codes, zoning and other regs

[mobile_bob]

maybe we can put together a registry of locations out and about the country or world where there are fewer regs/zoning and codes that builders must follow.

not that i am anti government or anything, but lets face it, if one is going to build a home, it seems apparent to me that not having to deal with any more bureaucracy than necessary results in lower costs and far less headaches.

for instance here in Marion county kansas, the county is zoned and has all sorts of regs limiting what and where you can build, even though there are only 13k residents in the county and the density is pretty sparce, they still want to be up your behind on all facets of your project.  so that can be a problem

now witin the town i live in, we have very few codes pertaining to what you want to build, so few that they are hardly worth considering, apart from a 15 dollar building permit and specs pertaining to reasonable setbacks (which make sense) you can build and live it just about anything you like. there is no code enforcement either, and you can wire and plumb your own house to whatever standard you like.

now i realize that having no or few codes present some safety concerns, my thinking is most of us in this and other diy communities are likely not going to have a very high density of safety issues,  i doubt there are significantly higher fire rates or other failure in diy built homes than those built by professionals... certainly not as high as those weekend warrior types that already know it all and never read the instruction let alone ask for help.

i know there are large parts of this country that are unincorporated and large parts of the population that will never venture out more than 50 miles from home, so they know nothing of what is possible in other parts of the country.

so maybe we put up some data that others might find useful here.

something like

location : marion co. kansas
zoned: yes
codes: yes
minimum acreage to build: 3 acres
population:  ~13k
area: approx 30 x 30 miles
terrain:  some rolling hills, some flatland praire, farmland
distance to major city: 40-80 miles to wichita ks (depending on what part of the county you start from)
other:

ok guys, cut and paste, add to or whatever, tell us about your corner of the planet.

to be continued

bob g

[Tom Reed]

location : mendocino co. Jefferson (CA)
zoned: yes
codes: yes
minimum acreage to build: depends on zoning
population:  ~87k
area: approx 350 sq. miles
terrain:  Coastal mountain range, some rolling hills, 5% flatland, farmland
distance to major city: 40-80 miles to Santa Rosa, CA.
other: We have Class K permits which allow the construction of non-conventional homes with a minimum of code requirements and inspections.

[Hugh Conway]

We're here on a relatively small island on the Canadian west coast

zoning...yes
code.....none, except electrical
minimum acreage to build...depends on zoning but generally 2 acres and up
Population.....approx 900, spread out
Land area, roughly 8 X 15 miles, 50 sq miles
Terrain ....mixed, mostly rocky and heavily treed
Building permits.....none required, anything goes
Expensive ferries  and 2 hours travel time to get you to/from nearest town of about 25K

Cheers,
Hugh

[LowGear]

Big Island, Hawaii

Zoning - YES - Ag5
Code - YES - Never met a regulation they didn't like.
Inspections - Harsh
Enforcement - What's that mean?  But I do wait until dark before I get crazy and change a breaker or something technical like that.

One of the most UNpermitted work areas in the US.  If they make it too tough or expensive people just do what the hell what they want.

[LowGear]

UPdate:
http://www.oneisland.org/hawaii/2016/10/home-is-where-the-farm-is-tiny-houses-for-farmers

HB2 is nearing the critical vote.  Housing in Hawaii is on the high side.  And if you want county water and electricity it's just plan ridiculous.

[Westcliffe01]

Custer County Colorado
County Seat Westcliffe CO
Pop 385 (town) ~3500 county summer
Zoning yes
Code: No.
Per county master plan, there are height restrictions.  One does have to file a basic plan for the property to demonstrate that any buildings meet setbacks and height limitations.  Someone from assessors office will visit property and pick a reference surface away from the building from which the final building height will be measured.   No building permits no electrical permits, no plumbing inspection per se.
Wells and septic systems are handled through the state office.   $3500 fee for a well.   Must possess at least 15 acres of land to be able to water animals or irrigate crops using the well.  Smaller land parcels the water may only be used in the building.    Everything related to water rights is complicated out west, buyer beware....

[Westcliffe01]

Wilcox County Georgia
County Seat Abbeville, GA
County population <10k
No building dept, no permits outside town.
Area known for cantaloupe harvest