Client story · Acreage and rural · North Valley
A shop apartment that wasn't a legal dwelling
A finished 900-square-foot apartment in a detached shop was permitted only as non-habitable storage.
The situation
The buyer found a 5-acre North Valley property with a 3-bedroom main home and a finished 900-square-foot apartment inside a detached metal shop, planned as housing for aging parents.
What we did
We pulled the full Josephine County Building Safety permit history on every structure. The shop was permitted as a non-habitable agricultural and storage building, with no septic permit for a second dwelling.
The outcome
Lenders would not give value for the unpermitted living space, and making it legal would take a separate septic evaluation and land-use review. The buyer knew that cost and timeline before committing. Check permits on every shop, deck and guest space.