Does your greenhouse need a building permit?
After 30+ years of manufacturing and building Growing Dome® geodesic greenhouse kits, Growing Spaces® is well-practiced at facilitating the greenhouse permitting process. Owners of Growing Dome greenhouses around the country from backyard gardeners to schools and large institutions have had great success in obtaining building permits for their geodesic greenhouse kits where necessary.
The Growing Dome greenhouses are geodesic structures designed for use solely as a year-round greenhouse.
Many building departments regard Growing Dome geodesic greenhouses as temporary structures that do not require building permits. There are two reasons these solar greenhouses are classified as temporary structures: A concrete foundation is not needed for Growing Dome sizes 15′ to 33′ in diameter, and in some building department jurisdictions all six geodesic dome greenhouse kits can be classified as unoccupied or agricultural structures, which often will simplify the building permit process even for our largest 42′ greenhouse kit. However, many building departments use square footage to determine if the structure is temporary or permanent.
Growing Spaces manufactures geodesic dome greenhouses using top-grade materials, and each of our Growing Dome sizes is designed to withstand the rigors of severe weather including strong winds, hail, summer heat, cold winters, seismic loads and wildfires.
Building Permit Process
If geodesic greenhouses in your area require a building permit we are well prepared to help you through the permitting process. We have a questionnaire for you to take to your building department to fill out so we can supply the appropriate engineered drawings for you to obtain a building permit. Once you return it to us, we can tell you if our standard set of plans will work or if modifications will be necessary. We can also recommend what type of foundation is required for the wind and snow loads in your area.
If engineered modifications are not needed, then our standard plans will work for you! These plans become available once you have signed a Sales Agreement and placed a deposit.
If engineered modifications are required, we will connect you with an engineer who can make those adjustments at an additional cost. Estimated charges for greenhouse kit drawing changes typically run between $300 and $1,500. Our engineers have licenses in Colorado, and many other US states that require a licensed PE stamp.
Here are some common reasons an engineering consultation may be required:
- You are in a state other than Colorado and the engineer must be licensed in your state
- The physical address of the property must be listed on the drawing
- Your local wind or snow loads exceed those that are listed on our standard drawings
- You are using a foundation type other than the three we recommend
While we assist committed customers with the building permit process, the customer assumes sole responsibility for obtaining and purchasing building permits for our Growing Dome greenhouse kits. We will not speak with building departments on your behalf or cover any charges incurred as a result of obtaining a building permit for the installation of our Growing Dome greenhouse kits. We also offer full refunds if you are unable to obtain your building permit.
Download the Growing Spaces Building Department Questionnaire (pdf)