The International Building Code (IBC) currently limits the size of residential hangars to 2,000 square feet and requires them to be on the same lot with a one- or two-family home. And since IBC is used “as a base code standard” in most of the United States, it is the defacto code of the land when it comes to non-commercial hangars.
For context, the original 40-foot-wide by 30-foot-deep hangar my parents built at Shady Acres Airpark, where I grew up, was 1,200 square feet. When I returned from college for Christmas break one year I walked into the hangar and was surprised to see they had added another 40 feet to its depth. The enlarged hangar was 40 foot wide by 70 foot deep and 2,800 square feet.
Before the addition, our Robertson B1-RD (which hung from the rafters), the Piper J-3 Cub, and the Cessna 172 Hawk XP enjoyed the cozy confines of that original footprint. Our Beech Baron was relegated to the front yard. After the addition, all four, with very precise parking, fit inside. There wasn’t a lot of extra room, but they were all under cover.
Since the hangar addition happened in the late 1980s or early 1990s, I’d hazard a guess this was done before residential hangars were a thing in the IBC or Mom and Dad received a local variance that is now long-ago grandfathered.
The IBC is updated every three years. This year — 2021 — is the next update.
Ron Heidebrink is the developer and manager of the Myrtle Beach Hardee Airpark (SC21) in South Carolina. He’s dedicated a tremendous amount of time and effort to see the limits of a residential hangar increase to 5,000 square feet.
In Ron’s case, he’d also like to offer residential hangars without the need to co-locate with a home. His airpark is about 10 miles inland from Myrtle Beach and there are many airplane owners in the area who would like to have a residential hangar near by. SC21 may be unique on that particular topic, but having that flexibility would benefit airparks around the country.
For airpark homeowners who own more than one airplane, being able to park your planes inside, without requiring yoga moves to position them, is of tremendous benefit. Not to mention greatly reducing the chances of hangar rash. When I think back to our hangar at Shady Acres, while 40×70 was a tremendous improvement, 50×80 would’ve been ideal for the airplanes we had at the time. That’s 4,000 square feet.
I’ve spoken with a handful of homeowners at airparks around the country who have told me they’ve also run up against the 2,000-square-foot limit. The local officials in charge of construction permitting point to the IBC as the “law of the land.” In a few cases, the homeowners have requested and received variances from the 2,000 foot limit. I wish I had taken notes from those conversations.
Ron and I have spoken a few times on the topic and he’s sent me a great deal of IBC documentation. He’s seeking a bit of information to bolster his efforts and I’m hoping some of you will be able to help him. Specifically, his questions are:
- Has anyone been able to get a residential hangar square footage increased from 2,000 square feet to closer to 5,000 square feet?
- Has anyone been able to get a residential hangar on a deeded lot without a residential house?
- Has anyone been able to get residential hangars in a group, at an airport/airpark that is individually or privately owned?
- How close are residential hangars to property lines or to another hangar?
You can share those details on where, when, and how with Ron at 843-756-8220 or ron@hardeeairpark.com.
I was lucky enough to spend the first 18 years of my life on an airpark. It was a tremendous lifestyle. Now that I’m 50, I look back on those days with almost Norman Rockwell nostalgia.
As Ron says, “It is time to change residential hangar codes to satisfy today’s aircraft owners.”
The IBC appears to be out for 2021. Does anyone have the pertinent paragraph for residential aircraft hangers? – or adaptable horse barns?
the Residential Hangar code in IBC 2021 412.4 only a few sentences
these codes are only addressed every 3 years.
sooner or later your permit office will be pushing these codes.
The state adopts, then the city, county adopts.
Ron H
My understanding is that the IBC applies to attached hangars; attached to a residence.
So, would a detached hangar be exempt from the limitations ? And how far ‘detached’ would it have to be.
Jim,
At least in this location, same answer: “It depends.”
Unfortunately, all this stuff is very, very subject to local interpretation and local regulations. Example – Florida has an agricultural use property tax exemption. If you have the ag exemption, for instance, you have cows or bees on the lot, your property taxes take a nose dive and you can build anything you want on the lot as long as it has some kind of applicability to the ag use, no building permit required! (You’ll want to get a building permit if you want to be able to get insurance.) Yes, this is my Lear 23, its a crop duster . . . so the hangar is for agricultural use.
Local interpretation – I have a five acre lot that is fallow. Taxes were $2,000 a year. I called the county ag guy and asked about putting bees on it. “You need a fence.” “Why? They’re bees, they fly.” “You need a fence.” Phooey.
Next year, I get an even bigger tax bill. OK, time for the **** ag exemption. Called them back, talked to the SAME GUY. “How big a fence do I need for bees?” “You don’t need a fence, they’re bees, they fly.”
“Thank you.” Hang up the phone, think about the $5K in tax money that I have flushed down the toilet, and call the bee guy.
New taxes are $50 a year. I love bees. We even get a couple of jars of local honey.
Same guy, different year. Note that the underlying zoning doesn’t matter – it is the USE that counts. I have another parcel zoned RPUD with bees on it, same deal. I do doubt this would work in downtown Miami or Orlando though.
Agricultural ZONING doesn’t equal agricultural EXEMPTION, you have to apply for that separately.
The only way I’ve ever found to figure this out is to do my homework thoroughly, really thoroughly, put on my best smile, and go ask – in person. If you phone, they’ll blow you off. If you show up in person, they’ll at least be marginally polite and you can then work with them to accomplish your goals. Your mileage may vary . . .
Read the IBC, read the NFC, think about it carefully, look for “soft spots”, vague definitions, possible exceptions. Be nice to the people you are going to work with, they can make or break your deal, you don’t want to annoy them. Don’t bring your lawyer – that puts them on red alert and in full confrontation mode, which you do not want. The truth of the matter is that you cannot (reasonably) fight city hall, so try to figure out a way to work with them. They’re the government and they don’t have to care (with apologies to Lily Tomlin).
A friend is building hangars at an airpark in western Nevada, and he tells me that there are no restrictions at all….build what you want.
The answer to this is “it depends”.
If you can get a variance (difficulty ranges from easy, just ask for it, to impossible, forget it), if you have an understanding building inspector or not, if you are on good terms with the city/local governing entity, what your zoning is (ag is usually more forgiving than R-anything) and as much as anything else, which way the wind is blowing the day you submit plans.
Also check your HOA, there may be limits, you may or may not be able to get them changed, although I don’t know ANYONE who has a hangar at any fly-in who thinks it should be smaller . . .
You may have better luck building a hangar first and then waiting a while to add a separate “barn” or “storage garage” which somehow happens to get an airplane parked in it “later”.
One place you may encounter problems is with the National Fire Code. I’ve seen fire marshals decree that the hangar can’t be attached to the house, that you MUST have sprinklers, and that you cannot have more than 25% fuel in the tanks at any time the airplane is in the hangar – FAA recommendations notwithstanding. Parking a car or truck with a full tank of fuel in a hangar or garage isn’t a problem, it is airplanes which can’t have more than 25% in them. Don’t ask me why. The fire marshal couldn’t answer that either, and hid behind “Them’s the rules.” (None of this applies to residential hangars, I’ve read the applicable section of the IBC in great detail. The “25% rule” isn’t there either.)
There are several classifications of hangars, residential, commercial classes 1, 2, and 3. This is determined by the square footage and the door height, be careful you don’t get an “upgrade” to a higher class of hangar with more stringent fire codes. (“No, I’m not parking a 747-800 in here, so I don’t need a foam system . . . “)
Your building and zoning department regs are free, often online. The NFC is NOT free, but a little poking around on the internet will let you find what you need anyway, at no cost.
Read the regulations carefully, from time to time there are loopholes you can “exploit”, if you jump through the correct hoops and hold your mouth just right, you can often get what you want. The way NOT to do it is get confrontational, you will absolutely NEVER get anywhere if you do that.
BTDT 😉