Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Auburn, Indiana

Auburn’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New buildings, additions, remodels, sheds, garages, decks, fences, foundation work, electrical, plumbing and utility connections inside Auburn city limits, as listed by the city.

  • The city's FAQ lists when a permit is required; new buildings are on that list.
  • Construction may proceed after the permit is issued, so status is conditional.
  • The list is the city's FAQ; the adopted code text that imposes the duty was not opened.

  “the following are times when a permit is required: additions decks / pergolas demolitions electrical work fences foundation work garages / carports gazebos new buildings and changes to existing permanent signs and temporary signs plumbing work remodels sheds / yard barns swimming pools utilities: sewer connection and tap; water connection, meter and tap; irrigation meters work in the right-of-way”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted construction inside Auburn city limits; the city's building inspector inspects the work during construction and at completion.

  • The required inspections are included in the building permit fee, per the same FAQ.
  • The permit applicant must call for each inspection at least 24 hours before it is needed, per the FAQ.
  • Special re-inspection fee is $40 per the FAQ.

  re-inspection fee: 40 USD (special inspection fee for required re-inspection)

  “to ensure compliance with these safety codes, the building inspector visits the project during construction and upon completion.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Construction projects inside Auburn city limits that require a building permit, before occupancy or use of the building.

  • The certificate will not be issued until all electrical, mechanical and plumbing work is complete and address numbers are posted on the building, per the FAQ.
  • There is no fee for a certificate of occupancy; a conditional certificate of occupancy costs $30 and is issued only in rare circumstances, per the FAQ.
  • The FAQ's fee statement is not dated; no effective date is stated.

  conditional certificate of occupancy fee: 30 USD (standard certificate of occupancy has no fee)

  “a certificate of occupancy (c. of o.) is required for all construction projects requiring a building permit to the occupancy or use of the building.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Auburn city limits, Indiana (DeKalb County). The city's Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) is the zoning and development document the city's Building, Planning & Development department administers.

  • The UDO page describes the document as a guideline and as a local policy instrument; the adopted legal status of the UDO was not confirmed from the ordinance text because the full UDO PDF could not be opened.
  • The page says the UDO was last updated on September 17, 2024; this is a revision date, not an effective or adoption date, so effective_at is null.
  • The same page says the UDO also covers the city's extra-territorial district; this claim does not extend to any area outside city limits.

  “the document features development standards set forth by the auburn building, planning & development department and approved by the auburn common council and the auburn plan commission.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside Auburn city limits, Indiana: the city publishes a zoning map for its zoning districts.

  • The map is listed as a city document (Auburn Zoning Map, August 2026, DocumentCenter/View/2183); the map itself was not opened, so the district names and boundaries are not recorded here.
  • The zoning district list inside the UDO was not opened.

  “documents auburn zoning map august 2026 bpd annual report 2025 2026 facade improvement grant program packet 2026”

• Permit feesPublished

  Building, planning and development permits issued by the City of Auburn, Indiana.

  • The city's Building Permits & Fees page lists the fees, including general building, demolition, improvement location (residential $25, non-residential $50), fence and water well permits; the fee schedule states no effective or revision date.
  • The page's list of fees is the published schedule opened; it does not give an adoption date.
  • Electrical and plumbing fees are on the same page with separate per-square-foot and minimum amounts; they are not all recorded as parameters.

  general building permit fee: per 0.1 USD per square foot under roof ($35.00 minimum) · general building permit minimum fee: 35 USD · demolition permit fee: 50 USD · improvement location permit fee, residential: 25 USD (non-residential is $50.00) · fence permit fee: 25 USD · water well permit fee: 35 USD

  “permit fees demo $50.00 general building $0.10 per square foot under roof, $35.00 minimum”

• Permit processPublished

  Obtaining a building, utility-connection or electrical permit for land inside Auburn city limits.

  • Apply through the Building, Planning & Development department at 210 S Cedar St, second floor, Auburn, IN 46706 (page address).
  • The permit applicant must call for each inspection at least 24 hours before it is needed.
  • Contractors often handle the water tap and electrical call-in steps, per the FAQ.

  “your first step is to contact auburn's building, planning, and development department and apply for a permit.”

Rules another office applies inside Auburn

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

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Residential construction inside Auburn city, Indiana, under the Indiana Residential Code, 675 IAC 14-4.4 (2020 edition), which the state lists as the code in effect.

  • Edition and effective date come from the state FPBSC rules table: 675 IAC 14-4.4 is the 2020 Indiana Residential Code, effective 12/26/2019, and 675 IAC 14-4.3 is listed as repealed effective 12/26/2019.
  • The state table does not state the scope limits; the one- and two-family dwelling scope was not verified from an opened rule text.
  • The city's Building Permits & Fees page says the building department enforces codes 'established by both city and state agencies' and points to code of ordinances chapters 151, 153, 155, 158, 159, 163 and 165; those city chapters were not opened, so city-level amendments are not recorded.
  • The Indiana Building Code (675 IAC 13) and any 2026 successor were not opened.

  “675 iac 14-4.4 2020 indiana residential code free access (model code with incorporated amendments) 2018 international residential code for one- and two-family dwellings, first printing currently in effect effective: 12/26/2019”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Auburn or DeKalb County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit rules for an owner building or renovating a home inside Auburn city limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size for a single-family home inside Auburn city limits (main single-family residential district).
• Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size for the main single-family residential district and any agricultural or rural-residential district inside Auburn city limits.
• Setbacks — Yard setbacks for the main single-family residential district inside Auburn city limits.
• Lot coverage — Maximum lot coverage for the main single-family residential district inside Auburn city 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.