Bolthole Index

Bolthole Index county-legal census · checked 2026-10-05

Indiana Counties With No Building Codes

3 of Indiana's 92 counties — 3% — do not require a residential building permit in their unincorporated areas. That is the 22nd-largest count of any state. The strongest of them on the Bolthole Index is Greene County (83/100). Every entry below cites the county’s own official source.

Rules change, and cities inside these counties set their own — treat this as a verified starting point, not legal advice. All 627 counties nationwide → Indiana: no zoning → Indiana: no codes, no zoning → Indiana: owner-builder → Indiana: rv living → Indiana: tiny homes → Indiana: no minimum home size → Full Indiana profile →

From the Indiana guide

Which Indiana counties don't require a building permit?

Indiana has 3 counties without a residential building-permit requirement: Greene County, Crawford County, Pike County.1 These county counts concern unincorporated land; cities set their own rules inside city limits.1 Another 6 counties require building permits only in some cases: Orange County, Dubois County, Gibson County, Martin County, Starke County, Vanderburgh County.2 The remaining 83 counties require residential building permits.3

Use the Indiana no-building-codes list to find the no-permit counties, but distinguish the local building-permit requirement from Indiana's adopted building and fire-safety codes.112 Residential inspections fall under local government, rather than the state's inspection program for Class I structures.13 Ask IDHS Building Plan Review about a project's state filing exemption at 317-232-6422.14 We could not confirm a statewide owner-builder exemption; ask the local building office about work you will perform yourself.

Read the full Indiana guide →

Sources

  1. Bolthole Index county rulebook, 92 Indiana counties, as of October 10, 2026: Indiana counties that do not require a residential building permit in unincorporated areas
  2. Bolthole Index county rulebook, 92 Indiana counties, as of October 10, 2026: Indiana counties that require a residential building permit only in some cases (for example floodplain or certain structures)
  3. Bolthole Index county rulebook, 92 Indiana counties, as of October 10, 2026: Indiana counties that require a residential building permit in unincorporated areas
  4. Indiana: DHS Code Enforcement FAQs, quoted and re-checked
  5. Indiana: DHS: Code Enforcement, quoted and re-checked
  6. Indiana Department of Homeland Security — Building Plan Review (in.gov)

From the Indiana guide, written from the cited official sources and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: confirm with the office before you buy or build.

3 of 92 Indiana counties · sorted by Index score

Keep exploring

Every county here has a full profile — water, land prices, hazard safety, seclusion, and the rest of its building rules. See the Indiana state page for all 92 counties ranked, or go back to the national list.

Off-grid gear

Building on land in one of these Indiana counties? The kit we'd start with:

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General guidance, not legal advice. Off-grid, building, and land-use rules are often set at the county level and change often. Verify with your county and state before acting. Data reviewed 2026-06-26.