Bolthole Index

Delaware County, Indiana

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Daleville, Indiana

The Town of Daleville, Indiana, in Delaware County, has its own zoning ordinance and requires a building permit under certain circumstances, reviewed by the town's Building Commissioner12. Recreational vehicles and tents may not be lived in, in any zone34. Septic permits are a local health department matter under state rules5.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes: the town's Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance 2021 covers all incorporated territory1
Zone classes
Residence (R), Business (B) and Industrial (I); no agricultural districts6
Building permit
Required under certain circumstances; issued through the town2
RV living
Not allowed in any zone3
Tents for living
Not allowed in any zone4
Manufactured homes
Allowed where a dwelling is allowed if built after January 1, 1981 and meeting single-family requirements7
Residence-zone height
Two and one-half stories or 30 feet8
Septic
Local health department under state rules; which office covers Daleville is unconfirmed5

Who to call

Building permits

Town of Daleville Building Commissioner

Building and trades permit applications (basic improvement, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, sign, demolition) for work inside Daleville

765-378-6288

Septic permits

Delaware County Health Department, Environmental Health Division

Onsite sewage (septic) system permits and applications for Delaware County

765-747-7721

125 N Mulberry Street, Muncie, IN 47305

Online permits →

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Daleville means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Daleville, Indiana have zoning, and can you live in an RV there?

Yes. The Town of Daleville's Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance 2021 applies to all incorporated territory of the town1. Inside Daleville the ordinance sets three zones: Residence (R), Business (B) and Industrial (I), with no agricultural districts6.

Living in a recreational vehicle is not allowed in any Daleville zone3, and no tent may be used for living quarters in any zone4. Statewide campground rules do not change that for a lot in town; they cover regulated campgrounds, not a home site9.

In the Residence zone, no building may exceed two and one-half stories or 30 feet8. We could not confirm lot coverage limits, accessory dwelling rules or a tiny-home rule; ask the Building Commissioner before you plan around any of them6.

Can you put a manufactured home in Daleville?

Daleville permits a manufactured home as a permanent scattered-site residence in any zone that allows a dwelling, subject to the same rules as other homes in that zone7. The home must have been built after January 1, 1981 and carry the required improvement location, building and occupancy permits7.

A manufactured or mobile home can also serve as a temporary residence on the lot while you build or repair a site-built house, but only with a temporary use permit, and the permit runs up to 1 year; extending it takes a Board of Zoning Appeals variance10.

Do you need a building permit in Daleville, and who issues it?

Daleville's code of ordinances requires a building permit under certain circumstances, and the town's page does not list them, so confirm your project with the Building Commissioner2. The town lists basic improvement, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, sign and demolition permits2.

Applications are printed and returned to the Clerk's Office, or emailed to the address on the town's permit page. The Daleville Building Commissioner then approves, denies or asks for more information11. Fees follow the town's published schedule of costs and fees, listed at the bottom of the permit page; we did not confirm the amounts12. Call the Building Commissioner at 765-378-628813.

This is the town's office, not Delaware County's. The county Building Commissioner covers unincorporated land only14.

How do septic permits work inside Daleville?

Indiana's septic rule is administered by local boards of health, and each local health department's permit program is reviewed by the Indiana Department of Health5. We could not confirm which agency permits septic systems inside Daleville, or whether a given lot must use public sewer; ask the Delaware County Health Department's Environmental Health Division at 765-747-772115.

If a sanitary sewer is available within a reasonable distance, state rules prohibit a new onsite system and require a sewer connection16. Where septic applies, Delaware County's published fee is $180.00 for new construction15, and plan review can take up to 45 days17. Delaware County soils are a poor match for conventional drain fields: only 0.4% of soils rate as not limited, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system18.

Building a home in Daleville: the steps, in order

  1. Ask the Daleville Building Commissioner (765-378-6288) which permits your project needs and which zone the lot is in136.
  2. Confirm sewer or septic with the Delaware County Health Department (765-747-7721) before designing the house15.
  3. Submit the town's permit applications to the Clerk's Office or by email, and wait for the Building Commissioner's decision11.
  4. Pay according to the town's schedule of costs and fees once approved12.
  5. Build to the Indiana Residential Code, the 2020 edition currently in effect statewide19.
  6. A driveway onto a state highway needs INDOT permission; the private driveway fee is $552021.

What stays with Delaware County, and what to check before you buy in Daleville

Land outside Daleville's limits follows the county's rules, not the town's; see the Delaware County page for the unincorporated-area answers. Delaware County's effective property tax rate is 0.8%, with a median bill of $997 a year2223.

Before buying, ask about floodplain status: Indiana's DNR Division of Water has jurisdiction over most floodway development, and local permits may also apply24. We could not confirm Daleville's own floodplain, driveway, well or subdivision rules, so ask the Building Commissioner.

Watch-outs

  • The town's permit page says a building permit is required under certain circumstances but does not list them, so ask the Building Commissioner before starting any work2.
  • Recreational vehicles and tents may not be lived in anywhere in Daleville, including while you build34.
  • We could not confirm who permits septic systems inside Daleville or whether public sewer is required; ask the Delaware County Health Department before you buy5.

Sources

  1. Daleville Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance 2021 (town website PDF) (Town of Daleville), quoted and re-checked
  2. Building Permits - Town of Daleville (Town of Daleville), quoted and re-checked
  3. Daleville Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance 2021 (town website PDF) (Town of Daleville), quoted and re-checked
  4. Daleville Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance 2021 (town website PDF) (Town of Daleville), quoted and re-checked
  5. 410 IAC 6-8.3 Residential On-Site Sewage Systems (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  6. Daleville Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance 2021 (town website PDF) (Town of Daleville), quoted and re-checked
  7. Daleville Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance 2021 (town website PDF) (Town of Daleville), quoted and re-checked
  8. Daleville Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance 2021 (town website PDF) (Town of Daleville), quoted and re-checked
  9. Environmental Public Health: 410 IAC 6-71 Campgrounds (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. Daleville Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance 2021 (town website PDF) (Town of Daleville), quoted and re-checked
  11. Building Permits - Town of Daleville (Town of Daleville), quoted and re-checked
  12. Building Permits - Town of Daleville (Town of Daleville), quoted and re-checked
  13. Town of Daleville Building Commissioner (dalevilleindiana.org)
  14. Delaware County - Apply for a Building Permit (2026 county census)
  15. Delaware County Health Department, Environmental Health Division (delawarecounty.in.gov)
  16. Environmental Public Health: Onsite Sewage Systems Program, quoted and re-checked
  17. Guide to the Residential On-Site Sewage Disposal System Permit Process, quoted and re-checked
  18. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  19. Rules of the Indiana Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  20. INDOT Driveway Permit Guide 2024 (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  21. Permit Application Fees (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  22. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  23. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  24. Water: Community Assistance & Information (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 24, 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.

Answers from the rulebook for Town of Daleville

Town of Daleville’s own rules

  • Building permitLimited

    Construction work inside Daleville town

    • A building permit is required only in certain circumstances; the page does not list them.
    • Permit types listed on the page: basic improvement, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, sign and demolition.
    • Contractors no longer must register with the town, per the page.
    “the town of daleville’s code of ordinances requires a building permit under certain circumstances.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside the incorporated limits of Daleville town, Indiana (not the unincorporated county area)

    • The zoning ordinance is the Daleville Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance 2021, adopted by the Town Council on recommendation of the Planning and Zoning Board.
    • The ordinance is hosted as a PDF on the town website; the amlegal code overview lists the code as current through res. 2025-02, and the zoning chapter there was not opened, so later amendments are not ruled out.
    • Zoning map is incorporated by reference in the ordinance (Article XI, Section 3).
    “the provisions of this ordinance shall apply to all the incorporated territory of the town of daleville, indiana.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Zone classes inside Daleville town's incorporated limits

    • Three zone classes are stated: Residence (R), Business (B) and Industrial (I). No agricultural use districts are provided; agricultural use is grandfathered and may not be expanded.
    • Zone boundaries are shown on the zone maps made part of the ordinance (Article XI, Section 3).
    “the incorporated territory of the town of daleville, indiana, is hereby divided into the following zones: r residence zone b business i industrial zone”
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Buildings and structures in the Residence (R) zone inside Daleville town (Article XII)

    • The source text has a missing space ('exceedtwo'); the limit is read as two and one-half stories or thirty feet.
    • Business and Industrial zone height limits not recorded here.

    maximum building height: <= 30 feet (or two and one-half (2 1/2) stories, whichever the text states together)

    “no building or structure shall exceedtwo and one-half (2 1/2) stories or thirty (30) feet in height.”
  • Living in an RVProhibited

    Recreational vehicles used as living quarters on any land inside Daleville town

    • The ordinance defines recreational vehicles as intended for temporary residential uses and to be occupied only in RV parks; no RV park provision was opened.
    • Applies in every zone.
    “recreational vehicles may not be occupied as living quarters in any zone.”
  • Camping on your landProhibited

    Tents used for living quarters on any land inside Daleville town

    • Defined as a collapsible shelter used for outdoor camping.
    • Applies in every zone; the ordinance does not define a camping permit path.
    “no tent shall be erected, used or maintained for living quarters in any zone.”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Manufactured homes used as permanent scattered-site residences inside Daleville town, outside mobile home parks

    • Permitted in any zone that permits a dwelling unit, subject to the requirements and limitations for that residential use.
    • The home must meet all requirements for single-family dwellings and hold the required improvement location, building and occupancy permits.
    • Home must have been constructed after January 1, 1981.
    • Foundation and skirting requirements apply under the same section.
    • The ordinance defines 'mobile home' as built prior to June 15, 1976.

    construction date: > 1981-01-01 date (home must have been constructed after this date)

    “the establishment, location and use of manufactured homes as scattered site residences shall be permitted in any zone permitting installation of a dwelling unit, subject to the requirements and limitations applying generally to such residential use in the appropriate zone”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Limited — Manufactured or mobile homes used as temporary residences or caretaker quarters inside Daleville town, outside mobile home parks
      “a temporary use permit shall be obtained prior to placement of a manufactured home or mobile home for temporary use as herein defined.”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Building and trades permits issued by Daleville town

    • The schedule is linked as '2026 Schedule of Costs and Fees' on the building permits page; the schedule itself was not opened, so no fee amounts are recorded.
    “once an application has been approved, the applicant can move forward with processing payment according to our schedule of costs and fees, which can be found at the bottom of this page.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Building and trades permit applications for work inside Daleville town

    • Applications are printed and returned to the Clerk's Office or emailed to the Building Commissioner's address on the page.
    • Approval is by the Daleville Building Commissioner, who may approve, deny or request more information.
    • Payment follows the schedule of costs and fees after approval.
    “upon receipt of your completed permit application, the daleville building commissioner will review and approve, deny, or ask for more information.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Daleville or Delaware County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption inside Daleville town
  • Building code adopted — Building code applicable to construction inside Daleville town
  • Inspections — Building inspections for work inside Daleville town
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for new dwellings inside Daleville town
  • Lot coverage — Lot coverage limits for residential lots inside Daleville town
13 more unanswered
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Town of Daleville publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Delaware County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Delaware County: county rules, score and offices