Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Washington Township, Indiana

Rules another office applies inside Washington Township

Washington Township does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Building permitRequired

  New residential construction and remodels on rural land inside Washington township, Adams County, Indiana (county Building & Planning jurisdiction over rural areas; not a township rule)

  • Permit issued by the Adams County Building & Planning Department, not by Washington township.
  • Office page states the department has jurisdiction over the rural areas of Adams County as well as the towns of Geneva and Monroe; confirm the parcel is not inside an incorporated city or town with its own building department.
  • For onsite septic systems the septic permit must be obtained before the building permit (see septic_permit claim).

  “issue building permits for all new construction and remodel projects on both residential and commercial buildings”

• InspectionsRequired

  Construction projects on rural land inside Washington township, Adams County, Indiana

  • Inspections are performed by the Adams County Building & Planning Department.
  • Office page describes inspection of projects in all phases of construction.

  “inspect projects in all phases of construction to insure the state and local building codes are upheld and enforced”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  New onsite sewage (septic) systems on land inside Washington township, Adams County, Indiana, administered by the Adams County Health Department (county-level, applies inside the township)

  • Process runs through the Adams County Health Department, Environmental Health Division, under the county sewage ordinance and state rules.
  • Soil test must be done by an Indiana Registered Soil Scientist approved by the Adams County Health Department.
  • If the soil is unsuitable for any onsite system, the process ends unless connection to a sanitary sewer system can be made.

  “outline of process to obtain a permit to install a private onsite sewage disposal system in adams county”

• Septic permitRequired

  New private onsite sewage system on land inside Washington township, Adams County, Indiana

  • Permit fee is $100 and must be paid before the permit is issued.
  • Permit must be obtained before the building permit and before starting construction.
  • Installation must be done by a registered contractor for Adams County, and the plan review checklist and drawing must be approved before issuance.

  septic permit fee: 100 USD

  “the permit shall be obtained prior to obtaining the building permit and prior to starting construction.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Installation of new onsite sewage system on land inside Washington township, Adams County, Indiana

  • Sanitarian must be notified at least two working days before installation starts so required inspections can be arranged.
  • Soil test requires the permit applicant to be present with the soil scientist and sanitarian; backhoe pits and laboratory texture analysis are required.

  “in accordance with the adams county sewage ordinance, the sanitarian shall be notified at least two working days prior to starting installation, to arrange for required inspections of the septic system.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Building, location and related permit fees for construction on rural land inside Washington township (county Building Department schedule)

  • Schedule is Adams County Building Department Fee Schedule, Ordinance 2015-2, stated effective April 1, 2015 on the document.
  • The county Building & Planning page links a separate 'fee schedule' that was not opened; a newer schedule may exist and must be checked before relying on these figures.
  • Outbuildings under 200 sq. ft. need only a location permit (no building permit).
  • Re-inspection fee is $50.00; work without a permit is charged double the permit fee.

  accessory structure permit base fee: 75 USD (plus $0.04 per square foot of floor area up to 2,000 square foot, and then $0.02 per square foot thereafter) · re-inspection fee: 50 USD

  “re-inspections $50.00 work without a permit double the permit fee”

• Permit processPartial

  Permit process for septic systems and general building permits for rural land inside Washington township

  • Septic: obtain the health department packet, then go to the Plan Commission-Building Department for zoning and building requirements, which are mandatory.
  • General building permit steps (application, plan review, timing) were not published on the pages opened; process is partial.

  “if the applicant has not already done so, he or she shall proceed to the plan commission-building department for information on zoning and building requirements. compliance with that department’s requirements is mandatory.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Washington Township or Adams County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption for work inside Washington township
• Building code adopted — Which building code applies to construction on rural land inside Washington township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes on rural land inside Washington township
• Local zoning — Whether Washington township itself adopts and administers a zoning ordinance for land inside its limits
• Zoning districts — Zoning district map and district list applicable to rural land inside Washington township

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.