I plan to speak with my inspector. I am the builder. ;)

as i understand it fema has got thousands of brand new trailers all over the land unused locked up in various lots

but they need this one and fast huh?

TFW - right? They actually did extend the program till August, but will be charging rent. Not a small amount either - something like $1300/mo! I immediately laughed and threw the letter away when I read that. We can bum off neighbors or drive to the gym if we absolutely have to, but I would prefer that be a last resort. I'd rather use the money to finish as much as we can of our build.

Its a matter of whether the building department is willing to take responsibility for allowing you to violate the building and sanitary codes.

They might be willing to give you a temporary C of O but that would require certain aspects of the work to be completed and inspected.

RES - our building 'department' is one guy named Bobby. ;) Really really small town. Texas is ok with greywater discharge not going into septic. I actually have old clean-outs to the old septic system that I could pump into if need be. At this point though, my kids are schooled on navy showers, so we aren't talking about a ton of water. I'm mostly wondering if there is any other stuff I am missing. like will gas co turn on gas before CO?

Yes, they must turn on the gas before the C of O can be issued. Same for power and water.

Forget the greywater; the purpose of the C of O is to establish when the house is safe for you to use and public safety is the reason the building department exists so they are not usually comfortable with breaching their primary duty. Even the local inspector answers to somebody and if that person is elected, the inspector might be more careful than you imagine. And if someone got injured, he'd have an even bigger problem.

Good luck. I don't see how it can get approved. It's a huge risk for both you and the inspector.

Yeah - we can't get a final plumbing before we have an electrical inspection due to the safety issues mentioned.

You may get away with it being so local / small municipality but you wouldn't in a larger city.

Good luck to you!

Just do it. It's very hard for an inspector to tell you it's Ok to break the rules. It's much easier for them to overlook someone breaking the rules. Many a customer has showered in a "Hardie" shower during a remodel.

I didn't realize this was a renovation. In that case, its likely the original C of O is still in place and might not be reissued when the work is inspected. So, you might get away with quietly using the unfinished shower if it has hot water and some kind of a drain but be very careful about exposed wiring, trip hazards, etc. especially for the kids. Don't get in the way of the contractors since news travels fast in a small town. And no singing in the shower.

"We are living in our garage apt and have toilet, sink, cooking and sleeping quarters...just no shower."

"We can bum off neighbors or drive to the gym if we absolutely have to, but I would prefer that be a last resort."

It would help to see some progress photos of the work and the unfinished bathroom.

RES it is a new build, not a reno. We tore down the old house (flooded) and are living in a small room attached to our garage. The room the shower in will be completely finished before we use it...no showering on hardie or with dangling wires above. Currently it is studs with some holes in the floor for plumbing. I'm not worried about the kids safety in the house. They are helping to build it (they screwed in most of the sub floor and are working on finishing the deck screws for an hour a day. We have talked extensively about what they can and can not do in the house right now (no playing at all, except board games on the porch when I kick them out of the apt). They know not to be in the house when contractors are working.

A foam waterproofing system like Kerdi or USG can be a very quick shower install. Just a couple of days to a finished shower if the pipes are in place. All you need is the right tile professional to make that happen. Unfortunately, those are in short supply everywhere, and hacks abound.

Look on the John Bridge tile forum online or Tile Geeks on FB for someone close to you who might be willing to fit you into the schedule. Expect to pay at least 2-3 months of FEMA rent for someone who knows what they are doing where you won't have to rip it out in a year.

The C of O is for the property address so it might still be in effect. For a tear-down it might be reissued but maybe not.

GreenDesigns - I am the tiler for the house. :) We actually re-did our previous bathroom from the studs out and had the tile guy schedules the week of Harvey. So I am ready for the bathroom. I have tiled several backsplashes - and am an avid watcher of Youtube tutorials. lol. It is what it is, our budget for pros is depleted.

Tile is not waterproof. Grout is not waterproof. Cement backer board is not waterproof. A pre slope is required. No wood, even pressure treated, should be in a shower.

An acrylic panel shower can be done in a single day. It’s much less expensive too. That sounds like what is called for here. If you already have a toilet and sink in the building, getting the shower hooked up to the drain should be simple and quick. It’s a 72 hour problem, max. And that’s being generous with the plumbing hookup issues.

.... but she's installing a tub, installing cement board, installing tile,and wants to use the shower asap. A little ingenuity can make this happen.

A little necessity can change the job parameters too. If the choices are living without a shower, or a novice putting in a tiled shower over an extended education period, and a novice putting in a simple acrylic shower in a short time frame, which choice wins the battle tonallow the war to continue?

Especially since it is a secondary garage structure with living space, and not the main home. That main house can take all the time in the world to do tile once a $500 acrylic set up is hooked up and running.

If you can't get into your own "new place" to shower, consider these alternatives:

- Do you (or your spouse) have showers at work?

- Do your kids have access to showers at school?

- Would a friend allow you to come to his or her home short-term?

- Could you join Planet Fitness (or another super-cheap gym) just for the shower facilities?

Your wants seem to have backed your needs into a garden hose and a tarp inside a garage.

Excellent field expedient solution.

If the tub has water/drain hooked up a couple of shower rods and curtains make for a pretty nice "temporary" shower. Hang a shelf unit off the shower pipe and you're good to go...

My GF got so used to it we ended up painting the walls "hardie grey" to match the shower/tub walls.

For those answering, small town and rural building departments can definitely be a lot looser. My grandparents never got their CO (that was in the late 80s) neither did my parents (that was in the early 2000s). The building department just never came back for a final inspection. My grandparents had more recent permits for two additions and there wasn't any issue with the original build never being officially closed out.

You are probably in a better position than any of us to gauge what would happen in your situation whether to ask the question or assume it is not going to be an issue. Other than showering in the new house you won't actually be occupying it any more than you currently do while doing the construction.

Who would know if you're showering in the house? Do it. Shower daily or more or less, up to you. If you're worried about someone finding out and doing something - like giving you a fine or whatnot - just be sure to take your soap and towel back to the garage.

Just finish the shower and use it. Like Hot Rod said who is going to know. It is not like you are living in the house, just using the shower. However, that could be the equivalent to using a sink for cleaning tools or something else needing water during construction.

However before you do you need to make sure you have electrical or gas depending on water heater type inspected and capped in areas not yet connected if gas for your own safety.

Same for the water plumbing you need to have everything you need hooked up and everything not hooked up capped so you can turn the water on and not have water damage from leaks elsewhere.