Ed Vitale: Building: A Self-Help Guide For The Owner Builder

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Or look at the contradictions of a building code that in one locality seems to allow Karen and Tom's yurt while denying Ken and Katie the right to build a log cabin ... or the municipality in Virginia where Jim's 50-foot windplant tower (built to help meet his energy needs) violates the code whereas Joanne erected the same tower in a town in Nebraska with the building inspector's approval ... or the county that allows Jan and George to build a house from scrounged materials while Terry and Laurel's barn converted-into-a-home in a neighboring county is posted as being uninhabitable.

The sad fact of the matter is that there are currently some 5,000 different building codes in effect throughout the U.S. and they vary from state to state, county to county, and town to town. Worse yet, none of the regulations are geared to the needs of the energy-saving, resource-recycling, low-income self-builder.

On the other hand, it is this author's contention—after a careful study of the problem—that anyone who has the vigor, temperament, creativity, and willingness to build his home (and that's everyone who puts his mind to it) can also apply those traits to deal favorably with building codes and inspectors. Why? Because [1] building officials are not nearly as knowledgeable in "code reading" (though very well informed about construction techniques) as one is led to believe, and [2] a person with a good, sound understanding of a building code frequently can talk himself into exemptions to, and variances from, the code that the building inspector would not have thought of.

So instead of just saying that building regulations are confusing, complicated, and must be dealt with, this series of articles will lead you through the regulatory maze ... clarifying (as well as possible under the circumstances) an admittedly hazy, fuzzy, and maddening area of the law. These articles won't provide specific answers, but they will give every one of you who've been bitten by the do-it-yourself construction bug—no matter where you live in this country—a knowledge of the complications you'll face, an insight into the reading and understanding of the codes you're most likely to confront, and an approach to finding practical, legal, administrative (and maybe even political) solutions to your problems.

A FEW DEFINITIONS, A LITTLE
HISTORY, AND SOME COMMENTS

The laws that govern the planning and construction of your shelter are many and varied. Throughout this series of articles, however, all the applicable laws frequently will be referred to as "building regulations", "regulations", "building codes", or "codes". Remember, though, that within these more general references there is a housing code which is different from a building code which is different from a health code, etc. Bear in mind, too, that a specific provision of, say, the housing code may overlap or contradict a specific provision of the building code, and so on.

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