Starting out, the first skill sets needed to get the [Off Grid] project going are listed in order. While I have had some experience in most of these areas, there is always much more to learn and I will need to do some experimentation with some of the earthen building techniques.

With practical experience and each of these areas will be expanded into a page of its own with resource information.

• Designer/Engineer/Architect/Surveyor – Once selected, the site needs to be looked over and a full site plan incorporating watershedding, energy production, passive solar, drainage, on-site materials, off-site materials, and future structure plans need to be developed.

• Lumber Jack – Assuming the presence of harvestable lumber that will need to be seasoned before milling.

• Earth Moving – In the sense of determining soil composition, grading, and separating gravel, clay, and sand into piles for later use.

• Plumbing – Rough plumbing will need to be started early with the placement of the cistern and septic systems prior to foundation work.

• Milling – Once lumber is ready to be roughed it will need to be milled.

• Stone Mason – If available, rough stone cutting and preparation for later use.

• Brickmaker – Also dependent on structural design and includes earthbags.

• Carpenter – Rough carpentry, whole log, rough beam, etc.

• Joiner – The types of joinery will depend on the type of framing/carpentry needed for the design.

• Plasterer – Earthen, cob, lime-based, and ferro-cement are all likely.

* This post moved from FBJ Off Grid on 2013-02-12