The UGLY TRUTH of NO BUILDING CODES
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- Опубликовано: 28 сен 2024
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Everyone thinks they want to live in a place where there are no building codes. Many think thins means that literally they can do or build whatever the heck they want. There are rumors that living off grid is illegal. Truth of the matter is, “no building codes” isn’t as glamorous as it may sound, but there are some great aspects to areas that have no building codes which is why we’ve decided to build in such a place. Watch the full video to see the pros and cons of no building codes (or permits) from our perspective and experience.
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I love living in Idaho also...especially, Idaho County, Idaho! I got a reply from the county commissioner about the need for a building permit. He said, "its your dirt, do whatever you want with it. Idaho County, its what America used to be." All you need is a septic permit and an electrical permit. So nice to build here.
At our local building department when I said "Well common sense suggests...", I was interrupted and told; "There is no room in the code for 'common sense' ". And that pretty much says it all!
When you allow others to rule you on your own property, then you create a situation where you trade liberty for, what? Conformity? I don't like them. My property, my construction, and if I buy something, it's my job to do due diligence and see if the builder did the job properly.
I live in a city that has three layers of codes, and many of them conflict. One requires a setback of ten feet on all sides of the property, another five feet, but if you want to build a small shed for garden tools, you pay... 450 for a survey... 20 inspection fee to look at the site and tell you if you're far enough away. Then you have a topical map and tree survey to see if any trees you plan to cut (or not) are protected... if they are, too bad, you can't build. Then you need an engineered drawing, and full set of plans. All sheds are required to have a concrete foundation with hurricane straps, but it's okay because they make a kit for only 200.00. If you want a single light bulb inside, you need a licensed electrician to pull the permit for that, another 75.00, and a dig survey plus 15' deep ground rods on both sides. Now, you get your permit, 75.00, for the concrete work, and pour the 'crete and then pay the 20.00 inspection fee for looking at that and going, "Hmmmmm." THen, you get the building up with the species of wood you're approved for the job, and the windows have to be hurricane rated and 3/4" sheeting for hurricane rating. When you're done, and your 12x24" shed is done... you'll pay 3,000.00 or so in fees and permits.... and the project expenses for the actual damned shed will cost you less than 1,000.00
I once let the band have a piece of land I bought to build a house, because the house would have cost me about 12,000 (was planning a one room cottage as a get-a-way) on a 5,000.00 piece of land... and before I could put even one nail into a piece of wood, I would have been out nearly 35,000 in fees, permits, inspections, surveys, and impact fees. ONE of the fees was 20,000.00!!
So no, I do not agree with you. I would agree a basic permit for electric, septic and plumbing because these are health hazards... but nothing else. I actually plan to sell and leave where I live now, eventually, because of the fees and permits and fines. Last week, I was threatened with a fine because my RV was in my side yard too far. When the government gets so deep into your business that they tell you what you can and cannot own, where you can keep it or not, this nonsense has gone way too far. And on top of that, many of the inspectors don't care, the city has no liability if an inspector doesn't do his job, and a lot of the codes were written to help out this or that industry. They were not written to help the homeowner... they were written to make money. A city makes quite a sum on the income from permits and fees, and have no reason to make them easy, cheap, or uncomplicated.
A neighbor had a shed on their property that they had no permit for, city started sending them threatening letters n bylaw fines
So they finally agreed to tear it down, n the city told them they need a pemit to remove it!
City forcing them to remove it, wont let them remove it without paying for a permit
These government regulations are brutal..
Building codes are meant to protect people, not only the homeowner, but nearby neighbors as well. I have seen contractors fight codes (and win) when they are overdone, and I have seen them try to sneak things by and get caught. I have seen people do really stupid things with plumbing and electrical, and even had them try to get me to do them. There are areas that abuse the code system for monetary gain, but it was designed to standardize construction and prevent dangerous or costly mistakes.
I live in a tiny village. i bought the neighboring house, tore it down by hand, and used the lumber to build a garage. The process took about 2 1/2 years. It looked like hell the whole time. There are many neighborhoods where I wouldn't have gotten away with that. But I think everyone in my village would agree that removing a derelict house and replacing it with a new, attractive garage was worth the temporary nuisance.
I know that many people never put the siding on their house because once you do your taxes can go up, its unfortunate but the government punishes you for fixing up your house.
exactly
This was a great video detailing the pros and cons of no building code areas. One other thing to mention is because there are no codes, if you have contractors come in to do work for you, they have a tendency to be sloppy knowing that their work won’t be inspected. Hence if you have a contractor build or perform major renovations, it is in your best interest to hire a home inspector that has a lot of experience checking for building code violations before you make final payments. Been through this as we had a manufactured modular set on our property in a no building code county. It was a real headache making sure things were done correctly.
No building codes is for me! Around my area, we have to have an inspection on the septic system and the well, nothing else. When I build my house, I will go to the county, pay $50 for a building permit and then I get to work. I don't have to submit plans and like I said, no inspections. The neighbor thing doesn't bother me. My nearest neighbors are 1/4 mile away and we respect each other. They worry about themselves and I worry about myself. I could care less what they do with their house
I wish we had more relaxed building codes here in Australia, particularly in the area where we are. We suffered the "we don't understand your engineers plan and drawings " problem because we built a home that was not the standard stick build. Then it was taking too long. We were not allowed to live on site in a caravan, so had to rent a house in town and travel to site after work and weekends to build. That was 25 years ago and things haven't changed. People still stretch the rules. Thanks for the opportunity to follow you guys building what sounds like a wonderful home for yourselves. I understand Jessie complaining about the heat , my wife does not like our summers, many days over 38C or 100F, but I love it. Have fun and keep enjoying the build and each other.
Something else about building codes - it keeps the inspectors honest. In some places, inspectors did quite a substantial, cash business enforcing codes of their own making. Once the Unified codes started coming into their own, a number of those 'inspectors' found other vocations including making license plates.
I build for a living and I enjoy your enthusiasm and attitude about working through the problems. It doesn't matter if you drew your plans or paid $1m for construction documents, there's always something missing, wrong dimension or outright omission. I tell all my sub contractors "make it look like that's what the architect meant do, if it doesn't look right, then it's not. Keep up the good work.
I'd like to weigh in on the contractor cost. I renovated my bathroom and kitchen myself. It cost me $3500 for the bathroom and $7500 for the kitchen. I made the cabinets in the kitchen myself. Had I contracted it out, the bathroom was going to be $17000 and the kitchen $30000. I even built my own deck and shed for $800 and $1200. Had to build the shed instead of buying because for some reason the doorway on all the sheds were 5' 10". I'm 6' 2" without my boots. I do follow code though.
i definitely enjoy the occasional technical videos that are in depth about a particular subject. but PLEASE dont stop your house building videos! thats what got me hooked on your channel!
I used to live in a small town where the officials thought building codes were there to harass people they didn't like. They got mad at me because they wanted to plant trees in my yard in a "city beautification" project, and I put up a privacy fence around my back yard where they wanted to plant them. After that, if I walked outside with a hammer in my hand, I could count on getting a letter in the mail from the building inspector saying, "It appears you are doing some building and we don't have a record of a permit for that work." It did not matter if the hammer was to pound in a nail that was sticking up on the deck or to build a bookcase or other furniture item. I think codes are a good thing if they are not used as a weapon. The city workers also, when snow plowing, started pushing all the snow from the intersection up against my privacy fence, which was built to code and in the proper place.
Nice video, as alllways!
About finishing a house:
My father in law, who's been in the construction bussiness here in Sweden all his working life, allways say that you never finish your own house. When you have done everything, it is allways something else you want to do with the house. He says that you are finish with your house the day you move out, when you nailing that last little skirting corniche or whatever that you never did in that closett. After renovating a few houses of my own, I have found it to be true.
Enjoying the "journey" with you guys. I think it's awesome you're not afraid of showing your frustrations and "mess ups" along the way. The fact you're doing all this on a cash basis is fantastic. Keep up the good work, and by all means, don't forget time out for each other!
I have been a contractor for 30 years. Government code is a joke! Code is pay for play. Corporations use it to get their used. I agree in a standard, which is a lot of common sense. What I would say is that the process should be voluntary and done by a private company. A grading system should be done as well. Think of the government code system like the grades you got in school. If you get a D you still pass. Do you want a D?
Cheers, Larry
giggity
We moved from Seattle to central, rural Kentucky. And yes, our county has no building codes. It is one of the reasons we moved here. And you are so right about the neighbors. Like you, nobody can see our house and we can't see theirs. And like you, some of our neighbor's homes are things you want to look at. Oddly, I love looking at them because they represent personal freedom.
So yeah, you have to look at the rusted out single wide before you get to our driveway, but that driveway brings you to heaven.:)
It's funny how throughout all the channels on youtube that I watch, I ended up wanting to always watch this channel the most. I guess this channel really fills in that void of "liking to see work get done" feeling. I've also just recently moved to 5 acres with plans to build a house and so the channel has really come at the right time to show me just how much truly goes into the planning and process of performing the build. Love the channel guys. Thank you so much for editing video as often as you do to get it up on the channel for our eyes to see.
I've owned homes in cities, towns, and rural areas. Everyone is different. The only constant is the standards for insurance. And believe me, insurance companies have expectations!!
Brian Garrow I hadn't thought of that
Who says you have to have insurance? When your house is debt free, and you can do all the work yourself, insurance is optional.
Yup, the code is not the issue the issue is the registrations and red tape that may or may not be made expressly in such a way that you have to spend a lot more then it should cost.
I don't know about the particular jurisdiction you're referencing when you talk about the six-month build time. However there is a common misconception based on the fact that the model code states permits are good for 180 days. All this means is is that there has to be activity on that permit at least once every 180 days and typically there's a small fee usually not more than a couple hundred dollars to renew the permit. What that means is you only have to have one inspection every six months to keep the permit active plus pay a very small administrative fee. So, you can actually take several years to complete the scope of work under that permit. In one of the jurisdictions I work, there's a permit it's over 25 years old, and the guy is only about 80% complete. ;-)in his defense, it's a very large house.
Definitely keep the house building videos, please! I appreciate the shorter, topic-driven videos, but I love your channel so much because you show the building/learning process the likes of which have never been seen on any media outlet. I recently started working construction and I cant tell you how much your videos have taught me that no matter how daunting a new task can seem, if you break it down into its simplest form (in your case, day by day) it becomes very simple and able to accomplish. I love you both, I love what you're doing, and I look forward to learning a great deal from you. Thank you for sharing your experience!!
You are right- it's not the codes, its the permits! I inherited land in the south- very rural, no utilities, only a dirt road. No codes! But I will build to code for the same reasons you state.
Thank you very much for explaining needs for codes. This rural two story house was built in 1912. The sewer was installed in the 50's. The kitchen sink drainage is down line from an entry hand sink. Later a clothes washer and shower were added further up the drain line. Now? When the washer runs, it sucks the water out of the shower trap, and we always have to run water in the shower. The washer and shower were installed by a plumber, but apparently he did not add a needed vent? So thank you for this information on building codes.
Maybe because all your lines are going to be under a concrete slab, it requires more complex plumbing.
Yup sounds like your shower drain is acting as a vent for the washer.
I would like to add one thing "building to code" is the min. standard. The biggest issue with this is the bare min. becomes the standard which is not good. This also comes into play with the inspectors when you build above code and the inspectors are not use to seeing someone build with above min standards this can hold up the passing of the different inspections. I have ran into this on numerous occasions and it always ends up with a phone call to either the local chief inspector or the inspector general to get the inspectors moving. Within building there is code, a SOP, and then best practice. When new technologies come about or best practices and better building methodology come about the inspectors office always seems to be a few steps behind and creates a bottleneck in building (or at least in my area). Y'all are doing an excellent job keep it up. I would say the biggest advantage to not having code enforcement and codes in areas is folks like yourselves can build a better building without having to be questioned on why you did things a certain way if it is above code. Though like you stated with your plumbing issues and having the connections buried as you did it can be a good double check. Some of this comes from my own experiences which may be soured dealing with codes and inspectors.
Nothing is an easy answer or glamorous. It just comes down to whether you believe in freedom and self reliance with all its ugly realities, or whether you believe the state should control the people. I've lived the life you are currently living as a kid. It was not exactly the same, we were nominally on-grid, at least enough for a few light bulbs and a freezer, but we had an outhouse and no running water, and we heated with woodstoves. I've also lived in places where the government and the neighborhood association regulated what color curtains you could have, and what kind of vehicle you could park on your property. That city where we were so stringently regulated is now all but abandoned. People have bailed, and it is not a place you want to live. You can't regulate abandoned homes. There is no homeowner to force to clean things up. Places that I remember being charming neighborhoods are full only of hypodermic needles and decay. Others are returning to wild space or open land, as the homes burn, fall in, or are torn down. The place where we had freedom continues to be populated and continues to be free.
The bottom line is that any freedom you allow the state to take from you will eventually be a boot heel on your throat. Any freedom you have, you must also extend to your neighbors. Freedom is always better than regulation. Banks are another regulation that needs to go.
Informational videos once in while are not only appreciated, they are needed...
So keep doing your good work and most of all...keep inspiring people that they CAN do it...
As an frsh immigrant, you show me, that this can be still the Land of the BRAVE...as you are... which it is normally not anymore...at least in our fear based area where we live...
Thx for sharing that all...and cute to see your evolution in look, speech and mental/physical grows
I like the progress videos. I like to see you guys step forward every day and explain why you're doing what you're doing. I don't think less of you in the slightest if things don't go to plan. I made videos where I built a deck with my son and everybody said I had too much scrap wood. They are probably right but whatever, I like my deck and the experience was a good one.
I think you'll be in the same place next year. Did you do everything perfectly? Nope, but you'll like your house and value the experience.
informative video, thanks. im involved with a small group thats looking to start an echovillage and this is one of our primary concerns.
Hey guys... I haven't seen any format of video I didn't like. I believe watching you on your journey means (at least for me) to understand what you are feeling, thinking and fighting for and/or against. I've seen you tired, energetic, exited, bored, angry, happy, whiny and proud... and I learned so much about building a home, contractors, legislation, tools and machines... that even if I may never build anything myself... it was well worth watching your adventure and share the experience! Thank you so much for that and for keeping it real, with not too many filters and true to yourself... all the best to you... keep experimenting!
Well said Frank! I was about to say roughly the same thing. I really look forward to the next episode. I have grown to respect this young couple for their intelligence, work ethic and spirit. Something SO many millennials are lacking.
Well said.
Some good points! Codes, and code officials, are often made out to be the bad guys, unfairly. I won't say that there aren't bad code enforcement people out there, but they're few and far between. I've been a builder for almost 40 years, and, overwhelmingly, my experience with inspectors has been good. Just remember, those fellows were usually in the trades, themselves, and really want you to have your home, and have it be safe and long-lasting.
We enjoy all the videos you publish. The two of you make a great team. Keep up the good work and dismiss all the doubters and haters and armchair quarterbacks. You're doing great.
My wife and I designed, (with an architect), and built a large, (four thousand square foot, plus an over-sized three car garage), house taking seven years to complete and we can relate to the experiences you are having. The reward of living in the home you build yourself is quite satisfying and is the payoff for the sacrifices made to have the dream become the reality.
It's not the damned codes people object to, it's the cost of meeting those codes which usually require a contractor that's what people don't like. You should have been able to just say this as you know why you chose an area with no codes in the first place.
My 1973 house was built to MA state, and local town, code. It has 2x3 studs on non-load-bearing walls, 2x4's with some insulation for outside walls, and had 3.5 inches of insulation in the attic (since added to massively), wiring that is .. okay... and windows that were junk after 20 years. By the time I bought the house in 2001, let's just say I am buying a new house on top of this house, one piece at a time. With a mortgage.
It's nice to have the thoughtful discussion on code versus not. Enjoy your journey, and debt-free existence!
I really appreciate all the insights you share from your home-build experiences, including your courage in exposing your mistakes (which most people would have edited out!). I absolutely get your points about building code. In best case, they are a distillation of building excellence. In worst case they can be a weapon against you in the hands of the corrupt.
So there are areas in the US that a e similar to where I built my cabin in Canada! I was surprised how few areas there are in North America that are permit-free.
Jesse, Alisa, actually, I enjoy all of your videos regardless of how long they are; at times I enjoy more the longer ones; you guys rock! Keep it up.
I was $20 000 over budget before I broke ground due to codes. Paid it, built it and moved in before I got occupancy. They can't kick you out of your own home so forget them!
I understand, Codes are not evil, the mandatory enforcement of codes is evil. Anyone that wants to sell their property to a conventional buyer in the future would be wise to follow them to the letter, but they should not be mandatory anywhere
problem is not codes, problem is random taxes and the costs of permits. Its OK to ask me to get a permit to build a house, but why do I need to pay thousands of dollars for that permit?
Therein lies the problem, if the codes are manditory, then the govt goons will charge whatever they want to for them. That is why you should be able to build ANYTHING you want to on your land without govt interference. This is actually already thew law - the US Constitution
Pretty good. It is worth noting that building codes are not zoning regs. And even with no zoning (uses permitted) there may be covenants that control how and what one is legally permitted to do. Just look at what has happened in Houston without these restrictions. In a town with no zoning, the land I bought cannot be subdivided and I cannot take down trees over a certain diameter beyond 30ft from the house site, many of which have doubled in size since the land was subdivided. Composting toilets are permitted but rainwater cannot be used as drinking water. Building codes are intended to protect health and safety but are often used to limit risk for banks, architects and other professionals and code enforcers and even insurance companies that we pay to take risks! We live in a litigious world. Good luck everyone!
Hi, I so understand your feelings regarding codes. Let me tell you some of the situation here in MS. Until just after Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005...most of the rural areas had no codes. I grew up in a small community not the county seat (the only city in our county). I dont know if the city here then had codes.
When I was 5 (1960), my Daddy broke my heart. He and neighbor men tore down our beautiful large home to build a smaller house that he felt he could maintain and heat. He reused that beautiful beadboard and all the other lumber. I watched every move they made and all the others thru the years.
When I married (1974), we lived in the next southern county, right on the Gulf Coast and in the county seat.
We needed to do some renovations over the years. We had no money to really spend. We did all our own plumbing, no problem. We ran all the electric, but had to pay a neighbor(licensed) to connect it in the box.
Time came that insurance would no longer cover our house without more sq footage. I needed a utility room and storage area. Well, when we decided to reroof... we discovered termites. I got an exterminator, done. Oh but the repairs...oops. well, I talked it over with my hubby, and factored in what I needed for the ex sq ft. Of course, since I worked and paid for the materials and hauled them to the house... well, just say he was in for a surprise. We paid $15.00 for the permit from the city. I made a mistake because I did not know about double bottom plates, down came my wall frames. Yes, I built all the addition. My son and 2 nephews helped with laying the concrete blocks (ages 3. 5.and 7). My daddy scolded me. He said the next storm would bring it to the ground. I ha build and roof the addition. Of course the neighbor installed a pony box for the electric. I passed stringent codes on the coast. My very first project.
We had bought woodland near where I grew up and had a small fixer upper moved onto the property. I worked on it night and day. We ate baked beans and tuna fish and corn chips every day for years. Every cent went into fixing it up the best we could.
After my hubby passed (1997), I had to sell the house on the coast. A neighbor bought it, but did not want the house, just the land that adjoined hers. I was allowed to take what ever I wanted from the house. If I could have, I would have taken it all. Heartache.
Well, she advertised for some one to tear it down for the materials. 2 separate crews tried, but got nowhere. They were attempting to start in the back (THE ADDITION). LOL. Well, a third guy showed up. My mo in law talked to him. His house had burned down. He was in desperate need. She told him about the other 2 crews that gave up. She said, "my daughter in law built the addition. She meant for it to stay forever. You should start in the front." I went by awhile later the only thing left was the addition. So, I guess, I must have learned something.
Now after Katrina damaged my sweet lil fixer upper, and we have codes, I am not allowed to do the repairs I need to do. The permits they require are very expensive. You have to have architectural drawings. Every separate part has to have 3 inspections and separate permits. You have to pay for each of the 3 visits. If you try to build without permits, they can order you to take it down and fine you. They will not allow you to hook up community water. They will not let you have electricity.
Heck I have 57 years experience. It is my farm, why do I need to pay around $5000.00 for their stinking permits.
Old and discouraged.
I do like these kinds of videos. I think a lot of times people see off grid/no permits and wander around youtube looking at earth bag houses and coke bottle windows and imagine that life. You two are a very reasonable middle ground. I think most people want that freedom like you mentioned to build whatever but understand that in the end safety, headroom and sanitation are really important too. Me personally I think Tyvk looks cool once it start to rip a little from all the wind storms.
Thank you for all the hard work it is to keep all your videos coming. I look forward to them all the time. Stay safe and take care.
In cedar rapids Iowa I backed over a water shut off in the yard of my brother helping him. There you have to be bonded by the city so there was only two companies that could replace it. No choice, we even asked if we could dig the hole That was needed to replace it to save few hundred bucks, and that was illegal to dig a hole on his own property because it was in the city's right of way so a job the could have cost less then 500 bucks turned into a 2000 dollar job and include a permit, a contacter, a inspecter, and insurance companys
“It’ll only make ‘em stronger” made me actually laugh out loud - where I grew up, Tyvek is a relatively recent upgrade.
On the cost issue, for all of the DIY projects I’ve done it seemed that estimates for labor would run 100-200% of material depending on how much labor-intensive work was involved. I recently had to pay a contractor to renovate an apartment, a project of very similar scale to one I did myself 8 years ago, and the ratio was $4K materials to $8K labor. That’s not to criticize the contractor - they charged a fair price, they did good work, and they deserve a decent wage for their experience and expertise. But sometimes you just don’t have the money, or you have different priorities, and DIY is the only option left.
As to building codes, I certainly support the appropriate health and safety measures - I think most folks do. It seems in your case, you went this route to enable you to make prudent decisions rather than cutting corners. The cabin was an exercise in expediency; the house is an exercise in effectiveness - in both cases you made the choice that worked best for your situation. You have made choices to hire contractors, get permits, etc. so I really think “no permits” is a matter of being able to make decisions truly consistent with your long-term objectives: a sustainable, debt-free home.
On types of RUclips videos: I thoroughly enjoy both types, and I think you have done well in keeping a balance on the channel to date. I watched the whole sequence over the last couple of months (had some long plane and train flights in there) and thought you were, overall, true to your goal of sharing your journey and that made it engaging, entertaining and informative. So thanks again, and best wishes for a long, long autumn …
Also, lay out an x and y tape measure and record all of your under the slab plumbing. I took over an hour of video to locate everything under the slab (also the hydronic pipe). It is great to have should you need to do any maintenance or additional construction over the slab.
I would say that building codes will help protect you from yourself and from bad workmanship of others. I have found that if you try to follow the codes and don't lie to a building inspector your project will come out fine. In general the inspector is there to help you have a safe home. I like all the video's that you have made, i know what it's like. I 've done it on a smaller scale...
You should want to build everything to code at a minimum. It just gives you a better home, usually. A lot of the times, excessive permits and inspectors are about funding the building department, not about "public safety." Why pay $25 to get a minor permit to replace a water heater when the inspector will not nor is required to inspect the work? Its about collecting money. In other words, government employees protecting their jobs. Some things should be inspected, septic systems, plumbing, water systems should be looked at by someone. I've found inspectors are not helpful and usually egomaniacs who love the power they hold over a home owner.
In my area East Tennessee, we had to get a building permit as a owner builder. Thankfully their were no time restraints. Took me 2 1/2 years for my wife and I to build it. We also had to get a sewage tank & field line permit, electrical permit, that gave us a rough in and final on all of them. Then we got a C.O. certificate of occupancy. All in all the permits cost a total of less than $800, but that was 20 years ago. It's cool to see how other people do things in other parts of the country. Also you guys are doing this together. God's speed to you guys and bugaboo too.
That's the whole purpose of Building codes. The Contractors have lobbied to make it hard to build your own home so that you have to hire someone to build your home. It's almost impossible to build in less than 6 months.
Alisa and Jesse, you are an inspiration. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. You carefully plan, consult, and execute your dream home construction as a team. Putting in the water line in the trench: blowing out the dirt and sifting the boulders was amazing. It seems you covered every aspect by blueprint and/or advisor. I enjoyed this video very much, explaining the pros and cons of no building codes. I am wondering how you missed the restriction of only one connection in your water main? Somebody let you down. Thankfully you had help there and got it remedied. I look forward expectantly to your next video. Brava!!
I can see the good and bad of codes and permits. Codes that prevent fire hazards, mold, collapse of the home, etc are good. They protect you, your neighbor and the future buyer because there is a standard. However, I do take great offense to codes and permits that are ridiculous. I have been places that if you want to build a large pre-built shed from home depot, you are required to obtain permits 5-10 times more expensive than the actual shed it self. Not to mention some places require permits to tear down said shed after it gets a bit to old.
There are a lot of people that don't build to code where there are codes enforced. As a structural engineer that focuses on residential issue I know for a fact that there are also a lot of code officials that can't actually understand the code they are trying to enforce. As a home owner I would love to live in an area where they don't attempt to enforce that which they do not understand along with permitting. That being said the video wasn't bad. I like shorter ones of you all talking like this but longer ones of the actual building process. I am looking forward to the milling and joinery videos to come once you all are working on the super structure. Good luck. You all are some of the best stuff on the internet now that everything is politicized.
Permits....AAhh...A rant forthcoming!!!! I live out in the county in the middle of the woods I own all the land around my house, nearest neighbor is 1/4 mi away. In this county you are required to get a permit for anything you do, I was in the courthouse one day, bored, so I picked up a pamphlet and it said that if I wanted to cut a tree down on mt property that I had to buy a permit and the inspector would come by and tell me if I could cut it down, I PROMPTLY wadded it up and threw it down. This is my land and home, the govt didnt pay a red cent toward it, I do what I want to on my property and I dont ask permission first from the govt, Whenever I do something I do it right since I have to live with it. The problem that empowers these dictators is that most people think that if the govt says that you have to do something, they fall right in line and pay and ask permission to do things on their OWN property. I'm sorry but when the govt starts paying for the things I want to do, I will ask permission, but they havent and I DONT. Rant over. one more thing, my neighbors daughter built a house on his property and when it was finished they had to get a permit and have the electrical box inspected before the power company could hook the power to the house, my neighbor was watching the inspector and as he was walking up to the elec box he was peeling a pass sticker off a roll and then he slapped it on the box spun around and left, never even looked at it. The same neighbor built a pole barn/tractor shed himself, The tax appraiser come around several months later, saw the barn and told my neighbor that he didnt get a permit to build the pole barn and that he would have to tear it down, big nice barn, my neighbor told him to get his ass off his property and not come back. that was about 15 yrs ago, barn is still there govt didnt come back.
I am glad some people can live the dream, I am a dept slave. Not so lucky. I had an inspector try to make me remove 1x 6 pine roof decking and replace it with 15 /32 osb. big fight, almost became physical. home owner finally won. I am happy for You. 57 years old and still struggle financialy
I live in a county in Ohio that is very strict on building codes and I have two hundred acres but I have a cabin in a county in Ohio that has no building codes.
When I built my cabin I went to the county to get a permit and they said do what you want. The catch is when you go to get insurance on the building they have standards you have to meet.
And what are the odds your cabin will ever suffer damage that requires an insurance claim? Bank your supposed insurance premium, practice full liability insurance (take care of potential problems before they happen and live there responsibly). Insurance is a racket; a Tontine Ponzi scheme!
I speak for myself and I enjoy that you give/share your time! Thank you!
In Arkansas my parents bought a house and built on to it...the man who built it was a cabinet maker....My uncle and I had to tear out the floor and rewire what he built....only real thing he did that was right was putting wing braces in it. The house was a death trap for 25 years and nobody knew it. We put in 35k to remodel and fix it with NO labor fees...so codes have a place, but permits are for funding cities....
Love you guys. Produce whatever video content that you feel is important. I know that some get bored with the detail sometimes, but details are important and if you're not paying attention, the details are what's gonna get you in the end. I'm helping my son remodel his kitchen and it's amazing the level of experience that I bring to that project because he just doesn't know what he doesn't know. Every day he learns something new about planning and ordering tasks and tools and time and problem management. We had to tackle a specific plumbing task six times before we achieved success. sometimes it just works out that way. you're experiencing that as well and illustrating it in your journey. Good job.
Seems like a great opportunity to seamlessly transition from griping about the heat to griping about the cold!
I totally understand your situation. I went to Mexico and we bought a small house from my brother-in-law and we are building more on it. It's nice to build at our own pace, but I like building constantly but ran low on money. The freedom to build is great, but I had to buy a Stihl concrete saw and cut the bond beams because it was forehead height. I had to do a major change because the roof was way too low and I wanted to expand my house. So I had to remove the roof and rebuild it differently. It was a lot of work and we plan on building a shop so my tools aren't taking all the room.
permits are a ATM machine for the municipalities as they are used for tax assessment for town and school tax
Its always nice to see you guys relax and tell us what your dealing with. Thank you for taking your time to let us know what your working through.
Enjoyed this video . I think it helps to understand some of the behind the scene thoughts and decisions to what made you make the moves and the direction you are headed. Thanks again .
Helped out a friend in Baltimore a few months ago. Noticed that THERE WAS NO FOUNDATION UNDER HALF THE HOUSE when I cut open a wall and went into the crawl space. Framing sitting straight on dirt, not even using ground contact rated lumber. The half with no foundation was an addition done less than 20 years ago. No way that a building inspector missed something like that, or let it slide because the contractor was nice to him. Moreover, contractor had to know that he was getting away with it. No way that a cheapass who would do something that dumb would attempt it unless he knew that there was no chance of being caught. Would have cost him a ton more, as he would have had to tear the whole thing down. Inspector had to have been paid off, pure and simple.
In TN one dude built his home completely from sawmill lumber - when he went to get electrical permits they said if he wants power , he'll have to start over because they dont allow sawmill lumber in His house on his property .
No building codes equals freedom - anytime you involve government youre screwed
I really like the info dump videos you make. The main reason is because I didn't even know there were places that didn't have building codes, and that has opened up a whole new realm of possibilities for me! So thanks! Can't wait for the next video!
G'day from Australia. It's refreshing to hear somebody say they want to build to code. The "codes" are in place to establish a minimum safety standard. These standards cover everything from basic house construction right through to public liability and fire safety. Love the videos and it's great to be invited on your journey. Well done and keep it up guys.
We built in a rural county in SD. We did pull a building permit. The requirements for that were pretty lenient. It literally says a drawing or sketch on the county web page. Our house is in a development that has covenants. That pretty much takes care of the housewrap problem as we are given 12 months to finish. As far as inspections, so far we've had septic system, rough plumbing and electrical. We've been living in the house for 18 months. When we moved in we had a toilet in the basement and our bedroom was finished. It was a couple of months after that before the rest of the house was finished. We lived in our 5th wheel for 9 months, much longer than we anticipated. Therefore we didn't protect it from winter as we should have. Nevertheless it worked.
The thing that really pisses me off about building codes, building permits and building inspectors is; if you pull the right permits, have a good signed off inspection and 3 years later it is determined that neither the contractor nor the inspector knew shit from shinola the building department has no liability and will hinder you in your efforts to get lawyers, insurance companies etc. to fix the problem. If you had built it all using best practices which you could most likely have managed on your own you would be much further along and save a pocket full of cash.
nota rookie I agree with you. It seems the building codes are for the protection of contractors and the cash for the inspectors instead of general welfare of everyone.
When I came upon your videos< I was hooked. Though unfortunately I was unable to be current...until now. Just finished watching the series of the "Build", and loved every one of them...long and short. Keep up the GREAT WORK.
Usually a permit has to be inspected once everything 6 months at a minimum but it doesn't expire in 6 months. They just want to check-in at least twice a year. Source: Me - just remodeled my house over 8 months in California.
That hug at the end is everything! Love you guys!
Don't know how I got so hooked on watching these but love them. I wake up each morning have my coffee and see if there is a new video to watch.
Glad you guys can enjoy and share your down time... Thanks
When it comes to electricity, it is better to stick to codes, simply because it is safer. Wiring standarts are there for a reason.
The simple fact is that you two can stay on topic better than most other channels. So everything you post is consumable and for me enjoyable to see and hear.
Just curious about home owners insurance on a Tyvek/tar paper shack. No liability or property loss policies due to sub standard building can be a complete disaster in the event of a tragedy. No doubt the insurance mafia will be making moves in Idaho that will upset a lot of apple carts.
I've been building houses for ourselves since 1976 since then inspections have slowly gone from one level to the next. You would think at some point in time they have the rules would become stable but alas no just more layer after layer of new rules needing to be addressed. I cannot imagine someone starting new construction today and not be overwhelmed. We are planning our last home and we are selecting building sites that are not under full build code regulation.
Thirty years ago I wanted to build slab on grade home but was forced to put full foundations down that cost us a great deal. Now I can build slab on grade, using the very same plans I had presented years ago. It is crazy. Many rules make perfect sense but others are presented only because they can Impose new rules.
I'm vary happy with your mix of "house-build" and "topic" videos. Please keep 'em coming!
Highlight of my day is watching your video. Thank you so much.
I like the building videos. Adding topical videos, I think, makes your journey closer to what building a home is really like.
Well... You can build and live in whatever you want. The real problem is if you try to SELL. Which is the problem. Which is where safety is concerned to the new residents, that the old residents knew of problems. At least that's what I think. If you're not inside an actual city. Rural only shouldn't be a problem. Also to code buildings usually don't collapse in 10 days.
That's how it is here in Utah, they will threaten all day but they wont do anything, and you just cant sell it later on 😐
The six months time period is in place to prevent the building from being left half finished in the elements for a extended period of time. materials don't hold up well exposed heat, cold, and moisture. Example- The ABS pipe in the plumbing video.
Of all your videos this one is probably the one I find the most informative and insightful. Keep them coming!
Going back to how people use to live off the grid is my kind of heaven that I hope to one day do
Like the short video format. I think a few videos looking back at a major construction segment and using hindsight say "I wish we would have done this to save us an hour 45 minutes etc. Your hindsight could become another viewers foresight. Thank you for all the great content. For a little fin, you could line up all your ice cream containers in time lapse to show some sort of progress or time line or just sheer effort put forth!
the other issue is home insurance
we find both sorts of videos interesting, its very different to where we are in the desert of Australia. Your gripes about the heat make us smile the summer temp gets as high as 51.c or 123.f........ enjoy your icecream
I enjoy every video... every one, no matter the length. Good to mix it up tho 😊
You bring up some interesting thoughts and seem to have a fair grasp of the issues surrounding them. I'm a lifelong professional contractor and engineer, which gives me a slightly different perspective.
As you mentioned codes aren't necessarily a bad thing. There are some things that municipalities will do that make no sense, yet we are required to adhere to their ideals. This would be the problems that I'm sure you personally are anxious to leave behind. Yes, some permits are extremely expensive. I've worked on projects where the permits cost in excess of 7 figures. I've also worked on projects where the entire property development permit cost was under $500, structure, septic, electric and water included.
Now, the main thing that I've found with code compliance is that codes are approximately 15-20 years behind what's called "good building practice." This is what professionals are doing to address problems that they have noticed. As more professionals adopt this practice it reaches a point where only the absolute worst builders aren't protecting their customers in this fashion. Eventually someone, somewhere will have the issue and a court battle will ensue, thus altering the code to the new standards. From the sound of things you are having this issue in the area you live.
You sound like you want to build everything sound. This said, the reason that things are built rapidly is because unprotected materials tend to deteriorate. I do hope that your engineer worked with you to create a building process that takes this into account and establishes a schedule that works for both your pocket book and the structures needs.
Luck with your endeavor
You did the floor slab. Which is good. I really like watching your videos.
I really am grateful for y'all's videos. We got a tiny house about 3/4 done and moved back into (small) town for electricity and water. We'll finish one of these days and move back out, but y'all are an inspiration. Thank you.
I enjoy all of your videos. Always waiting for the next one. Keep up the good work. I admire what you are doing. ... Ralph
You are so kind to let us flow your progress on the build. And show us what goes on at your place.
God bless you're family.
being debt free is generally a good strategy. with the low interest rates we have these days it is not as clear cut.
up here in our county in MT we have no codes. I had to rewire the garage that was done with 16 gauge orange extension cord, our stairs are at a bad incline and the entrance to the staircase is 5'10" so I hit my head often...worst yet the builder/seller used railroad ties as a foundation and to pass inspection by us buyers they covered the wood with a thin layer of concrete. We tried to sue but the local land attorney said you just moved here and you want to sue someone who has been a part of that community for decades, who do you think will be the jury in that lawsuit....ouch live and learn.
Yup, Ice cream is my Achilles heal. You guys have incredible discipline waiting to eat the ice cream AFTER. Great information and appreciate you sharing! Great info, don't stop.
I think when there is more freedom then you are building for the insurance company. I built for about 14 years in a variety of places in a few states and never had problems with building officials or building to code and its important in many situations because like you said .. neighbors.. what if your neighbor doesn't honor setbacks and builds on your property line .. or if they grade their property so water runs across yours or sewage runs across your well system.. thats pretty nasty.. on your lot it would have been nice if you had maybe 100 yards more at the top of the hill but you are pretty isolated from your neighbors unless someone builds right across the street. But here is a thought for you and everyone if you do or did need to hire a contractor i would bet that the fee to actually become a contractor in your state is minimal. .. yeah actually I just looked up and professional trades like electrical and plumbing require licensing.. but general contractors just have to register with the state and that costs $50 but its free if you don't hire subcontractors.. but in Iowa $50 and you're a registered contractor and then $300 a year should get you a million in liability insurance and you are good to go. so if you ever get hung up .. become your own registered contractor.