all summer we've been thinking about starting our log home model but figured we should hash out the details of the floor plan first. Have Punch software but not finding it very intuitive and so are struggling..and so the model isn't getting done...!

So decided to strike out on a different front and went to pay a cordial visit to our planning department. turns out that for our county that's the 'land and resource management' folks. we found out that they have very few restrictions
no closer to the ordinary high water mark than 200 ft
no closer to the lot lines than 10 feet
no closer to the septic tank than 10 feet
no closer to the drain field than 15 feet.
pretty basic stuff
have to have our septic permit ($130) before applying for our site permit (another $260). I asked them if they needed to see our building plans or if they needed them to be wet stamped by an engineer and they said NO. jus that 'Ted' needs to come out and make sure the area we've staked is at least 200 ft from the lake...and then after we pour the footings, Ted comes back out and inspects those too...but then NO MORE INSPECTIONS! and we have to be weathered in 'in a reasonable timeframe'!!! LOVE IT!

they told us that our county does not have any additional ordinances. boy did we luck out.

they are assuming we are in good faith building to UBC codes and that we know what the heck we're doing. Can't beat that!

I think the state will want to inspect our electric but that's it for inspections.

So we have to know enough of what the inside will look like to be certain we get the necessary footings in (like the extra one we'll need under the woodstove with its heavy field stone hearth...) and have a pretty good idea of where the exterior doors and windows will go but the actual placement of the interior walls can wait a little bit longer

SO NOW we can start the model. it might not end up exactly the way the cabin will, but that's OK.

our 35x35 stock plans arrived yesterday. bought PUNCH! software to make some slight modifications (DECKS!!).

found some cheap PV. will likely by 1/2 of what we will require to be off grid for less than half the price (dang I'm cheep!).

we took the class a few weeks ago, just bought stock plans for the 35x35. have LOTS of learning to do.

next steps are to finalize our floor plan and build our model.

are planning on a practice structure early next year. Then will do the dirt work and cement work in 2010 and plan to finish the weather tight shell in 2011!.

planning to pay as we go so after we're weathered in, we can just do what we have time and $$ for.

more later.