Chapter 4 — REGULATIONS FOR LIMITED DENSITY OWNER-BUILT RURAL DWELLINGS

(Ord. No. 21-01, § II, 2-2-2021; Ord. No. 23-02, § II, 3-21-2023)

All construction or work for which a permit is required pursuant to this article shall be subject to inspection by the Building Official. Required inspections shall consist of a foundation inspection prior to placement of concrete, a concrete slab or under-floor inspection, a rough framing, plumbing, electrical, and mechanical inspection prior to covering of walls, and a final inspection. The final inspection shall be conducted after the structure(s) is completed and ready for occupancy, in order to determine compliance with the provisions of this article. Other inspections may be required by state or county agencies. Structures of conventional or simple construction shall be inspected at a single inspection if possible because all components to be inspected are simultaneously ready for inspection.

(Ord. No. 21-01, § II, 2-2-2021)

Additional inspections may be conducted under the following circumstances: An inspection shall be conducted where there is a reasonable expectation that the foundation system will be subjected to excessive vertical or lateral movement due to site topography, expansive soils, or other unstable soil conditions; or the application indicates that interior wall coverings or construction elements will conceal underlying construction, electrical or mechanical systems; or where an unconventional construction method is indicated which would preclude examination at a single inspection.

(Ord. No. 21-01, § II, 2-2-2021)

Inspections may be waived by the Building Official for structures which do not contain electrical or mechanical installations or for alterations, additions, modifications, or repairs that do not involve electrical or mechanical installations.

(Ord. No. 21-01, § II, 2-2-2021)

It shall be the duty of the applicant to notify the Building Official that the construction is ready for inspection and to cause the work to remain accessible and exposed for inspection purposes, and to provide access to the premises. Inspections shall be requested by the applicant at least twenty-four (24) hours in advance of the intended inspection. It shall be the duty of the enforcement agency to notify or inform the applicant of the day during which the inspection is to be conducted.

(Ord. No. 21-01, § II, 2-2-2021)

After the structure(s) is completed for occupancy/use and any inspections which have been required by the Building Official have been conducted, and work approved, the Building Official may shall issue a Certificate of Occupancy for such dwelling(s) and appurtenant structure(s) which comply with the provisions of this Chapter.

(Ord. No. 21-01, § II, 2-2-2021)

The use and occupancy of a portion or portions of a dwelling or appurtenant structure prior to the completion of the entire structure pursuant to this Chapter shall be allowed, provided that approved sanitary facilities are available at the site and that the work completed does not create any condition that endangers life, health or safety of the public or occupants. The occupants of any such incomplete structure shall assume sole responsibility for the occupancy of the structure or portion thereof.

(Ord. No. 21-01, § II, 2-2-2021)

With approval by the Board of Supervisors, Fees may be established and accounted for by the Building Official to provide for the cost of administering the provisions of this Chapter. It is the intent of this Chapter that permit, and inspection fee schedules be established to reflect the actual inspection and administrative costs resulting from the application of this Chapter. It shall be within the Building Official's discretion to waive fees for underinsured or uninsured property owners if the property owners' incomes qualify as "Low- Income" or "Very-Low-Income," as that income is determined under the Department of Housing and Urban Development's calculations for Siskiyou County.

(Ord. No. 21-01, § II, 2-2-2021; Ord. No. 23-02, § II, 3-21-2023)

A.

Each structure shall be maintained in a Sound Structural Condition to be safe, sanitary, and to shelter the occupants from the elements.

B.

Except as amended by the provisions of this Chapter and except as otherwise preempted by statute, the 2007 edition of the California Building Standards Code, Title 24, California Code of Regulations (with 2008 amendments), shall be used in determining compliance with the standards of this Chapter. Any property owner may optionally rebuild his property to more current building code standards.

C.

In the alternative to Section 9-04.260.B, and except as amended by the provisions of this Chapter and except as otherwise preempted by statute, the Building Official shall use the plans of a certified architect, civil engineer, or structural engineer to determine compliance with the standards of this Chapter as follows:

The plans were previously issued for a structure that was destroyed or damaged within a Wildfire Impact Area.

The plans were not issued before January 1, 1998.

The applicant requests that this standard be used and provides the plans to the Building Official.

D.

Generators shall be enclosed in a sound reduction enclosure approved by the Building Official to eliminate or greatly reduce noise. This structure shall consist of a fully enclosed masonry or wood frame structure with a minimum of two (2) inches by four (4) inches insulated wall and roof framing, with walls, ceiling, and roof covered in the manner required by the most recently adopted technical codes on both inside and outside surfaces. This structure shall reduce generator noise to a maximum of fifty-five (55) decibels twenty (20) feet from the structure.

(Ord. No. 21-01, § II, 2-2-2021; Ord. No. 23-02, § II, 3-21-2023)

It shall be the purpose and intent of this Chapter to allow the use of ingenuity and preferences of the builder; to allow and facilitate the use of alternatives to the specifications prescribed by the latest adopted version of the technical codes to the extent that a reasonable degree of health and safety is provided by such alternatives; and to assure that the materials, methods of construction, and structural integrity of the structure shall perform in application for the purpose intended. To provide for the application of this Chapter, it shall be necessary for the Building Official to exercise reasonable judgment in determining the compliance of appropriate structures with the general and specific requirements of this Chapter.

(Ord. No. 21-01, § II, 2-2-2021)

Except as otherwise required by this Chapter, dwellings and Appurtenant Structures constructed pursuant to this Chapter need not conform with the construction requirements prescribed by the latest adopted editions of the California Building, Plumbing, Mechanical, and Electrical Codes, or other applicable technical codes; however, it is not the intent of this section to disregard nationally accepted technical and scientific principles relating to design, materials, methods of construction, and structural requirements for the erection and construction of dwelling and Appurtenant Structures as are contained in the technical codes. Such codes shall be a basis for approval.

(Ord. No. 21-01, § II, 2-2-2021; Ord. No. 23-02, § II, 3-21-2023)

A.

A Limited Density Owner-Built Rural Dwelling permit application shall be reviewed by the County Fire Warden for compliance with Public Resources Code sections 4290 and 4291, and the Siskiyou County Code.

B.

All Limited Density Owner-Built Rural Dwellings shall comply with the "Materials and Construction Methods for Exterior Wildfire Exposure" requirements found in the current adopted California Residential Code and/or in the latest adopted version of the California Building Code, Chapter 7A.

(Ord. No. 21-01, § II, 2-2-2021)

A.

Structural requirements. Buildings or structures constructed pursuant to this Chapter may be of any type of construction which will provide for a Sound Structural Condition. Structural hazards which result in an unsound condition, and which may constitute a substandard building, are defined by reference to the 2007 edition of the California Building Standards Code, Title 24, California Code of Regulations (with 2008 amendments) and are further delineated in Health & Safety Code section 17920.3 and as may hereafter be amended.

B.

Materials. Owner-produced materials and appliances may be utilized unless found not to be of sufficient strength or durability to perform the intended function; owner-produced or used lumber may be utilized unless found to contain dry rot, excessive splitting, or other defects obviously rendering the material unfit in strength or durability for the intended purpose. Wall and floor framing shall not be enclosed when the framing members exceed nineteen percent (19%) moisture content.

C.

Heating capacity. A heating facility or appliance shall be installed in each dwelling subject to the provisions of this Chapter and shall comply, however there shall be no specified requirement for heating capacity or temperature maintenance. The use of a solid fuel or solar heating device shall be deemed as complying with the requirements of this section. If a non-renewable fuel is used in these dwellings, rooms so heated shall meet current installation standards.

D.

Room requirements. There shall be no requirements for room dimensions provided that there is adequate light and ventilation and adequate means of egress.

(Ord. No. 21-01, § II, 2-2-2021; Ord. No. 23-02, § II, 3-21-2023)

A.

Sanitation facilities, including the type, design, and number of facilities, shall be shown on plans submitted for the building permit.

B.

No dwelling shall discharge wastewater from sanitary facilities other than to a wastewater system that is designed, constructed, operated, and maintained in accordance with the requirements of the Environmental Health Division.

C.

No dwelling shall utilize a bathtub or shower and a washbasin, or alternate bathing and washing facility, unless it has been approved by the Environmental Health Division and Building Official.

(Ord. No. 21-01, § II, 2-2-2021)

Fireplaces, heating and cooking appliances, and gas piping installed in buildings constructed pursuant to this Chapter shall be installed and vented in accordance with the applicable requirements contained in the most currently adopted version of the California Mechanical Code, Part 4, Title 24, California Code of Regulations.

(Ord. No. 21-01, § II, 2-2-2021; Ord. No. 23-02, § II, 3-21-2023)

No dwelling or appurtenant structure constructed pursuant to this article shall be required to be connected to a source of electrical power, or wired, or otherwise fitted for electrification, except as set forth in Section 9-04.340.

(Ord. No. 21-01, § II, 2-2-2021)

Where electrical wiring or appliances are installed, the installation shall be in accordance with the applicable requirements contained in the most recently adopted version of the California Electrical Code, Part 3, Title 24, California Code of Regulations. Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms shall be installed per the most current adopted California Residential Code. If electrical wiring is not being installed, alarms may be battery operated and must contain ten-year batteries.

(Ord. No. 21-01, § II, 2-2-2021; Ord. No. 23-02, § II, 3-21-2023)

In structures where electrical usage is confined to one or more rooms of a structure, the remainder of the structure shall not be required to be wired or otherwise fitted for electrification unless the Building Official determines the electrical demands are expected to exceed the confinement and capacity of that room(s). In these instances, the Building Official may require further electrification of the structure. It is the intent of this section to apply to buildings in which there exists a workshop, kitchen, or other single room which may require electrification, and where there is no expectation of further electrical demand. The Building Official shall, at the time of a permit application or other appropriate point, advise the applicant of the potential hazards of violating this section.

(Ord. No. 21-01, § II, 2-2-2021)

Plumbing equipment and installation shall be in accordance with the applicable • requirements contained in the most recently adopted version of the California Plumbing Code, Part 5, Title 24, California Code of Regulations.

(Ord. No. 21-01, § II, 2-2-2021; Ord. No. 23-02, § II, 3-21-2023)

Editor's note— Sec. III of Ord. No. 23-02, adopted March 21, 2023, deleted § 9-04.360, which pertained to chapter expiration, and derived from Ord. No. 21-01, adopted February 2, 2021.