Permitting a yurt

[Dan R-M]

I'm in Montgomery County, Ohio, a.k.a. Dayton plus a little around the edges. We're on the westernmost side of the county.
Our yurt is solidly [ha ha] in the field of temporary structures, since it's sitting on wood posts that rest on Dek Blocks. Through our zoning board member we found that such a structure wouldn't need a permit.
I don't know if that would still be true for a property without an existing permanent structure on it, though. (Ours has a beat-up old house.)

[HawaiiYurts]

You're right, Dan. That's the clincher for a lot of structures in most places... if there is one permitted residence on the property it opens the door for many loopholes, like temporary structure, accessory structures, etc.

[Jafo]

I have made the first post of this thread that Melissa started a checklist of what you should need when starting the permitting process. Please feel free to suggest other items for the list.

[HawaiiYurts]

Wind kits are a good upgrade to get in a yurt, even if you aren't in a windy area. The posts allow for electric outlets and switches to be placed at convenient heights and wire for overhead lighting can easily be trimmed out along the posts.

For permits you will need the following:
-Tall walls, 6'9" or higher at the door.
-astrofoil doesn't meet r-value codes. Ask the manufacturer for

insulation

that does where it is required (typically only in colder climates).
-Egress is a common requirement, so an extra door or an operable window will be needed.
-Fire ratings
-Architect stamps (find a local, licensed architect to review your platform plans and give his wet stamp. The local architect or a plans router will route them through the system. These services are usually fairly cheap in the scheme of things, and WELL worth not bungling it up as an inexperienced building department novice).
-For a residence or detached bedroom or anything with plumbing, you will also need wastewater plans. Engineered septic or cesspool designs or plans showing how you will route into an existing system.
-For a residence you will need to show your water supply, refrigeration, cooking means and a shower/toilet/sink. You will need to provide a floor plan and a full site plan, locating your waste water, set backs, driveway and house/yurt.
-If it is not a residence, then get the help of a local router and make sure it is called something else. Most places will not allow two full kitchens to be on one property, thereby making for two full residences. You can have partial kitchens, but typically only a single sink (not a double chamber) and a hot plate or the like.

That should be enough to get started...

[Jafo]

Thanks Melissa, I have updated the first post in this thread. I think it is coming along nicely!

[Abstract]

Found this link:
Can a yurt be built…legally…as a primary residence?

[lizsteve]

We are new to this, but in our experience in Upstate NY, a yurt can be to code. We were "found" by the code guy and he wasn't happy, but willing to work with us. In this county as soon as you sleep in a building, it's a residence and needs to meet code. Our yurt is on a deck. We needed a permit to build the deck, build the yurt, put in septic (which we didn't want but now have to have), and for the wood stove. Once we apply for permits we can get approved and move forward. Here's what we have learned, if it's helpful.

The deck has it's own codes to follow - railings, joist hangers, etc.

The yurt was to code, we have the snow load winter pakacge from Colorado yurt COmpany and that meets code here. CO sent the architect stamped plans quickly and we could send these to the code guy.

We cannot have small propane tanks for anything - we have a small heater for a shower, and for our stove. We have to get a bigger one from a standard company to meet code.

Insulation

in a yurt is not to code, but our guy overlooked this. He actually read something from the NYS code book that residences must be kept at 64 degrees or above at all times! (ha)

We can't have grey water, have to have septic even though we have no plumbed toilet.

We can have a composting toiler if it's a commercial model (eg. Sunmar)

Wood stove pipe has to be 3' taller than height of roof.

Any water in - we are collecting rainwater - has to be potable at the tap.

[hakalugi]

lizsteve -

i've read posts like yours on the small cabin forums - if they had to enforce the insulation rule not sure much would get built. bummer about the septic requirement and no graywater, even after you had a composting toilet.

thanks for sharing.

[HawaiiYurts]

lizsteve,
Question: Are you sure you can't have an engineered/stamped gray water system along with a composting toilet? That's what code says here, and they were sticklers about anything other than cesspool or septic until recently. Just a thought. In my experience, the graywater engineered filtration was about as much as a septic anyway when it was all said and done. Danged if you do, danged if you don't!

[lizsteve]

Thanks, but here, it's county to county dependent. The county literally across the street from us does approve grey water systems if they are drawn by an engineer. but our county does not have an engineer on staff to design or approve apparently. We asked if we could hire the neighboring county engineer to design it and get it approved by the state DEC, but we were told no.

As far as composting toilets, the only one that can be approved here is the commercial SunMar or similar.

There are some details we have figured out that I'm not comfortable posting here. But it seems there is some wiggle room in the system if people are creative and smart.