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

Rules another office applies inside Butler Township

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

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Butler township outside the incorporated towns of Brookville, Oldenburg, Mt. Carmel and Cedar Grove (county zoning applies where Butler township has not adopted its own; Butler's own status is not verified in the claim above)

  • The county code states the county zoning code regulates land within the jurisdiction of the Franklin County Area Plan Commission.
  • Incorporated towns may waive portions of the county code or add requirements within their own jurisdictions; Butler township is not an incorporated town, so the county code is the rule cited here.
  • Township-level zoning adoption was not verified; confirm with the Area Plan Commission before relying on county zoning for a specific parcel.

  “the town boards may, within their respective jurisdictions, waive any portion of this ordinance or add additional zoning requirements by virtue of town ordinances.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts applying to unincorporated land in Franklin County, including land inside Butler township under the county code

  • Fifteen districts: A-1 prime agriculture, A-2 secondary agriculture, R-E recreation, R-1 single-family, R-2 single-family and two-family, R-3 multi-family, L-B local business, P-B planned business, G-B general business, I-1 enclosed industrial, I-2 open industrial, F-P flood plain overlay, H-D historic district overlay, W-D Whitewater river scenic overlay, U-D unit development.

  “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

  A-1 prime agriculture district, unincorporated Franklin County including Butler township

  • Minimum ground floor area is 900 sq ft for a one-story home and 800 sq ft for a two-story home (1440 sq ft total).

  minimum ground floor area, one-story single-family: >= 900 sq ft (two-story: 800 sq ft (1440 total))

  “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 — R-1 single-family residence district, unincorporated Franklin County including Butler township

    “(i) brookville one story 1,000 sq. ft. for 1 story.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  A-1 prime agriculture district, unincorporated Franklin County including Butler township

  • Lot must be larger than one acre if needed for two septic fields where no sewer is utilized (the code's text reads '1 2 septic fields').

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

  “1 acre, or larger if needed for 1 2 septic fields where no sewer is utilized.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-1 single-family residence district, unincorporated Franklin County including Butler township

    “where sewer is utilized: ​ 10,000 sq. ft.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  A-1 prime agriculture district, unincorporated Franklin County including Butler township

  • Side yard is 10% of minimum lot width; rear yard 15 feet; see Section 80.08 for additional yard and setback requirements.

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

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

• Lot coverageSpecified

  A-1 prime agriculture district, unincorporated Franklin County including Butler township

  maximum lot coverage: <= 20 % of lot

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

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-1 single-family residence district, unincorporated Franklin County including Butler township

    “4. maximum lot coverage: ​ 25% of lot 5. required yards”

• Building heightSpecified

  A-1 prime agriculture district, unincorporated Franklin County including Butler township

  • See Section 80.08 for additional height requirements.

  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 as a permitted use in the A-1 district, unincorporated Franklin County including Butler township

  • Requires the improvement location permit and the county's septic/lot-size rules (1 acre minimum where no sewer is utilized) and setbacks.
  • Subject to the county's zoning and flood plain requirements.

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

• Permit processPartial

  Permit process for construction inside Butler township, handled by the county Area Plan Commission & Building Department

  • A location improvement application is required for any structure; the page lists applications for accessory buildings, single-family dwellings, commercial buildings, variances, conditional uses and subdivisions.
  • Process steps (plan review, sequence, timelines) are not published on the page; only the application list and fees.

  “location improvement application (required for any structure)”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction in Butler township
• Building code adopted — Building code applied to construction in Butler township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes in Butler township
• Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land in unincorporated Franklin County including Butler township
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land in unincorporated Franklin County including Butler 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.