RE: [papercreters] Legality of papercrete housing

Here in Rio Arriba county in northern NM the inspector seems to want to be more restrictive. We do have codes and they are sort of enforced. I see a lot of houses going up and know people who are building without a permit and they are left alone. I got red tagged on my papercrete house I think because it was easy for him to do. He just went across the street from the permitted house he was inspecting and stuck a red tag on my building. That was the first building I tried. That has now been sold (unfinished) and I am building on a nearby lot. I got a red tag on my little 12 X 16 building so I called him and told him it was just a shed and under the 200 SF limit for building w/o a permit. He said that limit was 120 SF but I read to him from the building permit guidelines that it specified 200 SF and he told me to go ahead and finish it. Now I am on Bldg #2 of the same size and am expecting a red tag every time I go out there. What I am wondering is if I could ever get a permit to build a very small residence with no plumbing or electricity. This is essentially what I am doing, with plans to have water coming in just for washing dishes etc with a gray water system and photovoltaics later when I can afford it. I called the Environmental Control Dept (septic tank permit people) and was told I MUST have a septic tank and there is no such thing as an outhouse permit. That is why I decided to put up a small papercrete building without a permit and eventually move into it when people get used to the idea that it is there.

This is an interesting subject and I'm looking forward to learning what others are experiencing. I know there is a movement to get papercrete code acceptable and there are some who have suggested that I go and deal with the authorities and explain and work toward this end. If I were of a different personality type I probably would but at this stage of my life my goal is just to be left alone (by authorities that is) and enjoy what time I have left. My experience is that any time you get involved with gov't or other rule makers it ends up costing you a lot of money.

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