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

Rules another office applies inside Franklin Township

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

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Occupancy and use of land or buildings on unincorporated land inside Franklin township under the Floyd County zoning ordinance

  • Certificate of occupancy is listed in the ordinance as a county petition/permit type; the ordinance text located does not spell out which projects require it.
  • Occupancy and use must comply with the ordinance.

  “the floyd county plan commission hereby requires that an application be submitted for the following petitions and permits.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Franklin township outside any incorporated city or town: Floyd County zoning (FCO-2006-06, as amended) administered by the Floyd County Building & Development Services and Plan Commission. No Franklin Township zoning ordinance was located.

  • Covers unincorporated land only; parts of the township inside an incorporated municipality are not covered by this claim.
  • The county guide states zoning is controlled by the county ordinance; it does not say in terms that Franklin Township has no zoning of its own, so township status is recorded separately as unknown.
  • Development standards vary by zoning district (see zoning_districts, minimum_lot_size, setbacks, lot_coverage, building_height claims).
  • Ordinance revision stamp 11.21.23 is not an effective date and is not recorded as one.

  “in floyd county, zoning is controlled by the floyd county zoning ordinance, fco-2006-06.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts applying to unincorporated land inside Franklin township under the Floyd County zoning ordinance

  • Districts listed in the guide: AR (agricultural residential), RR (residential rural), RS (residential suburban), RU (residential urban), MF (multi-family), NC, GC, HS, OB, GI, PR; overlays HP, ED and SD.
  • Each district stands alone; uses permitted in one district are not permitted in another unless expressly listed.

  “the planning jurisdiction is divided into the following zoning districts for general uses.”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Single-family primary dwellings in the AR (agricultural-residential) district on unincorporated Franklin township land

  • Figure is the minimum ground floor area in the AR district row of the guide; the row marks it as amended (5).

  minimum ground floor area: >= 950 square feet (amended per guide note (5))

  “minimum ground floor area 950 square feet (amended 5)”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Lots in the AR (agricultural-residential) district on unincorporated Franklin township land

  • Same table row also lists minimum lot width of 100 feet and minimum lot frontage of 100 feet.
  • Row also gives the sanitary-sewer and water rule shown in the utility_connection claim.

  minimum lot area: >= 87120 square feet · minimum lot area (acres): >= 2 acres

  “87,120 square feet (2 acres) 100 feet 100 feet 35 feet 18 feet requires connection to public water”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Primary and accessory structures in the AR (agricultural-residential) district on unincorporated Franklin township land

  • Columns are read from the flattened table: front yard 60 feet (amended 8); side yard 10 feet; primary rear yard 20 feet; accessory rear yard 10 feet. Column mapping is inferred from row order and should be confirmed against the ordinance table.
  • Additional standards are in ordinance sections 4.10 and 5.02-5.43.

  front yard setback: 60 feet (amended per guide note (8)) · side yard setback: 10 feet · primary rear yard setback: 20 feet · accessory rear yard setback: 10 feet

  “60 feet (amended 8) 10 feet 20 feet 10 feet”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  AR (agricultural-residential) district lots on unincorporated Franklin township land

  • Covers primary structures, accessory structures and impervious surface combined.

  maximum lot coverage: <= 35 percent

  “square footage of all primary structures, accessory structures and impervious surface shall not exceed:) 35 percent”

• Building heightSpecified

  AR (agricultural-residential) district structures on unincorporated Franklin township land

  • Height figures are read from the same flattened table row as minimum lot area; 35 feet is the primary structure maximum and 18 feet the accessory structure maximum.

  maximum primary structure height: <= 35 feet · maximum accessory structure height: <= 18 feet

  “87,120 square feet (2 acres) 100 feet 100 feet 35 feet 18 feet requires connection to public water”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  On-site sewage systems on land inside Franklin township (Floyd County Health Department service area)

  • County page directs owners of existing or planned on-site septic systems to the Floyd County Health Department; the health department's service area is stated as Floyd County.
  • The county building department requires a health department approval or sewer tap-in receipt before a new dwelling permit.

  health department phone: (812) 948-4726

  “contact the floyd county health department at (812) 948-4726”

• Septic permitRequired

  New construction served by an on-site sewage system on land inside Franklin township

  • Septic permit is issued by the Floyd County Health Department only after soil test, site survey inspection, and approved plans.
  • If the septic system is on a different parcel than the residence, the parcels must be deeded together or an easement granted before the permit issues.

  “pay for and pick up septic permit to submit to building department”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  New on-site sewage systems for new construction inside Franklin township

  • Health department site survey inspection occurs with the licensed septic installer before the permit is issued.
  • Systems and set-aside area must be marked before the site survey; a second survey or site approval is required if the house or other structures are not marked.

  “the house and any other planned construction (i.e. pole barn, swimming pool, deck, patio, geothermal system, etc) must be marked prior to the site survey or an additional site survey or site approval will be required.”

• Mandatory utility hookupWater (with conditions)

  New homes in the AR (agricultural-residential) district on unincorporated land inside Franklin township

  • Public water connection is required in the AR district; sanitary sewer is optional because the row allows either septic or sanitary sewer.
  • The rule as quoted does not state a distance-to-main test for when public water is 'available'.

  “87,120 square feet (2 acres) 100 feet 100 feet 35 feet 18 feet requires connection to public water may use either septic or sanitary sewer system”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Driveways serving new residential construction on unincorporated land inside Franklin township

  • Driveway locations are a site plan item only in the permit checklist; no separate driveway permit or access standard was located in the opened pages.
  • Setbacks from county right-of-way are also required on the site plan.

  “the location of all existing and proposed driveways”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Construction in the mapped floodplain or floodway on unincorporated land inside Franklin township

  • Floodway proposals require an Indiana Department of Natural Resources permit; the ordinance text opened covers the floodway branch.
  • Development must be designed and constructed to be reasonably safe from flooding and to prevent flotation, collapse or lateral movement.

  “under the provisions of ic 14-28-1 a permit for construction in a floodway from the indiana department of natural resources is required prior to the issuance of a local building permit for any excavation, deposit, construction, or obstruction activity located in the floodway.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Septic site survey fee for new construction on land inside Franklin township

  • Site survey fee waived for septic repair permits.
  • The septic permit fee quoted in a search snippet ($150) was not verified on an opened page and is not recorded here.
  • Building permit fees for the county were not located within budget.

  septic site survey fee: 50 USD (waived for septic repair permits)

  “an application for an on-site sewage system must be filled out and the $50.00 site survey fee paid.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Residential building permit applications on unincorporated land inside Franklin township

  • Applications may be submitted online or in person; paper submission by contacting the department by email or phone.
  • Permits are issued after review; the page lists required attachments.

  “applications are completed using a pdf document and can be submitted online or in person.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Published (with conditions) — On-site sewage permit process for new construction on land inside Franklin township

    “fchd will provide the homeowner with a minimum design specification sheet, which specifies the minimum requirements for a septic system and set-a-side area (if applicable) for the property. *this is not an approval.*”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from permits or licensing for homes inside Franklin township
• Building code adopted — Which residential building code applies to new construction inside Franklin township
• Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land on unincorporated Franklin township land
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land on unincorporated Franklin township land
• Tiny homes — Tiny home occupancy on unincorporated Franklin township land

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.