New Construction
All houseboats in Marin County require an Occupancy Permit, issued by the Marin County Building Department, either at change of ownership of an existing houseboat or upon final inspection and Permit sign-off on new construction.
|
Although houseboats in most other areas do not require County inspections, any houseboat or barge built by Aquamaison for any location will meet or exceed Marin County code requirements. To obtain a Permit from the Marin County Building Department to build a houseboat, three full sets of Architectural and Engineering drawings and calculations must be submitted to the County for, firstly, a Planning Review to ensure adequate setbacks are maintained and the structure does not exceed size restrictions. |
|
)
Once Planning approval is obtained, the plans are checked by the Building Department for compliance with seismic, structural, energy loss, electrical, plumbing and mechanical codes.
Once the Permit is issued, the barge can be formed, reinforcing steel installed and concrete poured. The wall forms can be removed after three days and framing of the house can begin.
|
Construction time for a barge only is about 7 days, then the concrete must cure for approximately 10 days or until the concrete reaches design strength, as determined by a crush test of a sample taken at the time of pouring. The design strength of the concrete is 4000 psi, which is normally reached within 7 days. To build a complete houseboat of approximately 1200 sq. ft. takes about four months, given standard construction. The addition of specialty items, curved work, elaborate plumbing and tile work can add considerably to the time and cost, especially long lead-time items. One major category that can increase cost and construction time is any change in design after construction has begun. |
)
When the houseboat is completed, it can be launched then towed to its berth, moored with heavy polypropylene lines, ramp and all services attached and all systems run and checked. Then the champagne can be placed in the fridge and the enjoyment can begin.
Aquamaison Inc. employs experienced, talented craftsmen for all phases of construction and is known for extremely high quality workmanship, on time completion, and attention to detail.
