In TN one dude built his home completely from sawmill lumber - when he went to get electrical permits they said if he wants power , he'll have to start over because they dont allow sawmill lumber in His house on his property . No building codes equals freedom - anytime you involve government youre screwed
I love living in Idaho also...especially, Idaho County, Idaho! I got a reply from the county commissioner about the need for a building permit. He said, "its your dirt, do whatever you want with it. Idaho County, its what America used to be." All you need is a septic permit and an electrical permit. So nice to build here.
A neighbor had a shed on their property that they had no permit for, city started sending them threatening letters n bylaw fines So they finally agreed to tear it down, n the city told them they need a pemit to remove it! City forcing them to remove it, wont let them remove it without paying for a permit These government regulations are brutal..
I have homesteaded properties in Alaska, and now here in the mountains of Colorado. What many who start developing off-grid usually do not realize is how expensive it can be to do even the most basic infrastructure if dealing with building contractors, permits, fees, taxes and conforming to all the codes and regulations. I have looked at many types of structures to build. Most now are extremely expensive for the average person to build. Here's one of the least expensive ways to start developing a property ... build a garage with an apartment upstairs first. The huge mistake a lot of people make is they build their home first, and the garage, second. Here in the high mountains of Colorado or in the Rockies anywhere you are dealing with severe weather and really powerful sun damage to anything left outside. You will need that garage to keep your building supplies in while building out-buildings, fences ect., and a place to live while building. But, your number one issue ... WATER, and how much. You can never have too much water but, in many locations you can run out of water if you pick the wrong land to develop. I have known many people who bought cheap land, only to find-out ... drilling a well can cost 10X what the land costs ! Before you buy any land ... understand and research the amount and the quality of the water in the desired area FIRST. Learn where it is coming from, and how much there is historically year-to-year over decades. DO NOT take a real estate agents word FOR ANYTHING ! Talk to locals who have zero vested interest in you buying property in their area first before you do anything. ALWAYS think in terms of 'Re-Sale' if you must un-load the property for any reason. Build always with resale in mind. Off-grid properties are scary to a lot of people. Make your development as 'User-Friendly', as possible in case you must sell it in the future. It is far better to buy less land, and have it of higher quality than poor land with more acres. Purchase high-quality Meadow land with 'Live Water', meaning year-around ground water that never goes dry if at all possible ! You will pay far more for this but, it is your best investment, and land with live water does not loose its value. If you plan on having live stock, you had better factor-in the cost of hay ! Having cows and horses can get really expensive unless you can feed them from your own meadows and cut your own hay. There is nothing cheap about off-grid living. It will take many years, decades in-fact to begin seeing any rate-of-return on your investment in off-grid living if you do it with high-quality structures and materials. But, your quality of life will be your best rate-of-return by living close to the land, and away from the big cities. There is nothing like sitting on your own porch after working all day and seeing your progress ... there's nothing better especially if you can avoid ... a bank loan !
AffinityNetNews So interesting reading your comment. My husband and I also live off grid in Colorado (near Cotopaxi). He is a retired electrical engineer who has been off grid for about 30 years. Here in Colorado he bought an old beat up hunting house (630 sq ft) and fixed it up. Since August, our friends bought a property near us and we have been building an ‘off-grid’ home for them. I’m from Northern Michigan where water is NOT an issue. So the water situation is so crazy different here in Colorado. I believe some of that has to do with all the original mining in the state. We prefer the freedom of doing what you want on your own property. Even catching rain water on your own property to do what you want to with it!! NOTE: if you are reading this and you don’t live in Colorado, you cannot keep the rain that falls on your property to use UNLESS you have a permit. My husband applied for one and was refused.
Sounds like you may be around Indian Springs going north on CR 12. You should tell your husband to consider starting a solar panel systems company out of Cotopaxi. There aren't enough installers around here. There are a lot of people moving to our area. Great to hear from you neighbor!
When you allow others to rule you on your own property, then you create a situation where you trade liberty for, what? Conformity? I don't like them. My property, my construction, and if I buy something, it's my job to do due diligence and see if the builder did the job properly. I live in a city that has three layers of codes, and many of them conflict. One requires a setback of ten feet on all sides of the property, another five feet, but if you want to build a small shed for garden tools, you pay... 450 for a survey... 20 inspection fee to look at the site and tell you if you're far enough away. Then you have a topical map and tree survey to see if any trees you plan to cut (or not) are protected... if they are, too bad, you can't build. Then you need an engineered drawing, and full set of plans. All sheds are required to have a concrete foundation with hurricane straps, but it's okay because they make a kit for only 200.00. If you want a single light bulb inside, you need a licensed electrician to pull the permit for that, another 75.00, and a dig survey plus 15' deep ground rods on both sides. Now, you get your permit, 75.00, for the concrete work, and pour the 'crete and then pay the 20.00 inspection fee for looking at that and going, "Hmmmmm." THen, you get the building up with the species of wood you're approved for the job, and the windows have to be hurricane rated and 3/4" sheeting for hurricane rating. When you're done, and your 12x24" shed is done... you'll pay 3,000.00 or so in fees and permits.... and the project expenses for the actual damned shed will cost you less than 1,000.00 I once let the band have a piece of land I bought to build a house, because the house would have cost me about 12,000 (was planning a one room cottage as a get-a-way) on a 5,000.00 piece of land... and before I could put even one nail into a piece of wood, I would have been out nearly 35,000 in fees, permits, inspections, surveys, and impact fees. ONE of the fees was 20,000.00!! So no, I do not agree with you. I would agree a basic permit for electric, septic and plumbing because these are health hazards... but nothing else. I actually plan to sell and leave where I live now, eventually, because of the fees and permits and fines. Last week, I was threatened with a fine because my RV was in my side yard too far. When the government gets so deep into your business that they tell you what you can and cannot own, where you can keep it or not, this nonsense has gone way too far. And on top of that, many of the inspectors don't care, the city has no liability if an inspector doesn't do his job, and a lot of the codes were written to help out this or that industry. They were not written to help the homeowner... they were written to make money. A city makes quite a sum on the income from permits and fees, and have no reason to make them easy, cheap, or uncomplicated.
I live in a tiny village. i bought the neighboring house, tore it down by hand, and used the lumber to build a garage. The process took about 2 1/2 years. It looked like hell the whole time. There are many neighborhoods where I wouldn't have gotten away with that. But I think everyone in my village would agree that removing a derelict house and replacing it with a new, attractive garage was worth the temporary nuisance.
Building codes are meant to protect people, not only the homeowner, but nearby neighbors as well. I have seen contractors fight codes (and win) when they are overdone, and I have seen them try to sneak things by and get caught. I have seen people do really stupid things with plumbing and electrical, and even had them try to get me to do them. There are areas that abuse the code system for monetary gain, but it was designed to standardize construction and prevent dangerous or costly mistakes.
I build for a living and I enjoy your enthusiasm and attitude about working through the problems. It doesn't matter if you drew your plans or paid $1m for construction documents, there's always something missing, wrong dimension or outright omission. I tell all my sub contractors "make it look like that's what the architect meant do, if it doesn't look right, then it's not. Keep up the good work.
I know that many people never put the siding on their house because once you do your taxes can go up, its unfortunate but the government punishes you for fixing up your house.
i definitely enjoy the occasional technical videos that are in depth about a particular subject. but PLEASE dont stop your house building videos! thats what got me hooked on your channel!
No building codes is for me! Around my area, we have to have an inspection on the septic system and the well, nothing else. When I build my house, I will go to the county, pay $50 for a building permit and then I get to work. I don't have to submit plans and like I said, no inspections. The neighbor thing doesn't bother me. My nearest neighbors are 1/4 mile away and we respect each other. They worry about themselves and I worry about myself. I could care less what they do with their house
This was a great video detailing the pros and cons of no building code areas. One other thing to mention is because there are no codes, if you have contractors come in to do work for you, they have a tendency to be sloppy knowing that their work won’t be inspected. Hence if you have a contractor build or perform major renovations, it is in your best interest to hire a home inspector that has a lot of experience checking for building code violations before you make final payments. Been through this as we had a manufactured modular set on our property in a no building code county. It was a real headache making sure things were done correctly.
Hi, My wife and I, love everything about your home building journey, you show us as much as posible about, the truth of building your own home, pluses and minuses. The two of you are always honest, about the hard work and struggles, but, when things come together we all get to see your sense of accomplishment. We enjoy the talks and updates as well, thanks for sharing.Blessings! !!!!!!!
I wish we had more relaxed building codes here in Australia, particularly in the area where we are. We suffered the "we don't understand your engineers plan and drawings " problem because we built a home that was not the standard stick build. Then it was taking too long. We were not allowed to live on site in a caravan, so had to rent a house in town and travel to site after work and weekends to build. That was 25 years ago and things haven't changed. People still stretch the rules. Thanks for the opportunity to follow you guys building what sounds like a wonderful home for yourselves. I understand Jessie complaining about the heat , my wife does not like our summers, many days over 38C or 100F, but I love it. Have fun and keep enjoying the build and each other.
At our local building department when I said "Well common sense suggests...", I was interrupted and told; "There is no room in the code for 'common sense' ". And that pretty much says it all!
Just as an example of how out of control permit “fees” are, last month I was researching putting a new manufactured home on a lot in the city of Wildomar, Ca. By the time I got through adding up all the city misc “fees” and permit costs, it was well over $100,000! That’s BEFORE anyone even puts a grader on the lot! I’m for building codes, but this is stupid! Unless you’re rich, or a developer, forget the dream of developing your own lot with a new home! And I only wanted to put a manufactured home on it!
Enjoying the "journey" with you guys. I think it's awesome you're not afraid of showing your frustrations and "mess ups" along the way. The fact you're doing all this on a cash basis is fantastic. Keep up the good work, and by all means, don't forget time out for each other!
Definitely keep the house building videos, please! I appreciate the shorter, topic-driven videos, but I love your channel so much because you show the building/learning process the likes of which have never been seen on any media outlet. I recently started working construction and I cant tell you how much your videos have taught me that no matter how daunting a new task can seem, if you break it down into its simplest form (in your case, day by day) it becomes very simple and able to accomplish. I love you both, I love what you're doing, and I look forward to learning a great deal from you. Thank you for sharing your experience!!
I'd like to weigh in on the contractor cost. I renovated my bathroom and kitchen myself. It cost me $3500 for the bathroom and $7500 for the kitchen. I made the cabinets in the kitchen myself. Had I contracted it out, the bathroom was going to be $17000 and the kitchen $30000. I even built my own deck and shed for $800 and $1200. Had to build the shed instead of buying because for some reason the doorway on all the sheds were 5' 10". I'm 6' 2" without my boots. I do follow code though.
Yup, the code is not the issue the issue is the registrations and red tape that may or may not be made expressly in such a way that you have to spend a lot more then it should cost.
I agree with your "code" analysis. I'm rebuilding a garage and porch in your area. I think the person that put them up was doing the work in a hurry, cheaply, and while drunk. That said, I have known people that wanted to build in ways not covered by codes and they went through hell to build valid, intelligent, structures on their own land. Like you said, the original purpose of codes was to create minimally safe buildings that other people could understand and repair, not to lock people into straight jackets. But, way to many government drones consider "The Codes" to be holy scripture written by the fingers of gods.
In my area there are building codes however they are lax, especially in my case where I recently purchased a half acre lot for $11k cash and want to move my single wide manufactured home that I currently own outright (currently in a park) onto that property. The permitting process only takes a few weeks, is inexpensive, and only requires a basic site plan to ensure proper setbacks and proper footers, anchors, and piers. There are only two inspections required; inspection of the installation and inspection of plumbing, mechanical, structural, and electrical systems which is actually comparable to a car inspection to make sure everything is still functional. The only other code is for septic systems and that's the only time consuming and expensive part. However, since I own everything outright, I can cover that expense with cash also.
It's funny how throughout all the channels on youtube that I watch, I ended up wanting to always watch this channel the most. I guess this channel really fills in that void of "liking to see work get done" feeling. I've also just recently moved to 5 acres with plans to build a house and so the channel has really come at the right time to show me just how much truly goes into the planning and process of performing the build. Love the channel guys. Thank you so much for editing video as often as you do to get it up on the channel for our eyes to see.
The house build is the main reason I keep watching.. I love all the videos you are doing about building and preparing to build, whether code or no code...Keep up the great job...
I've been enjoying your journey. Over our 42 year marriage we've remodeled one home and had two built. However, I was a very involved client particularly on the first project. We are in the process of selling our current Mc Mansion and moving to an apartment due to recent credit issues. However, even at nearly 66, a Diabetic, who just had his left kidney removed due to the fortunate discovery of a stage one tumor... I wish I could get myself in a position to build us a retirement home... but doubt that will happen. So, the life lesson for you two, keep going my friends, do it right, take your time, enjoy the ride! Because life is full of extreme ups and downs and someday you may not be in a position to do what you are currently doing. I wish you two all the luck in the world, and will be here enjoying watching your success!
Nice video, as alllways! About finishing a house: My father in law, who's been in the construction bussiness here in Sweden all his working life, allways say that you never finish your own house. When you have done everything, it is allways something else you want to do with the house. He says that you are finish with your house the day you move out, when you nailing that last little skirting corniche or whatever that you never did in that closett. After renovating a few houses of my own, I have found it to be true.
Something else about building codes - it keeps the inspectors honest. In some places, inspectors did quite a substantial, cash business enforcing codes of their own making. Once the Unified codes started coming into their own, a number of those 'inspectors' found other vocations including making license plates.
One of the must do things every day is to check in and be a part of the build. Don't shorten them. We started watching with the selling of the car and now feel like extended family. *****GREAT JOB*****
Code is not a best case scenario. It's not something that you AIM to hit. It is a minimum set of guidelines. If you are buying a hose "built to code" you are buying something built *as bad as they can legally sell* It's in place because of things like hurricane Irma. Look how well florida did since their code incorporated hurricane protection. Ideally though, an engineer should be able to build well above code for not a whole lot more money. Little things like if code only requires that you use ☓ number of fasteners for a certain job, you can usually fit more in for better strength
Thank you very much for explaining needs for codes. This rural two story house was built in 1912. The sewer was installed in the 50's. The kitchen sink drainage is down line from an entry hand sink. Later a clothes washer and shower were added further up the drain line. Now? When the washer runs, it sucks the water out of the shower trap, and we always have to run water in the shower. The washer and shower were installed by a plumber, but apparently he did not add a needed vent? So thank you for this information on building codes. Maybe because all your lines are going to be under a concrete slab, it requires more complex plumbing.
By the way- what County in Idaho are you in.? I am a retired commercial Plumbing and heating contractor and have built dozens of residential units as well. Your product outcome relates directly to your plans and specs and your knowledge on how to enforce this information. Sadly many of the inspectors I had to deal with over the years were the mechanics who could not hold a job- not all- but many- and an attitude followed many inspectors. First mistake- never trust an inspector to catch all the issues. If you are not knowledgable enough to perform a trade skillfully - hire it out, but to a reputable contractor- go to your local supply company and get references. Plumbing and Electrical are the two trades that can destroy your home if done incorrectly. One loose wire nut or one loose fitting can destroy in ten minutes. Never- ever- chose low bid on these trades unless the low bidder has a solid reputation- I am just saying.
We moved from Seattle to central, rural Kentucky. And yes, our county has no building codes. It is one of the reasons we moved here. And you are so right about the neighbors. Like you, nobody can see our house and we can't see theirs. And like you, some of our neighbor's homes are things you want to look at. Oddly, I love looking at them because they represent personal freedom. So yeah, you have to look at the rusted out single wide before you get to our driveway, but that driveway brings you to heaven.:)
I have been a contractor for 30 years. Government code is a joke! Code is pay for play. Corporations use it to get their used. I agree in a standard, which is a lot of common sense. What I would say is that the process should be voluntary and done by a private company. A grading system should be done as well. Think of the government code system like the grades you got in school. If you get a D you still pass. Do you want a D? Cheers, Larry
I've owned homes in cities, towns, and rural areas. Everyone is different. The only constant is the standards for insurance. And believe me, insurance companies have expectations!!
You are right- it's not the codes, its the permits! I inherited land in the south- very rural, no utilities, only a dirt road. No codes! But I will build to code for the same reasons you state.
I used to live in a small town where the officials thought building codes were there to harass people they didn't like. They got mad at me because they wanted to plant trees in my yard in a "city beautification" project, and I put up a privacy fence around my back yard where they wanted to plant them. After that, if I walked outside with a hammer in my hand, I could count on getting a letter in the mail from the building inspector saying, "It appears you are doing some building and we don't have a record of a permit for that work." It did not matter if the hammer was to pound in a nail that was sticking up on the deck or to build a bookcase or other furniture item. I think codes are a good thing if they are not used as a weapon. The city workers also, when snow plowing, started pushing all the snow from the intersection up against my privacy fence, which was built to code and in the proper place.
I like the progress videos. I like to see you guys step forward every day and explain why you're doing what you're doing. I don't think less of you in the slightest if things don't go to plan. I made videos where I built a deck with my son and everybody said I had too much scrap wood. They are probably right but whatever, I like my deck and the experience was a good one. I think you'll be in the same place next year. Did you do everything perfectly? Nope, but you'll like your house and value the experience.
I don't know about the particular jurisdiction you're referencing when you talk about the six-month build time. However there is a common misconception based on the fact that the model code states permits are good for 180 days. All this means is is that there has to be activity on that permit at least once every 180 days and typically there's a small fee usually not more than a couple hundred dollars to renew the permit. What that means is you only have to have one inspection every six months to keep the permit active plus pay a very small administrative fee. So, you can actually take several years to complete the scope of work under that permit. In one of the jurisdictions I work, there's a permit it's over 25 years old, and the guy is only about 80% complete. ;-)in his defense, it's a very large house.
Alisa and Jesse, you are an inspiration. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. You carefully plan, consult, and execute your dream home construction as a team. Putting in the water line in the trench: blowing out the dirt and sifting the boulders was amazing. It seems you covered every aspect by blueprint and/or advisor. I enjoyed this video very much, explaining the pros and cons of no building codes. I am wondering how you missed the restriction of only one connection in your water main? Somebody let you down. Thankfully you had help there and got it remedied. I look forward expectantly to your next video. Brava!!
Nothing is an easy answer or glamorous. It just comes down to whether you believe in freedom and self reliance with all its ugly realities, or whether you believe the state should control the people. I've lived the life you are currently living as a kid. It was not exactly the same, we were nominally on-grid, at least enough for a few light bulbs and a freezer, but we had an outhouse and no running water, and we heated with woodstoves. I've also lived in places where the government and the neighborhood association regulated what color curtains you could have, and what kind of vehicle you could park on your property. That city where we were so stringently regulated is now all but abandoned. People have bailed, and it is not a place you want to live. You can't regulate abandoned homes. There is no homeowner to force to clean things up. Places that I remember being charming neighborhoods are full only of hypodermic needles and decay. Others are returning to wild space or open land, as the homes burn, fall in, or are torn down. The place where we had freedom continues to be populated and continues to be free. The bottom line is that any freedom you allow the state to take from you will eventually be a boot heel on your throat. Any freedom you have, you must also extend to your neighbors. Freedom is always better than regulation. Banks are another regulation that needs to go.
Hey guys... I haven't seen any format of video I didn't like. I believe watching you on your journey means (at least for me) to understand what you are feeling, thinking and fighting for and/or against. I've seen you tired, energetic, exited, bored, angry, happy, whiny and proud... and I learned so much about building a home, contractors, legislation, tools and machines... that even if I may never build anything myself... it was well worth watching your adventure and share the experience! Thank you so much for that and for keeping it real, with not too many filters and true to yourself... all the best to you... keep experimenting!
Well said Frank! I was about to say roughly the same thing. I really look forward to the next episode. I have grown to respect this young couple for their intelligence, work ethic and spirit. Something SO many millennials are lacking.
Please don't cut back on the house build videos. I really enjoy them! I like the sit downs, but not at the cost of building content. Really enjoy your work. Thank You
Love the videos and especially the interactions between the two of you. The first dates with my husband of nearly 23 years was rebuilding a HUD house. That was an adventure! Stay strong and stay the course. It is a marathon.
Informational videos once in while are not only appreciated, they are needed... So keep doing your good work and most of all...keep inspiring people that they CAN do it... As an frsh immigrant, you show me, that this can be still the Land of the BRAVE...as you are... which it is normally not anymore...at least in our fear based area where we live... Thx for sharing that all...and cute to see your evolution in look, speech and mental/physical grows
I would like to add one thing "building to code" is the min. standard. The biggest issue with this is the bare min. becomes the standard which is not good. This also comes into play with the inspectors when you build above code and the inspectors are not use to seeing someone build with above min standards this can hold up the passing of the different inspections. I have ran into this on numerous occasions and it always ends up with a phone call to either the local chief inspector or the inspector general to get the inspectors moving. Within building there is code, a SOP, and then best practice. When new technologies come about or best practices and better building methodology come about the inspectors office always seems to be a few steps behind and creates a bottleneck in building (or at least in my area). Y'all are doing an excellent job keep it up. I would say the biggest advantage to not having code enforcement and codes in areas is folks like yourselves can build a better building without having to be questioned on why you did things a certain way if it is above code. Though like you stated with your plumbing issues and having the connections buried as you did it can be a good double check. Some of this comes from my own experiences which may be soured dealing with codes and inspectors.
Love you guys. Produce whatever video content that you feel is important. I know that some get bored with the detail sometimes, but details are important and if you're not paying attention, the details are what's gonna get you in the end. I'm helping my son remodel his kitchen and it's amazing the level of experience that I bring to that project because he just doesn't know what he doesn't know. Every day he learns something new about planning and ordering tasks and tools and time and problem management. We had to tackle a specific plumbing task six times before we achieved success. sometimes it just works out that way. you're experiencing that as well and illustrating it in your journey. Good job.
I really appreciate all the insights you share from your home-build experiences, including your courage in exposing your mistakes (which most people would have edited out!). I absolutely get your points about building code. In best case, they are a distillation of building excellence. In worst case they can be a weapon against you in the hands of the corrupt.
So many thing go into building it requires more explanation like this. Some days just running in circles, other catching you breath and time for each other. Good work.
I understand, Codes are not evil, the mandatory enforcement of codes is evil. Anyone that wants to sell their property to a conventional buyer in the future would be wise to follow them to the letter, but they should not be mandatory anywhere
problem is not codes, problem is random taxes and the costs of permits. Its OK to ask me to get a permit to build a house, but why do I need to pay thousands of dollars for that permit?
Therein lies the problem, if the codes are manditory, then the govt goons will charge whatever they want to for them. That is why you should be able to build ANYTHING you want to on your land without govt interference. This is actually already thew law - the US Constitution
Hi, I so understand your feelings regarding codes. Let me tell you some of the situation here in MS. Until just after Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005...most of the rural areas had no codes. I grew up in a small community not the county seat (the only city in our county). I dont know if the city here then had codes. When I was 5 (1960), my Daddy broke my heart. He and neighbor men tore down our beautiful large home to build a smaller house that he felt he could maintain and heat. He reused that beautiful beadboard and all the other lumber. I watched every move they made and all the others thru the years. When I married (1974), we lived in the next southern county, right on the Gulf Coast and in the county seat. We needed to do some renovations over the years. We had no money to really spend. We did all our own plumbing, no problem. We ran all the electric, but had to pay a neighbor(licensed) to connect it in the box. Time came that insurance would no longer cover our house without more sq footage. I needed a utility room and storage area. Well, when we decided to reroof... we discovered termites. I got an exterminator, done. Oh but the repairs...oops. well, I talked it over with my hubby, and factored in what I needed for the ex sq ft. Of course, since I worked and paid for the materials and hauled them to the house... well, just say he was in for a surprise. We paid $15.00 for the permit from the city. I made a mistake because I did not know about double bottom plates, down came my wall frames. Yes, I built all the addition. My son and 2 nephews helped with laying the concrete blocks (ages 3. 5.and 7). My daddy scolded me. He said the next storm would bring it to the ground. I ha build and roof the addition. Of course the neighbor installed a pony box for the electric. I passed stringent codes on the coast. My very first project. We had bought woodland near where I grew up and had a small fixer upper moved onto the property. I worked on it night and day. We ate baked beans and tuna fish and corn chips every day for years. Every cent went into fixing it up the best we could. After my hubby passed (1997), I had to sell the house on the coast. A neighbor bought it, but did not want the house, just the land that adjoined hers. I was allowed to take what ever I wanted from the house. If I could have, I would have taken it all. Heartache. Well, she advertised for some one to tear it down for the materials. 2 separate crews tried, but got nowhere. They were attempting to start in the back (THE ADDITION). LOL. Well, a third guy showed up. My mo in law talked to him. His house had burned down. He was in desperate need. She told him about the other 2 crews that gave up. She said, "my daughter in law built the addition. She meant for it to stay forever. You should start in the front." I went by awhile later the only thing left was the addition. So, I guess, I must have learned something. Now after Katrina damaged my sweet lil fixer upper, and we have codes, I am not allowed to do the repairs I need to do. The permits they require are very expensive. You have to have architectural drawings. Every separate part has to have 3 inspections and separate permits. You have to pay for each of the 3 visits. If you try to build without permits, they can order you to take it down and fine you. They will not allow you to hook up community water. They will not let you have electricity. Heck I have 57 years experience. It is my farm, why do I need to pay around $5000.00 for their stinking permits. Old and discouraged.
Hay guys. I'm Gary from CT. I'm an electrician of 37+ years and in this state, a lot, not all, of the inspectors are very confused about the "Code" as they seem to think that they, (the inspectors) have the right to supersede the "national" electrical code which they do not. They can not make you go above the national standard because that borders on designing or engineering and they are neither engineers nor architects. Their job is to follow the "Letter" of the code, not to alter or input their "opinion". Just an interesting fact that was told to a continuing education class at a state class required to be held every year here in CT, by a state-sanctioned instructor! The codes that are in place are a lot like the law in that they are both open to interpretation. It can get very complicated and confusing to the tradesperson nevermind the laymen. Great series by the way... Best of evrything with your build.
My 1973 house was built to MA state, and local town, code. It has 2x3 studs on non-load-bearing walls, 2x4's with some insulation for outside walls, and had 3.5 inches of insulation in the attic (since added to massively), wiring that is .. okay... and windows that were junk after 20 years. By the time I bought the house in 2001, let's just say I am buying a new house on top of this house, one piece at a time. With a mortgage. It's nice to have the thoughtful discussion on code versus not. Enjoy your journey, and debt-free existence!
People will always brag that this or that was built to code, but what that means is that you built the absolute worst house you can legally build. When I re-wired my house, my three professional electrician brother-in-laws were always giving me grief for using 12 gauge wire in my lighting fixtures when "I could have gotten away with 14 gauge". The were giving me crap for buying the $5 receptacle when "I could get away with" using the $0.59 contractor grade cheepo's. I always over-build and never have to got back and fix anything.
john wagner he walks around with his nose in the air I'll bet!! 😜 but no seriously he makes a good point. "You could have got away with....." Is how building to code works lol
I do like these kinds of videos. I think a lot of times people see off grid/no permits and wander around youtube looking at earth bag houses and coke bottle windows and imagine that life. You two are a very reasonable middle ground. I think most people want that freedom like you mentioned to build whatever but understand that in the end safety, headroom and sanitation are really important too. Me personally I think Tyvk looks cool once it start to rip a little from all the wind storms. Thank you for all the hard work it is to keep all your videos coming. I look forward to them all the time. Stay safe and take care.
I really like the info dump videos you make. The main reason is because I didn't even know there were places that didn't have building codes, and that has opened up a whole new realm of possibilities for me! So thanks! Can't wait for the next video!
I retired from being a electrician and one time the electrical inspector came right after a rain storm and he drove in fast and slid in the mud and crashed into our truck. We laughed at him. He red tagged the building because we laughed at him. A week later another inspector came out and passed the building he was asking why were we red tagged. We told him the story then he understood.
I was $20 000 over budget before I broke ground due to codes. Paid it, built it and moved in before I got occupancy. They can't kick you out of your own home so forget them!
We enjoy all the videos you publish. The two of you make a great team. Keep up the good work and dismiss all the doubters and haters and armchair quarterbacks. You're doing great. My wife and I designed, (with an architect), and built a large, (four thousand square foot, plus an over-sized three car garage), house taking seven years to complete and we can relate to the experiences you are having. The reward of living in the home you build yourself is quite satisfying and is the payoff for the sacrifices made to have the dream become the reality.
I have lived in Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, and for the past 'umteen' years, North Carolina. I have been in the building industry since the 1960's; my entire working life. North Carolina has excellent building codes, and many counties and cities have additional requirements. Even so, it is stated that it is the '"minimal code", as in, the worst you are allowed to do everything. Building "to code" does not mean it is the best way to do things. Many builders here far exceed the minimum code standards for those who are willing to pay the additional costs involved. What I have seen of your foundation and ICF walls you two are doing and excellent job. I was involved with two Greenville North Carolina builders who pioneered ICF construction in eastern North Carolina. Moses Sheppard Construction and Dan Thomas Builders. I think they would give you two a pat on the back! I've been following you since the 'giddy-up' and very much like that you share your successes and failures; a great learning experience for all the viewers..... (for the idiot S.O.B.s with the constant negative comments.... simply go to hell)...
I can see the good and bad of codes and permits. Codes that prevent fire hazards, mold, collapse of the home, etc are good. They protect you, your neighbor and the future buyer because there is a standard. However, I do take great offense to codes and permits that are ridiculous. I have been places that if you want to build a large pre-built shed from home depot, you are required to obtain permits 5-10 times more expensive than the actual shed it self. Not to mention some places require permits to tear down said shed after it gets a bit to old.
I like long videos documenting your progress but I like the short ones focused on specific topics as well! Mix it and everybody is happy I think. Greetings from germany.
As a builder I agree some codes are necessary but I can tell you from experience that many of those codes are absolutely ridiculous. The quality of the builder is really the most important thing. I've seen poor builders pass inspection because they knew what to make look good. I have also encountered building inspectors that didn't have a freaking clue what code actually was. I just encountered a local inspector try to tell me my customer was required by international building code to put 1/2" drywall under all of his interior finishes. I had to look up the international building code and shove it in his face to show him he was ignorant of the truth.
I know you said you don't read RU-vid comments but I'm going to throw this out there anyway: I started watching every video you put up when your house construction started. So I can't speak for others, but I love the construction vids. Keep them coming.
You should want to build everything to code at a minimum. It just gives you a better home, usually. A lot of the times, excessive permits and inspectors are about funding the building department, not about "public safety." Why pay $25 to get a minor permit to replace a water heater when the inspector will not nor is required to inspect the work? Its about collecting money. In other words, government employees protecting their jobs. Some things should be inspected, septic systems, plumbing, water systems should be looked at by someone. I've found inspectors are not helpful and usually egomaniacs who love the power they hold over a home owner.
Some good points! Codes, and code officials, are often made out to be the bad guys, unfairly. I won't say that there aren't bad code enforcement people out there, but they're few and far between. I've been a builder for almost 40 years, and, overwhelmingly, my experience with inspectors has been good. Just remember, those fellows were usually in the trades, themselves, and really want you to have your home, and have it be safe and long-lasting.
When I came upon your videos< I was hooked. Though unfortunately I was unable to be current...until now. Just finished watching the series of the "Build", and loved every one of them...long and short. Keep up the GREAT WORK.
Also, lay out an x and y tape measure and record all of your under the slab plumbing. I took over an hour of video to locate everything under the slab (also the hydronic pipe). It is great to have should you need to do any maintenance or additional construction over the slab.
It's not the damned codes people object to, it's the cost of meeting those codes which usually require a contractor that's what people don't like. You should have been able to just say this as you know why you chose an area with no codes in the first place.
Enjoyed this video . I think it helps to understand some of the behind the scene thoughts and decisions to what made you make the moves and the direction you are headed. Thanks again .
I totally understand your situation. I went to Mexico and we bought a small house from my brother-in-law and we are building more on it. It's nice to build at our own pace, but I like building constantly but ran low on money. The freedom to build is great, but I had to buy a Stihl concrete saw and cut the bond beams because it was forehead height. I had to do a major change because the roof was way too low and I wanted to expand my house. So I had to remove the roof and rebuild it differently. It was a lot of work and we plan on building a shop so my tools aren't taking all the room.
“It’ll only make ‘em stronger” made me actually laugh out loud - where I grew up, Tyvek is a relatively recent upgrade. On the cost issue, for all of the DIY projects I’ve done it seemed that estimates for labor would run 100-200% of material depending on how much labor-intensive work was involved. I recently had to pay a contractor to renovate an apartment, a project of very similar scale to one I did myself 8 years ago, and the ratio was $4K materials to $8K labor. That’s not to criticize the contractor - they charged a fair price, they did good work, and they deserve a decent wage for their experience and expertise. But sometimes you just don’t have the money, or you have different priorities, and DIY is the only option left. As to building codes, I certainly support the appropriate health and safety measures - I think most folks do. It seems in your case, you went this route to enable you to make prudent decisions rather than cutting corners. The cabin was an exercise in expediency; the house is an exercise in effectiveness - in both cases you made the choice that worked best for your situation. You have made choices to hire contractors, get permits, etc. so I really think “no permits” is a matter of being able to make decisions truly consistent with your long-term objectives: a sustainable, debt-free home. On types of RU-vid videos: I thoroughly enjoy both types, and I think you have done well in keeping a balance on the channel to date. I watched the whole sequence over the last couple of months (had some long plane and train flights in there) and thought you were, overall, true to your goal of sharing your journey and that made it engaging, entertaining and informative. So thanks again, and best wishes for a long, long autumn …
I've watched since the beginning, You are my Daughter & Son in law's age. Very impressive your drive compliments each other, Big Job, Big education! I appreciate the chance to see the majority of what it took to get where you are. And Great Videos
In Arkansas my parents bought a house and built on to it...the man who built it was a cabinet maker....My uncle and I had to tear out the floor and rewire what he built....only real thing he did that was right was putting wing braces in it. The house was a death trap for 25 years and nobody knew it. We put in 35k to remodel and fix it with NO labor fees...so codes have a place, but permits are for funding cities....
Amazing video guys! I've been a framer carpenter and have been in the construction field for 16 years. I find this video very insightful and helpful. It's so important to consult professionals to have an end product that you are proud of for generations! I'm not a big fan of code because it is America and one person who doesn't have enough money to finish their home has the right have a roof over their heads as much as a millionaire who can pay cash for a castle. I think in the 21st century with info at our fingertips it's important to ask a professional if you have questions. Code enforcers are by no stretch professionals in the building field. They literally only read what the engineer wrote on the blueprint. In short, i think codes are important to build a beautiful city of lights and towers but they are not really necessary for the average person just trying to create a property where their family can live in peace and freedom. Wonderful work guys! Keep it up!
The simple fact is that you two can stay on topic better than most other channels. So everything you post is consumable and for me enjoyable to see and hear.
That's the whole purpose of Building codes. The Contractors have lobbied to make it hard to build your own home so that you have to hire someone to build your home. It's almost impossible to build in less than 6 months.
Pretty good. It is worth noting that building codes are not zoning regs. And even with no zoning (uses permitted) there may be covenants that control how and what one is legally permitted to do. Just look at what has happened in Houston without these restrictions. In a town with no zoning, the land I bought cannot be subdivided and I cannot take down trees over a certain diameter beyond 30ft from the house site, many of which have doubled in size since the land was subdivided. Composting toilets are permitted but rainwater cannot be used as drinking water. Building codes are intended to protect health and safety but are often used to limit risk for banks, architects and other professionals and code enforcers and even insurance companies that we pay to take risks! We live in a litigious world. Good luck everyone!
