Hi guys/gals, I'm new here. Just got 5 acres near Lake Cushman, WA. No power, no water without a 300 foot well so that is not an option. Rain water collection is all we need.
I want to build a small cabin thats bigger than 200 SF so i will need a permit but can I get a permit without a water source? I know Mason county dosen't recgonize rain water collection as a source.
This will just be a weekend cabin so we will bring our drinking water. There is allready a shed, small yurt and a composting toliet on the property.
Can I get a permit for a "dry cabin"?
thanks
This is going to vary from place to place, but...
When I built my house in the FL Keys the Building department wouldn't talk to you about gathering rainwater or building a cistern. They were in bed with the Aqueduct Authority (the water folks. Water is piped down from the mainland thru the aqueduct.) Turns out they didn't even have jurisdiction over cisterns; that fell under the Health Dept. They were very helpful about the hoops that you needed to jump through to have a cistern as a primary/sole water source. Once you got that paperwork in order the Building Dept. would grumble but approve the plans.
Here is Georgia nobody knows squat about cisterns or rainwater collection, but they do know about water tanks for farm use. You don't need a water supply to get a building permit. You can permit a structure and a water tank. IMHO they don't need to know how water gets into the tank or what it is used for. If you do go that route a tin roof is the way to go for potable water collection.
Yeeesh "We're from the government. We're here to protect you."
You should check in your jurisdiction. It varies from place to place. Here in Nova Scotia you can build a cabin with no water or sewer. The requirement for septic system is triggered by having a water supply - no water on tap - no septic needed. Maybe someone from WA can weigh in here.
Mason County is rather strict. :-/
Why not give their permit dept a phone call and ask?