Permit exemption for Tiki/Chickee huts in Florida

There have been several recent articles in Florida newspapers regarding Tiki/Chickee huts.
It appears that you do not need a permit (but you still have to follow zoning)
IF
Your hut is constructed by either the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida or the Seminole Tribe of Florida.

Kind of a nice touch since I hear that they use building methods passed down from generation to generation.

If you live in Florida, this might be a good thing to know if you are in one of those rule heavy communities.

I am not a construction lawyer nor do I play on on TV.

Check your local laws.

Permits..... Bah. Never use em'... With all the local Govt budget cuts nobody's looking anyway.

Permit not necessary .... it's a open air structure

You probably have more problems if your community is deed restricted. Some of the 'neighborhood watch' just hate it if you're having more fun than they are.

The State of Florida building law also states that you can not have electric or plumbing in the hut constructed by the indians(without a permit). So just have a licensed building contractor to make it for you, like me. Tiki Mike 321-626-2434
Mahalo

Check with your local government as well..... In Hollywood you have to have a permit if it is a permanent structure regardless of who built it.

I got around that by redesigning my idea and not attaching it to the ground. Since it could be moved (yeah right!) I didn't have to have a permit.

Here it is almost done. (pix from 04)

Is this why there are several thousand tiki bars in Florida? I know about the Mai Kai, how about a look at some of the others.

On 2009-05-30 09:02, Ojaitimo wrote:
Is this why there are several thousand tiki bars in Florida? I know about the Mai Kai, how about a look at some of the others.

I thought everyone knew the answer to this already. There are not "several thousand" tiki bars in Florida. There is the Mai-Kai, Hawaiian Inn in Daytona, the (infamous) Waitiki in Orlando and the mostly forgettable Trader Vic's in Destin. That's about it. The thousands of so-called "tiki bars" are just tropical-styled bars with no real connection whatsoever to mid-century tiki.

Rob you forgot a big one - Polynesian Resort in Disney World!! My original tiki experience in 1974ish. Spent a week there every summer in my youth. Not many people like to include it, but it was part of Uncle Walt's original vision.

In Florida if it has a thatch roof it is "advertised" as tiki bar. I even have a place next to my house that bills themselves as having a tiki bar and its just a bar outside (without thatch). Thank goodness I have the Mai Kai!!

Found this placed called Florida Tiki Huts. The background music on the site explains all.
http://www.floridatikihuts.com/

Chip or Andy,

Since your hut is "movable" and not secured, what do you do
when the hurricane warnings come?

On 2009-06-01 18:06, Mambo wrote:
Chip or Andy,

Since your hut is "movable" and not secured, what do you do
when the hurricane warnings come?

Move everything else.

The thing has to weigh a ton, and I mean literally. If we get a storm big enough to blow that thing into the pool, the hut is going to be the least of my worries.

On 2009-06-01 09:53, AlohaStation wrote:
Rob you forgot a big one - Polynesian Resort in Disney World!!

True, but it also has lots of little kids running around in Mickey ears. Kind of ruins it.

The thousands of so-called "tiki bars" are just tropical-styled bars with no real connection whatsoever to mid-century tiki.

It's been my experience that if a bar is just outside it is referred to as a "tiki bar". If you can spot thatch, a tiki or even something that is Polynesian (and not Caribbean) consider yourself lucky.

Hey everyone!
I have been looking for something like this, and I found this one http://www.palmhuts.com/ but I am not sure about the quality or the origin of their offering.
Has anyone have looked into this before? If you have any other options you know are worth the time to check out, please post them here. Thanks!

Aloha Daniel and Welcome to Tiki Central
I’m by far not the most veteran guy on this forum but I’m learning.
First you should introduce yourself on the following thread so we all can get to know you better:
Tiki Central Forums » » General Tiki » » Official Introductions / Introduction thread! New members introduce yourself here
Then cruise around TC and you will learn something about us. I’ve learn so much this way, like all of the web, but here obviously we are more tiki specific. Sounds like you are from a tropical or subtropical State like Florida, although there is lots of discussion on Florida tiki on Tiki Central you should know the main topic of the website is like what its subtitle states: “Celebrating classic and modern Polynesian Pop” which is mid-century escapism through the manufactured Polynesian experience through tiki bars, restaurants, tropical drinks that are served in these establishments (with their tiki mugs), also the art found on the walls (including graphics and fonts on the menus and ads) for these establishments and also the exotica music found in the background of these same establishments. Lastly other architecture of that period that exudes this same dark, tropical, taboo ambiance. Tiki locations to “escape to” or live, eat or bowl in. It’s a state of being, a style. (How did I do guys?)

Now to get back to your specific question after you received this little orientation, in my opinion those “Florida tiki structures” on your link look very sound and well-made and if you have the money go for it. I’m keeping a record of this site also for those looking for this “kind” of tiki. Only thing I suggest (since it looks like they custom carve or order their own custom tiki) is to have them do a little more homework and make the tikis more realistic and not cartoonish with those giant smiles, shows more respect to the host cultures of the Pacific. I am being specific because you, like me, live in the tropics (I live in Hawaii) and we tend to build very open to enjoy the climate and the real tropics around us but this is not classic tiki, this is not escapism or the illusion of tiki, this is the real thing, especially in Hawaii as you can imagine. Although Florida tiki is very simplistic as compared to classic tiki (thatch & a tiki carving), I will say the neat thing about Florida is that with all the other sub-cultures found in that State (Seminole & Miccosukee, Caribbean African and Latin, pirate and the Margaretville culture from the Keys) tiki from the other pond, the Pacific, made its way to the southeast coast even with all the revival cultures there. Warning: don’t mix these cultures. In away, though, it’s cool and you will find whether good or not all kinds of tiki on TC even though it is not classic or the revival (the current modern version). Sorry to put you though all this and I hope you enjoy your new tiki hut just don’t build it - live it while you use it. Buy a couple Aloha shirts, shell leis and tiki mugs, again look around TC and learn more about tiki. Before you known it you’ll want to expand your tiki hut with the ability of enclosing it at times, buy a colored blow-fish lamp or two and put on that Martin Denny CD…(NEVER Jimmy Buffett) now you’re getting it, enjoy!

[ Edited by: creativenative 2013-08-16 17:43 ]