this forum needs some building code inspectors!
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Intentionally provocative description
Now that you're here, hear me out. I love everything people show here, but in my own thinking and projects (and in the feedback from @Zander and @Matt-Prosser both) I frequently end up in 'could I build this to code in location XXX'... which is fundamentally a different question than 'how to do building process YYY'.
So what if we bring the fox in the hen-house to provide better feedback on how to play be the foxes rules? It'd be awesome to have someone who intimately knows the code (at least in the US for me) here on the forum providing practical feedback on the issues one would have, and (hopefully) strategies for avoiding them. I would even argue because so many local municipalities are basically copy pasting the international building codes, one well informed inspector could cover a lot of ground (in terms of providing useful feedback) in and outside the US.
So - anyone have a good relationship with their local inspector or code person who may join the forum and help folks bounce ideas off?
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@gbathree My non-expert understanding is that a code inspector would have virtually nothing useful to say here, because there are no building codes for aircrete domes, at least not in the US. Structures are legally built outside of code all the time in elite circles - all it takes is $10k to $infinity to pay a state approved engineer to sprinkle holy water on your plans. If we could entice a certified engineer onto this forum, we would really have something. The most likely way to get engineers involved is by handing them large sums of cash to look at plans. Then we could share those plans on this forum. For a small fee, of course.
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@zander interesting... I sent a note to these guys: structure1.com. Had a nice response, but I'll call them and see what they think and try to respond here.
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@gbathree we are interested to know what you find out. We contacted a local engineering company here on the Big Island (EPI) and the man (not an engineer) wasn't hopeful that any of his engineers wanted to take this on.
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@rachelanna I've heard that Structure1 is asking $7,000 to approve an aircrete dome. That seems to be a sticking point for folks.
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@zander Can't you send some some plans to a local governing authority to request a permit.
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@knowitallteen What do you mean sticking point? Can you clarify?
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@zander Wow that's actually pretty good! Is a separate permit required on every buildling? If you repeat the same structure, do you need to repeat the costs?
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@KnowItAllTeen City and county building departments can only approve plans that use standard building methods. Anything creative or interesting has to be 'stamped' (approved) by a engineer who is certified in that state.
sticking point = the point at which the progress stops = deal breaker
@gbathree I heard that subsequent stamps would only cost $3500. Still a sticking point for most aircrete builders.
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$7K is quite a sticking point! Thats a lot of cement and Drexel!!
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@upwinger That's why domegaia is making a bunch of ready made plans already approved by engineers. At least, Gibran mentioned that a while back.
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@knowitallteen They partnered with some engineering firm that is licensed in every state. That is what I heard anyway. Am I wrong?
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@knowitallteen I remember seeing that post in the old forum also, I've not seen any updates .
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I have heard that that idea is dead in the water due to the sticking points. The engineering firm demonstrated to be overly expensive. I believe that is by design, so that only the elites can truly build what they want.
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@zander Is there any option for those who do not have a lot of money?
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@knowitallteen Well, $10,000 plus $7,000 for approval is not too bad for a house. That is still a bit pricey. The main problem is the limitations people have to build what they want. So, what can be done about that?
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For those who want to build what they want, how they want, it is very helpful to find land that is free of government scrutiny.
Look for towns, counties, or countries with minimal or zero building codes and zoning codes. These exist, but they are the exception. These places are usually low income and low population. In the US, look for counties that don't generate enough taxes to pay a building inspector. There are a few small towns in the US that meet this criteria as well - they are even more rare in my experience.
For those who want the freedom to build without government interference, but aren't willing or able to live in a low govern
ment area, a different approach is to have secluded property and strong boundaries. If your structures are not visible from the road, and if you keep your gates closed and fences maintained around your property, then you have a reasonable chance of remaining immune from direct government intrusion*. However, you must also be very discreet about letting anyone else see your buildings, especially neighbors. If anyone knows that you have unpermitted structures and decides they don't like you, they can and often do report it to the county. It makes sense to be on excellent terms with your neighbors before considering such a project. It can be helpful if you know that your neighbors also have unpermitted structures. However, I have seen entire neighborhoods get ratted out by a single obnoxious human being.There are other solutions as well, but these are the ones I am most familiar with.
*Many counties regularly check satellite images for the appearance of unpermitted structures. However, at this point, they need to conduct an on-site inspection before they can make any claims. In most counties they can't legally hop a fence or open your gate to conduct an inspection. If the cancer of governmental tyranny continues to grow at its current rate, they would soon be able to conduct such inspections via drone or other intrusive method. In general, the longer a structure stands undisputed, the better a chance it will have of being grandfathered in if necessary at some point.
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@zander This is very helpful. Thank you.
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@knowitallteen I think someone should bring this up with governing authorities on construction. There is a demand for sustainable housing. This is a solution to it. In places like Hawaii and California, where there is a need for it to be sustainable and cheap. They would be more willing to create codes for dome homes.
