Building without permits

[Shoompy]

Hi I'm from vic, Aus, and was just wondering when you go off grid do you get permits to build or just build it without permits, I just bought 1.5 acres in the country and am planning to put two 40 ft shipping containers on the land, but I don't really want to deal with the stress of getting permits for everything I do, I just don't know how I'm going to approach all this, did you get permits for you off grid house?

 

[newbostonconst]

Unless your town/county doesn't require building permits then you will have to get permits on any/all structures and upgrades...

 

[GSXR1000]

i could ague that a shipping container isn't a house or structure. It would be more like an RV since you can load it up and move it

 

[Shoompy]

i could ague that a shipping container isn't a house or structure. I would be more like an RV since you can load it up and move it

I think I might put it on an axial then, the block is subdivided so if the council asks me to move then I'll just move it to a different block, if that works

 

[newbostonconst]

i could ague that a shipping container isn't a house or structure. I would be more like an RV since you can load it up and move it

I think I might put it on an axial then, the block is subdivided so if the council asks me to move then I'll just move it to a different block, if that works

Mobile homes are movable but they are still inspected.....It is about safety of the public and people that come on your property.

You are still going to have well water and septic inspections usually by the county and they usually don't let you get those till you have a valid building permit through your township.

 

[toms]

1.5 acres is too small to get away without permits.

Unless you have nobody anywhere near you, someone will complain to the council and you will be forced to make your structure compliant.

Best bet is to approach the council and see what is allowed.

 

[Shoompy]

1.5 acres is too small to get away without permits.

Unless you have nobody anywhere near you, someone will complain to the council and you will be forced to make your structure compliant.

Best bet is to approach the council and see what is allowed.

There isn't many people in the area it's in the middle of nowhere

 

[Shoompy]

Mobile homes are movable but they are still inspected.....It is about safety of the public and people that come on your property.

You are still going to have well water and septic inspections usually by the county and they usually don't let you get those till you have a valid building permit through your township.

Mobile homes are movable but they are still inspected.....It is about safety of the public and people that come on your property.

You are still going to have well water and septic inspections usually by the county and they usually don't let you get those till you have a valid building permit through your township.

The block of land has water and electricity connected

 

[toms]

There isn't many people in the area it's in the middle of nowhere

I’m struggling to picture how you get a 1.5 acre block “in the middle of nowhere” that has power and water connected.

But if you actually have no interaction at all with neighbours, you will get away with doing what you want.

We are lucky in that our council rules are you can build an engineered hayshed as long as it isn’t enclosed, and is more than 400m from a boundary without a permit. The satellite pics can’t see if it’s enclosed or not, and none of our structures are visible from any property boundary.

 

[newbostonconst]

They take satellite images year to year and color them different colors and overlay them to look for changes.

You are very naïve to think you won't get caught.....It is more of a mater of when you will get caught. A house is a big structure and not easy to hide.

They may make you take everything down. Some locals have ordinances and don't allow container buildings.

 

[Hedges]

Some areas, the fines imposed of hundreds of dollars per day add up until you lose the property.

Could be permits for non-residential structures (e.g. horse barn) are easier to obtain.
If your facilities are inside an RV rather than built into the structure, you can drive it away rather than having to tear it out.
When I inquired about having an electric hookup for one mountain lot, the permit office gave the tip that if it was for a "shared well", it could be issued without a dwelling.

 

[newbostonconst]

Codes are also there to save your life....Containers are a pretty sealed structure and may need ventilation for removal of CO2 and by products of combustion... You also won't be able to sell it with out a Certificate of Occupancy.

 

[GSXR1000]

Mobile homes are movable but they are still inspected.....It is about safety of the public and people that come on your property.

You are still going to have well water and septic inspections usually by the county and they usually don't let you get those till you have a valid building permit through your township.

let me see you homestead your container and see if the county will call it a house

 

[LadAussie]

In NSW the Zoning is very important as to what you can an cannot build. But portable/temporary structures (caravan, yurt, tent, etc) don't tend to require council approval no matter the block size.

 

[Wellbuilt]

if You have permitting in your town you will need to get them .
In most areas you can’t just drop a trailer on you land and live in it .
I think you can stay for 2 weeks at a time .

 

[LadAussie]

Its something more in the order of months in NSW that you can stay in a temp structure. Although how long you have been there is relative to how long you get on with the neighbors haha

 

[12VoltInstalls]

I’m struggling to picture how you get a 1.5 acre block “in the middle of nowhere” that has power and water connected.

I’m confused too
A lot I’m supposed to buy is 300feet from grid pole. Town water- same. In a well-settled town and area. A couple acres.
A second land plot i want is one of two lots in the middle of nowhere- but 1100-1200ft from grid pole on one, over half a mile for the other. Oh, and no ‘road’ maintained since probably the 1800s

Middle of nowhere is relative I guess.

 

[Wellbuilt]

"1200’ is not to bad .
You could have power with a few poles 5/6 ?
It dosent seam like a big deal . I’m 800’ from a power pole half way up my drive way
I just don’t know why they want 4K a pole 5 poles = 20k not to bad , but then they start feeing and adding extra charges
and the price went up another 20k ? For fees ?
And this was before they added any covid money .
I don’t get it .
So I’m off grid now .

 

[12VoltInstalls]

That 300’ involves moving a transformer/pole and $9K

No way I’d do it and no need to put poles in on the remote property. I can do fine without grid, and for the relatively low the longterm expense a gasoline generator will handle welders, table saw. Everything else is relatively easy to be solartainable these days. Quick calcs indicate I will not spend anywhere like the expense of putting 7 or 8 poles in the 15-year future. So what’s the point?
I’m also scouting around for a piece with a stream big enough (and some drop) for 200-300W of small hydro which would be quite sustainable with solar.

 

[Wellbuilt]

Well having grid power dose raise the value of the property by a lot so it’s not all wasted money .
I would of payed the 20k to have power but 40k seams like extortion .