Building codes and structure sizes

Re: Building codes and structure sizes

Jeff Schmidt

>Can't help you with your question, Pam, but I would love to see some sketches or plans. Sounds interesting.

Re: Building codes and structure sizes

Mark Nowicki

>AFAIK the building code does not care as long as what you have can carry a certain load.

Mark Nowicki

Re: Building codes and structure sizes

Jack Guzman from Maine

>Pam. You may get better responses on the main message board.Alot of contractors hang out there.---Jack

Re: It all depends on your local code...

john in NM

>Around here, you would only have to permit it if the roof covered everything. Some places the minimum permitable building size is lower than the IRC standard of 200 square feet (used to be 100 in Tucson for example). That's for accessory buildings of course, as in not residences. As far as I know, covered porches and decks are generally included in the building area. In New Mexico, the variations to the uniform codes are available on line (though it really doesn't make much sense without the code book to refer to), maybe its the same for Austin.

Good luck with it,

John

Re: Building codes and structure sizes

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

>You might cruise over to the Fine Homebuilding site (www.taunton.com, then follow the links to "Breaktime" - you have to register, but it's no big project to do so). That's a pretty knowledgeable group of builders. They will all, of course, say, "Depends on what's true in Austin," but maybe you'll luck into a contractor in the Austin area.

Re: Building codes and structure sizes

ThomD

>Sounds like you are working on a different question like "well each of my bents is like a little frame...

Your example is so non-typical I don't know.

I do know that as far as built structure on a given area is concerend (we can't build more than 33%) it doesn't mater whether it is done in little bites or big bites.

Around here if you build above the ground at all you would trigger a permit requirement because it is a loaded structure, and your foundation would be like a deck or first floor, and would trigger a permit. After that was OK, you could add 150 feet without a permit. If it is above the grade level you need a permit for everything.

Re: Building codes and structure sizes

ThomD

>By the way, do you have Rob ROy's book "Timber framing for the rest of us"? It covers the creeping code situation and the self-design situation pretty well. Lowbrow frames style, but he does cover some interesting stuff.

Re: Building codes and structure sizes

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>Sure, just as soon as I have them, it's all a figment of imagination so far.

Pam

Re: Building codes and structure sizes

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>My understanding is that in Austin they care mostly about property tax, as do I, then impervious cover (I'm OK on this one), then setbacks (also OK), then all the other stuff like loads (OK), plumbing, electricity, etc.

Thanks,

Pam

Thanks, Jack, did just that.

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>

Re: It all depends on your local code...

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>The roof coverage seems the most important defining element to me, too; but that's from a rational point of view, certainly not a bureaucratic one. Austin code says below 200 sqft doesn't have to be permitted, except for electric, etc.; but I can't find the specs for things like decks and covered walks in their online manual, which, of course, are made for Windoz only.

Thanks,

Pam

Thanks, Bill, just signed up and submitted.

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>

Re: Building codes and structure sizes

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>As I said above, Austin is mostly concerned with property taxes, but they do have some concerns about the rest of it. Mainly I want to do my standard overbuilt structure(s) without sending my property tax bill to the sky (Texas says they don't have income tax, but they double or quadruple property taxes to accommodate their needs, does a lot for a retirement fixed income that). I just started reading Roy's book last night, more on it later.

Thanks,

Pam

Re: Building codes and structure sizes

Ernie Miller

>Pam wher I live you can't build any thing biger that 10X12 with out a permit. if it is attached to a building or perminantly to the ground you need a permit no matter what the size. So if you four buildings sit on skids than they are fine as long as they are not attached. you can have a deck in between them as long as they do not attach to each other. put that big roof over it all and you are screwed. Around here we build them little decks and have them at differant hights and angles.

Thanks, Ernie, that's very clear.

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>

Why sweat the permit?

Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native now in Jax Fl.

>Pam,

I don't undertand the fear of the permit. The main reason for the permit is to help you ensure that your building is built correctly and to the proper codes. Yes, I'm sure that this permit will also get your new building keyed into your taxes as well, but hey, sooner or later they're gonna find out anyhow. I'm also think about insurance. If say you have a goodly dollar amount of tools in your four little buildings and something where to happen such as storm damage or worse yet fire, and you make a claim to your insurance company, they may respond with something like "Since your shop(s) where not built under a local permit, we assume that the damage is a result of your own negligence and therefore we are not obligated to honor your claim" Coarse, I have no experiance in this area, and am only playing Devils Advocate, but it is something to consider.

Bottom Line, I'd go lay down the $50 or so for the permit, deal with the Inspectors looking over your work and be done with it. It really is for your own best interests afterall.

Todd O.

Re: Why sweat the permit?

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>Todd, I'm on a fixed income now. Property taxes are outrageous in Texas (since we don't have an income tax, Texas grabs everything via property, which is very bad for fixed incomes). So this is important to me. Even the permit is more than $150.

Also, I've got a real problem with arbitrarily enforced authority. Just think of Woody Allen and the cop in the close of Annie Hall.

Add to that that I always overbuild, so I'm not concerned with having sufficient quality. And I'm doing timber framing, which is "strange" to these guys, so the process should take a lot longer and they'll probably make me do all sorts of baloon framing nonsense to suit their little ideas of what's appropriate. Or, spend hundreds on getting a structural engineer to "approve" my building.

Insurance went through the roof 3 or 4 years ago, to the point I consider it useless at this point.

[deleted --wrd]

Pam

Re: New Mexico is pretty reasonable, BUT

John in NM

>they still made me get an engineer to approve a mortared stone stem wall (18" thick, pinned to bedrock, pretty much bullet proof). Ridiculous. Still the inspector is a great guy, really lucked out there.

John

Re: New Mexico is pretty reasonable, BUT

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>You have to admire a state that's sufficiently considerate enough to keep the legislature and constitution bilingual.

Pam

Oops, sufficiently and enough are redundant.

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>

Inspectors!

Ernie Miller

>When I built my house and it was time for the footing inspecting it rained the night before the inspection he pulled up as close to the curb as he could stood on his tail gate and said is it 4" below grade Yes looks good to me. at the end 3 years after I started and had been living there for 2 1/2 years he comes for my regulary 6 month inspection it's on my lunch hour looks around and sees that the stair rail needs turned in and some electric plat covers need installed and a fire stop at the celing of the garage he tells me his boss needs this house finished out today it's taking to long. so get on it and he will be back in a couple hours! I told him I was on my lunch hour and he could come back but I would set up my next six month inspection later unless it was good enough. So I went to work life was good the next week I got my certificate of occupance in the mail the fallowing week I got my property tax statement. When I first started the house my lawer told me to never finish it as they could not tax me on an unfinished construction project. He got elected to the Co Comission and the rules changed? My sugestion is to get the permit as no matter what they will be around to measure your house and access your taxes any way. If you need help I can teach you how to sucessfully apeal you property taxes. it is not that hard but does require some work. I just filed a freedom of Information request to get the info needed to appeal mine as they stopped supplying the info with just a simple request. It's a little more paper work but it gives you more muscle if they omit somthing that would be in your favor.

Ernie,you certainly are a wonder!

Bob Hackett(Mainely,Bob)

>Up here all they have is a plumbing code.I was told by code enforcement that unless someone is in violation of the plumbing code then they can pretty well do whatever they want.

It used to be common to have folks put in a foundation,weather it in and then move in and build the house as time and funds became available.Some folks still do this.

Covenents mean more legally than any building codes.

They recently had a MA based firm come in and do an up to date assessment of properties for the town and our taxes actually dropped.

We had to agree to let the assessors come into our homes and look around and take notes.In spite of all this most everybody had to appeal thier assessments.For example, mine said I had hardwood floors,a fireplace,deck,3 bedrooms,and afew other things that don`t exist on our property.same for my mother`s property.

My mother(actually my brothers and I) pays taxes on her property and every year I file to get it all back for her.Her fixed income would never allow her to afford to keep the home she and my father built as it`s on the water.

I`ve come to the conclusion that none of it makes sense,it never will and it`s just something we have to endure.Thank God there`s people like Ernie who find out about things like tax relief laws and let the rest of us know about them so we can keep from going bankrupt and losing everything to the folks we`ve elected to represent us.

Mainely,Bob

BTW-Maine is the most heavily taxed state in the US.

Re: Ernie,you certainly are a wonder!

Ernie Miller

>That is what I did The laws here say you have to have Plumbing done by a licensed plumber electrical can be done by the home owner as long as they live in the residance. that means that you have to have electricity in 1 bed room bathroom and kitchen. 1 out lets and lights. the electric co requires that the main breaker be attached to the lines by an Electrion? from there it is all yours. SO with a slop sink in the kitchen and a toilet in the bathroom I was good to go for living there and doing every thing myself. The house was a wedding present to my wife. I have a large family a couple brother took a week off with me and we framed it in a week. the worst part was pooring the basement rented the forms they were steel not Aluminum. can you say heavy! my wife and I poored the footing by out self 100� that day and two trucks of concreet and one wheel barrow. House was finished all except the final inspection in six months. moved in the thursday befor out Saturday wedding. We left little things undone to keep from getting the final inspection and paying taxes. it worked for awhile. Think I will be burried with a nickle super glued between my fingers as I make every one of them scream befor spending them.

Reminds me of my favorite quote Bob

Dave Anderson Chester, NH

>Eldridge Gerry, for whom gerrymandering was named, was governor of MA, a US Senator, and a signer of the US Constitution.

"The liberty and property of no man are safe when the legislature is in session."