Building Department

Building Department Information for our Geodesic Dome Greenhouse Kits

After 30+ years of manufacturing and building Growing Dome® geodesic greenhouses, Growing Spaces® is well practiced at facilitating the permitting process. Plus, we have a positive precedent; owners of Growing Dome greenhouses around the country from hobby gardeners to large institutions have had great success in obtaining permits for their greenhouse kits.
Overview: The Growing Dome greenhouses are geodesic structures designed for use solely as a year-round greenhouse.
Many building departments regard Growing Dome geodesic greenhouses as temporary structures that do not require building permits. There are two reasons these solar greenhouses are classified as temporary structures: A concrete foundation is not needed for sizes 15′ to 26′ in diameter and the Growing Dome greenhouses are considered temporary structures by some building departments. In some building department jurisdictions, Growing Dome greenhouses can be classified as unoccupied or agricultural structures, which usually will simplify the permitting process.
If geodesic greenhouses in your area do require a building permit we are well prepared to facilitate the process. We have a questionnaire for you to take to your building department to fill out so we can supply the appropriate engineered drawings for you to obtain a permit. Once you return it to us completed we can tell you if our general set of plans will work or if modifications will be necessary. If you need changes to the drawings, we can connect you with an engineer familiar with our design. Estimated charges for greenhouse kit drawing changes typically run between $400 and $700 for 15′ to 33′ diameter Growing Dome greenhouses.
While we offer assistance with the building permit process to committed customers, the customer assumes sole responsibility for obtaining and purchasing building permits for our Growing Dome greenhouses. We will not speak with building departments on your behalf or cover any charges incurred as a result of obtaining a building permit for the installation of our Growing Dome greenhouse kit.
Download the Growing Spaces Building Department Questionnaire (pdf)