# Trellis as Lot Coverage?



## matatat (Dec 12, 2016)

Southampton, NY

We are working on a trellis / pool / pool house addition in the Town of Southampton.

The question is, does a timber trellis composed of horizontal timbers allowing sun and rain through count towards our lot coverage as "roofed area?" There is no definition for "trellis" in the zoning code, and the definition for "roofed structures" involves providing protection from the elements. Has anyone had experience with a trellis being counted as lot coverage?


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## tmurray (Dec 12, 2016)

Nope, and I wouldn't try to count a trellis as roofed area.


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## Keystone (Dec 12, 2016)

Trellis is open, I would not count this as coverage.


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## ICE (Dec 12, 2016)

The town's planner might not agree with your designation as a trellis.  To me, a trellis is a small freestanding structure for the support of vegetation or simply as an accent piece.  Depending on the particulars, it may be better designated as an open patio cover.  That would count for lot coverage.


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## JBI (Dec 12, 2016)

Ultimately it is up to the Zoning Official to decide. 
An aggrieved party could request an interpretation from the Zoning Board of Appeals.


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## ADAguy (Mar 30, 2017)

What of shade covers over plant sales at OSH, Home Depot, etc?
Must it be fireproofed?


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## Pcinspector1 (Mar 30, 2017)

I say not roofed but it is a very,,,interesting question? 

Let me whip out my crystal ball and I see the structure getting sheeting, then roofing, and it becomes a carport. But then this dam crystal ball got cloudy, could IBC section 105.2.10. "Shade Cloth Structure" be used allowing it to be exempt from permit? It's a quandary!


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## matatat (Apr 6, 2017)

Hi all,

I thought I would chime back in here with the results of our process.

The Town Inspector disagreed with us, and said it would indeed be counted as roofed area because of the size of the structure and dimension of the timbers. We ended up removing a portion of the timbers in the roof to create more open area, and they are counting only the area under each timber towards our lot coverage.

Thanks for all the feedback!


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## Pcinspector1 (Apr 6, 2017)

Kinda strange, not sure I would have gone that way.


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## matatat (Apr 6, 2017)

Pcinspector1 said:


> Kinda strange, not sure I would have gone that way.


Yep. His word is the final say though, and a zoning appeal will be very difficult and costly to achieve, as we can't show "hardship" per se. So it is what it is!


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## RANDOM (Jun 13, 2017)

matatat said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I thought I would chime back in here with the results of our process.
> 
> ...



Happened to me in LA County while submitting an ADU. The plan checker was convinced that the trellis was part of the lot coverage. He did not care that is not "rain proof".


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## mark handler (Jun 14, 2017)

Depends on jurisdiction
Some define it as:
Lot coverage is the ratio of the total footprint area of all structures on a lot to the net lot area, typically expressed as a percentage.

Others as:
The amount of lot area covered by impervious surfaces.


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## ADAguy (Jun 14, 2017)

Would cable supported fabric shade covers be seen in the same way?


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## mark handler (Jun 14, 2017)

ADAguy said:


> Would cable supported fabric shade covers be seen in the same way?


To some yes


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