Homestead mailing list

[Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>]

On Dec 16, 2008, at 5:05 PM, Robert Walton wrote:

> The problem in Va is the adoption of a state wide building code. Here
> in a rural county, we would never build to the same code as in urban
> areas, but the state wide code is going to meet the needs of the city
> dweller first and then tie the rural dweller to the same standard.

Building codes benefit members of trade unions. They purport to create  
safe homes and that case can easily be made. But it is additional  
expense and a substantial loss of freedom to have to build to any code  
imposed by the king. Codes are a real stumbling block for anyone who  
wishes to use alternative building designs. They are also often behind  
the times in that they do not reflect manufacturer guidelines, for  
example, regarding the use of vapor barriers on the inside of certain  
insulation materials.

One of the several advantages of buying land in a poor area is there  
is antipathy toward government, which is rightly seen as adding a  
layer of financial expense onto hardscrabble living. Thus, the  
condition in Ozark County that, while there is a state code, there are  
no funds available for enforcement. We will not tax ourselves to  
enforce what we don't want.