Frequently Asked Questions
How much will my home cost? | ||
Are the plans engineered? | ||
How much can I save by working on the house myself? | ||
When do I need a building permit? | ||
What doI do if I need to modify the plans? | ||
"When do I need a Building Permit?"
Codes and permitting requirements are very local in character. Even though there are national codes (such as the Uniform Building Code), how they are interpreted locally varies widely. This is as it should be local conditions also vary widely. Should a house in rural Montana be built to the same standard as a house in suburban Phoenix? Of course not.
It is your responsibility to determine the local zoning and building regulations and how you will respond to them. For small inexpensive houses, there are two things you need to find out from and about the local building department:
Some rural areas have special provisions for owner-built structures. The definition of what is owner-built will vary, but in my area (Island Co., Washington) it means the owner and non-professional friends and family are building the structure. Owner-builders can hire electrical and some specialized trade work such as concrete foundations. Required inspections and the details needed for submitted plans are greatly reduced. Ask if your county has an owner-builder amendment to the building code (it took several years of political action in my area to get one passed).
Whether or not you get a building permit, anytime you design a house you will have to modify the plans to meet local conditions of climate, earthquake bracing, snowfall, soil bearing and materials availability. This is the hidden surprise of buying stock plans no set of general plans will meet all your local conditions. This is why we provide plans that are easy to modify and can be reproduced as needed without buying another set of (unmodified) plans.
Building inspectors can be helpful. If they've been around awhile they most likely know what works best locally. Inspectors and people such as builders, designers, and building supply houses will have suggestions for modifications to your plans. Carry a set of plans around with you to take advantage of chance encounters. Most people with building experience are glad to share that experience with you.
Before you finalize things, make sure your structure is up to local conditions and that you haven't made a boneheaded mistake you will later regret.
"I want to build a Strawbale house. Will rural building inspectors give me a hassle?"
If you need to get a permit for a strawbale house you will have to show the inspector and plans reviewer that your house design meets the structural requirements for your area. Strawbale houses have the easiest time in areas with low earthquake potential and some history of earlier buildings with strawbale walls.
Strawbale is a rather awkward building material. It works very well as insulation where lots of trapped air pockets are a good thing. It works poorly as a structural material where predictable density and rigidity are desired. The problems come from trying to make one material do both jobs.
Most people don't appreciate how structurally elegant and strong conventional stud and plywood construction is. This system has evolved over the past century and now starts with 2x4s or 2x6s as the ribs or skeleton of the house. Plywood or OSB is anchored to this and makes a tight structural skin locking the skeleton together and making the two materials stronger than either would be alone. Finally, something fluffy such as fiberglass is stuffed into the skeletal cavities for insulation and the skeleton is closed up with another skin on the interior.
Strawbale walls have no skeleton. It's more like trying to build with jellyfish.
In my area, where earthquake bracing is mandatory for even one story buildings, strawbale is very expensive since you have to build a standard wood supported house with wide span beams between heavily braced plywood corners. These support the roof and tie the building together structurally. You can then infill the walls with anything you like: strawbales, glass, popcorn, whatever. The builder ends up doing a lot of fussing around with differential settlement, transitions between materials and keeping the bales dry and rodent free. Yet strawbale houses are sculptural and handsome when done, and lots of people show up at weekend work parties.
If you have long-standing historical examples of strawbale construction, use them as a model (both for yourself and the building department). If you want to do load bearing strawbale walls, keep them to one-story, provide plenty of roof overhang and get tight, dry bales. Also, find someone who has built this way before and knows how to preload the walls with the top bearing plates.
Questions, Comments, Ideas?
The most frequently asked general questions about small house building and country living will be posted here. More questions and answers and the best place to ASK a question is the Design/Build Discussion Group.
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