Big Multi Year Project About to Begin...help!

[Iplayfarmer]

I spoke to the local road contractor... Fortunately he is pretty familiar with the area.

Being familiar with the area is going to be more important that decades of experience in unrelated geography and climate. It sounds like you're in good hands if you take this guy's advice.

 

[retiredmgn]

When we first moved to our little town in Maine there were lots of people building far off the beaten path then expecting the town to upgrade their road so the school bus could make it to their house. Proved a financial burden for the town so the Planning Board passed a 'Minimum Road Standard'. This stated before a building permit would be issued the road would have to be built to a minimum standard acceptable to the town. The point was, sure build off in the woods but don't expect the town to pay for your privacy.

 

[scottlw]

Good Luck.

This is a long thread but worth a read, im sure a fair amount will be relevant to you.

Going Off Grid in East Tennessee (motorhome, design, install) - (TN) - City-Data Forum

 

[dave1949]

David,
Sounds like you are on your way to having a good road. Good luck with the gravel!

I wish I had some on my land but none has ever turned up, if it did, it would probably be on the wrong side of the creek :laughing:

Keep the posts coming.
Dave.

 

[Sulla]

Went out to the property today with a surveyor and my tree guy. Road is going to be a bigger project than I had hoped. The grade is too step in a couple of areas to hold the gravel. Seems I need to level it off a bit. I'm off to the Ranger Station to see if the Forest Service will let me use and maintain their road instead. Best estimate on the road if I do it myself is $30,000 to $50,000 and a months work with my schedule.

I've always loved the Forest Service, really I have!

 

[MarkV]

I was afraid you would find that road very expensive. You also want to make sure whatever road you use will support fire service equipment or you may have trouble finding insurance when you build. That makes it a no go if you need to take out a mortgage.

MarkV

 

[Sulla]

I was afraid you would find that road very expensive. You also want to make sure whatever road you use will support fire service equipment or you may have trouble finding insurance when you build. That makes it a no go if you need to take out a mortgage.

MarkV

Yeah the road is turning out to be quite fun. Worst case I have to bite the bullet and do it. Not so bad as I as I was kinda of looking forward to it. I think it means I'll be renting an excavator instead of buying one.

Insurance is going to be a problem. I'm not sure there's a fire department for twenty miles. Our plan is to pay as we build and end up debt free, I have enough debt already.

Whatever we build will have a sprinkler system. I've seen the difference it can make and any house I build from now on will include one, especially in a place where any response will most likely arrive after the fact.

On the good news side, soil seems to be terrific. The property was almost certainly a sheep or cattle farm. Low stone walls piled with big rocks, very little in the way of the smaller rock walls for crop farm. We've got a couple of good brooks, one has the potential to damned up and turned into a pond for the animals. Nice East/South East slopping orientation. Lots of sun and plenty of water that runs off into a very nice little river with a very pretty set of water falls.

Next step, talk to the rangers and dig a few test pits.

Thanks for the feed back.

 

[dave1949]

Yeah the road is turning out to be quite fun. Worst case I have to bite the bullet and do it. Not so bad as I as I was kinda of looking forward to it. I think it means I'll be renting an excavator instead of buying one.

Insurance is going to be a problem. I'm not sure there's a fire department for twenty miles. Our plan is to pay as we build and end up debt free, I have enough debt already.

Whatever we build will have a sprinkler system. I've seen the difference it can make and any house I build from now on will include one, especially in a place where any response will most likely arrive after the fact.

On the good news side, soil seems to be terrific. The property was almost certainly a sheep or cattle farm. Low stone walls piled with big rocks, very little in the way of the smaller rock walls for crop farm. We've got a couple of good brooks, one has the potential to damned up and turned into a pond for the animals. Nice East/South East slopping orientation. Lots of sun and plenty of water that runs off into a very nice little river with a very pretty set of water falls.

Next step, talk to the rangers and dig a few test pits.

Thanks for the feed back.

That was good news and bad news I'm glad you found good soils and history of use. The water situation sounds ideal. Raise some rainbows for food?

I asked once about renting an excavator, the price was shocking plus they pile on the delivery and pickup charges. Hope you can find one at a reasonable rate. I don't remember the exact numbers, but at the time I could hire a contractor with an excavator for less per day than rent. I figure an experienced operator will get a lot more done in a day than I would, plus their experience is worth a good bit.

Of course, that doesn't mean I would mind owning one - oh the things I could do :laughing:
Dave.

 

[rtimgray]

"I know this is going to be a lot of work and that is what I am looking forward too,my wife not so much."

Of all of the things that I have read in this thread, this is the one that concerns me the most. It looks to me like you guys are looking at a pretty drastic change of life style over the course of the next few years, and if one or both of you isn't really into it, that could spell some big trouble.

I apologize if I have taken something out of context and overstepped my bounds, but I would deal with this situation before I worried about how to crown an access road.

I wish you the best of luck. Take care.

 

[DAY]

"I know this is going to be a lot of work and that is what I am looking forward too,my wife not so much."

Of all of the things that I have read in this thread, this is the one that concerns me the most.

Second that thought.

We did the "Back to the Land" bit, in the 1970's; the whole Ken Kern/Mother Earth News/Whole Earth Catalog lifestyle, and it was hard work. I hope the OP has a big, BIG bundle of rainy day money set aside, before embarking on this drastic change of lifestyle.