General Permit Question

[SteveB]

I live in a rural area. Very rural. There is a county building inspector, and permits are required for new construction on structures for human habitation.

Where is the line that separates outbuildings, sheds, pole barns and such from dwellings? When does it become an issue to go and get a permit? When you have a foundation? When you add electric or plumbing? I want to make a pole barn, and to cover some work areas. I know this will vary greatly from location to location, but are there any standard rules that apply across the board?

I know the local inspector, and will speak to him. Just wanted to ask here in advance to get some input. I want to tapdance inside the lines and avoid things getting complicated.

Steve

[Bill]

In my area, it is the size of the outbuilding which determines if a permit is required or not. Basically a "shed" does not. Larger does. Then pretty much any new electrical work, etc.

The general idea is any work done which could cause injury to people if not done right or could cause loss of property due to fire, flood, etc.

Is that beam the right size to support the structure even during a high wind?

Is that electrical work done in a safe manner so no one in your family will be electrocuted?

Is that plumbing done right so methane gas from the sewer does not vent to the inside of the house?

Etc.

It is a good idea to get a building permit even if one is not required. Then you get an expert double checking your work for safety. And the fee is not too much as it would be to hire such an expert.

[The Reverend Natural Light]

In my area, the square footage of the structure determines whether you need a permit. In another area it was whether or not the building had a foundation. A shed sitting on blocks was considered temporary - on poured concrete it was permanent.

It's probably different everywhere. The people at the planning office are usually very helpful.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

In my area, it is 100 sq ft.

[dpb]

It depends entirely on the wording of the local ordinance adopted. They'll be more than happy to tell you or you could go get a copy of the rules and read them for yourself.

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[willshak]

on 1/9/2008 9:17 AM SteveB said the following:

In my area, any building or fence requires a permit. There are setbacks for all. When I installed a pool, the setback for the fence was 6", now it is 3'. A shed less than 12' x 16' has to be at least 10' from the prop line. Anything larger has to be 30' from the line.

[bigjimpack]

. Otherwise, you should be able

[S. Barker]

I have found that if you want to "tapdance inside the lines" then it's best to not even ask. Just do it. BUT you have to be very aware of traffic on your road, visibility of the project, where the county employees live, (do they drive past your place everyday) etc etc.

AT worst, they usually will just stop the work until a permit is obtained, and charge you twice what the normal would be. But, your area may be different.

s

[buffalobill]

the wisdom is that someone has already built what your intended eventual use is, and when you update it to local building code revisions for the latest safety and usage requirements to match your dirt you will be amazed how smart and helpful the permit office can be is when you part with your permit fee. mistakes without a permit can be expensive in many ways. and the experience of a local architect would give you the evolving design for your long range plans while he saves you money on economical local climate designs and contractors. if your "garage floor" is what you think you're building up from, instead go see:

[HerHusband]

I'm just relaying what the building department told me...

Obviously, you could build the pole barn for "agricultural" purposes, and park your vehicles in the "barn" after it's built. Just be aware the permit requirement may be based on the "intended" use.

We built a small house with two bedrooms and a home office. It even says so on our plans. But to the building department (and taxes) it's a three bedroom house. Even though there's no closet of any kind in the third "bedroom". Though obviously, we could move out the desk and put a bed in there at a future date.

So, your building department may view things differently than you do...

Anthony

[SteveB]

After looking through all the county building ordinances online, there is an exemption for "recreational" structures. Since the purpose of one of these structures will be for astronomy and ornithology, it may slide through the loophole. I may even put one side of it for climbing that the kids like to do. But, yes, I will check with the local inspector. He's handling our addition right now, and has been very helpful. He's retiring from county wide in a couple of weeks, and then will only do our little town. He'll be more than able to steer me clearly through this.

Steve