Bolthole Index

Dubois County, Indiana

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Jasper, Indiana

The City of Jasper, Indiana, in Dubois County, adopts its own zoning and requires an improvement location permit for new structures, issued through its Community Development & Planning department12. Septic permits are not a city function: the Dubois County Health Department administers them3. We could not confirm a separate city building-code permit, so ask the city office before you plan a build.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes, the city adopts its own zoning ordinance1
Building permit
Improvement location permit required for structures and land uses2
Who issues permits
Director of community development and planning4
Septic
Dubois County Health Department3
Minimum home size
1,200 sq ft in R-1; 1,000 sq ft in R-2 and A-15
Minimum lot
15,000 sq ft in R-1; 66,000 sq ft in A-16
Flood areas
Development in flood districts is regulated by the city7

Who to call

Building permits

City of Jasper Community Development & Planning

Improvement location permits, zoning questions, variances and plat applications inside Jasper

(812) 482-4255

[email protected]

610 Main St P. O. Box 29, Jasper, IN 47547

Building permits

City of Jasper Community Development & Planning (fee schedule)

Published permit fees for construction inside Jasper

(812) 482-4255

610 Main St P. O. Box 29, Jasper, IN 47547

Septic permits

Dubois County Health Department, Environmental Health

Inspection and permitting of onsite sewage disposal (septic) systems in Dubois County

(812) 481-7050

One Courthouse Square, Jasper, IN 47546

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 17, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Does Jasper, Indiana have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes, lot size and setbacks?

Yes. The City of Jasper has its own zoning ordinance, and the published text says it covers the city "and its jurisdictional area"1. Districts include A-1 agriculture, R-R, R-1 through R-4, B-1 through B-3 and the industrial districts8. The city's department page points to a Unified Development Ordinance for setback and design questions, so the numbers below, taken from the older published zoning table, may differ from the current rule; confirm with the city before you design anything9.

Minimum lot area is 15,000 sq ft in R-1 and 66,000 sq ft in A-16. A house must have at least 1,200 sq ft of living area in R-1 and 1,000 sq ft in A-1, which means a very small dwelling does not fit those districts as written5. Side yards are 10 ft in R-1 and 20 ft in A-1; rear yards are 20 ft in R-1 and 50 ft in A-110.

We could not confirm Jasper's rule on living in an RV or tiny home on a lot. Ask Community Development & Planning at (812) 482-42559.

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

Yes, for the zoning side. Jasper requires a permit before a structure is erected, moved, converted or enlarged inside the city2. Improvement location permits are issued by the director of community development and planning4. We could not confirm whether a separate building-code permit also applies, so ask the same office.

The department asks applicants to email completed forms to [email protected] and says it needs seven business days to review a complete application9. The posted fee for a single or two-family residential permit is a $200.00 base rate, and permits are valid for six months from issue11. Fees for other work and the application forms themselves are on the city's Permits and Forms page.

These are city rules. Outside the ordinance's reach, Dubois County has no countywide zoning department12.

How do septic permits work inside Jasper, Indiana?

The Dubois County Health Department, not the city, administers septic inspection and permitting for Dubois County3. A written construction permit signed by the health officer is required before the start of residence construction on a site that will not connect to a sanitary sewer13. The health officer must be told when work is ready for final inspection14.

In Indiana, if a sanitary sewer is available within a reasonable distance, onsite sewage disposal is prohibited and connection is required15. Whether a particular Jasper address has sewer available is a question for the city's utilities; we could not confirm it for a given lot. Call Environmental Health at (812) 481-7050 before you assume a septic system is possible16.

Building a home in Jasper, Indiana: the steps, in order

  1. Call Community Development & Planning at (812) 482-4255 and confirm the zoning district, the current Unified Development Ordinance rules and whether a separate building-code permit applies9.
  2. Check the lot against the district's minimum lot size, living area and yards6.
  3. If the lot is in a flood district, ask about the city's flood damage prevention rules; details were not reviewed7.
  4. Ask whether sewer is available. If not, apply to the Dubois County Health Department for a septic construction permit before construction starts13.
  5. Submit the improvement location permit forms by email and allow the review time9.
  6. Do not start work until the permit is approved, then call the health department for septic inspection14.

What stays with Dubois County, and what should you check before you buy in Jasper?

Septic permits stay with the Dubois County Health Department3. Driveways onto an Indiana state highway need permission through the INDOT Electronic Permit System17. Floodway work is approved by the state's Department of Natural Resources18.

County-wide figures are context only. Dubois County's effective property tax rate is 0.7%19, and its median property tax bill is $1,382 a year20. Only about 2.9% of county soils rate "not limited" for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation21.

For land outside Jasper and its zoning reach, see the Dubois County page.

Watch-outs

  • Land just outside Jasper's city limits can still fall under the city's zoning, because the ordinance covers a jurisdictional area beyond the city1.
  • The zoning figures here come from the city's published zoning table, and a newer Unified Development Ordinance may change them; confirm with Community Development & Planning at (812) 482-42559.
  • We could not confirm whether a building-code permit is required in addition to the improvement location permit, so ask the city before you order plans2.

Sources

  1. City of Jasper, Indiana Municipal Code Title 16 Zoning (Ordinance 1993-17) (Jasper), quoted and re-checked
  2. City of Jasper, Indiana Municipal Code Title 16 Zoning (Ordinance 1993-17) (Jasper), quoted and re-checked
  3. Environmental Health, quoted and re-checked
  4. City of Jasper, Indiana Municipal Code Title 16 Zoning (Ordinance 1993-17) (Jasper), quoted and re-checked
  5. City of Jasper, Indiana Municipal Code Title 16 Zoning (Ordinance 1993-17) (Jasper), quoted and re-checked
  6. City of Jasper, Indiana Municipal Code Title 16 Zoning (Ordinance 1993-17) (Jasper), quoted and re-checked
  7. City of Jasper, Indiana Municipal Code Title 16 Zoning (Ordinance 1993-17) (Jasper), quoted and re-checked
  8. City of Jasper, Indiana Municipal Code Title 16 Zoning (Ordinance 1993-17) (Jasper), quoted and re-checked
  9. City of Jasper Community Development & Planning (jasperindiana.gov)
  10. City of Jasper, Indiana Municipal Code Title 16 Zoning (Ordinance 1993-17) (Jasper), quoted and re-checked
  11. City of Jasper Community Development & Planning (fee schedule) (jasperindiana.gov)
  12. Dubois County IN - Departments (2026 county census)
  13. Environmental Health, quoted and re-checked
  14. Environmental Health, quoted and re-checked
  15. Environmental Public Health: Onsite Sewage Systems Program, quoted and re-checked
  16. Dubois County Health Department, Environmental Health (duboiscounty.in.gov)
  17. INDOT Driveway Permit Guide 2024, quoted and re-checked
  18. Water: Regulatory Programs, quoted and re-checked
  19. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  20. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  21. 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

Written October 17, 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 Jasper

Jasper’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Structures and land uses inside Jasper city (improvement location permit under zoning)

    • This is the zoning improvement location permit. Whether a separate building code permit applies was not established.
    “no structure shall be located, erected, constructed, reconstructed, moved, converted, or enlarged; nor shall any structure or land be used or be designed to be used, except in full compliance with all the provisions of this chapter and after the lawful issuances of the permits required by this chapter.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Jasper city limits (the ordinance also reaches the unincorporated jurisdictional area)

    • The city site's Title 16 text is Ordinance 1993-17 with amendments through at least 2012. A newer Unified Development Ordinance (reported as Ordinance 2016-30) may supersede it; the UDO PDF could not be read.
    • Permits are issued by the director of community development and planning.
    “the official title of the ordinance is: "zoning ordinance of the city of jasper, indiana and its jurisdictional area".”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside Jasper city (FP, FW, A-1, R-R, R-1 to R-4, B-1 to B-3, I-B, I-1, I-2)

    • District list taken from Table B in the Title 16 text; a newer UDO may differ.
    “fp 66,000 n/a 180 50 20 50 n/a fw 66,000 n/a 180 50 20 50 n/a a-1 66,000 33,000 180 50 20 50 1,000 r-r 23,000 23,000 115 30 12 25 1,200 r-1 15,000 15,000 100 25 10 20 1,200 r-2 10,000 10,000 80 20 8 20 1,000 r-3 7,200 4,000 60 14 6 15 900 r-4 7,200 2,000 60 14 6 15 550***”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    R-1 (1,200 sq ft), R-2 (1,000 sq ft) and A-1 (1,000 sq ft) districts inside Jasper city; living area per unit

    • Living area excludes open porches, attached garages and accessory structures.

    R-1 minimum living area: >= 1200 sq ft · A-1 minimum living area: >= 1000 sq ft

    “minimum living area exclusive of open porches, attached garages and accessory structures.”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    R-1 (15,000 sq ft, width 100 ft), R-2 (10,000 sq ft, width 80 ft) and A-1 agriculture (66,000 sq ft, width 180 ft) districts inside Jasper city

    • Lots not served by an approved water system need health authority approval (Table B footnote).
    • Table B as published in the city's Title 16; a newer UDO may differ.

    R-1 minimum lot area: >= 15000 sq ft · A-1 minimum lot area: >= 66000 sq ft

    “a-1 66,000 33,000 180 50 20 50 1,000 r-r 23,000 23,000 115 30 12 25 1,200 r-1 15,000 15,000 100 25 10 20 1,200 r-2 10,000 10,000 80 20 8 20 1,000”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Side and rear yards in R-1 (side 10 ft, aggregate 25 ft, rear 20 ft) and A-1 (side 20 ft, aggregate 50 ft, rear 50 ft) districts inside Jasper city

    • Front yard depths are not in the quoted table and were not reviewed.

    R-1 minimum side yard: >= 10 ft · R-1 minimum rear yard: >= 20 ft · A-1 minimum side yard: >= 20 ft · A-1 minimum rear yard: >= 50 ft

    “a-1 66,000 33,000 180 50 20 50 1,000 r-r 23,000 23,000 115 30 12 25 1,200 r-1 15,000 15,000 100 25 10 20 1,200 r-2 10,000 10,000 80 20 8 20 1,000”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Development in flood districts inside Jasper city

    • Chapter 16.33 flood district and flood damage prevention applies; details not reviewed.
    “no person, firm, corporation, or governmental body not exempted by state law shall commence any "development" in the sfha without first obtaining an improvement location permit from the director of community development and planning.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Improvement location permits inside Jasper city

    • Fees and application forms were not reviewed.
    “improvement location permits shall be issued by the director of community development and planning.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Jasper city
  • Building code adopted — Building code inside Jasper city
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Jasper city
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Jasper city
  • Lot coverage — Lot coverage inside Jasper city
17 more unanswered
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

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 Jasper publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Dubois County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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