Make a Site Plan

Build a platform for your dome or a full deck. Here is a 3rd party build walk through we love:

1. Part One - Deck Build Youtube Link

2. Part Two - Dome Build Youtube Link

We recommend your platform to be at least 1' off the ground to enable drainage as well as routing of any utilities up through the flooring. Ensure there is adequate drainage and the ground is fully leveled before starting. Check out our overview instructions for building a rectangular deck.

Deck plans you can buy:

• Etsy rectangular

• Etsy circular platform plan

You will need to look at local building and permitting regulations to know whether you need a permit for your design or not. A good rule of thumb is to remember that temporary structures, like tents or sheds, often don't require plans and permitting. For this reason, you may decide to design the platform to be temporary and easy to pack up if needed. The same goes for how you set up the electrical and plumbing. Many camping gear solutions offer hook up to a garden hose, solar charging etc - things that are portable and not seen as infrastructure upgrades to your property.

Any handyman or contractor company for hire should be able to build a deck and the dome if you aren't doing it yourself. You'll need at least 2 people working on it though 4 people will make assembly easier as some tasks require multiple hands. Note that 4 people are required. for the 10m dome due to the size.

Note: Your local county may require permitting to build a deck structure like this , so check on that before starting.

Ensure you have a plan for how to route electricity and water into your dome if you want these conveniences available. You can route utilities through the flooring and cover holes with fine mesh or wire and a little insulation to keep critters out.

Electricity: Hiring a licensed electrician to set up outlets can be a good investment in safety and longevity.

Internet: Starlink satellite internet works in many remote locations and is incredibly fast.

Water: Our outdoor bath unit can be fed by just a garden hose.

Bathroom: You will need to decide how to support bathroom needs on your site. If off-grid without septic, you can try a composting toilet, an incinerating toilet or a porta potty to address this need.

For sink and shower, you can add a tankless water heater with a small propane tank to our outdoor bathroom to make hot water available for washing hands and showers.

Check out our outdoor bathroom unit that is easy to modify for whatever toilet system you chose to use.

The dome structure is essentially the same as a kids playground jungle gym dome. It comes together easily in 1-2 days with 2-4 people helping. You will need at least 2 people to get the top built and the cover and insulation secured.

We advise you use weatherproofing seal to adhere the bottom of the dome PVC shell to the deck.

Flooring: For the inside flooring, you may prefer to let the deck / platform be the flooring, which is workable but may not offer enough weather protection or insulation.

An easy way to make a dome feel less rustic is to use laminate hardwood planks for the flooring and put a moisture barrier between that and the platform wood underneath. This will also add insulation benefits. We like this easy stick and peel option.

See our recommended products lists to discover off-grid solutions for heating, air conditioning, cooking, keeping bugs out etc.