Category: Planning your Dream Yurt

Planning your Dream Yurt | Yurt Site and Planning

County Building Codes and Requirements

October 25, 2017

Planning on the proper piece of property for a yurt is similar to buying land for other types of structures, but there are some special things to watch out for. Here are the steps we recommend you consider.

1. Research Your Area

This First step in planning your dream yurt is very important. I have outlined a lot of information for you, but this subject is in no way exhausted. While we get questions about these details on a regular basis, it is the customer’s responsibility to research your own site. Below you will find a list of the most common regulations will likely impact your project. You may also view our yurt site selection guide.

CCR’s, HOA’S, Easements, etc:

CCR’s are usually attached to the deed of the land and are hard to change. Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions control if you can subdivide, where you must give access to neighbors, and in some cases the types of structures or buildings you are allowed to build. Home Owners Associations may have imposed additional restrictions. (on height, type of structures allowed, even if you can have chickens or a garden!) Easements are public/neighborhood access right of ways. It is important to secure legal easements on the property because handshake deals may not hold up in court, and would certainly not transfer with the sale of your land.

Here is a link for more info about restrictions: Understanding CCR’s and other restrictions

County Building Requirements:

As much as possible, make friends with your county building inspector. The building department may be contacted through the County Planning Department, or in rural areas the Fire Dept., and inspections agency may all be in the same Department. You also may need to check with your local Health Department regarding septic or sewer issues. Many counties require a perc. test for septic systems.

For instance, some rural counties have NO building codes. Some counties in CO have been requiring metal roofs due to recent fire risks. Regardless of the building codes required, we ALWAYS strive to build to withstand snow and wind loads for your area. It is usually reassuring for the county to know that your yurt can be Engineered to withstand wind and snow loads. So far, we have not met a site that could not be designed for, and we have build some heavy-duty yurts in some intense snow country, and had our yurts in hurricane areas! The details of what your yurts project will be required to have in terms of snow and wind kit, additional cables and blocking will be determined by your site. Stamped plans can be provided for a separate fee. (in most cases) Shelter Designs works closely with a local engineering firm that is licensed in all 50 states.

If you just need general information, you can say you are looking at buying land and building in the area and need to know the information outlined below. If you are ready to take the plunge, you can describe your project and get a feel for whether the county will work with you. One of the determining factors for the regulations will be the yurt’s intended use.

In general, office and yoga studio spaces along with occasional or temporary use yurts will result in fewer requirements than full-time residences.  

If your yurt will be used for residential purposes, it will also have to meet local regulations for residences (heat source, size and type of openings, egress windows in sleeping areas, etc.). If you are using the yurt for commercial purposes, you may have to meet an additional set of commercial regulations.

Important Questions to Ask Your County Departments:

  1. What building requirements are they using?
  2. More specifically does your building need to be engineered?
  3. Are there any other special requirements?

Are they using the 2009, 2012, or 2015 ICC (International Code Council) codes, or are they still using the UBC (Uniform Building Code)? The two ICC rule books are: the residential IRC (International Residential Code) and the commercial IBC (International Building Code). The IBC is more comprehensive than the IRC and supersedes the IRC in the case of conflict. The building department will base their recommendations/requirements on these codes.

The typical engineering requirements encompass ground snow load, seismic rating, and wind speed. Your building inspector may be willing to work with you to make your yurt dreams happen. The discretion of the code official is written into the code. What we have seen is that most building code officials want to know: is it safe, and efficient.

As a membrane structure, yurts are usually classified in the “alternative structures” category, which has a unique set of code regulations. View our blog regarding relevant building and energy codes.You may also find this International Energy Code useful along with the 2015 IBC requirements.

*** Be aware that engineered plans cost additional time and money and there are usually time delays and permit fees from the county.

2. Will your foundation have additional requirements?

Again, this varies widely. We have seen customers be required to pour concrete slabs at great expense, be directed to pour a footer and tubes, or be allowed to use pier blocks. The intended use will impact this aspect as well. Commercial uses that expect large numbers (yoga studios, seminar space, etc.) may be required to build extra strong foundations to support the additional weight of crowds.

3. What are your Counties’ Energy Code requirements?

By far and away this is the requirement that causes the most consternation. There are a few factors at play here. Some counties will use this requirement to limit or exclude alternative structures such as Tiny homes, trailers, and yurts. The main criteria called out for in most Building Codes is R-Value.

In a nutshell: If your building department requires Energy Code compliance (usually high R values in roof and walls) you have 2 choices:

  1. Pay for a Energy code compliance report from a firm, which demonstrates that with our SIPS floor system, thermal pane windows and Arctic Insulation there are typically enough trade-offs to pass
  2. Establish that this structure qualifies for an exemption as lined out in the IBC (see link above)

View yurt energy compliance reports to get more information on how to get an Energy Compliance report. In short: Yurts are not insulated like traditional structures, have good U-values, and can pass energy compliance report with trade-off measurements.

****Be aware that an Energy Compliance Report will cost additional time and money!

4. What are the fire-rating requirements (for the insulation and outer fabric)?

All of our fabric come with flame ratings that pass normal building codes. We can provide this information to you if needed.

To summarize Step #1, Once you know what to expect from the county, know what your land limitations are, and feel comfortable with those, proceed to purchase land, leasing, or skip to Step#3 if you already own land!

If you want to find yurts for sale from Shelter Designs or start building your dream yurt and know the yurt cost right away, you’re in the right spot! Learn more today.

Planning your Dream Yurt | Yurt Site and Planning

Planning your Dream Yurt

Yurt Cost To Build – Set Your Budget

September 20, 2017

So you’ve decided that a yurt is for you. You’ve done your research, perhaps stayed in a yurt, compared options and yurt companies, and settled on a beautiful Shelter Designs Yurt.  Good choice!  How much does a yurt cost to build and how much should I set aside for my yurt budget? There are some important considerations to be made to begin your project, none more so than the cost to build a yurt.  Yurt budgets are very important for estimating yurt costs, and for making important decisions that will have long-lasting impacts.

In the beginning, you need to look at the big picture items. Where will the yurt be going, what size and style works best, with what options, what is the platform going to be made of, your yurt interior design, etc.  Will you have plumbing, complete with an underground pressure tank, hot running water, and a flush toilet? Others prefer off-grid living but want to include a refrigerator and composting toilet.  Each person will have different needs and desires, so go through each aspect of your daily life and identify all the creature comforts you would like.

For some of us, especially in the cold country, warmth is a major priority with a nice wood stove ranking high on the list. For hot climates, a window air conditioner and ceiling fan are important for staying cool.

There are generally 3 main categories of Yurt costs to build (you may have more factors, and this list does not include land!) Follow our guide below to budget the yurt cost to build!

 

  1. Infrastructure, Including Your Platform – A list of some common things that should be considered for infrastructure needs.
  2. Yurt Purchase and Assembly – Our yurt cost calculator will help you build the perfect yurt for your budget!
  3. Yurt Interior Design Build-out – What climate and amenities should you compare to help you get started?

1.     Infrastructure, Including Your Yurt Platform

If you have a piece of land with all of the infrastructure in place then you scored and are well on your way!  But, if you are starting with a raw and undeveloped piece of land then there is probably some major work to be done, especially if you are going for all of the modern conveniences.  We recommend you find a local general contractor to help you estimate these costs, and probably help you accomplish the groundwork.  Here is a list of some common things that should be considered for infrastructure needs.

  • permitting fees from your county
  • power drop and laying underground lines to your site
  • well drilling or cost of tying into a municipal water source
  • septic installation
  • road construction
  • gas source – either a large propane tank or tapping into a municipal natural gas line
  • internet/cable/phone line laid

You want to also check out the relevant building and energy codes in your area. Next, you need to carefully consider how some of these systems will actually be designed and implemented. You dug a well and have water, but will you be creating an underground well house to eliminate pipe freezing and pressure tanks?

A major part of the infrastructure design and yurt cost to build has to be for the Yurt platform and how these systems (water, power, gas, etc) will tie into the platform and the yurt.  What type of deck and platform will you have for your yurt?  A raised, insulated wooden platform, a poured concrete pad?  Will utilities be protected under the yurt in an insulated crawl space?  If you are using a SIPS floor system, then a post and beam system needs to be built to exact specs for everything to work.  How much concrete is needed?

***Please note that some of these details may be determined by county requirements***

2.     Yurt Purchase and Assembly

For your yurt, our online Yurt calculator is your biggest friend.  You can add and subtract options, find out the difference in cost for different sizes, and see how much those thermal paned glass windows and French doors will cost.  Links below.

(You will note that the Eco yurt maximum size is 30′.  While the aesthetics of the hand-finished lodgepole roof rafters are unmatched, we cannot offer the Eco in larger sizes due to the massive logs that would be required for larger sizes.)

3.     Yurt Interior Design Build-out

So you’ve got your utilities planned, your yurt platform material list, and your ideal yurt price determined.  Now you need to estimate your interior build costs.  While the other Yurt costs are somewhat fixed, this is where your Yurt budget may need some adjusting.  For example, a concrete, soapstone or marble countertop is going to cost 3 times the cost of a Formica countertop. 

Here are some things to consider in your Yurt cost to build: Will you enclose a bedroom or bathroom?  Will you be running a traditional AC wiring schematic, or installing a DC power alternative energy system?  Do you need a large space for a water heater on the floor, or will you get a wall mounted on demand water heater?  What finished flooring will you use, or will you just paint over the subfloor?  Think on each room, and imagine where the lighting would be, and what options are the most important to you.

Below, you will find a side-by-side comparison of two vastly different yurts.

 

30″ Eco Yurt with Owner Built Platform

Summer Use only, Mild climate

30′ Big Sky Yurt with SIPS Floor

Full-time residence, Cold Climate
1) No permits Required

$ 0.00

 1) 4 Permits Required: powerdrop, septic, water,

Building permit, Engineer Stamped plans, Energy

Compliance Report $4000.00
2) Gravity fed water from platform tank, well,

Lead free hoses to fill tank, pex pipe $7,000.00

 2) Power drop and trenched power lines 6′, Septic

tie in, Municipal water hookup  $15,000.00
3) Platform- 8×8 beams, pier block for posts, hard-

ware, screws, plywood sheeting, 2″ foam board

$5,500.00

(this estimate does not include platform labor)

 3)  Site excavation for a pressure tank, utility room

under the raised platform, wrap around deck, poured

footer and son-O tubes, beams, posts, hardware,

and 4.5″ SIPS Floor   $14,000.00
4)  30′ Eco yurt, 1 additional thermal pane window,

upgraded roof fabric, basic insulation, stove jack

$18,740

 4)  30′ Big Sky yurt, 4 additional thermal pane

windows, one French door, upgraded roof & wall

fabrics, arctic insulation, fan mount, hook & loop,

1 additional door, snow & wind kit, & flashing kit

$24,325
5)  Interior build: Sleeping loft with gravity H2O

tank, bathroom w/ composting toilet, on demand

water heater, kitchen framed below loft, water

drains to greywater system, heating is a wood stove,

formica countertops, open kitchen shelves, vinyl

flooring, solar DC lights and Propane fridge and

cook stove/oven       $10,500

 5)  Interior build: Enclosed bedroom and bathroom,

Pressure tank and hot water heater below platform

in insulated room, all water/sewer plumbed, dish

washer & garbage disposal, custom made round-

backed cabinets, wood slab counter tops, hard-

wood tongue & groove flooring, pellet stove,

electric appliances (fridge and cook stove)

$10,000
Total Cost Estimate $41,740.00 Total Cost Estimate  $67,325.00
Estimated GC costs $6,261.00 Estimated GC costs  $10,098.75
  • Notes: These estimates do not include furniture, bedding, etc, or lighting fixtures.
  • This estimate does not include yurt shipping or transport costs, as those vary widely by distance.
  • You can expect to pay 15% on top of all costs if you are hiring a general contractor to organize and execute all aspects of your build including the yurt set up.
  • Please keep in mind these costs are estimates and are by no means inclusive for your project. Our prices are subject to change based on the cost of materials. The main purpose of this exercise is to give you an idea of all the aspects to plan for.  View our cost calculator for the most up-to-date cost estimate.

Have more questions about your yurt cost to build? Check out our yurt cost calculator to price out your own custom yurt for sale or give us a call. We’re happy to help!

Planning your Dream Yurt

Planning your Dream Yurt

Planning Your Yurt Dream Space

August 28, 2017

We hate to say it, but we are bad about writing about our yurts.  Our passion is in the shop, as we meticulously make sure that every single piece of roof rafter and lattice is shaped, sanded and finished to specification.  We love talking to our customers by email, phone, and in person about their yurt projects.

With that being said, we are dusting off the Blog portion of our website.  Our new series will be aimed at addressing the most frequent questions we get, and taking your average person through the many details of site selection, county codes, insulation and heating, platform building and site prep, utilities, and finally the yurt assembly and final build out.  It is a common misconception that yurts are “just tents”  and that little thought would go into the details.  I would argue that our customers are picking a Yurt precisely because they want more than a tent, they want a yurt home.  Whether it is temporary or permanent, yurts are lovely structures to spend time in.  As with any project, the more fore-thought that goes into the planning process, the easier the final push to completion will be.

We have spent a lot of time making our Youtube channel to address construction related Frequently Asked Questions, including the above video “WHAT IS A YURT?” and now we will be bringing you “Planning your yurt dream space”  Stay tuned !

Planning your Dream Yurt


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