Questions about building a small cabin in Fern Acres Hawaii

[mikereilly]

More than half the structures on my road toward the back of Eden Roc are unpermitted. YMMV as it depends on who your neighbors are and how well you can fit in. If you upset somebody, they can always report you to the county to get back at you.

[MikeyMike11]

Originally Posted by alaskangrown

Obviously you have A-holes anywhere who use "low-impact" living as an excuse to be lazy and never do anything. You have total dumps, tent cities and the like. But that is THEIR business. As long as they aren't doing any harm, this IS America, is it not? And for every person living in a tent and crapping in a bucket, there is a small-scale, fully sustainable organic family farm. I know more than a dozen. But that ratio could be off

I won't get my house permitted until they change the codes to include alternative walks of life, sorry

Dude... I am all about the type of lifestyle you are talking about, but the vast majority of people who want to live like that are slobs. I'm from Montana, and I see these hillbillies everywhere. They literally take a beautiful piece of high country land and turn it into a junkyard. And then they have the same argument as you.

You moved THERE, so you need to follow their laws. If you don't understand how the laws work, county laws are more restrictive than state laws, and municipal laws are more strict than county laws, and then finally, a subdivision CCR's are legally more restrictive than a municipal code, that is, if they exist.

Your mentality sounds a bit selfish honestly. Like "I do what I want!". I agree with most of the native folks here, and that is why I'm going permitted. Hopefully they crack down on this, as there are some really dumpy looking places on the BI as I hover over Google Earth.

[MikeyMike11]

Originally Posted by UnderOverture

It's sad how unnecessarily complex and expensive building and health codes make things. I have land in Puna and would like to do DIY composting/humanure (no blackwater) and a greywater system for sink/tub output. Heck, I could even filter the sink/tub output so it's as clean as tap water. But if I have to install a cesspool or septic tank regardless and hire a separate plumber to install the plumbing, greywater or not, the savings disappear. Both the ecosystem and I are worse off for it.

Lots of misconceptions out there about composting and humanure. Even if it were the same as "pooping on the ground" -- which it's not -- do people not realize that animals poop on the ground all the time? Also, that no epidemic has ever spread from "pooping on the ground," but some of the worst disease outbreaks in human history are a direct result of mixing poop with water? Cholera, Plague, etc. [end rant]

This thread is really informational. Thanks to everyone posting insights about the Big Island.

@RustNeverSleeps -- my comments aren't directed at you, fyi. I know your drone comment was a joke ... although I wouldn't be surprised

The problem is that not everyone is intelligent and/or experienced in building. Based on the intelligence of the average American, I am so happy there are building codes out there.

[MikeyMike11]

Originally Posted by 6.7traveler

Thanks, I take it from my browsing these forums that a person like me would be best suited for the living in the puna district? I think my time in Alaska has prepared me for any number of broken down cars, hoards of roosters and interesting neighbors. I would be looking for land with little to no cc&r's or HOA. I wouldn't mind finding agricultural zoned land either. I live in a spray foamed dome I built in Alaska for reference.
Can anyone point me in the right direction and narrow down my browsing for land. I am not scared of impassable roads, crazy neighbors, or any other issues except for active lava flows. Budget is 20-40k. I just want to build something cool/alternative with least amount of hassle. Thanks.

You livin in a pond or just forget all about drainage? I mean really, that structure isn't going to last much longer in that mud. This is why building codes exist.

[MikeyMike11]

Originally Posted by OpenD

A lot more people than you think... here in Volcano we have night time temperatures in the low 50s or high 40s this time of year, and heating is very expensive.

In addition, in the summer insulation helps hold down the solar heat gain, and thus A/C costs. That's why if you install central HVAC you are REQUIRED to insulate.

Hmmm, I would imagine that the requirement for insulation with HVAC is because of moisture buildup. But yea, anyone who would install HVAC without insulation might not be too bright. Should just burn dollar bills for warmth in that case!