Bartholomew County, Indiana requires a building permit before covered construction, alteration, or repair costing more than $3001. County zoning applies within the Bartholomew County Advisory Plan Commission's jurisdiction, but not within incorporated areas or another incorporated-area plan commission's jurisdiction2. Onsite sewage permitting is handled by the Bartholomew County Health Department3.
At a glance
- Building permit
- Required for covered work costing more than $3001
- Zoning
- Yes, within the county plan commission's jurisdiction2
- Septic permits
- Bartholomew County Health Department3
- Tiny home as primary residence
- Limited by zoning, dwelling-size, building and health rules4
- Accessory dwelling unit
- Conditional use in agricultural and single-family residential districts5
- Owner-builder exemption
- Not established on county pages; ask Code Enforcement6
- Manufactured-home community
- RMH district only; at least 5 acres and 4,000 sq ft per homesite7
- New septic-system permit fee
- $2008
Who to call
Building permits
Department of Technical Code Enforcement of Columbus/Bartholomew County
Building, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permits for new construction, remodeling, and swimming pools; plan review; address assignment; zoning and code-requirement information; fire inspections and nuisance/zoning-violation investigation outside Columbus city limits
Zoning
Columbus-Bartholomew County Planning Department
Zoning and subdivision-control ordinance administration for Bartholomew County and the City of Columbus, including tiny home, ADU, and short-term-rental questions
123 Washington St., Columbus, IN 47201
Also useful
Published standards for tiny homes as a primary residence, an accessory dwelling, a multi-family village, or in a manufactured-home community, for properties in Bartholomew County and the City of Columbus
Septic permits
Bartholomew County Health Department – Environmental Health Division
On-site septic system site evaluations, permits, inspections, and installer registration for Bartholomew County
440 Third St., Ste. 303, Columbus, IN 47201
Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on September 29, 2026.
Do you need a building permit in Bartholomew County, Indiana?
Yes. Bartholomew County requires a permit before covered construction, alteration, or repair of a building or structure costing more than $3001. Covered work includes residential and commercial construction, modular and mobile homes, accessory buildings, pools, remodeling, roofing, siding, windows, demolition, moving, and signs1. New homes, accessory buildings larger than 200 square feet, in-ground pools, and above-ground pools on lots smaller than two acres also require a site plan certified by a registered land surveyor1. We could not confirm an owner-builder exemption, so an owner planning to do the work should ask the Department of Technical Code Enforcement before relying on one6.
Who is the Bartholomew County building department, and how do you reach them?
The Department of Technical Code Enforcement of Columbus/Bartholomew County issues building permits, reviews plans, assigns addresses, and answers questions about zoning, codes, floodplain coverage, and permit records6. Call 812-379-1535 for the permit office or to schedule an inspection6. Building inspections must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance, and the published sequence includes footing, under-slab, foundation, crawl-space, rough-in, and final inspections9. All fees and fines must be paid before the final inspection, and the building cannot be occupied before that inspection9. The Planning Department separately handles zoning and subdivision questions at 123 Washington St., Columbus, by phone at 812-376-2550 or by email at [email protected]10.
Does Bartholomew County have zoning?
Bartholomew County has zoning for land within the Bartholomew County Advisory Plan Commission's jurisdiction2. County jurisdiction does not extend into an incorporated area or an area governed by another incorporated-area plan commission, so confirm the parcel's jurisdiction before applying county standards2. The ordinance publishes zoning districts and a use matrix, and the applicable standards vary by district and jurisdiction11. In the RM Residential Multi-Family district, public water and sewer are required, and the water system must provide firefighting capacity that meets the responsible fire department's standards12. A minor subdivision application requires a plat drawing, a physical-features map, and supporting material that can include sewage, drainage, highway-access, floodway, easement, and right-of-way documentation13.
How do septic permits work in Bartholomew County?
The Bartholomew County Health Department maintains onsite sewage-system permits and related materials, while Indiana's onsite sewage rules also apply3. The Environmental Health Division issues preliminary permits for undeveloped land in the platting process, conditional permits for properties with existing systems, and construction permits for repairs or new systems8. Published fees are $200 for a new system permit, $100 for a repair permit, and $50 for a minor repair8. The office is at 440 Third St., Ste. 303, Columbus, IN 472018. Only about 0.2% of county soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, so make a site evaluation an early contingency rather than assuming a standard system will fit14.
Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Bartholomew County?
A tiny home used as the primary residence must be in a single-family residential district and generally have at least 950 square feet if manufactured or 1,000 square feet if site-built, with exceptions in the RE district4. All tiny homes remain subject to applicable building and health codes, and variance requests are decided case by case by the Board of Zoning Appeals4. An accessory dwelling requires conditional-use approval; only one may be permitted, it cannot require a separate driveway, and it needs off-street parking when on-street parking is unavailable5. Residential accessory dwellings range from 400 to 1,000 square feet or 65% of the primary residence, whichever is less, while an agricultural accessory dwelling is generally capped at 75% of the primary residence5. We could not confirm a general rule allowing long-term RV living or temporary camping on private land, so ask the Planning Department how the proposed use is classified10.
Building a home in Bartholomew County: what are the steps, in order?
- Confirm the parcel's jurisdiction, zoning district, allowed use, and whether Planning Department review is needed211.
- Resolve sewage service with the Health Department and obtain the applicable onsite-system paperwork before finalizing the site layout3.
- Assemble the project-specific materials, which may include construction plans, a site plan, septic release, driveway permit, state design release, and zoning compliance certificate15.
- Obtain a state or county highway driveway permit when the proposed access requires one16.
- Apply to the Department of Technical Code Enforcement before starting covered work costing more than $3001.
- Schedule each required inspection at least 24 hours ahead and do not occupy the building before the final inspection9.
What should you check before you buy land in Bartholomew County?
Confirm the parcel's zoning jurisdiction and district before treating a listed use as allowed, because county rules do not govern every incorporated area and district standards differ211. Check sewage feasibility early: only about 0.2% of county soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field14. Ask the Planning Department for an official flood-hazard determination, because all development in a regulated floodplain requires a local permit and the county's local standards are more restrictive than federal and state minimums17. Confirm who controls the road and whether the entrance needs a state or county highway driveway permit16. If the land will be divided, budget time for the plat, physical-features map, and supporting sewage, drainage, access, floodway, easement, and right-of-way materials13. We could not confirm Bartholomew County's private-well permit rule, so ask the Health Department before assuming a well needs no local approval18.
Watch-outs
- Bartholomew County zoning does not govern land within an incorporated area or another incorporated-area plan commission's jurisdiction; confirm jurisdiction before applying county standards2.
- All development in a regulated Bartholomew County floodplain requires a local permit, and local rules are more restrictive than federal and state minimums17.
- A building cannot be occupied before its final inspection, and all fees and fines must be paid first9.
- We could not confirm a general long-term RV-occupancy rule or an owner-builder exemption; ask Planning about RV use and Code Enforcement about owner-performed work106.
Sources
- Code Enforcement, quoted and re-checked
- Columbus & Bartholomew County Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
- Onsite Sewage System, quoted and re-checked
- Tiny Homes, quoted and re-checked
- Accessory Dwellings, quoted and re-checked
- Department of Technical Code Enforcement of Columbus/Bartholomew County (bartholomew.in.gov)
- Tiny Homes, quoted and re-checked
- Bartholomew County Health Department – Environmental Health Division (bartholomew.in.gov)
- Code Enforcement, quoted and re-checked
- Columbus-Bartholomew County Planning Department (columbus.in.gov)
- Columbus & Bartholomew County Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
- Columbus & Bartholomew County Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
- Bartholomew County Minor Subdivision Checklist, quoted and re-checked
- Share of soils without severe limits for a conventional septic drain field (USDA SSURGO): Bolthole Index county data
- Code Enforcement, quoted and re-checked
- Code Enforcement, quoted and re-checked
- Floodplain Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Recommended Standards For Private Water Wells (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
Written September 29, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.