Framing construction usually begins after building plans are engineered and a building permit is issued by the county.

Framing Preparation

Before the construction of the framing of our home could begin, lumber and screws were purchased. Boxes and other things had to be moved to make room for the construction. If you have been following my homesteading journey, you will remember that we put up a two-story high metal building. You can see the post Five Reasons to Choose a Metal Building Home.

You can also check out this post to see when we first moved our stuff into the metal building. Moving into our Metal Building

Framing without a Building Permit

My husband, Gary, at the time, started out wanting to work with the county, but the cost of all the permits seemed to be an impossibility. He decided to go the patriot route and talked me into signing papers that basically said that they had no right to interfere with what I did on my property.

Already, we had put up the metal building without a permit. We also put in a septic tank Unpermitted Septic Tank, and a leach field Unpermitted Leach Field without permits.

My husband chose to begin with the bathroom framing as you can see in the picture below. The first eight pictures are from November 27, 2013. We were there over a year before this project got started.

As a Tractor Supply affiliate, I earn a small commission on everything purchased through my link at no extra cost to you. Gary used a Dewalt drill and used screws instead of nails to construct the framing. Click the picture to go to the Tractor Supply website.

Gary made this composting toilet for us to use. Initially, he set it up outside. See Planning the Homestead. It was located halfway down the driveway and it was scary at night. Often, I would imagine that the sound of the rats in the brush was a mountain lion stocking me. Also, there was no tarp roof, so it was annoying to use when it rained. Eventually, I brought it inside and was using boxes and a large painting for a privacy wall. So, the painting and boxes were moved to make room for the frame.

Floor Plans are Needed

Gary was not a carpenter. His specialty was floor covering. But, his father always told him to pay attention to the other trades, so he learned a lot. He drew up the floor plans for the first and second floors. It all looked good to me. I knew nothing about it, except that my mother had designed and built her house in Fallbrook, California. The floor plan is needed to know how long to make each wall and where to frame the doors and windows.

Stud Distance

It helps to know the county rules for the distance to put between the studs in case you ever want to permit your building. After the fact, I am working towards permits, and I was told that all this framing was done wrong and will have to be redone.

Framing the Ceiling

Once the walls were framed for the bathroom and laundry area, the boards were added for the ceiling or the second floor. Don’t ask me how, but the cats managed to get up there. They were happy for a new place to play. Below are Johann and Rory.

Kika and Johann are inspecting the work below. If you look to the bottom of the picture you will see the handgun in the window frame. Gary felt safer having it close by.

Above are Rory and Johann to the left and Kika is on the right. Below is Johann with the tarps set up for privacy in the bathroom. At this point, it was still a composting toilet.

Storing Boxes

In the above picture, Columbus is on the left and Wolfy is on the right. The bathroom is at the front right of the house. This picture is facing the back and all of the boxes are visible. Below is Columbus and the picture is facing the front of the house. Finally, a few plywood boards were purchased and added for the ceiling and second floor. Already, some boxes have been moved up there for storage.

Boxes must be carried up the ladder.

Above, on 5/10/14, Gary is standing at the front of the house where you can see the door and the rollup door.

Below, 5/10/14, he surveys his work and gives some thought to the next board to put in place. Trigger is in the foreground.

In the picture below, the framing is starting to reach toward the other side. Also, it is facing the rear of the building. The next three were taken on June 27, 2014.

Unframed Bedrooms

We all started out sleeping in the motorhome. Then, my husband set up our bed and bedroom at the rear of the building opposite the framed bathroom. Below, you can see how he hung an extension cord from one of the trusses. This light only worked when the generator was on. The last five pictures were taken on November 5, 2014. 

The Children’s Bedroom

The plan was to get the children out of the motorhome which was smelling moldy when it rained. Since there was no staircase, they would be going up and down a ladder to get to their lofty bedroom. First, the ladder was inspected  by the cats. Kika is trying it out below.

Above, Rory tries out the new bedroom before the beds were put in place.

Below, the beds were put in place. Trigger is trying out Isaiah’s bed.

The Thrift Store Look

As you can see in the picture below, there was still a lot of stuff on the lower level and it was hard for me to even think in the cluttered conditions. It could be embarrassing to invite friends over. For example. one visiting young person said that it looked like a thrift store. Actually, that was a very generous comment. This is as far as the framing got. We ran out of money and Gary was supposed to be getting a job to help pay for things. Unfortunately, divorce was looming in the near future.

Framing Completed

It is a good thing that more framing wasn’t done or it would be that much more to take down and do correctly. When the framing was all done, the bathroom and laundry area were framed, and opposite them was a small room for storage. Sadly, Gary worked really hard to start framing where the stairs would go, but it will have to come down too. All in all, I am grateful for the framing that was done, for it has served its purpose all these years.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is best to use a licensed contractor and work with your county’s laws. The county workers are nice and helpful and will help you meet the requirements step by step. Don’t make the mistake that I made. It ends up costing more time and money.