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Un-Heated residential structure

R

righter101

Gold Member
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Dec 5, 2009
Messages
604
R303.8 (2009 IRC) Requires that "every dwelling unit shall be provided with heating facilities...." with the definition of "dwelling unit" from Ch. 2 as "a single unit providing complete independent living facilities for one or more persons, including permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking and sanitation."

Question or issue:

Someone wants to build a "bunkhouse" or a "studio" or "office", stand alone structure, accessory to a SFR, and may have a bathroom....

Would it be allowed as an unheated structure??

A living space that does not meet the definition of a "dwelling unit", but something that could include sleeping quarters.... would that be allowed as unheated?? why or why not....
 
This is similar to a previous discussion about how to define a sleeping unit. It was argued that it should only be considered a sleeping unit if they labeled it as one. You go down a slippery slope it you say but it could be used as one. Should we then require that all garages be heated since they could be used for human habitation?

If the structure is actualy used as a dwelling unit then I would believe that there are other ordinances that could be used to address the issue. What would you do if 30 people tried to live in a 2 bedroom house?

If the structure is not a dwelling unit there shoud be no requirement that it be heated.
 
Without cooking facilities it's not a dwelling.

BTW, there are locals where heating is not necessary.
 
BTW, there are locals where heating is not necessary
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Agree that is why the code only requires heat when the winter design tempature is below 60 degrees F which BTW would be not be anywhere in the continental United States

Table R301.2(1)

WINTER DESIGN TEMPe

Footnote e: e. The outdoor design dry-bulb temperature shall be selected from the columns of 97½-percent values for winter from Appendix D of the International Plumbing Code. Deviations from the Appendix D temperatures shall be permitted to reflect local climates or local weather experience as determined by the building official.

Hilo 62

Honolulu 63
 
My opinion is that a 'studio' or 'office' would not be required to be heated.

A bunkhouse would. I feel that this would fall under CBC Section 310.1, R-2, Boarding Houses or Dormitories.

Definition:

bunk·house

noun, plural -hous·es  /-ˌhaʊ
thinsp.png
zɪz/ Show Spelled

[-hou-ziz] Show IPA. a rough building, often with bunk beds, used for sleeping quarters, as for ranch hands, migratory workers, or campers.

Use bunkhouse in a Sentence

See images of bunkhouse

Search bunkhouse on the Web

Origin:

1875–80, Americanism ; bunk1 + house

Sue, on the frontier
 
I tend to agree with Brudgers and MT, we have "Yurts" in California...which is basically a high class tent and most don't have heat
 
Disagree

beach said:
I tend to agree with Brudgers and MT, we have "Yurts" in California...which is basically a high class tent and most don't have heat
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I would have to disagree with your label of Yurts as "high class tents". Personally, I consider them on the lower end of the tent spectrum. A good northface or mountain hardware tent, to me, would fall under the "high class"....

That being said, it is the Yurt issue that brought this issue up. My literal reading of the code is, as brugers pointed out, not a dwelling=not required to heat. So, a "bunkhouse" constructed as an accessory structure under the IRC, could be made for sleeping and not actually require heat....

thanks for the input to all....
 
If it doesn't meet the definition of a dwelling unit, it's not required to be heated. We have Yurts here also and they don't heat most of them because they can't meet Oregon's strict energy code.
 
View attachment 282

I would have to disagree with your label of Yurts as "high class tents". Personally, I consider them on the lower end of the tent spectrum. A good northface or mountain hardware tent, to me, would fall under the "high class"....
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I believe my wife would disagree with you.........View attachment 282

/monthly_2010_12/yurt13int.jpg.3370eb29b1ef3aa941e44647002157e9.jpg
 
That's Southern California for you! The ones up her look and smell like old army tents!

Actually, some of them are as nice as Beach's.
 
Beach - That looks like a Harry Potter tent - probably looks like a pup tent on the outside and fits in Hermione's bag.

may have a bathroom....
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How does that affect the "does it need heat" question?
 
quick question:

detatched garage, no electric at this time, owner wants to bring power to it.

does it now have to meet IECC requirements for insulation?

I can maybe understand lighting requirements...But insulation?
 
My apologizes to you, your wife, and your beautiful yurt.....

We have the old tiny army tent looking ones up here, generally.....

Keep in mind that this plans examiner has multiple color tarps fixing the garage roof and a kitchen so small that our fridge is on the porch.....Your yurt would be a nice step up....
 
quick question:detatched garage, no electric at this time, owner wants to bring power to it.

does it now have to meet IECC requirements for insulation?

I can maybe understand lighting requirements...But insulation?
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No, as long as it is not substantially heated.

101.5.2 Low energy buildings.

The following buildings, or portions thereof, separated from the remainder of the building by building thermal envelope assemblies complying with this code shall be exempt from the building thermal envelope provisions of this code:

1. Those with a peak design rate of energy usage less than 3.4 Btu/h·ft2 (10.7 W/m2) or 1.0 watt/ft2 (10.7 W/m2) of floor area for space conditioning purposes.

2. Those that do not contain conditioned space.
 
Someone wants to build a "bunkhouse" or a "studio" or "office", stand alone structure, accessory to a SFR, and may have a bathroom.
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Your original post "accessory to a SFR" that is your answer, no heat required for accessory structures, As for a bathroom you could push the heat issue if freeze protection of plumbing comes into play for that space.
 
I am going to continue to respectfully beg to disagree. Ranchers and agribusiness have traditionally provided some type of housing for their workers. Just because a bunkhouse is considered an accessory structure and not a dwelling unit doesn't mean that it will not be occupied for extended periods. A bunkhouse needs some form of heating unit for it, even if it is a woodstove. I think that your average cowboy would be rather PO'ed if he had to sleep in an unheated bunkhouse at -9 degrees.

Also, don't forget the migrant worker camps, of which there are a few in this county. These are also covered under the state of CA HCD who have rules and regulations about what is required.

Sue, keep them dawgies movin'.....rawhide.........:mrgreen:
 
I agree that if the building does not have a kitchen it does not qualify as a residence and would not require heat. That being said, they can't use it as sleeping quarters. If they want to make it habitable it would have to be a second residence which would cause zoning problems in most jurisdictions. My county only allows one residence per residential lot. Also, if you have the Property Maintenance code in effect it requires heating facilities for habitable space in many areas of the country. If this is agricultural land (real dude ranch style housing) all bets are off.
 
I find the reference to the Property Maintenance Code interesting. The reference seems to suggest that you could be responsible for maintaining something that you did not have a obligation to construct
 
Alias said:
A bunkhouse needs some form of heating unit for it, even if it is a woodstove. I think that your average cowboy would be rather PO'ed if he had to sleep in an unheated bunkhouse at -9 degrees.
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"Need" does not equal required.

Cowboy up.
 
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