Pockets of freedom/no building codes

Nov 19, 2024 12:41:25

Hello! I'm new to permies and this is my first post... I live and built a Earthship in Crestone, CO which is in Saguache county.... currently there is no "building codes" or inspections in my county. We do have to pull state wide electrical and plumbing permits which require inspections and also have to install a septic tank through the county but can still build out of anything you want for your residence.

Pockets of freedom are less and less every year where you can have the ability to build whatever you want. I know you can still build alternative structures like straw bale, cob, earthship type of houses with codes but it makes things a lot more expensive and time consuming.

Jonah Reynolds (Michael Reynolds son) has a company called Pangea Builders/Pangea Biotecture and they use to have a list on their site of "Pockets of Freedom".... see link below.

https://pangeabiotecture.com/pockets-of-freedom/

It would be cool to see here on permies a list of counties/places with little to no building codes to help people look for ideal places to build alternatively. Here's a video I made about it...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0YVnXzn8U8

Nov 19, 2024 12:49:39

Welcome to Permies!

I live in a county that's green on that map. Our county theoretically subscribes to the state building code but there are no general inspections and only electrical and septic systems get permitted and inspected. We have a fifty year old septic that wouldn't be allowed in new construction now, but it passed inspection when we bought the house. And the guys at the county are friendly to helping us do our own electric safely instead of requiring electricians. I don't really have any complaints about their level of intrusion. Where we lived in new Jersey, the system was pretty cumbersome.

Nov 19, 2024 13:36:59

We live in Winston County MS. Zone 8a. I called the county and city before we bought our property and documented the responses. No building permits outside city limits are required. However, you are required to build to the latest adopted code which I believe is the 2018 IRC with MS modifications as of this post (11/24). No one checks that you did do this (no permits) so it is a "wink wink" requirement. That is verbatim from the building official.

I'd appreciate it if you pronounced my name correctly. Pinhead, with a silent "H". Petite ad:

Sepp Holzer's 3-in-1 Permaculture documentaries (Farming, Terraces, and Aquaculture) streaming video

https://permies.com/wiki/141614/videos/Sepp-Holzer-Permaculture-documentaries-Farming