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I've been doing a bit of research on areas to build without building permits, and so far have learned that Washington and Oregon have some pretty strict codes, while Idaho seems to be a bit more lax. I've found 3 counties in Idaho so far that do not seem to have building codes (beyond septic, plumbing, electrical, and site disturbance.) Those are boundary, bonner, and Idaho counties. I also looked into Nez Perce, Washington, and Gem counties and it seems like they only require permits, but no inspections beyond what the state requires. Let me know if i'm wrong about any of those. I might have to call each of their building departments.
Does anyone else know of any other counties that wouldn't require building inspections?
Also, are the electrical permits only required when hooking up to the grid, or are they required regardless of if we created our own power via solar, wind, or another form? It seems like there's no real way around plumbing inspections even with a greywater system and composting toilet.
All this is purely in the planning stage. We probably won't be ready to buy for a couple more years. I just like planning ahead.
Bonner Ct has building codes and inspections, make no mistake of that! Not as strict as Kootenai Ct, but still not to be ignored. Be aware that in order for your house to be hooked up to the grid, the electrical company has to dig the trench/put in power lines from the nearest source all the way to within 20 yards or so of your dwelling, you can't do it yourself. And that can end up being pricey, if the nearest power box is hundreds of yards away. And your electrical wiring in your house will be inspected regardless of whether or not you're going to be hooked up to the grid. Your contractor will take care of that, but if you are a self builder, you should be aware of it. Once you've got your wiring approved, there is no fee/permit for using a generator etc. I don't know about solar, but I would assume that "off the grid" means just that! No fees.
The process in Bonner Ct (once you have legal ownership of the property) is as follows: (1) septic testing, (2) submission of application for a site location building permit, with the septic test papers, a copy of the plat map, drawing of the building site, and floor plans + elevation, plus location/prospective location of the well. The septic test is only good for a year, but the permit can be renewed, for a fee. The same thing goes for the site location permit, but work has to have commenced on the property in order for the permit to be renewed. One easy thing about the site location permit is that you don't have to submit official architectural plans; hand-drawn plans are sufficient, as long as they are clear and follow the instructions on the forms you'll receive at the Bonner Ct office.
You don't actually have to have a septic system in order to live on your property; if you want to go with a composting toilet, that's fine, but the new rule in Bonner Ct is that you can't get a building permit without the ground passing a perk test! And then, the day when you change your mind and want to install a septic system after all, if you've let the permit lapse, you'll have to do the perk test all over again, and pay the fee again.
I hope my info is still accurate (it dates back to 2011-12).
I have to say that in the rear view mirror some of the "hassle" is worth it, knowing that your structure actually is built to code, with sound wiring, etc. And maybe more importantly, you know that your new neighbors who are building also have to have their house inspected, and they're not putting up a fire trap.
The following is my experience as a recent (15 years ago) transplant to Idaho County.
Except for certain limited specific areas, Idaho County has no Zoning or Building Codes.
I built/had my house built with no permits of any kind, except a septic permit. The county health guy was on my property less than 20 minutes. Asked where the house was going to be, how many people to live there, where is the well, where I wanted the system located. Examined the ground exposed in a cut made to place the pad, stated that this type of subsurface rock 'percs well.' Sketched out the system on the back of an envelope (literally true) and instructed me to send the fee ($125 IIRC in the late 90's) to his office.
My home is off grid, so likely did not even need this, although it seemed like a good idea.
In principal, one is -supposed- to pull an electrical permit, but this is largely ignored by homeowner home builders, home improvers, etc. There are numerous local trades persons who will do plumbing installs without permit. (But, be sure to get local recommendations from people you trust - quality varies.)
The ONLY permit pretty much required is a septic permit. And this is required only because the local power utilities will not hook up a 'house' to the grid without the septic permit. (My understanding is: A 'house' is defined as a building with bedrooms; a bedroom being defined as a room with a built in closet. Or, I guess if it looks like a house, as distinguished from a shop, or garage, etc.)
Note that the septic system does not have to be installed for power to be connected to the pole. Just have the permit.
The area in and around Grangeville ('the area of impact') seems to have some building regulations, as does the "Wild and Scenic River' Corridor along Highway 12 past Kooskia. Also, any location within the '100-yr floodplain' may have some building restrictions/requirements as part of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). (Idaho County is not sanctioned. But, do check on a specific property you may be interested in. My advice is - never buy in the flood plain. The FedGov subsidy of NFIP premiums is coming to an end. You should expect premiums will go up significantly in the designated areas.)
Generally, here in Idaho County, you can build any fool thing you want. If it falls down, that is your problem. For example, I just finished installing my Ham Radio tower. No permits, inspections, hearings. Just hire the backhoe, call the concrete company, put it up.
Now, if a mortgage and insurance gets involved, the situation may turn out to be different. Not as a government mandate, but as a free market means for the lender to protect their investment (lien) in your property.
A house that is built right will be able to built within the building codes. If you are hell bent on wanting to build a house wrong, you end up in one of these counties. Maybe your criteria should include more emphasis on where you want to live and less on trying to build a sub-standard home.
A house that is built right will be able to built within the building codes. If you are hell bent on wanting to build a house wrong, you end up in one of these counties. Maybe your criteria should include more emphasis on where you want to live and less on trying to build a sub-standard home.
My thoughts, too, but the OP may not be thinking of building a sub-standard home. Building permits are required for outbuildings in many Idaho counties, and some, like a shop, barn, or such may require an electrical inspection and/or a water/sewer inspection if water is to be plumbed in.
The counties that have lax inspection laws may not be doing any favors to their inhabitants. Permits make for solid structures and safety inspections benefit the landowner the most of all. Allowing a clap-trap home to be built, with something like weak roof rafters, could be a calamity for the family in a snowy winter. It would definitely be an unhappy situation for the family if the roof fell in during a cold snap.
Even cheap building that cuts corners is still expensive these days. Doing things right the first time may cost more initially, but the costs of repairing a major failure would be as great a cost, so any material savings would be the same in the end.
One thing the OP didn't mention was a possible intention to build a non-traditional home.
I know guys who live in teepees and yurts year-round; both are portable and neither requires a foundation. If that's the case, I don't know if permits would be required, but I don't think so. There are probably no building standards existing for either.
Building a yurt as a 'permanent' home might only need an insulated small bath house for the toilet, water, sinks etc.
Mongolian yurts (they are called gyrs there; 'yurt' is a Russian word) are commonly electrified with solar panels and storage batteries. Typically, they only use 1 or 2 electric lights, and often they have a small TV and radio/CD player. Most of them are heated like a teepee- a central fire ventilates through a hole in the roof that serves for heating and cooking.
Thanks for the replies. I wasn't aware that bonner county had changed it's codes.
I do actually intend to build a non traditional home, most likely made of cob. The roof, plumbing, and electrical will most likely be done by a contractor though as I am not confident in our ability to install those correctly. I also plan to have the roof built before anything else so that we'll be able to build our walls without the rain destroying any progress.
My intention is not to build a sub-standard home, but to build natually without an inspector telling me what I can and cannot do.
I've seen houses made from straw bales and old tires filled with dirt that passed inspection. Once something flammable is plastered over correctly there should be no problems.
I take it that you already know how to build with corn cobs. I don't know how the big the corn crop is in the panhandle, but if you have a set of building specs, I think you might want to talk to an inspector before you build, rather than afterward.
All the inspectors I've met are experienced and pretty good guys. All they really want is safety for the home owner and for the community. I think if they understood the nature of the unusual materials, and how you plan to make them work, they wouldn't necessarily deny a permit.
A well established building contractor here in I.F. was one of the very first in the nation to adopt the hollow foam boards with inner steel baffles that are filled with concrete to make them solid. These homes are plastered on the exterior and have sheetrock walls on the interior. He spent most of a day explaining the system to the local inspectors, and they approved the construction. That was about 20 years ago, and the method has become widespread since then.
You never know, but getting a provisional OK before you begin spending money seems to be a better alternative than avoiding an inspection and having a home condemned afterward. In general, Idaho is pretty amenable to alternative construction methods.
My thoughts, too, but the OP may not be thinking of building a sub-standard home. Building permits are required for outbuildings in many Idaho counties, and some, like a shop, barn, or such may require an electrical inspection and/or a water/sewer inspection if water is to be plumbed in.
The counties that have lax inspection laws may not be doing any favors to their inhabitants. Permits make for solid structures and safety inspections benefit the landowner the most of all. Allowing a clap-trap home to be built, with something like weak roof rafters, could be a calamity for the family in a snowy winter. It would definitely be an unhappy situation for the family if the roof fell in during a cold snap.
Even cheap building that cuts corners is still expensive these days. Doing things right the first time may cost more initially, but the costs of repairing a major failure would be as great a cost, so any material savings would be the same in the end.
One thing the OP didn't mention was a possible intention to build a non-traditional home.
I know guys who live in teepees and yurts year-round; both are portable and neither requires a foundation. If that's the case, I don't know if permits would be required, but I don't think so. There are probably no building standards existing for either.
Building a yurt as a 'permanent' home might only need an insulated small bath house for the toilet, water, sinks etc.
Mongolian yurts (they are called gyrs there; 'yurt' is a Russian word) are commonly electrified with solar panels and storage batteries. Typically, they only use 1 or 2 electric lights, and often they have a small TV and radio/CD player. Most of them are heated like a teepee- a central fire ventilates through a hole in the roof that serves for heating and cooking.
I know this is a very old post but I just had to toss my $.02 in regarding yurts. There are many very good yurt manufacturers in the US. If you buy one of these I can bet no one in their right mind will have a "hole" in the roof to let out the smoke from a fire nor would you use a inside "fire" to cook! I've seen many yurts, some up to 40' in diameter, that are more plush than my current, site built home. Trust me, none of them use a fire in the middle of the floor for cooking or heating! More the norm is wood stove, A/C, 1-2 bedrooms, inside bathroom, full kitchen with stove, oven, refrigerator and living/dining rooms. We are currently looking for sites in Idaho to retire to during the spring, summer and fall (we'll play snowbirds part of the winter) and the only reason we are looking at counties with minimal building code requirements is to not have to hassle with explaining over and over how a yurt is very well insulated and livable without needing conventional walls on the outside. We plan to be off the grid but still want to have access to electric and water in case we change our minds or if our off grid system goes down for any length of time while we are away.
I referred to the yurts (gyrs) the Mongolians still use.
I don't think Americans would be burning camel dung for their heating and cooking anytime soon, so I'm sure the American designs follow much of the traditional gyr structure with American 'improvements'.
Camel dung is so dry when eliminated from the beast it can be burnt as fuel and is basically smokeless and odorless. Our own pioneers burnt buffalo dung for the same reason; it's also very dry and burns cleanly, too, but it's not as dry as the camel dung. A camel's urine is as thick as syrup. Everything in the critter is designed to save water for where it's needed most in the body.
The Mongolians' culture is very different from ours in many ways. During all the decades of the Soviet empire, the Mongols were forced to give up their millennia-old nomadic way of life. During all those years, they lived in cities and most were semi-nomadic at best, hanging on to their old ways as they could, and working in Soviet greenhouses and factories when they could not.
After the fall of the Soviets, they by and large gave all that up and moved back onto the steppes. Their homes are still essentially hard-walled tents that haven't changed much from the most ancient designs, but they use solar cells, trucks, and other things from their former lives, in a pick-and-choose way. Their yurt is still completely mobile and can be set up or torn down in less than a day. Instead of being packed by horses or camels as in the past, nowadays, a truck is used as often as an animal, but only because it allows the tent to be set up, ready to live in, when the herd arrives later on.
They're still the greatest horse culture in the world. There are more horses in Mongolia than humans.
Mongolia is full of abandoned industry of all kinds. Once they were no longer compelled to be part of an industrial empire, they simply abandoned industry to the Russians or anyone who still wanted to be a part of it, and went back to herding.
I have a lady friend in Montana who does horseback tours in Mongolia. Their culture is very interesting, for sure, as it is so different from the West in so many ways.
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Need to look into modern yurts!
