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

Rules another office applies inside Clinton Township

Clinton 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

  Construction, reconstruction, moving, alteration or enlargement of structures on land inside Clinton township, to the extent it is unincorporated land under the Cass County Zoning Ordinance

  • Applies only to land under the Cass County Zoning Ordinance; land under a city or town plan commission is excluded by section 107.
  • Improvement location permit (ILP) is issued by the county zoning administrator; certain works are exempt under section 902.02.
  • This is a zoning permit (ILP); a separate building permit or inspection regime may also apply and was not verified.

  “except as provided below, an improvement location permit shall be obtained before any person may: a. occupy or use any land; or b. construct, reconstruct, move, alter, or enlarge any structure;”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts and district maps covering unincorporated land in Clinton township

  • Districts listed in section 302 include AG, RR, R-1 (suburban residential), B-1, B-4, AB, I-1, I-2 and CG; a district zone map for each Cass County township is adopted as part of the ordinance and kept at the zoning administrator's office.
  • Ordinance applies to unincorporated land only; land under a city or town plan commission is excluded (section 107).

  “a district zone map of each township in cass county is hereby adopted as part of this ordinance.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Lots in the AG (agricultural) district in unincorporated Clinton township

  • Minimum lot area without central sewage is 43,560 sq ft (1 acre); with central sewage it is 24,000 sq ft, per the Table B column order (ag, rr, r1, b1, b4, ab, i1, i2, cg).
  • Column pairing was inferred from the order of the captured Table B values; confirm against the PDF table layout.
  • Density should not exceed one dwelling unit per acre (section 302.01).

  minimum lot area, no central sewage: >= 43560 sq ft (with central sewage: 24,000 sq ft) · minimum lot width, no central sewage: >= 150 ft (with central sewage: 100 ft)

  “1. minimum lot area (a) no central sewage with central sewage 43,560 24,000 43,560 20,000 36,000 14,000 24,000 6,000 34,000 10,000 34,000 10,000 34,000 10,000 40,000 24,000 130,680 130,680”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Lots in the RR (rural residential) district in unincorporated Clinton township

    “1. minimum lot area (a) no central sewage with central sewage 43,560 24,000 43,560 20,000 36,000 14,000 24,000 6,000 34,000 10,000 34,000 10,000 34,000 10,000 40,000 24,000 130,680 130,680”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Lots in the R-1 (suburban residential) district in unincorporated Clinton township

  • Column order inferred from Table B; confirm against the PDF.

  maximum lot coverage: <= 40 percent

  “4. maximum lot coverage (c) 10 or 30* 30 40 80 80 50 50 50 50”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Lots in the RR (rural residential) district in unincorporated Clinton township

    “4. maximum lot coverage (c) 10 or 30* 30 40 80 80 50 50 50 50”

• Building heightSpecified

  Principal structures in all zoning districts of unincorporated Clinton township

  • Accessory structures: 16 ft for one-story primary structures and 24 ft for two-story or taller primary structures (section 307).
  • Section 307 exempts listed structures, including barns, silos, tanks, bins and windmills in the agricultural district, and communication, industrial and architectural features.

  maximum principal structure height: <= 35 ft (measured above average ground level)

  “no principal structure in any district may be constructed, reconstructed, altered, or enlarged which exceeds 35 feet in height above average ground level.”

• Living in an RVProhibited

  Living or housekeeping use of a recreational vehicle parked or stored on a residential lot in unincorporated Clinton township

  • Parking or storing a major recreational vehicle on a residential lot is limited by section 504.05 (carport, enclosed building, or behind the nearest part of a structure to the street).
  • A 48-hour loading or unloading period is not restricted by section 504.05.
  • The same sentence also bars use at any location not approved for such use.

  “no such vehicle shall be used for living or housekeeping purposes when parked or stored on a residential lot, or on any location not approved for such use.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption for a home inside Clinton township
• Building code adopted — Building code adopted for construction inside Clinton township
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Clinton township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new dwellings inside Clinton township
• Local zoning — Whether Clinton township itself adopted and administers a zoning ordinance for land inside its limits

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.