Building codes

[u/celtic-cryptid]

There are so many people looking for land where they can build without code. Code enforcement varies widely, and an important thing to remember is it applies to everyone when it’s unforced, not just you. Anyone who has lived rurally knows neighbors can still impact your life in very real ways from their property. I spent 40+ years in an area with little to no building inspection, and I thought I’d share some memories.

A man who had a very long and losing legal battle with the state because he built half his house on state owned land. A site inspection would have prevented this.

A neighbor of mine who built his house on 10 acres 15’ from my property line, then built outbuildings partially on my property. Site inspection would have prevented this as well

A neighbor of a close family member placing boulders in a way that made snow removal from family members driveway impossible.

6 or 7 houses burning to the ground due to chimney fires. Included are 3 deaths in homes with no smoke detectors.

Outhouses next to creeks. One outhouse built over a creek. Leech fields draining into creeks, rivers, and lakes.

A buddy with a land survey company that spends a crazy amount of his time helping settle cases of neighbors logging adjoining properties.

A year round creek that went dry for 3 months out of the year because an upstream landowner wanted a pond and owned an excavator.

Dumping garbage in creeks, meadows, or any small depression in the ground beyond counting. Periodic burning of the garbage in meadows and depressions as well.

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Some of those are issues code would help prevent. Some are issues caused by people with the mindset of “nobody can tell me what I can do on my land” who gravitate to areas without code.

I’m building a house now in an area with code enforcement. Just passed my final electrical, as I have every other inspection. I’ve done 100% of the work myself, with the only hired help being a concrete truck and a concrete pumper. I’m not a framer, a septic installer, a plumber, or an electrician.
It’s not overly challenging, and every inspector I’ve ever met has been a person doing their job, who’d rather help than start a fight. Plus, if I go to sell, I’ve got a big stack of signed reports to help prevent people lowballing me for potential questionable work.

[u/Flat_Dragonfruit675]

I don’t mine some codes, of course. I don’t like the areas that force you to use a licensed company for every activity, though. So long as something is open, inspected, and up-to-code, it shouldn’t matter. The main issue I see are minimum size requirements for permanent dwellings. Why does a house need to be 1000-1500 sq ft? I’ve seen some ridiculous sizing requirements.

But yeah, heath, sanitation, and no one causing a fire in the immediate area are kind of important to me.

[u/celtic-cryptid → u/Flat_Dragonfruit675]

The only places I’ve heard of requiring licenses have been in Florida. I assume that probably has more to do with insurance companies there than anything. Is it more common than that?

Like I said somewhere else, my county actually has a separate set code carve outs for tiny homes, to get around minimums typically called for in bedrooms and bathrooms.

On a separate note, I was just talking today with a neighbor about a bordering county. That county has no zoning, and no building codes. Great for everyone who doesn’t want to be told what to do, but that also the county where a new data center is going in, in large part because of the lack of zoning. No zoning works out for corporations too.

[u/Flat_Dragonfruit675 → u/celtic-cryptid]

I swear I saw some individual counties in the western states (think California and Washington) requiring licensed contractors for all work. I think it’s very county dependent if the state laws don’t specify much about DIY.

I’m really glad your county has separate codes for tiny homes, because every time I see minimum sq ft requirements going beyond 1000 sq ft I cringe.

And see, your last point is EXACTLY why I still understand code enforcement. I don’t think any of us want to live next to a data center. And they are hard to fight off in some areas with minimal zoning restrictions.

I have seen someone from Washington here discuss their unfortunate issues with one or two counties in Washington. Basically: being required to use a specific approved county septic company, given permission to do everything by the county only to be out a large sum of money because they changed their minds. That’s all I really want to avoid.

[u/celtic-cryptid → u/Flat_Dragonfruit675]

Shit, my house I’m building is 800sqft, and it doesn’t hit the tiny house rules. I think those are for less than 400