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

Rules another office applies inside Clifty Township

Clifty 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 buildings, additions, accessory buildings and similar work inside Clifty township, to the extent the county building code applies there (inferred from enforcement outside city limits)

  • Permit is required before construction, alteration or repair whose cost exceeds $300.
  • Page lists new homes, modular and mobile homes, sheds and storage buildings, garages, decks, and similar improvements as needing a permit.
  • New accessory buildings larger than 200 square feet require a permit; in-ground and above-ground pools on lots under two acres need a site plan certified by a registered land surveyor.
  • Items the department may require before issuance include plans, site plan, health department release for septic systems if applicable, driveway permit if applicable, and a zoning compliance certificate from the planning department.

  permit threshold cost: > 300 USD (Threshold stated in the building code text quoted on the page) · accessory building size requiring permit: > 200 sq ft

  “a permit shall be obtained before beginning construction, alteration or repair of any building or structure, the cost of which exceeds three hundred dollars ($300.00)”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Construction inside Clifty township under the Bartholomew County building code as listed by the county's Department of Technical Code Enforcement (applicability inside the township inferred from the county's enforcement of construction outside city limits; not confirmed by the code's own jurisdiction text)

  • The county page lists the 2018 International Residential Code with Indiana amendments and the 2020 Indiana Residential Code (675 IAC 14-4.4) as current codes.
  • The page lists a partial set of codes; a complete list and Indiana amendments are linked separately and were not opened.

  “2018 international residential code with indiana amendments, effective december 26, 2019”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted construction inside Clifty township under the county building code (applicability inferred as above)

  • Inspections include footing, foundation, rough-in, and final inspections, scheduled by phone with 24-hour advance notice.
  • Final inspection requires that all fees and fines be paid; the page says not to occupy before the final inspection.

  “footing: inspections are required before concrete is poured.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Bartholomew County zoning districts (Article 3) of the joint Columbus & Bartholomew County zoning ordinance; applicability inside Clifty township not confirmed by the jurisdiction article

  • The published Article 3 is a 2024 PDF; the ordinance page states it was updated July 8, 2026.
  • Districts apply only where mapped on the county zoning map.

  “the zoning ordinance for the city of columbus and bartholomew county is provided below.”

• Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Single-family dwelling in the Residential: Rural (RR) district of the Columbus & Bartholomew County zoning ordinance, where mapped; applicability to Clifty township parcels is not confirmed

  • Lot standards stated for RR only in the 2024 Article 3 PDF; the current July 2026 article was not retrieved.
  • The RR district text states the property is either provided with public sewer and water utility service or can adequately accommodate well and septic systems.

  minimum living area per dwelling: >= 1000 sq ft (see also section 6.7(a)(2)(a) for manufactured homes)

  “minimum living area per dwelling • 1,000 square feet (see also section 6.7(a)(2)(a) for manufactured homes)”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Single-family 1 (RS1) district, the main single-family residential district of the county ordinance, where mapped; not Clifty-specific

  • Minimum lot area for RS1 is 12,000 sq ft (see parameter); minimum lot width 75 ft.

  minimum lot area: >= 12000 sq ft

  “minimum lot area • 12,000 sq. ft. minimum lot width • 75 feet minimum lot frontage maximum lot coverage • 30%”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Single-family 1 (RS1) district, the main single-family residential district, where mapped

  • Side and rear primary and accessory setbacks are 5 ft each in RS1 (per the same table); garage-facing-street exception of 25 ft applies.

  local street front setback: 10 ft (25 feet for any garage with a vehicle entrance facing the street) · local road front setback: 25 ft · arterial front setback: 50 ft

  “minimum front setback • arterial street or road: 50 feet • collector road: 30 feet • collector street: 15 feet* • local road: 25 feet • local street: 10 feet*”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Residential: Rural (RR) district, where mapped; side and rear setbacks only

    “minimum side & rear setback • primary structure: 5 feet • accessory structure: 5 feet”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Agriculture: General Rural (AG) district, where mapped; non-agricultural structures only

  • Agricultural structures have no lot coverage limit (none).

  maximum lot coverage, non-agricultural structures: <= 35 % (agricultural structures: none)

  “maximum lot coverage • agricultural structures: none • non-agricultural structures: 35%”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Single-family 1 (RS1) district, where mapped

    “minimum lot area • 12,000 sq. ft. minimum lot width • 75 feet minimum lot frontage maximum lot coverage • 30%”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Onsite wastewater (septic) systems for a home inside Clifty township, through the Bartholomew County Health Department

  • County page lists onsite rule 410 IAC 6-8.3 and an onsite permit application, so the state rule governs the county program.
  • Applicability inside Clifty township inferred from the county health department's onsite program; the health department service-area text was not opened.

  “permit application for on site wastewater disposal system (3352 downloads)”

• Permit processPublished

  Building permit process administered by the Bartholomew County Department of Technical Code Enforcement for construction outside Columbus city limits, including Clifty township

  • Applications and sign-off sheets are posted as downloadable forms; the page says to contact the office for the items required for a specific project.

  “please contact our office for the specific items required for your project.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from licensed contractor or permit requirements for work inside Clifty township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy or equivalent occupancy approval for a new home inside Clifty township
• Local zoning — Whether Clifty township itself adopts and administers a zoning ordinance for land inside its limits
• Building height — Maximum building height in the county's residential and agricultural districts
• Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land inside Clifty 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.