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Ebbie
Member
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# Posted: 2 Sep 2021 04:18pm
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Hi Everyone,
I have decided to build a 15 x 15 cabin on my property, within the next two to three years. I already have a (very old) primary building, so I am able to build a cabin this size (or even larger if I wished) in my jurisdiction.
My question is - what do I do first? I have a whole bunch of things I want to do with regards to prepping the land.
For example, the driveway is in disrepair. It is challenging for me to enter my lot. Should I fix the driveway first?
And with regards to the location of the cabin. I have a general area selected, but some trees need to be removed.
Should I hire a surveyor and have him/her rough in the general location of the cabin, so that I can forward my plans to the town and/or get the trees removed from this area? Or is tree removal something the general contractor can help me out with?
Any help would be appreciated. I am excited to get things started, but don't really know where to start either, LOL.
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darz5150
Member
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# Posted: 2 Sep 2021 05:31pm
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Quoting: Ebbie , the driveway is in disrepair. It is challenging for me to enter my lot.
That would be a good starting point. If you can't get to it, you can't build it very easily.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 2 Sep 2021 06:09pm - Edited by: gcrank1
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We bought a new old cabin property last year that really had no driveway, just drive off the road, through the shallow ditch and into the property. We were very limited on access to do what needed to be done to refurb the place. We still need to do another 17.5 yd of gravel this year or early next, that will be $1000 in dirtwork/roadbase and the gravel top total but well worth it.
Yes, says we, get yourself a good driveway!
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jhp
Member
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# Posted: 2 Sep 2021 06:26pm
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Definitely start with the driveway, but the same companies that can help you with that can also remove trees and clear your building area, and build you a nice gravel pad to build on. Call a couple excavating companies to come out and give you a quote on gravel and grading for the driveway, clearing trees and leveling the lot, and putting in a gravel building pad.
When you tell them what you're looking to do, they'll know exactly what you want, they've certainly done this before.
Unless your lot is very small and you are going to be needing to worry about carefully measured setbacks from roads, neighbors, wetlands, etc then I don't think a surveyor is really a necessary expense. Just figure out where you want the building in relation to the driveway and stake it out yourself.
When you go to fill out permits for the city/county that's all they care about as well - so if you're in the middle of a huge multi acre lot a few feet here and there don't matter and you will have spent a lot for a survey you didnt need.
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ICC
Member
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# Posted: 2 Sep 2021 08:23pm
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Driveway access is #1.
Well/septic placement is #2.
A surveyor? Not needed on an established lot unless you have concerns about the accuracy of what is on record. Setbacks from lot lines can normally be measured yourself. If permits are going to be observed the AHJ will have a list of requirements available. They usually require a simple site drawing with dimensions.
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Curly
Member
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# Posted: 2 Sep 2021 11:22pm
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I suggest that the most important thing now is a well thought out site plan that includes everything you will need. That does include the driveway, well and septic as ICC suggested, and also electricity, outbuildings, parking, woodpile, etc.
If you are off grid, then plan where your solar system will go. If you will be on grid, think about how the power line will get to the cabin. This would include contacting the power company to see what they will charge to run a power line to your cabin. That cost may affect where you want to put the cabin on the lot.
I also would say the view from your deck is an important consideration (at least it is for me!).
A good plan site plan now will save you a lot of regrets later!
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darz5150
Member
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# Posted: 2 Sep 2021 11:31pm
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Quoting: Curly A good plan site plan now will save you a lot of regrets later!
ðŸ‘
If you go to the dollar store, for about $3 bucks plus tax. You can get a pack of pencils, a ruler, and a scratch pad. That $3 bucks can possibly save you thousands of $. Plus, for another dollar you can get an old school eraser. You may need it. Plans change sometimes. Lol
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 3 Sep 2021 05:32am
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I would also start with a driveway. And while your going that make a plan. We did our driveway and cleared a cabin site this year.
Some times the guy doing the driveway can clear you a cabin site too.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 3 Sep 2021 11:36am
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And, as I just suggested (strongly) in another thread, Get The Trees Cut Back if needed at the cabin site (or move the site to less trees close), maybe farther back than you may be thinking right now.
Fire mitigation
Trees on cabin
Ive done it wrong and since realizing that I see way too many places that have big trees way too close.....
Work smarter Not harder.
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Steve_S
Member
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# Posted: 4 Sep 2021 10:04am - Edited by: Steve_S
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ERROR 403 ACCESS FORBIDDEN !
Attaching my response in a simple TXT File.
nothing special, no odd characters nothing. PHPBB showing it's age ?
Wont accept TXT file upload either... PDF attempt. WTH !
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 4 Sep 2021 10:42am
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You could just copy and paste into your browser.
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ICC
Member
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# Posted: 4 Sep 2021 10:46am
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Wont accept TXT file upload either... PDF attempt. WTH !
The types of uploadable files do not include txt or any other common doc file types. Says so in the "Read Uploading Rules before" notes
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ICC
Member
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# Posted: 4 Sep 2021 10:48am
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Quoting: Brettny You could just copy and paste into your browser.
Sometimes there are issues with copy/paste as certain symbols are not accepted by this software, IIRC. I would think a plain text paste should work but I know I hae had problems with some things composed in Word or OfficeLibre.
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Steve_S
Member
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# Posted: 4 Sep 2021 11:52am
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OK, Wrote the response in the forum software. No characters or symbols of ANY Sort that are not on a std keyboard. I tried 4 times to post and got 403 denied. I had to try the TXT being the most innocuous of formats.
I even took the text into NPP+ and verified nothing unusual there.
PhPbb is very dated per current specs so I'm not surprised some things are getting a tad wonky.
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ICC
Member
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# Posted: 4 Sep 2021 01:21pm
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Quoting: Steve_S PhPbb is very dated
That may be, but cabinbuilder did post once a long time what seemed like a reasonable reason for keeping this software going.
IIRC he stated that changing to any other newer forum software would or could result in needing to change the file storage system in some way that would then, for a while at least, interfere with the indexing and results returned by Google and other search sites. I am not technically oriented in that department so have no idea about what might happen.
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Ebbie
Member
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# Posted: 4 Sep 2021 01:34pm
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Hi Everyone,
Thank you for the great advice. It looks like getting a proper driveway in is the right way to go  I also have more questions, but I will save them for another day, LOL.
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