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909
Member
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# Posted: 5 Jul 2023 11:38pm
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Newbie looking for advice.
Just bought some land.
Cleared a building site on the highest point.
Plan is to stick under 160 ft.
Cleared a dirt road to the site up to about 50 ft to the site . I'm having elevation issues and can't get my car from the dirt road up to the building site. The land dips from the dirt road to the lowest point . Then gradually raises to the the building site . I'd like to be able to drive my car up to the site to drop off building materials .
I don't have heavy machinery. How would you deal with this hurdle ? I've been told just to order gravel, a couple of loads. Each load being 12 approximately tons.
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DaveBell
Moderator
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# Posted: 6 Jul 2023 01:21am
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Pictures of the problem areas would help. You can rent backhoe or small excavator. What town and state? You need to determine if you need culvert pipes and road fabric.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ey_NEoM2SpM
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909
Member
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# Posted: 6 Jul 2023 04:43am
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Thanks for your reply Dave.
I'm in Ontario Canada.
The problem area is covered in waist high grass at the moment . I bought a used 40V Black and Decker Cordless Electric weed wacker used for very little money. I'm going to trim down the vegetation so I can better asess the situation. So far my best guess is that the problem area is simply a the transition from the dirt road to my land . The car will likely make it up and down the slopes as the angles are very manageable.
When I try to take photos, the angles of the slopes won't translate accurately to pictures. Everything looks like a normal hilly grass meadow that rolls gently. Here's a sketch of how I believe the land is actually like:
Notice the transition. I've been told to install a 20 ft cuvert 16 to 18 inches or so at the entrance of my driveway. However the dirt road is technically not currently used or maintained by the municipality. Currently I am the only one using it . I don't know if the same rules apply since it's almost essentially my private road.
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 6 Jul 2023 05:24am
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You really need to find out if your allowed to use that road then find out if your allowed to put a driveway off it. Call the local municipality.
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razmichael
Member
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# Posted: 6 Jul 2023 08:14am
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Without trying to be the 'glass half empty' guy - what are the regulations in your area of Ontario and are they enforced by the municipality? In other words, do you need any permits? As Brettny hinted at, you may not be able to just put in a driveway/modify a road that is not your property. If you are building under 160 to keep it an "accessory Building", remember that this is applies to "accessory" buildings - you have to have a main building. And accessory buildings cannot be used (technically) for sleeping in. Then there is the issue of septic/grey water/outhouses etc which generally are very tightly controlled.
Sadly (although sometimes for good reasons), it is not always that easy to just buy a chunk of land and build on it. People do it in areas that are not controlled/monitored/just don't care but these areas are harder and harder to find. It is not all that rare for someone to put in abunch of effort to build something than be told "tear it down".
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909
Member
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# Posted: 6 Jul 2023 09:29am
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I have been given permission from the municipality to build a shed.
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909
Member
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# Posted: 6 Jul 2023 09:30am
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Without going off topic, does anyone have any thoughts about the original question.
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 6 Jul 2023 10:16am
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Quoting: 909 I have been given permission from the municipality to build a shed
You need to call them and ask about putting in a driveway. In some places they will install the culvert for the cost of the pipe. Yes you need a culvert by the looks of it and lots of fill. Some type of acess is important in any build..next is site prep. Remove all dead, damaged and leaning trees along with diverting any surface water away from the build site. All things that are harder to do later and cost a whole lot more.
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mj1angier
Member
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# Posted: 6 Jul 2023 01:42pm
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Most everyone on here tries to help people do things the right way. But sometimes folks still don't want to take time/ money/ effort to do it the right way.
So yes if you can find some one to drop enough infill in that gully you might be able to drive across it. But you might also:
1. Get a visit from road dept. and they might charge you to dig it back out.
2. Get a visit from whatever permitting board that falls under. Maybe a fine, maybe a fine and have to dig it out, Maybe a fine, dig it out and have them up your butt on everything else you do.
3. Mother nature decides that is a drainage ditch and removes what you put in there- including a car if it happens to be there.
4. Nothing happens. You do it and it works out.
So you have to figure out your odds and place your bets!
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travellerw
Member
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# Posted: 6 Jul 2023 06:43pm
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mj1angier said it perfectly.. Roll the dice or don't.
Personally, I would try the right path and get a hold of the county to figure it out.
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ICC
Member
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# Posted: 6 Jul 2023 10:24pm
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Agreed. In the end doing it by the book results in greater peace of mind and perhaps saves having to undo or redo things. Even better is to have done all this checking before making the purchase. Just because someone has something up for sale does not mean everything a person wants to do can be done economically
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spencerin
Member
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# Posted: 31 Jul 2023 10:56pm - Edited by: spencerin
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909, did you decide on what you're going to do?
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909
Member
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# Posted: 4 Aug 2023 11:57pm
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909
Member
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# Posted: 5 Aug 2023 12:07am
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I finished the cabin in 9 days after taking possesion.
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 5 Aug 2023 07:00am
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That looks like a very nice road. Did you have it tested with any heavy rains yet?
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909
Member
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# Posted: 13 Sep 2023 07:09pm
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It's been raining all summer . There's over 100 tons of pit run / road base and 28-32 tons of "A"- gravel . Zero wash out
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spencerin
Member
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# Posted: 13 Sep 2023 09:35pm
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Do you have a structure up, or going up, now? If so, can you upload pics?
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909
Member
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# Posted: 14 Sep 2023 02:17am
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It's done.
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Aklogcabin
Member
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# Posted: 15 Sep 2023 12:12pm
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Great job, I guess.
I'm glad that you didn't quite and trucked on. I'm not a fan of having to ask the government about what I want for my property. And I'm m sure that you have a cabin that will bring memories. And be very safe. Also suspect that most cabins would not meet building codes meant for residential homes. And they are probably holding strong.
For us there is no code and unique building techniques have to be used. And we now have a beautiful cabin that is very structurly sound. Been through a 7.2 and 6.8 earquakes and 12' snow. My point being that. I'm glad that you got this figured out and are having fun at your place. Will it be used for hunting ? Just getting out into the bush is always reason enough
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 15 Sep 2023 07:39pm
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I live in a house that was built when no codes existed. Some people just shouldnt be given a hammer. In 90yrs we may be saying the same thing about a 90yr old house. But the fact that "it lasted" dosnt really mean much.
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909
Member
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# Posted: 17 Sep 2023 10:38am
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One of my best friends is a builder in a major city and his homes usually sell in the range of 5-7 million. He walked me through this process. My build exceeds local code. I used 2 x 6 walls, 2 x 10s for the roof and floors with R24 insulation all around including the floors. Most homes aren't built or sealed this well. And I did it almost all alone. By myself. With zero experience. I camped in a tent during the entire build.
As a hobby, I restore outboards, boat, fish, and generally love the outdoors. I've spent all my life in the city . When I open my front door at my downtown home in the city , I'm surrounded by traffic , homeless people, drug addicts, police sirens, and concrete everywhere . That's reason enough to want a second home to get away from everything. I only go back to the city on weekends now to resupply.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 17 Sep 2023 02:04pm
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Glad you made an escape!
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