"microhouses" in Pennsylvania?

Hi,
A good book on this is:
"The Small House Book" Jay Shafer

He says the rules on how small you can build are mostly zoning type rules and will vary from area to area in a state.
He gets around this by putting the house on wheels so its regarded as a trailer. This brings up a new set of problems regarding where you are allowed to permanently park a trailer -- but, he has some stratigies for this.

The homes he builds are little works of art -- very nice and simple.
The book goes right down to construction details.

Some more stuff I've assembled on small homes here:
http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects...#Small%20Homes

Gary

isn't building code more to do with construction of said building rather then the size of building?

Our tiny cottage is about 252 sq-ft, comfortably houses our family of five and cost about $7,000 to build. Since it is so small the real estate taxes are minimal. See:

http://sugarmtnfarm.com/blog/2009/06...e-step_26.html

We built out of stone, brick and masonry so it has a very high thermal mass making it easy to keep warm in our cold Vermont winters with just the passive solar gain and a small box wood stove.

Why so small? It was what we could accomplish in two months before winter set in hard. We did it all ourselves. The sense of accomplishment, and having things our way, is part of what makes it grand.

Cheers

-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
in the mountains of Vermont
Save 30% off Pastured Pork with free processing: http://SugarMtnFarm.com/csa
Read about our on-farm butcher shop project: http://SugarMtnFarm.com/butchershop

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Both. The code that applies in PA has over 600 pages, so it is pretty comprehensive.

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If you live in OK, you may not choose to cool a dwelling, but you will have to heat it. The most efficent (flat sided) building is a cube. It provides maximum volume for the least exterior (outside walls, roof, etc.) Several small buildings are going to take MUCH more material, and have a much greater heat loss. If there are no codes to be delt with, you would be much better off to frame out a building in a shape as close to a cube as possible, and then complete one room at a time.

I love your stone cabin!

I'm building a cabin in PA. yes they have a building code but if you get a camp exemption you don't have to obey it. With a camp you still need to account for sanitary facilities. The easiest way is to install a composting toilet and keep all water outside. Once water enters the building it requires a septic system even if it's just grey water. They do still allow outhouses but there is a building code for outhouses. You can not reside in a camp but you may camp 365 days a year. As far as I can tell the only difference is the mailing address so get a PO box. Using PA's camp rules size is irrelevant. Camps are not required to pass any inspections unless you want grid power then you have to pass an electrical inspection. I think that covers the weird points of using the PA camp exemption.

Another quirky thing about PA....a mobile home is considered real property once it is attached to land by either the owner leasing or owning the land. Otherwise it is considered a vehicle.

Agreed, or build small box buildings with a common wall anticipating where the next box is then attatched. This common wall need not be insulated or completly finished on the exterior so when the next cube is connected it becones an interior wall. Single slope roof will give the effect of a doublewide without any complication.

Would it help to know that we'd be building with straw bales, and have at least four inches of earthen plaster on both sides? That'd be 26 inch walls, and super insulated .... wouldn't it?

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Here is the link to the MEN article from 1995: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Green...mall-Home.aspx

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"The Constitution says to promote the general welfare, not to provide welfare!" ~ Lt. Col Allen West

From a bit of searching... Seems the min. wall size per building code is 7' the min. sq foot is 70 for a "habitable" room. So a two room home would meet code if it's 10x14....

I think you will find the code isn't the issue. The town will be.

In our County, you can build without a permit, up to 200 sq feet. Now, that said, you can build it any way you want but aren't supposed to wire it or pipe water to it. That seems pretty stupid since this is a wet climate...

I recently saw a really neat micro-cabin. The contractor who built it, did a great job! It is probably 200 sq feet, but is a 1 1/2 story (the upper story adds more sq footage, but not doubling it). He had a kitchen, bathroom, and comfortable living room. The bedroom was up the stairway. No wasted space, but very comfortably set up. He has lived there for two years.

Even if I were single, I couldn't do micro-living. Not for me, as I'd get claustrophobic fast.

this talk about code reminds me of something my uncle went through, everyone on that side is in the building trades and he is a electrician.

he was doing a project at his home and was ready for inspection , the inspector looked around and put a ok on all the hired out work, my uncle had decided he could do certain things others he jobed out, well that inspector singled out everthing that he had done and said it would need to be redone, so my uncle redid everything like the inspector said it needed to be he came back and rejected it again.

so my uncle called another uncle this uncle is in charge of the building dept (all the inspectors work for him.he's married to my aunt so the family name is different) tells him how it was done originaly and the static this inspectors giving him and the building inspector uncle says thats how I would of done it he should of oked it the first time.
so my uncle puts everthing back and calls for yet another inspection, inspector gets there and is just being a bug cause everthings bact to the original way it was and proceeds to tell him its not going to work, my uncle lets him finish heis heehawing and says thats funny cause "bob" said it was fine , the inspectors like Im the final say and who is "bob" anyway ,well since you ask "bob soso" the inspectors like how do you know him , hes my brother in law. well the work passed inspection that time and I think that guy ate crow for a good while.

theres some things to learn from that story, one if you hire it out someone that is in good with the building inspector you sould have no issues even if they dont follow code.
two if you know the right people or are the right people you can do what ever you want regardless of the rules.
three is it all falls to who the inspector is on how many issues you will have barring the first two (some guys really are professional and will perform their job regardless of who you are or know).

My land is in southern MO and there are no building codes or zoning regulations. I do however have a deed restriction prohibiting mobile homes.

I can build what I want, where I want, how I want. That's the main reason I bought there.

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The second amendment is the reset button on the Constitution.

Same here. I specifically bought this land because there is no zoning in this town. It was one of many important criteria. I want to be able to live my life my way as much as possible. Freedoms are constricting. Fight back. Vote.

Cheers

-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
in the mountains of Vermont
Save 30% off Pastured Pork with free processing: http://SugarMtnFarm.com/csa
Read about our on-farm butcher shop project: http://SugarMtnFarm.com/butchershop

__________________
SugarMtnFarm.com -- Pastured Pigs, Poultry, Sheep, Dogs and Kids

It's what we get used to, isn't it?

For the last 15 years or so I've lived in either one, two or three room apartments.

A couple years ago I housesat for a family while they went on vacation.
The house was huge...I'd guess 4,000 sq. ft. At night I was so nervous in all that space I came crying for here to the HT neighbors for company during the night.

Small spaces make me feel 'cozy'. Kind of like a turtle with its shell.


stef

Hey Stef,

In general I think that if you are building without a foundation, (ie. skids or wheels, etc) that you can go up to 400 sq. ft. and not be considered a permanent dwelling. I know that's the rule that Camper/RV's go by.

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