ᐅ Earth-sheltered house

Hello everyone.

Is it allowed in Germany to build an earth house by yourself? Earth houses are homes like those seen in The Lord of the Rings.

What regulations do I have to follow, and what costs should I expect when registering telephone, electricity, toilet, water, sewage, and similar services with the city or the relevant authorities?

I would appreciate your answers.

Best regards

Lorenzo

Hello Lorenzo,

Lorenzo schrieb:
Is it allowed to build an earth house myself in Germany?
Earth houses are the kind of houses seen in The Lord of the Rings.

I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t be possible. Quite a few architects have already explored this concept, and the houses—especially those built on hillsides above valleys—are mainly recognizable by their glass facades.

Lorenzo schrieb:
What regulations do I have to follow, and what costs can I expect when registering telephone, electricity, toilet, water, sewage, and so on with the city or whoever I have to register with?

No one can really answer that in general terms. Take your land documents to an architect of your choice and discuss the possibilities and the costs with them. Without an architect, you can forget about such a project since you won’t receive any permits.

Kind regards

Hello and thank you for your reply.

Why can I only obtain a building permit / planning permission through an architect, and what is the average cost of an architect?

Best regards

Lorenzo

Hello,

Lorenzo schrieb:
Why can I only get a building permit / planning permission through an architect, and what is the average cost of hiring one?

Because only the architect is authorized to submit the necessary documents?

The costs depend on the total construction budget of your project and are calculated based on the HOAI fee structure for architects and engineers.

Kind regards

Hello,

Why is only an architect authorized to submit plans? Which laws determine this, and what does "authorized to submit plans" mean? If I cannot afford an architect, is there an alternative for self-builders? I want to build the house myself, and it will only be a one-room unit with a bathroom/toilet.

Best regards

Lorenzo

Hello,

Lorenzo schrieb:
If I can’t afford an architect, is there an alternative for self-builders?

If you can’t even afford the most basic requirement for building a house, how do you expect to construct the house itself?

For all other questions, please read through the forum or consult good old Google; you’ll find the help you need :-)

Kind regards