It's Not a Tiny House Podcast · The Industrial

You Can't Build It Here. | It's Not a Tiny House Podcast

December 8, 2020·27 min·2 clips

How do you build a town where 50% of the land lacks sewer service?

This episode explores the complex regulatory and infrastructural hurdles of building a non-traditional home on a challenging piece of land. Hosts Chris and Amy Strutz, experienced builders and educators in alternative housing, share their personal project as a case study. They aim to demystify the often opaque processes of zoning, permitting, and utility access for listeners. The central narrative involves their attempt to build on a peculiar, creek-adjacent lot lacking standard utilities. A key moment was a civil engineer specializing in septic design stating, "if you can build it here, you can build it anywhere." The lot presented a combination of no municipal sewer service, no direct water connection, and complex floodway considerations. They detail encountering unknown square footage requirements, easements, and the critical importance of professional surveying. The hosts explain how a simple house project revealed a deep ignorance of local codes, comparing their initial understanding to a child not knowing a toilet needs water. They generalize that these hurdles apply equally whether building a mobile tiny house on wheels or a permanent accessory dwelling unit (ADU). A surprising claim is that in their city, approximately 50% of the land area lacks municipal sewer service, fundamentally shaping development possibilities. The episode argues that the desire for a different lifestyle, whether from a young person or someone needing an in-law suite, faces the same systemic barriers. An insightful analogy is made that to an untrained eye, "dirt looks like dirt," making zoning distinctions and lot viability invisible without expert guidance. The hosts reveal they received similar "you can build it anywhere" comments from multiple professionals, including a building inspector, emphasizing their lot's extreme difficulty. They stress that understanding floodways is a separate, critical layer of complexity beyond basic zoning. The tone is conversational and educational, derived from lived experience rather than abstract theory. The style is narrative, using a specific building saga to illustrate universal principles for aspiring builders. This episode is ideal for anyone considering building a small home, ADU, or navigating property development without a contractor. Listeners primarily interested in tiny house design aesthetics or finished home tours might find the regulatory focus less engaging.

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