When i moved to the US i had no idea about the amount of zonening laws, construction regulations and building codes. Coming from europe i naively thought that since the US is the "land of the free" people could basically build whatever they want on the piece of dirt they owned. Reality is, the amoung of regulation is far more than i have encountered in my hometown in Poland.
For most Americans, yes. I live out in the country, which has some regulations (state regulations involving sewer systems) and some small zoning regs (routinely ignored) but not much else. I can build as I choose, landscape as I choose, dig as I choose (as long as I don't damage infrastructure).
Some of what I do is audited (for tax purposes) but nobody is telling me not to build a shed, or where I should build it, or how tall or what color.
But I cashed out of Silicon Valley and bought 80 acres in the county, build a house on it, so my experience is not typical. City-dwellers have layer upon layer of restrictions.
In the US, “owning” land doesn’t mean what it sounds like. The combination of taxes + imminent domain law means landowners mostly rent it from the government with the ability to ask permission to develop it into something.
Here in the UK, we have building regulations and planning permission. Building regulations cover making sure the building won't fall down and hurt someone, including regulations about fire safety etc.
Planning permission is where old people who want to keep house prices inflated as they already own property can go to council meetings and object to anything new. Young people can't take part because they have to go to work and stuff, and don't have time to go to council meetings.
Depends on where you live. If you are in a historical protected neighborhood of a city someone definitely will tell you what color and type of roof shingles you need to buy.
