Anyone ever have any issues with local authorities

[olehippy]

when building a home using solar power?

Greywater system?

Humanure toilets?

[pcdreams]

best policy..

Don't ask don't tell.. Just build it and keep yer mouth shut

secondly. If anyone says anything tell em to stuff it unless they're paying the note on the place.

[Rocky Fields]

Hey.

I find most places have inspection on septic systems. Graywater disposal should be checked into. In KY, a graywater pond is a nice option to consider.

RF

[olehippy]

Originally Posted by Rocky Fields

Hey.

I find most places have inspection on septic systems. Graywater disposal should be checked into. In KY, a graywater pond is a nice option to consider.

RF

Hmmm. What if we don't have a septic right away? Or ever?

We are building a small cabin first that will later be dh's workshop. We planned on testing the whole humanure concept while in the cabin. If we absolutely hate it we will put in septic system for the final home.

We are considering using a greywater system like described in the book Create An Oasis with Greywater by Art Ludwig. Same as with humanure, test while we are in the cabin and if it doesn't meet our standards put regular plumbing in the home.

[Rocky Fields]

Graywater often falls under septic system requirements since it is considered waste water.

RF

[WisJim]

Most building codes require running water in a full-time home, and require a septic system if you have running water. Sometimes there are exceptions, but depends on the state and/or the locality.

[Alice In TX/MO]

Our county does not allow grey water systems. We do have septic installation inspections.

[Deb862]

It really all depends on where your property is as in county, state, etc. Contact the town to merely inquire of its laws, requirements, etc.

[Lizza]

We have very strict codes here and they would have none of it. A neighbor put in some geo-thermal system but run in the pond (I really don't know, some special system). Because it was alternative heat the county made him put electric wall heaters in every room to pass his house. He says he hasn't turned them on in the 10 years since his house was done but they are there, per the county.

Someone else could probably dig a hole for an outhouse and start nailing wood together for a cabin and the county would care less. So you really need to contact which county you are thinking about doing these things.

[Quint]

Never a problem. No inspections, no inspectors, no permits, no codes, no problems.

[Willowdale]

My zoning guys said they'd approve me for an outhouse (and presumably a sawdust toilet), but only because the house is hundreds of years old and was never indoor plumbed before. They're trying to work with me as best they can.

However, I opted for septic because (1) I may want to sell the place one day, and (2) getting the greywater variance would have been wayyyy more bother than I wanted to go through -- much harder than an outhouse. Local health department essentially sees greywater as a do-it-yourself septic system.

Not to mention, I don't want to mess around with contaminating my homesite and surrounding wetlands with one of my half-***ed science projects.

[Wolf mom]

As was said, you need to check local codes.

Out here, you have to have a septic installed before you can do any building on your house.

And yes, they check. If you aren't up to code, and your neighbor is building something, the inspector will check your neighbor's then visit everyone around him.

[Shinsan]

Originally Posted by pcdreams

best policy..

Don't ask don't tell.. Just build it and keep yer mouth shut.

Wholeheartedly agree......I don't even tell the neighbours, other than those either side, if they can see what I'm doing.

[nathan104]

Learn the phrase "What are you talking about, it was like that when I bought the place?" LOL. I had a few run ins with the city code enforcement officer when I lived in AR. The place we had there was a country setting, but technically within the city limits. Last time Ill make that mistake. I put up a wood privacy fence and the code enforcement guy showed up two months later and asked about a permit for my fence. "What are you talking about, that fence was there when I bought the place". "Then why does it look so new?" he asked. Because I just pressure washed it, did I need a permit to squirt water on my fence?" It also did not have a/c when I moved in. So, I got a used central heat and air unit and installed it mayself running the ducting and wiring. A month later the same guy showed up and asked about the a/c unit. "What are you talking about, that was there when I bought the place", LOL. I even took him out there and showed him it was not a new unit. Good thing I bought it used,lol.

[Candace]

[ "What are you talking about, that fence was there when I bought the place". [/QUOTE] I wish this had worked for us! We live in a very picky county and, if I were to do it again, I'd check how intrusive my county officials are before buying here again. We bought a place to renovate and because the septic hadn't been registered and approved by the county we had to have a new one installed and the requirements were ridiculous! So, we have made nice with many of the people in the offices and bend the rules and play "dumb" but it has only gotten us so far. A guy my husband works with went to the county to get a permit to improve one of his outbuildings and when they pulled his property up, found he didn't have a registered septic either and now he has to have that done also. The main reason here is because of urban sprawl. Our county assumes the whole danged place is going to be a housing development so they plan on that basis. geez

[kasilofhome]

I loved the way a friend wrote a story about moving and building the home in Alaska.

"with the poles in the ground and plastic laced with slab wood as soon as our blue tarp was draped over the top we meet the local building code standards."

This is too true for here.

[Lizza]

Originally Posted by Shinsan

Wholeheartedly agree......I don't even tell the neighbours, other than those either side, if they can see what I'm doing.

The problem with this, at least in my county, is that once they found out you did anything they will send you a compliance letter with 30 days to fix the problem or a $1,000 per day fine. Even if you bought the property with it, if it doesn't have a passed permit for something done, you have to go back and fix it and bring it up to code. We have a compliance division within in the permit office for just this problem, that's all they do all day long.

[donsgal]

Originally Posted by olehippy

when building a home using solar power?

Greywater system?

Humanure toilets?

Yes.

Here in Stone County, Missouri, thanks to "progress" you have to get building permits and also have the health department inspect your septic system.

We did not want to put in a septic tank, but did not have much choice because they do keep a pretty close eye on what is going on. So we did install one, however, they cannot force you to USE IT, so we recycle our gray water and use a humanure toilet. Hopefully, we'll also be putting in a composting outhouse too.

If you can get away without having to deal with any government official (still possible in some places, thank goodness), I'd avoid them like the plague. I agree with the poster who suggested the "DON'T ASK DON'T TELL" philosophy.

donsgal

[Shinsan]

Hear you loud and clear on that one, Morningstar: The area we moved from had an inspection team of leeches, lol, but where we are now we can get away with a lot.
A property down the road just installed a new driveway - semi circular, with 'in' and 'out' gates, nice big drainpipes under it where it meets the road, lovely pea gravel on top - and didn't bother with any applications or approvals. Just went ahead and did it. That was a few months ago now, and though the ranger drives past every day, he hasn't had any calls from council. (He doesn't know anyone there either.)

[Jan Doling]

Some one I know, met all the minimum requirements, then after the dust settled, secretly laid grey water pipes, etc. to met their own homesteading requirements. I'm not sure you could get by with hiding solar panels, however, but maybe if you had already installed and passed with basic electric, they wouldn't bother you?