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.

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts applying to land in the unincorporated part of Washington township under the Boone County Area Plan Commission ordinance

  • The ordinance divides the APC jurisdiction into land use districts in Table 1, including conservation (c), agricultural preservation (ap), general agricultural (ag), and residential districts (r1 to r4, re and others).
  • Overlay districts (US 421 Michigan Road, I-65 South, major thoroughfares) and an energy overlay apply where mapped.
  • The ordinance states the APC jurisdiction is the incorporated town of Advance plus unincorporated county, so incorporated towns outside APC jurisdiction keep their own districts.

  “the jurisdiction area is hereby classified and divided into districts designated in table 1, land use districts”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Single-family residential lots in the unincorporated part of Washington township under the Boone County zoning ordinance

  • 5,000 square feet applies where public sewers serve the lot; 2 acres applies in districts without public sewers.
  • The ordinance names an exception of 3 acres in the re district without public sewers.
  • Lots under one acre must have public water and public sewer connection.
  • Lots of 10 acres or less must meet a 3:1 maximum depth-to-width ratio; not confirmed in the captured text as a minimum-area rule.

  minimum lot area with public sewers: >= 5000 sq ft (all districts with public sewers) · minimum lot area without public sewers: >= 2 acre (3 acres in the re district)

  “minimum lot area: 5,000 square feet in all districts with public sewers. 2 acres in all districts without public sewers, and 3 acres in the re district”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Residential lots in the unincorporated part of Washington township under the Boone County zoning ordinance

  • The residential table lists maximum lot coverage values from 50% to 70% across districts; the cell-to-district mapping was not confirmed from the flattened text.
  • Accessory dwellings must still meet the maximum lot coverage of their district.

  maximum lot coverage range: 50% to 70% percent (varies by district; mapping not confirmed)

  “maximum lot coverage 50% 50% 60% 60% 70% 70% 70% 70% 70% 70% 70%”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Accessory dwelling units on residential lots in the unincorporated part of Washington township under the Boone County zoning ordinance

  • Only allowed on lots where an existing, lawfully constructed, primary single-family residence exists and is assigned and approved by the addressing entity.
  • Must be located behind the front facade of the primary dwelling.
  • Must meet the minimum lot area and maximum lot coverage of the subject zoning district.
  • Must use the existing driveway serving the primary location; a separate driveway from a public right-of-way is not permitted.
  • Limited to two bedrooms and may not have its own accessory structures (per the captured use standard).

  “a separate driveway from any public right-of-way shall not be permitted”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  On-site sewage (septic) systems on land inside Washington township; the Boone County Health Department administers them under state rule 410 IAC 6-8.3 and Boone County ordinance 2012-04

  • The county health department serves the whole county, so this applies to Washington township as part of Boone County.
  • State rule 410 IAC 6-8.3 also applies.

  “the boone county health department reserves the legal authority to reject any site or proposed system that does not meet the requirements of the indiana state department of health rule 410 iac 6-8.3 and/or boone county ordinance 2012-04.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New on-site septic system serving a home on land inside Washington township

  • Permit requires a soil report, completed application, floor plan and plan review fee of $150.00 submitted to the health department before a letter of requirements issues.
  • A certified plot plan must be prepared by a certified land surveyor or professional engineer.
  • Permits are paid for when picked up.

  plan review fee: 150 USD (submitted with soil report, application and floor plan)

  “procedures for obtaining an on-site sewage disposal permit step 1: submit a soil report, completed application, floor plan”

• Septic inspectionLimited

  Septic system inspections for homes inside Washington township, as shown in the county on-site sewage permit procedure

  • The captured procedure requires an inspection only where a field tile is used as the outlet for a perimeter drain; a general septic inspection requirement was not confirmed.

  “a portion of this tile will need to be uncovered for an inspection prior to permit approval”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  New single-family homes on lots in the unincorporated part of Washington township under the Boone County zoning ordinance

  • Public water and public sewer connection is required for lots under one acre; larger lots may use private systems (see the minimum lot area claim).
  • Utility connection is also required for major residential subdivisions of 15 lots or more.
  • Availability-based distance rule not found in the captured text.

  lot size threshold for required public water and sewer: < 1 acre (lots less than one acre)

  “public water & public sewer connection: required in all districts for lots that are less than one acre in size.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision of land in the unincorporated part of Washington township; major subdivision approvals are made by the Boone County Area Plan Commission

  • Major residential subdivisions of 15 lots or more must connect to public utilities.
  • Minor subdivision rules exist in the ordinance but were not opened.

  “the area plan commission has public hearings on text amendments to the subdivision control and the zoning ordinance, map amendments (rezones), development plan reviews and major subdivision approvals.”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Residential lots in the unincorporated part of Washington township that use a private access driveway

  • Lot must have road frontage on a public road; the ordinance states a minimum frontage width of 100 feet of continuous width (up to 20% reduction allowed in major subdivisions).
  • Accessory dwellings may not use a separate driveway from the public right-of-way.

  minimum road frontage width: >= 100 feet (private access driveway lots; major subdivisions may reduce by up to 20%)

  “road frontage: all residential lots utilizing a private access driveway for access shall have frontage on a public road. the minimum width of that frontage is 100’ of continuous width which extends the depth of the lot.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit fees charged by the Boone County Area Plan Commission for work in the unincorporated part of Washington township

  • Base fee of $160 covers up to two hours of structural plan review, file processing and inspection scheduling; plan review beyond that is billed at $45 per hour (structural) and $150 per hour (site plan review) per the fee schedule.
  • Inspections are billed per line item (footing $45, foundation $45, final $45, rough-in full $90, single trade $45, insulation $70).
  • Fees are set by a fee calculation worksheet after review.
  • Septic permit fees are separate and set by the county health department ($150 plan review fee in the procedure).

  base building permit fee: 160 USD (includes up to 2 hours of structural plan review)

  “fee schedule building permit fees - effective 3/4/26”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permit process in the unincorporated part of Washington township through the Boone County Area Plan Commission

  • Process steps beyond review and fee calculation were not captured; the residential permit packet and application are not opened.
  • Fees are collected only after the permit is issued and ready for pickup (per the 2026 packet summary; not verified from captured text).

  “after your application is reviewed, you will receive a fee calculation worksheet that itemizes how the permit fee was derived.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from permits or inspections in unincorporated Washington township
• Building code adopted — Building code applying to new homes in unincorporated Washington township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes in unincorporated Washington township
• Local zoning — Whether Washington township itself adopts and administers a zoning ordinance for land inside its limits
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size for a single-family home in the unincorporated part of 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.