to worry about your neighbors reporting the temporary structure, as inspectors usually do not go out looking for code violations, but if they are reported, they must.
Currently, the county does not LEGALLY allow any temp buildings (save for a very few special event type tents that have a very limited time up), or any buildings without a permit, UNLESS they fall within those structure that ARE allowed to be built without a permit (almost positive a standard outhouse is not allowed here & may be the item that could cause you the most problems, even though cesspools & SOME compost toilets are allowed on most large acreage lots)....
Structures - seems under 6' & small - something like 120ft sq...with a deck no further raised than under 24".... but those have come under the punaweb scrutiny & may or may not be the legal code definition of what (if any) structures are allowed here without permit... Even mobile/trailer homes have been questioned in some places in the county (maybe a "project" boat may be the answer...)
Some very temporary structures here have BECOME very permanent, so that may be the reasoning by those that decide what is allowed.
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when we built they said any un permitted structures need to be torn down before final. but some only look at what they are suppose to look at and dont worry about other buildings. you have to see what your inspecter says.
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10 acres is huge. Put your temp living quarters out of sight from the perm and you'll have no problem.
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I'm not sure why people want to build with out a building permit. Just draw up a simple 20x20 or 20x16 box and get a permit and stat building your shack.
I'd say as long as you have your permit and your building "KINDA" to the plan your pretty much good to go. If you run out of cash and had to lope off a few feet you could always get it revised later ...
Good Luck -- you can find people that will draw up for about a buck a sqft. Shouldn't cost more than 700 bucks to get a permit. Heck if it's that cheap why not? You can just take pictures of your load path. Do all the pluming and electric work yourself just leave the wall open and if for some reason you wanted to get it finialed you could hire electrician / plumber in the future.
Even if you had nasty neighbor from hell report you and if you have a permit on file and it "kinda" looks like the shape of the plan you are building they will probably not even come out to talk to you.
That's my take. I think the 5-700 bucks spent is worth the peace of mind.
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wow, thanks for all the responses
the neighbors will not be an issue - there are none! when i said outhouse, it will include a composting toilet. this structures main purpose is to be a)cheap b)temporary. it's basically about a 1000 sqft deck with a nice tent on top, all covered with canopy tarps. having it like this allows me to move to my property asap and spend a couple years out there before committing to a building loan and the type and location of the building. decisions that i don't think i'm ready to make until i've been on the land for a couple years and know what would work best. it will also give me time to begin establishing gardens, planting, greenhouse, landscaping, etc.
it sounds like if it's out of sight that is the best. i think it will definitely be something that an inspector wouldn't be too happy to see, i.e. it couldn't really be called anything else but an unpermitted structure.
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Why not drop a used intermodal container on the property somewhere and wrap a nice big lanai around it? That way you have some security that will offer a way to lock things up while you are not on the property and some means to collect water... Might cost 20-30% more that a tarp and a deck but then it's not just some disposable thing when you move in your permanent residence. Food for thought?
William DeBoe
Palm Beach, FL
Moe'uhane Oihana mahi ai
Mahi 'ai 'Ulu
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i have an additional question. when building this deck, if i did want to do it to code, is there a resource available to guide the construction? I have been to the county's website (what a mess) and found the building code, and it states that it has adopted the 2006 IBC. The majority of the code seems to be legal jargon and amendments to the IBC. I looked up the IBC and there is a section that looks applicable to deck construction
http://publicecodes.citation.com/icod/ib...sec008.htm
I have also found this document from the American Wood Council which seems much more informative and applicable to decks in particular.
http://www.awc.org/Publications/DCA/DCA6/DCA6-09.pdf
Can you tell if the deck construction document conforms to IBC 2006? There seems to be slightly different nomenclature when referring to the code it conforms to.
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@bluesboy
aloha, it;s my understanding that the Deck Designer on Lowes.com defaults to meet the building code design requirements within any specific area, Hawaii included. "IBC 2006" as base. They employ DIY Technologies (
http://www.diytechnologies.com/04_exampl...es.html)as the design software. hope this helps
gramps
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You would need to confirm the new code on this but two things were generally no permit required.....
Concrete poured on grade.... sidewalk and patio/lanai type stuff
and
wood decks of less then 30" elevation (height).
There is a company called The Block Company that has a small concrete truck for 4 yard or less pours as I recall.
Assume the best and ask questions.
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