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So far I got a list of 340 towns that don't need to enforce building codes + unorganized territories... I'm guessing the tax will always be higher in municipality versus unorganized.
Sounds like a reasonable permit process to me, compared to what's in other states. Good idea about cut-and-paste from DEP site.
Last summer one of my neighbors had knocked down their previous house. A contractor wanted to site where the new pad should go to allow a modular to be parked there. I stopped by to see if I could assist. I have my own copy of the town tax-map and my deed, so we needed to measure from my corner, the width of their property. They showed me their 'original' deed. Half of their deed was typed [with a typewriter missing letters and the letter it did print were not in good alignment] and half of their deed was hand-written.
It included a hand-drawn 'map', not enough close to scale.
Before we measured with steel tapes, the contractor was going to lay the new pad crossing a property line onto the next property. Thankfully we verified where the property lines really are, before any concrete was poured.
It would not surprise me at all, if we have Mainers who have owned homes for many generations, and their deeds are hand-written on restaurant place settings or napkins.
I am originally from California. This is the fifth home I have owned, I have seen how things are done in a lot of different places. I do enjoy Maine
Many things done in Maine can not be compared to other states.
I believe you can expand an old dwelling, but it must be done at a controlled rate. Like 10% square-footage per year, so to double your footprint would take 10 years [or something like that].
You can generally jack-up a house to put a foundation under it.
But if your house burned down completely [thank God our Fire Departments rarely lose a concrete foundation], and if you wanted to re-construct on the same foot-print, you would need a permit.
LUPC sends out a monthly email with all permits they have approved each month, etc. I recently read one where the owner had wanted to rebuild on a foundation after a house fire [which sounds normal, no big thing]. But his plans showed that he wanted to expand the new house to sit too close to the road pavement [violating setback regulations]. LUPC turned down that application. Imagine the county plow truck coming along and burying half your house under 20 tons of snow, because your house sits so close to the pavement. Or worse yet, when the plow-truck extends it's 'wings' to clear the shoulders of the road. This is usually when the truck may nail your mailbox, but what if he nailed your house and swept away a corner of your bedroom. Ouch !
It's actually 30% by area or volume, which ever is least. That is for the lifetime of the structure. You wouldn't ever be allowed to double the size.
Eww, must be quite a scene--you got an igloo, then... my own plans don't include expansions or getting closer to the road/reducing setback (I'd rather go in another direction if it's very close already).
Our house is 100+ yards from the road. It would have been further from the road, but there is a river floodplain in the way. I got as far from the road as I could.
Last summer one of my neighbors had knocked down their previous house. A contractor wanted to site where the new pad should go to allow a modular to be parked there. I stopped by to see if I could assist. I have my own copy of the town tax-map and my deed, so we needed to measure from my corner, the width of their property. They showed me their 'original' deed. Half of their deed was typed [with a typewriter missing letters and the letter it did print were not in good alignment] and half of their deed was hand-written.
It included a hand-drawn 'map', not enough close to scale.
Before we measured with steel tapes, the contractor was going to lay the new pad crossing a property line onto the next property. Thankfully we verified where the property lines really are, before any concrete was poured.
It would not surprise me at all, if we have Mainers who have owned homes for many generations, and their deeds are hand-written on restaurant place settings or napkins.
I am originally from California. This is the fifth home I have owned, I have seen how things are done in a lot of different places. I do enjoy Maine
Many things done in Maine can not be compared to other states.
Some might still have the original land grant paper
As to the other states and specifically the West Coast, I'm guessing that the the Black flies keep the armies of people with money away from buying Maine properties, which helps with building codes probably. Otherwise, would be a big minimum footage and insane permit process (so that it could be taxed and charged for permits, plus let various individuals to make $$ of "constructing it all to code" down to helping chose the color of the garden hose)--just look at the West Coast, even the state of Washington.
Some might still have the original land grant paper
As to the other states and specifically the West Coast, I'm guessing that the the Black flies keep the armies of people with money away from buying Maine properties, which helps with building codes probably. Otherwise, would be a big minimum footage and insane permit process (so that it could be taxed and charged for permits, plus let various individuals to make $$ of "constructing it all to code" down to helping chose the color of the garden hose)--just look at the West Coast, even the state of Washington.
I have owned homes in California and in Washington. From my experience Maine is entirely different.
I have owned homes in California and in Washington. From my experience Maine is entirely different.
Even in these, there're still pockets where no enforcement occurs
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Half of their deed was typed [with a typewriter missing letters and the letter it did print were not in good alignment] and half of their deed was hand-written.
