Out House: "Approved" Design plans

meanwhile · #1 06/21/12, 12:33 PM

In other thread, the topic of an "approved" design for an Out House was mentioned. We have a plan that is an "approved" plan for an Out House in North Carolina. It might work in other areas too.

Here is a link to our Facebook page. I could not get the Out House (PDF) image to load here but it loaded over there. Click on the image and it will open in a wider window and you can print the wider image that shows the whole plan.

We were given the plans by the Health Department and told these are "approved designs". Hope someone can use the plans. Thanks.

Meanwhile, Back in Saluda | Facebook

ET1 SS · #2 06/21/12, 06:47 PM

That is funny

Outhouses are perfectly legal here, though they do not require a permit or plan.

Lizza · #3 06/21/12, 08:10 PM

There isn't any such thing as an "approved" outhouse here in our County. If memory serves you can't even "camp" on your own land for more then 2 weeks at a time without an approved septic system.

Nimrod · #4 06/21/12, 08:34 PM

Meanwhile,

Thanks for the plan but the building permit people gave me a list of the "approved" designers and I will have to use one of them. Looks like I will dig a hole and cover it with a 5 gallon pail with a toilet seat on top and the bottom cut out. I can fill the hole and move it evey so often.

My point was that the ritzer the neighborhood, the more the guberment gets involved.

ET1 SS · #5 06/21/12, 08:39 PM

I should clarify.

An existing home may continue to use an outhouse for as long as wanted.

In some townships; a new home may use an outhouse, but must have an approved septic system design on file [no need to actually install the septic system].

In other townships; a new home must first install an approved septic system and once installed they may then use any other alternative system [outhouse, composting, etc] if they desire.

susanneb · #6 06/21/12, 09:02 PM

morningstar, outhouses are out (pun intended), but composting toilets are allowed. I believe they have rules, however.

meanwhile · #7 06/22/12, 06:30 AM

When we called about it they told us they had not given a "permit" for years. No one there could even remember when they had given an Out House permit.

We have three Out Houses on our property but all were "grand-fathered" in when we bought the place. I know of many neighbors who have built them with no permit. It is silly in some ways but in City areas, it is probably necessary to keep things clean. I would not want someone's Out House spills coming down into my yard.

Lots of people around here use the Saw Dust Bucket methods too. Our Out Houses are just the "hole on the ground" type. We like them and do not have any trouble with them at all. Since they are only used occasionally, there is no smell and it just rots naturally and is clean. We put Peppermint Oil in there to run off the mice.

I thought the "approved" plan was way far too "fancy" -

Lizza · #8 06/22/12, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by susanneb

morningstar, outhouses are out (pun intended), but composting toilets are allowed. I believe they have rules, however.

Lane County won't let you use composting toilets, I don't believe Bley County will either (had an Aunt try). I'm sure some Counties in Oregon are more lenient then Lane. They are horrible to deal with.

tailwagging · #9 06/22/12, 02:47 PM

Cool =) I use to live in H'vlle

Yvonne's hubby · #10 06/22/12, 03:09 PM

Another reason I love living in rural Ky!

blufford · #11 06/22/12, 03:30 PM

I wonder how well a mini-van with its windows rolled up and buried would work as a septic tank?

Jim-mi · #12 06/22/12, 04:38 PM

Boy talk about waving a red flag.....
About the last thing to do is go ask the property Nazis around here about an out house....

But . . . . .

Off the record....................

Nimrod · #13 06/22/12, 09:00 PM

I'm not stupid. I asked the property nazis about an outhouse but I didn't give them my name or the location of the property. I doubt I can get away with just putting an outhouse on the property because I will have to get a permit to build a house and they will want to know how I am disposing of my waste. Thus the hole with the 5 gallon pail while I am building.

ET1 SS · #14 06/22/12, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blufford

I wonder how well a mini-van with its windows rolled up and buried would work as a septic tank?

I have not seen it, though I have been told of folks using old Caddies, Oldsmobiles, or Lincolns as septic tanks.

We have a neighbor whose septic was a wooden box. They had a problem with it, and somehow got talked into installing a complete new concrete septic and leech field. they spent a ton of money.

I have seen leechfields that were trenches that had long A-frames setup over them made entirely from tree branches and brush, then buried. Old timers around here swear they work great for 20 to 40-years.

meanwhile · #15 06/23/12, 10:48 AM

When we first bought our Cabin the septic was only two 50 gallon barrels hooked together somehow. I did not see it and we never dug it up. The prior owner told us it was two barrels and a "drain line with 'sum gravel". We used the Cabin for over 3 years with no trouble at all from that home built septic. Then, we added a 2nd Cabin to it and still not a bit of trouble.

This year, we had to get a "license" for renting out the Cabin (which we did not do yet but are in the process) and were told there was not a septic on file and so we had to spend tons of money to put a regular cement septic tank plus so much drain line with all that stuff with the foam pnuts in it. Made a HUGE mess in the yard.

But - for 9 years we used that home built system and did not have any trouble with it at all.