Cochise County Arizona offers an owner builder amendment which allows you to opt-out of building code and inspections which makes building your off-grid dream home a reality :D
See previous blog post about opting out of building codes in Cochise County, Arizona. This looks like a good option for owner builders, especially if you’re going to use sustainable materials like earthbags, straw bales, etc.
YouTube
Near the end of the video Derik says the opt-out option may be phased out soon. Sigh. I was hoping this was the start of a trend. A commenter below the video on YouTube said Pima County, AZ has lifted restrictions on tiny houses. Check their zoning page.
My wife and i are trying to find out where the best spot is to build our off grid home. So is cochise still honoring the opt out or would pima county be a better option for a tiny house.
The most reliable answer to your questions would come directly from the authorities in those counties.
Yes they are, no changes as of yet! It is kind of shocking when you talk to them in the Building Permit Dept here, they are like, yes you can Opt Out, and just do as you please, and that’s about it. They will tell you that this will be a Shadow (as its called) on your title, so when you go to sell it will be v ery hard for a buyer to get a convention loan to purchase, but there are options.
I do not know about Pima County, but I know Cochise County is still honoring the Opt Out, and we have some nice property’s around for sale!
you can’t opt out if you have less than 4 acres
Cool, I have watched several of Derics Vids, but didnt know he just lived up the road a bit. I would also like to preserve this as an option in Cochise County and I hope I can meet him at some point soon.
I’d like to learn more about the garage they are planning to build. Derik says they’re going to erect a steel framed building with slab floor. That’s a good plan because it’s large and has high walls. In another video I believe he said he’s also going to use rammed earth. Maybe I misunderstood. Maybe that was his future dream home. Anyway, I was wondering how they would finish the garage walls. Metal siding? Wood? What about wrapping the frame with tubing filled with scoria? This would provide super insulation and be easy to do if there’s metal studs between the posts.
By the way, Derik’s Handeeman channel documents all of their off grid building projects – tiny house, solar, rain water collection, garden, etc. His wife is a gourmet vegan chef and she showcases her work on the High Carb Hannah channel (super popular).
The Garage, is just that, a Garage, so Derik has a place to do all his Handeeman stuff! He has it about done, framing out some rooms on the interior, going to have a Green House on the Southern Side. We kid him calling it the new Walmart ;-)