Permitting a yurt

[centsable]

new to this forum and agree that this subject is a great way to start. I am just beginning to explore the idea of a yurt. living in California, I suspect that it will be an uphill battle to get a permit to build a yurt, especially with the new codes coming up. Any californians wanting to share their thoughts is appreciated.

[Bob Rowlands]

Sorry I can't answer your question. All my inlaws live there but none are into yurts. There's little traffic on this site so I make up for it by flappin my gums on every thread. I know a few folks gotta be gettin burned out on me. ha Hopefully someone will pop in here soon. Good luck

[elewis33]

My recent experience in a rural county in Utah. At first we were told by someone in the building department that we didn't need a permit to build a yurt. This was accurate but not the whole story. Turned out we don't need a permit for the yurt but we do need a permit for the platform/deck. Any deck over 200 square feet requires a permit in our area. Of course the deck needs to meet code requirements for construction regarding beam and joist spans, beam size, railing, stairs, etc.

In our case, the yurt is not going to be a residence and we're building it in a way that allows it to fall into a "recreational" category. Basically this means no permanent services, like water, gas, electricity, sewer, etc. This is fine for us but doesn't suit everyone's needs.

If we didn't go this route then all the typical residential codes would apply and it would be way more intensive to permit, design, and build. YMMV.

[Harry]

Thanks, all of this info helps. I also live in NY but am very clueless on how to get the ball rolling.

[elewis33]

Originally Posted by Harry

Thanks, all of this info helps. I also live in NY but am very clueless on how to get the ball rolling.

I would say your #1 step, to get the ball rolling, is to go down to the county/city permitting office and talk through your plans with them. And Make sure they understand exactly what/how you plan to use the yurt.



Every jurisdiction can have slightly different rules about these kinds of things, especially if you're talking about rural counties/towns.

[Harry]

I spoke with a company that builds yurts in my state/area and he told me to speak with a code enforcement official so I put in a call to them and I'm waiting for a call back. I do live in a rural spot so I have to figure all that out yet. I'm not a builder or anything and sometimes I'm a little clueless with the terminology that they are using. In my area I may need a zoning variance I think he said. And I'm also not sure that I would be allowed to have a second structure on my property that is allowed for full-time residential use

[Uknaqin]

Getting a yurt permitted seems to be a grey area to talk about... I see them all over Washington for rent (by govt) yet for some reason it's near impossible to figure out how to get permitted!

I guess that is exactly why so many opt to build and permit later (if discovered). Makes sense, but for those that want to permit then build, what?

[Bob Rowlands]

Building depts. vary. For sure 'don't get the building dept. sued' is a big priority. So that in mind taking risk is not gonna happen.

Building dept. can be a good ole boy network. Anything different like a yurt is likely seen by some inspectors as green hippie commie liberal bs around here. So there's that to deal with as well. JMO though.

[HawaiiYurts]

Regardless of what some permit departments may want us all to believe, yurts can be permitted pretty much anywhere unless there are specific codes that block yurts in that particular area. Thankfully, permit departments don't get to arbitrarily deny a yurt or any other structure - they have to point to an actual code that isn't met. If they can do that and the yurt builder can't meet the challenge, then the challenge is over. But unless the code mentions yurts or membrane structures specifically and has a zero policy about them, there are usually ways around the offending code(s). It takes a willingness to speak kindly, keep an open mind, persistence, and get the right people on your team. Namely, a local architect and some friends in the building department never hurts.

-Some yurts don't meet door height requirements. Get one that does.
-Many yurts don't meet the antiquated R-value rating system. Get two layers of

insulation

or seek out alternative insulations that do meet your local R values.
-Often times the plans yurt manufacturers provide for free don't come close to cutting it for residential codes. This is where your architect first comes into play.
-You may need an engineer to sign off. I recommend Steve Kicinsky of Ellisport Engineering. Great guy, great engineer.
-Wind ratings and snow loads are important and may need documented with engineering stamp.

I got yurts permittable in Hawaii nearly 17 years ago. Every few years since I have to defend the cause all over again and jump ever new and involved series of hoops. But it's a worthy cause, I'll keep doing it for now

Good luck! Check back if you have a challenge you need help brainstorming on!

M

[Bob Rowlands]

VERY useful info from someone who knows what's what. Thanks for that Melissa!