Preppers, Permies & Off griders - Need advice.

[Steve Pickering]

Originally Posted by Larry Caldwell

No, they don't.

... ...

Second, your experience in the City of Dallas is not representative of the state as a whole. ... ... Oregon building codes do not address existing structures.

My experience includes Coos County, Lane County, Deschutes County and Douglas County and the cities therin. The Codes do address Existing Structures which were not in compliance when constructed. You can not just build an out of compliance structure and then sell it without someone in the chain of ownership being required to bring it into compliance, and that compliance will be by current standards, not the ones in place at the time of the illegal or noncompliant construction.

[Silverfall]

Originally Posted by Steve Pickering

So yes it can be sold, but not lived in.[/font][/color]

Living in is different than selling. You are correct here. The property needs to have certain elements completed before moving in but it doesn't have to be finished. Larry outlined what you must have in order to move in. I've known several people that acted as their own GC building their home and they moved in after the kitchen and a bathroom went in. Then they finished the rest while living in the house.

Originally Posted by Larry Caldwell

First, the Oregon Residential Specialty Code is based on the International Residential Specialty Code, with Oregon amendments that are sometimes quite different. It's a state-wide code that has to be enforced in every jurisdiction.

This is correct. Counties and cities can have more restrictive standards than the ORSC but it can't be less stringent.

Originally Posted by Steve Pickering

You can not just build an out of compliance structure and then sell it without someone in the chain of ownership being required to bring it into compliance, and that compliance will be by current standards, not the ones in place at the time of the illegal or noncompliant construction.

The owner is always responsible for the property which is why due diligence is essential for home buyers. If someone builds an illegal addition in 1990, they will be held to 1990 standards when they go to do the permit for it in 2013. That's what they do in Salem-Keizer. If it is a new build or in your case an incomplete/out of code build, then yes it has to be to current codes at the time of the final permit.

[PNW-type-gal]

Originally Posted by Silverfall

The owner is always responsible for the property which is why due diligence is essential for home buyers. If someone builds an illegal addition in 1990, they will be held to 1990 standards when they go to do the permit for it in 2013. That's what they do in Salem-Keizer. If it is a new build or in your case an incomplete/out of code build, then yes it has to be to current codes at the time of the final permit.

Hmmm, my neighbors bought an unfinished house (occupancy permit had never been issued, permits had expired) and had to reapply for permits - using current code, not the code the original permits were issued under. It didn't make a HUGE difference, but there were some things that had to be ripped out and redone.

[Larry Caldwell]

Originally Posted by PNW-type-gal

Hmmm, my neighbors bought an unfinished house (occupancy permit had never been issued, permits had expired) and had to reapply for permits - using current code, not the code the original permits were issued under. It didn't make a HUGE difference, but there were some things that had to be ripped out and redone.

Technically, there is no such thing as an occupancy permit for a single family residence in Oregon. Commercial and multiple family structures require occupancy permits. The only thing you will get on a house is a final inspection approval, showing that the project was complete. Banks will require that on recent construction, though they ignored it completely on my house, which was built 2 years before the first Oregon building code.

If there are expired permits and the lender finds out about them, they will require the work to be approved. That's not a Building Department issue, it's a finance issue. If you are spending your own money instead of someone else's, you have a lot of leeway and nobody is ever going to force you to finish a house unless it is in some way dangerous.

[topnotchdkw]

seeking info for building off grid in the john day rural areas, I'm a semi retired union carpenter of over 25 years, now flat bed truck driver part time. Me and my adult son can build/ fabricate anything from wood / metal/ etc. seeking to retire in the john day area. My wife and myself enjoy bow hunting / fishing / and prospecting. We are going to build off the grid and seeking information on what kind of buildings can be put onto rural property, what type of septic systems are allowed, water systems, etc.

[PNW-type-gal]

Originally Posted by topnotchdkw

seeking info for building off grid in the john day rural areas, I'm a semi retired union carpenter of over 25 years, now flat bed truck driver part time. Me and my adult son can build/ fabricate anything from wood / metal/ etc. seeking to retire in the john day area. My wife and myself enjoy bow hunting / fishing / and prospecting. We are going to build off the grid and seeking information on what kind of buildings can be put onto rural property, what type of septic systems are allowed, water systems, etc.

These will be the people you want, and it is even in the John Day area:
SolWest 2015 Program Guide | Oregon Rural Action

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Originally Posted by topnotchdkw

.......... what kind of buildings can be put onto rural property, what type of septic systems are allowed, water systems, etc.

You will pay to have a perk test done, and then the inspector from the health department will come out and take a look and he will tell you what sort of septic system you will be allowed to install. The closer you are to water, the more expensive a septic system you are likely to be required to install.

You can get a building permit for darn near any type of house as long as you can prove it is safe. You can get an owner/ builder permit and do all your own work, including plumbing and electrical. If the house is owner built, you can't sell it for a full year after completion.

Water in the desert, you must have a permit. Unless you are right in town, you will probably have a well, and you will be told how much water you can take out of the ground.

Some of the farms along the John Day river have irrigation rights and they can take water out of the river. What they take is measured.

I like the John Day area. It's very scenic and apparently, you can grow fruit trees there.

[whirnot]

There is also a tightening of restrictions on septic, the last couple of years. The property we bought was approved for a standard septic. About 18 months ago the DEQ required that the approval for a standard system be revoked and is requiring an ATT system, even though it is the only system on 15 acres and there are no water issues. For the uninformed the ATT system is very expensive, even more than a sand filter system.

[peaceloveandjulie]

Originally Posted by whirnot

There is also a tightening of restrictions on septic, the last couple of years. The property we bought was approved for a standard septic. About 18 months ago the DEQ required that the approval for a standard system be revoked and is requiring an ATT system, even though it is the only system on 15 acres and there are no water issues. For the uninformed the ATT system is very expensive, even more than a sand filter system.

Yeah, most are but some aren't too bad. I've been researching this in case my perc test makes them insist I need a sand filter. I don't want a huge chunk of my land taken up for that OR a huge chunk of my budget if there was another option. So, I looked into all of the ATTs on the state-approved list.

Most are these big ole honking multi-chamber treatment systems with pumps and alarms that are energy hogs. Mind you, I'm building my retirement dream -- a little alternative-energy, sustainable cabin with a 300-square-foot footprint just for me. Upstairs bedroom, one bathroom and a kitchen and living area downstairs, that's it. I want peace and quiet and natural beauty -- not a full-sized house to clean and maintain. But I digress ...

Two ATTs I found are adaptable to home size, needs, and even a septic redo -- they're also reasonably priced. The first is my choice -- a peat moss system call Puraflo. The second one is a retrofit, can't remember the full name but RETRO I think is in it, heh. It can be used for new construction of small homes, too, where there are space and soil limitations.

There is the potential for submitting a product for state evaluation and review to be included on their list but that takes six months to a year. If I were planning something further into the future, that's what I'd do. The European greywater system I was interested in using actually has been approved as a septic system in Canada and some European countries and is a peat system that works almost identically to the Puraflo. I'm sure it would be approved if taken to the DEQ. But I don't have the time or presence in the state to do it.