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

Rules another office applies inside Bath Township

Bath 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

  Building permits for construction inside Bath township, which is unincorporated Franklin County territory served by the Franklin County Area Plan Commission & Building Department

  • Covers all construction in the county except Batesville Corporation; Bath township is not Batesville Corporation.
  • Construction may proceed only after the permit is issued.
  • Zoning improvement location permit is also required for any structure or change of land use (second evidence item).

  “the area plan commission & building department issues building permits, administers zoning regulations, and conducts building inspections for all construction in the county except for batesville corporation.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  New Class 2 dwellings and their accessory structures in every location in Indiana, including Bath township

  • Applies to Class 2 structures and their accessory structures per the DHS circular.
  • Local units of government must require compliance with the code (IC 36-7-2-9, as cited in the circular).

  code edition: 2020 Indiana Residential Code (675 IAC 14-4.4)

  “since that date, the 2020 indiana residential code has been in full force and effect in every location within the state of indiana.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Building inspections for construction inside Bath township, conducted by the Franklin County Area Plan Commission & Building Department

  • Covers all construction in the county except Batesville Corporation.
  • Inspection scope and frequency for residential work were not opened.

  “the area plan commission & building department issues building permits, administers zoning regulations, and conducts building inspections for all construction in the county except for batesville corporation.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zone districts for unincorporated Franklin County under the Area Plan Commission zoning code, which covers Bath township absent its own zoning

  • Fifteen districts: A-1, A-2, R-E, R-1, R-2, R-3, L-B, P-B, G-B, I-1, I-2, F-P, H-D, W-D, U-D.
  • Towns that have their own zoning are excluded; Batesville Corporation is excluded.

  “for zoning purposes, the territory within the jurisdiction of the franklin county plan commission is hereby classified and divided into fifteen (15) districts with the following names and designations:”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Single-family dwellings on land zoned A-1 Prime Agriculture in unincorporated Franklin County, including Bath township parcels zoned A-1

  • Figures are minimum ground floor areas stated in the county code, amended by ordinance # 2014-19 passed 11/24/2014.
  • Town-specific overrides in Brookville, Cedar Grove, Mt. Carmel and Oldenburg do not apply in Bath township.

  minimum ground floor area, one story: >= 900 sq ft · minimum ground floor area, two story: >= 800 sq ft (1440 total square feet)

  “one story: 900 sq. ft. (ordinance # 2014-19, passed on 11/24/2014). two story: 800 sq. ft. (1440 total)”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Single-family dwellings on land zoned R-1 single-family residence in unincorporated Franklin County, including Bath township parcels zoned R-1

    “single-family homes: one story: 1440 sq. ft. two story:800 sq. ft.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Lots on land zoned R-1 single-family residence in unincorporated Franklin County, including Bath township parcels zoned R-1

  • Where no sewer is utilized, 1 acre or larger if needed for septic fields; where sewer is utilized, 10,000 sq. ft. (amended by ordinance #2023-21 passed 11/1/2023).
  • Minimum lot width is 150 feet where septic is used and 100 feet where common sewer is used.

  minimum lot area, no sewer: >= 1 acre (or larger if needed for septic fields) · minimum lot area, sewer utilized: >= 10000 sq ft (where sewer is utilized)

  “where no sewer is utilized: 1 acre, or larger if needed for 1 2 septic fields (ordinance #2023-21 passed 11/1/2023) where sewer is utilized: 10,000 sq. ft.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Lots on land zoned A-1 Prime Agriculture in unincorporated Franklin County, including Bath township parcels zoned A-1

    “1. minimum lot area: 1 acre, or larger if needed for 1 2 septic fields where no sewer is utilized. (ordinance #2023-21 passed 11/1/2023)”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Yards on land zoned A-1 Prime Agriculture in unincorporated Franklin County, including Bath township parcels zoned A-1

  • Section 80.08.03 yard and setback requirements apply in addition and were not opened.
  • Barns and agricultural buildings still need an improvement location permit and must meet zoning setbacks.

  minimum front yard depth: >= 50 feet · minimum side yard width: >= 10 percent of minimum lot width · minimum rear yard depth: >= 15 feet

  “6. minimum width of side yard: 10% of minimum lot width 7. minimum depth of rear yard: 15 feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Yards on land zoned R-1 single-family residence in unincorporated Franklin County, including Bath township parcels zoned R-1

    “5. required yards: minimum depth of front yard: 35 feet minimum width of side yard: 10% of minimum lot width minimum depth of rear yard: 15 feet”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Lot coverage on land zoned A-1 Prime Agriculture in unincorporated Franklin County, including Bath township parcels zoned A-1

  • Maximum lot coverage 20 percent of the lot.

  maximum lot coverage: <= 20 percent of lot

  “4. maximum lot coverage: ​ 20% of lot 5. minimum depth of front yard: ​ 50 feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Lot coverage on land zoned R-1 single-family residence in unincorporated Franklin County, including Bath township parcels zoned R-1

    “4. maximum lot coverage: ​ 25% of lot 5. required yards: minimum depth of front yard: ​ 35 feet”

• Building heightSpecified

  Building height on land zoned A-1 Prime Agriculture in unincorporated Franklin County, including Bath township parcels zoned A-1

  • Maximum building height 35 feet per the A-1 district text. The R-1 height limit was not stated in the opened text and remains open (see followups).

  maximum building height: <= 35 feet

  “7. minimum depth of rear yard:​ 15 feet 8. maximum building height:​ 35 feet”

• Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)

  Manufactured or mobile home used as a single-family dwelling on land zoned A-1 Prime Agriculture in unincorporated Franklin County; applies to Bath township parcels only if the parcel is zoned A-1 (zone map not opened)

  • Permitted use in A-1 subject to the county code's general and mobile-home standards in section 80.08.07, which was not opened.
  • Dimensional rules for the district apply.

  “1. agricultural use 2. single-family dwelling 3. manufactured or mobile home”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Allowed (with conditions) — Manufactured home used as a single-family dwelling on land zoned R-1 single-family residence in unincorporated Franklin County; applies to Bath township parcels only if the parcel is zoned R-1 (zone map not opened)

    “(a) permitted uses. 1. agricultural use. 2. single family dwelling. 3. manufactured home.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Division of land into subdivisions in unincorporated Franklin County, including Bath township

  • Subdivisions must have approval by the Area Plan Commission (section 80.10.02).
  • Evidence is the table-of-contents entry for section 80.10.02; the body text of section 80.10 was not opened.

  “80.10.02 subdivisions must have approval by the apc”

• Permit processPartial

  Permit and land-use petition process run by the Area Plan Commission & Building Department for construction in Bath township

  • The office page describes the office and petition types but not the step-by-step permit procedure or fees; the improvement location permit procedure is in section 80.11.04, which was not opened.
  • Petitions for variances, conditional uses, rezones and subdivisions go through the APC and BZA.

  “our office also accepts petitions for the area plan commission and the board of zoning appeals for variances, conditional uses, rezones, and subdivisions.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for a homeowner building a home inside Bath township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for a new home inside Bath township
• Local zoning — Whether Bath township itself has adopted a zoning ordinance for land inside its limits
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Bath township
• Tiny homes — Occupancy of a tiny home inside Bath township

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.