Small land acreage.

[volosong]

My initial thoughts were that if a yurt is good enough for Mongols, it should be good enough for Wyoming. To verify, off to Google I went and researched the climate of Mongolia and Wyoming. Quite the surprise! Wyoming actually has harsher winters than Mongolia.

When you read about yurts in the states, they are usually located in more mild climates. That's probably why there are few, if any in Wyoming, and mot so many in Montana. Your biggest battle will be getting permits to build one.

One hint: enter "yurts in wyoming" in a google search window and you'll see quite a few links where you can obtain more information. They seem to be more popular in Montana.


.

[Wyomiles]

I just did a web search for Wyoming yurts and was surprised to find lots of yurts being used as rentals. A little deeper search might find some being lived in long term?

[sunsprit]

Originally Posted by Wyomiles

I just did a web search for Wyoming yurts and was surprised to find lots of yurts being used as rentals. A little deeper search might find some being lived in long term?

all of the yurts I've seen mentioned used in Wyoming are "temporary" use recreational structures, essentially a sturdy tent for a short-term stay, warming hut, etc. Most without any utilities such as running water, sanitary facilities, or electricity.

The most prevalent building codes adopted throughout the state make obtaining a CofO for such membrane structures a problematic situation.

Looks to me that the easiest path to using a yurt for a legal residence would be to seek out the county areas in WY where building codes/zoning are not in use. IF anybody has, in fact, done so ... they don't appear to have a website nor do the yurt manufacturers mention such a residency use in their websites where they feature stories of their products being used.

Typically, the articles I've seen about "living in a yurt" in Wyoming are on the order of Christina Cooke's write-up of a Thanksgiving stay in a couple of yurts near Jackson WY ...
"Living in a yurt is much different from not living in a yurt. It’s colder, for one. Only a thin layer of canvas separates you from the 20 below outside, and you consistently find yourself wearing multiple pairs of pants. Secondly, it’s a lot more work. You begin tossing around pioneer words like “fetch,” “haul,” and “stoke” without a second thought.
I spent the Thanksgiving holiday yurt-sitting with my sister and two friends near Kelly, Wyoming, about 20 miles down a straight, flat road from Jackson. Though we were technically care-taking three structures — a living room yurt, a bedroom yurt and a school bus converted into a guest room, all located a few feet from each other in a log-fenced yard — we confined ourselves mostly to the living room area, near the only source of heat, a wood-burning stove."

As depicted, the yurts she and her friends stayed in would not qualify for a CofO for a permanent residence. From the picture of the yurts she posted, you can see they are located in the immediate vicinity of a conventional two-story house, likely the source of the electricity service then connected to the yurts. They've got a propane cookstove in the "living room" yurt, but no heating system except the wood heating stove.

While a wood stove can certainly deliver heat, the problem is that it can't be relied upon to do so without active and continuous monitoring, stoking, maintenance ... in comparison to a heating system regulated by a thermostat. That's why wood stoves are considered a "back-up" heating system by the building codes ... even though in actual use, such as we do in our house, the wood stove is our primary heating source and we back that up with our HWBB heat propane fired system. But when we are at work or traveling, so not taking care of the wood fire ... the heating system is primary to condition the living spaces and protect the utilities from freezing up.

Note that most sites referencing "living in a yurt" in Wyoming generally are write-ups of the yurt (and other temp structures) in Kelly, WY ... on a piece of land where the owners allowed such to be built and occupied on their property years ago, but it pretty much ended in 2000. With the adoption of more recent building codes, the county effectively outlawed such development. Typically, you'll find these types of zoning restrictions limiting exempt structure use:

"Building:

Accessory Structures: One-story detached accessory structures used as tool or storage sheds, playhouses or similar uses when located on a parcel which contains an existing single family dwelling or other permitted primary use or structure. Such structures shall not have a floor area that exceeds 120 square feet and the height above grade shall not exceed 12 feet. No more than one structure may be allowed under this exemption unless separated from another permit exempt structure by more than 50 feet.
Note: Electrical, plumbing, or mechanical work in connection with such structures requires an electrical, plumbing or mechanical permit even though a building permit is not required for the structure itself."

[jamies]

A "YURT??" ROTFLMAO! A Yurt? In Wyoming? Next thing I supposed you'll be farming sheep or alpacas. Please tell us you don't drive a Prius.

It only "Yurts" when I laugh...

Down here in AZ we call 'em "sweat lodges" or "Hogans" but the indians make them out of rock and adobe.

Sorry - just giving you a hard time. Here's some ideas to make up for my humor at your expense.











Upscale Navajo Hogan

[sunsprit]

While the above structures are interesting variants on "round" structures ....

none of them are "membrane" yurt structures such as posted by the OP in their link to what they wanted to build here.

The "sweat lodge" is by far and away a complete departure from the concept of a membrane yurt with no windows, and no "light and open" expanse of living space. It would be like living in a cave.

[rya700]

Sinks Canyon State Park : Visitor Info : Camping : Yurts

These yurts were recently built outside of Lander

[jamies]

Originally Posted by sunsprit

While the above structures are interesting variants on "round" structures ....

none of them are "membrane" yurt structures such as posted by the OP in their link to what they wanted to build here.

The "sweat lodge" is by far and away a complete departure from the concept of a membrane yurt with no windows, and no "light and open" expanse of living space. It would be like living in a cave.

I thought the OP was looking for a structure under building codes? Well here's some canvas sides.

[sunsprit]

OK, these have "canvas" sides ...

but all are still challenged to provide anything but a shelter structure "living in a cave"

as well ... shown in the top picture ... no interior sanitary facilities.

My bet is that none of these structures depicted has a Certificate of Occupancy for full time residency, nor is used for this purpose.

Similar to the yurts at Sinks Canyon ... these are temporary use (camping) structures. While the yurts there have 110v power and a heater, they are not residences. Notably, "cooking inside the yurt" is not allowed. They are strictly a shelter for getting out of the weather and using the beds for your sleeping area ... the bathroom facilities are the existing ones at the campsite area.

The OP apparently wants to build a permanent residence yurt with all the amenities for full time living and feature the open space floor plan/light and airy characteristics of a yurt membrane structure. At least, that's what they directed us to for an example of what they were considering and they remarked that they'd install the optional insulated flooring as part of their subflooring/joist package.

Again, there are many other structure types that are far more efficient to accomplishing that goal in the winter clime in Wyoming. So far, all of the yurt manufacturers tout their long term use for residential purpose in far milder climate zones ... and now that I've done some 'net searches on these products, the cookies left have had them responding with a lot of advertising featuring such use. Even the ones manufactured in this region aren't suitable for long term residency nor compliant with the building codes. And none of the manufacturers are suggesting that their structures are code compliant, either. Were that the case, you can bet they'd be touting that aspect of their product ... just like other housing manufacturers do.

IF you know of a currently code compliant, CofO approved, year-round residential yurt with all the amenities one associates with a full residence ... utilities, sanitary facilities, insulated/heated appropriately for the climate, kitchen/laundry ... currently in Wyoming, I'd sure like to know where it's located. And we're looking for a yurt, not a "round" structure built of conventional materials ... we're looking for a "membrane" structure with the traditional yurt sidewalls and ring center roof structure.