Posted by admin | Posted in Country Know-how, Tiny Houses, workshops | Posted on 04-02-2010
I’ve heard so many variations about what could and couldn’t be built I went to the source, Central Frontenac Township’s gentle but efficient Chief Building Inspector, Ian Trickett. Ian doesn’t make the rules by the way (the provincial government does);he just helps you work with them and ensures that they’re followed.
My own question was this: I wanted to build a “Tiny House” or “bunkie,” a structure that fits under the 10 square metre (108 sq. ft.) floor space limit after which a permit is required. I wanted to build it largely with used and scrap wood that I’ve been accumulating. What features could I have and what couldn’t I.
The 10 square metre limit refers to the total area covered by the foundation – the outside in other words, not the inside. Your Tiny House must be just one story so no lofts on top; that would add to the area. No inspection is necessary though if you want a fireplace or stove, you’ll have to have that inspected. A deck would count as part of your area too. Nor can there be be a cantilevered section that juts out past the 108 sq. ft. to get around the size limit. The 108 sq. ft. goes all the way up, in other words, though a normal roof overhang doesn’t count.
But you don’t have to stop at 108 sq. ft. You can build a sleeping cabin on your property that can be up to 400 sq. ft. as long as it doesn’t have kitchen facilities, which would make it like a second house. This much larger sleeping cabin would require a building permit ($80) and wood that’s been stamped as being of sufficient grade. If you use wood from your own property or other wood that’s been milled for you, you can have it evaluated by local people who are empowered give it the necessary stamp of approval if everything’s OK. And a toilet in the sleeping cabin may need to be tied into your septic system. This is true for a composting toilet too if it releases liquid into the ground as some do.
While you need approved lumber, old or new, for joists and studs in your sleeping cabin, you don’t need approval on siding, sheathing, trim or strapping. So it could be that you can build a much bigger space than 108 sq. ft. without spending too much on wood. Some of your used wood, if you have any, might be fine.
The next Country Know-how will be about a plan for a number of us to collectively plan, scrounge and buy materials, and build our own “Tiny House.” You’re welcome to join us and build a small structure on your property, with recycled materials if you like, this summer.
Ian Trickett will answer your questions about buildings, tiny or not, on Friday, February 19th at 1:00 pm at the Township Office. (613) 279-2935 Ext 226.