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Tarmetto
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# Posted: 15 Mar 2015 07:44pm
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While checking the local (local to our lake lot) building code website, it mentions that any project with an estimated value of $1000 or over requires a permit, and....any project of $5000 requires a GCL.
We'd heard that the local inspectors were pretty easy going, and fairly lax about "little things" (sheds, carports, ect)....but I talked to a neighbor today (who is a GC)...and he says the above is true!
I'm taking this to mean that I can't build my own cabin unless I'm a licensed GC?
6th paragraph down....
http://www.laurenscountysc.org/secondary.aspx?pageID=144
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 15 Mar 2015 07:50pm - Edited by: MtnDon
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"A building permit is required for any construction valued at $1,000 or more. A General Contractor's License is required for anyone constructing a non-residential building valued more than $5,000."
It states non residential building. ?? Barn, garage, shed.... ?? That does not state anything about a residential building. Weird. Time to talk to the folks in the Building Codes & Inspections Department.
The older I get the less surprised I am at some of the rules i run into. Not pleased, just not totally surprised.
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Tarmetto
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# Posted: 15 Mar 2015 08:07pm
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I didn't notice that until you pointed it out!
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TheWildMan
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# Posted: 18 Mar 2015 04:59pm
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to have a yard sale in my township requires a permit issued by the code enforcement office, to date no one has applied for the permit and everyone tells him where to stick his clipboard (a few people put tables of junk on the roadside with a yard sale sign 24/7/365 just to protest.)
the permit came about because of some proffessional yard sales (year round sale where people buy out estates, etc, and resell hoping for a profit at their year round trash hole of a yard) others leave piles of stuff in the yard and claim its a yard sale, they pushed this regulation/ordinance to fight these trash holes, but i hear other jurisdictions do it to push sales tax (its the first step towards that as well so everyone is subversive).
of course i had pictures of the old code officer burning his trash in an illegal by state law burn barrel, he left me alone since he is a worse offender than i am, or that was till the old code officer quit for being over worked, the jobs still vacant last i heard.
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Littlecooner
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# Posted: 18 Mar 2015 08:56pm - Edited by: Littlecooner
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This site has total opened my eyes to the crap that most of the world has to deal with to build something. All of you people need to move to Alabama, Land of the Free and Home of the Brave. The only thing you need a permit for in Alabama is to carry your weapon on your body or in your car, which cost about $ 15 or so per year in most counties. No zoning, No regulations, No permits, No inspectors. Are we the only Land of the Free left in America? if you move here, be aware, ever adult you meet will have his $ 15 permit and a pistol in his pocket. And he will be building what he wants, when he wants and will be glad to explain in no uncertain terms where anyone who has a problem with his freedom, can go when they do not concur with his construction project.
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Don_P
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# Posted: 18 Mar 2015 10:16pm - Edited by: Don_P
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This is a link to ICC building code adoption by state;
http://www.iccsafe.org/gr/Documents/stateadoptions.pdf
Click on the link there for the state in question and it gives more detail, this is Alabama's;
http://www.iccsafe.org/gr/Pages/AL.aspx?usertoken={token}&Site=icc
In most places you can act as GC on your own residence "castle rule". I believe there are exceptions along the gulf coast due to excessive hurricane damage and loss of life in the past. There are plenty of rural areas with laws in place but lax enforcement.
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 19 Mar 2015 12:32am
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Tarmetto, in my state, there is only 2 people who can pull a permit for building. Either a licensed contractor or the land owner.
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Littlecooner
Member
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# Posted: 19 Mar 2015 07:56pm - Edited by: Littlecooner
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Don, thanks for the link to the code requirements for Alabama.
I looked at the list, there are only 6 counties that have adapted any codes. We have 67 counties, so its wide open in 61 counties which have no codes, no inspectors, no permits. These six counties are the ones with the highest populations where the 6 largest cities are located. Even if the state it self has adopted a code, there is no one to enforce or even obtain a permit from. Come on down, Alabama is the Home of the Free, free to build what you want, where you want and when you want without anyone saying or making you pay anything.
I love my state.
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 19 Mar 2015 08:41pm
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Interesting.... How about this news clip from Eutaw, Greene County... neither of which is listed in the ICC info? I picked Greene county because it is listed as the least populous.
"At the meeting, the council heard the second reading of an ordinance amending the ordinance for building permits by adding a penalty for residents purchasing a permit for less value than the amount of their building construction or repair work. The ordinance will now be printed in the newspapers for public comment and go into effect after the official public comment period."
Taken from here... Third para down. Seems like the permit business is operative in that small place. As Don_P stated there is perhaps a lack of enforcement that is greater than the actual lack of laws requiring adherence to a building code. Maybe it is a fine line between no permit required and no permit enforcement, but the rules are almost always there.
Would we really like to live in a place with no laws or no enforcement? And I say that as person who has a life long history of questioning the authorities from my local level government to the Feds and all their agencies.
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Littlecooner
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# Posted: 20 Mar 2015 10:26am - Edited by: Littlecooner
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MtnDon, this is an interesting discussion. As far as Alabama is concerned, look at the list with codes by resolution. Yes, most any city in Alabama of any size has a permit requirement and someone to do some level of inspection. Those six counties are the ones with the large cities but the remaining unincorporated areas of the 61 counties have only the Health Department requirements for water source and sewage disposal to deal with in the development of a single family structure. The only protection by someone wanting to use the codes for protection is to sign a building contract with a licensed GC.
But we are here on "Small Cabin", which is to me these small structures out away from the asphalt jungle for either part time get away or those who want to live off grid, hidden away from the asphalt jungle. If this is not what members are seeking, them there appears to me to be better forums to look for information, no harm intended to anyone. I would not consider a small 400-600 single family residence built inside a corporate limits to be a small cabin. Here it in normally referred to as a "garden home".
This forum really has been an eye opener for me as I envision these posts here are out "in the boon docks" trying to self construction of a small week end get a way and are dealing with real problems of permits and inspectors. I have spent 40 years making a living around these issues, about 1/2 as a government employee and half in the private sector, but full time of advising "taxpayers" what the rules are that they must deal with on "improvements" to real estate. I still work part time at this and its almost full time for the past couple of months.
Alabama does not have any permitting process or inspectors or fees for building anything in those unincorporated areas of the 61 counties, except that health department rule and what is odd, in Alabama, in one of those way off the beaten path, middle of no where WEEK END ONLY places, they have guide line for construction of an old style out house. I have never been ask to permit one for a client, but its in the rules. Personal opinion it is for the hunting camp type building with no water, but some areas here in the mountainous terrain have some of the best spring water one can find and no where close to any possible source of pollution.
I have saw problems with no code enforcement, yes they exist, but most savvy people who are not do it yourselfers find a very reputable GC who self in forces to use the various codes during construction. I am proud that these counties have not adopted regulations. As one who "has been thru the fire", I watched an on going debate with a governing body over the course of one to two years about adopting permits and inspection and in the end, nothing was adopted as most of the voters did not want the regulations.
Alabama has some of the most picturesque mountains east of the Rockies, with great views, clear mountain springs and abundant wildlife and is here for those who want to live off grid in what those city slickers would call "nowhere" or "the boondocks" and not anyone will be hassling the owner on what he wants to build or how it wants to built his "Small Cabin". I am lucky that my people came here almost 200 years ago when it was still Indian territory and their offspring's stayed. And I am still here enjoying the mountains, clear springs and the freedom that this country was founded upon.
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Truecabin
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# Posted: 23 Mar 2015 12:36am
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permits are to prevent subsistence living which could be an OK life in a rich country (for some)
there could be 5 families living next to you on almost zero income no toilet and maybe just using your creek and asking for a ride in your car every day
this sounds like utopia for some but hard for a city to manage the complaints so codes like the international building code arise
if you do this out in the boonies with no neighbors or hoodlum kids it doesn't become a problem
not yet but maybe in 10 20 years someone thinks your freedom takes away from his freedom and whoever has more power wins
this country was not founded on freedom it was founded by simple desire for expansion and stronger people taking over weaker as you said
read some u.s. history it was by invasion not freedom but it wouldnt have happened any other way and here we are now
controlling the building is a more compassionate way for sure but can be a pain in the rear
i prefer to stay off the radar with a small cabin and dont make problems with the neighbors out of sight out of mind and dont pollute the creek
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turkeyhunter
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# Posted: 23 Mar 2015 07:28am
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Quoting: Truecabin i prefer to stay off the radar with a small cabin and dont make problems with the neighbors out of sight out of mind and dont pollute the creek
can I get a AMEN!!!! yes and yes!!!!
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Don_P
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# Posted: 23 Mar 2015 07:37am - Edited by: Don_P
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Good luck with the first 2. I did the monthly streamwater quality check yesterday, turbidity has been double to quadruple, ph is falling, dissolved O2 is dropping and e coli is rising the past few months since logging occured upstream  .
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Littlecooner
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# Posted: 23 Mar 2015 09:47am - Edited by: Littlecooner
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Timber is a natural renewable resource and a organic product to be harvested when mature. Yes, turbidity will always increase when you are downstream from a logging operation along with those other two on ph and dissolved O2. What exactly has that got to do with local and state codes? And you may not understand our codes here, I said everyone has to comply with Health Department code for Sewage disposal which is almost the same in all 50 states, there are only minor differences from state to state in the codes. Don't worry about the logging, it will be over soon and things will return to normal. Its impossible to keep the turbidity at the pre logging, undisturbed levels, even if using all the BMP we have in place today, which does help, especially after activity is complete. A lot of that turbidity is just organic anyway, leaf cover and rotten wood from natural pruning which will disappear over time in the waterway. yes some of it is soil, but any disturbance by man will produce some erosion, fact of nature.
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turkeyhunter
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# Posted: 23 Mar 2015 11:47am - Edited by: turkeyhunter
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Quoting: Littlecooner A lot of that turbidity is just organic anyway, leaf cover and rotten wood from natural pruning which will disappear over time in the waterway. yes some of it is soil, but any disturbance by man will produce some erosion, fact of nature.
TRUE!!!! some of my hunting lease was clearcut a couple years ago...it has been sprayed/burned and planted last Jan 2014....and now it's all green with 3 foot tall pines in just the last 14 month growth. Creeks are clear and life is good for the critters!!!
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drb777
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# Posted: 23 Mar 2015 12:39pm
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If you don't believe that unrestained government codes and permitting can't be an assult on our rights and freedom, watch the "Still Mine" film on youtube, as mentioned in another thread at this site. In my business, I unfortunately have the extreme requirement to "comply" with US MMS and USGS rules and regulations. You wouldn't believe some of the crap I have to constantly deal with!
Like Littlecooner, I was fortunate to own land and construct my cabin in one of those great states that seem to realize that unrestrained government regulations will not be tolerated by the people (in my case Oklahoma).
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Kudzu
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# Posted: 25 Mar 2015 07:46am
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I built in Lamar County, Alabama and the only permit required was for our septic tank.
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Littlecooner
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# Posted: 25 Mar 2015 07:53am
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Thanks for the post Kudzu, I love my home state and just wanted to let the people on this forum know that there are some conservative states out there where you have the freedom to build what you want in the unincorporated areas which is where I consider 100 % of the "Small Cabins" to be located. Once you take care of the health of the waste produced from a single family dwelling, what else need regulation or paying the government for a permit for you to accomplish? I say "nothing" is the correct answer.
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turkeyhunter
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# Posted: 25 Mar 2015 08:20pm
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Quoting: Littlecooner Once you take care of the health of the waste produced from a single family dwelling, what else need regulation or paying the government for a permit for you to accomplish? I say "nothing" is the correct answer.
we have WINNER !!!
I agree 100% Littlecooner
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Nirky
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# Posted: 25 Mar 2015 08:53pm
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Quoting: Kudzu I built in Lamar County, Alabama and the only permit required was for our septic tank.
That's of the Republic I love, which gives me freedom to use my property as per my own good conscience. Wish there were more of it left.
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Bzzzzzt
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# Posted: 26 Mar 2015 07:22pm
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My cabin is in Carroll County, Arkansas and the only permit I need is for the septic system. I have a neighbor who has built a small house on the next property and he put in a septic system W/O any permit about a year ago. As far as I know nothing has come of it but I suspect if I put in a legal system his will come under scrutiny. Other than that, there is no governmental oversight for anything I need or want to do.
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