Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Laurel, Indiana

Rules another office applies inside Town of Laurel

Town of Laurel 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

  Erecting, altering or placing a structure, or changing land use, inside the Town of Laurel (county zoning jurisdiction includes the town of Laurel). This is a zoning improvement location permit issued by the county executive director; it is not shown to be a building-code permit.

  • Improvement location permit is issued by the county executive director of the Franklin County area planning and zoning commission.
  • The county code states that the town boards may add zoning requirements by town ordinance, and that enforcement of any zoning beyond the county code is the town's responsibility. No Laurel town-adopted requirement was located.
  • Whether a separate building permit is required under the Indiana building code was not established.

  “g. improvement location permits. no structure may be erected, altered or placed, or no use of land may be changed, unless an improvement location permit has been obtained from the executive director”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts that apply to land inside the Town of Laurel under the county code

  • Districts are catalogued in the county code; the R-1 and A-1 districts were read in detail.
  • Overlay districts such as HD and WD apply only where mapped; whether they reach Laurel was not established.

  “section 80.03.04: r-1 single-family residence district this district, although very suitable for agricultural uses in many locations”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Single-family homes in the R-1 single-family residence district on land inside the Town of Laurel

  • Where no sewer is utilized: 1 acre, or larger if needed for 1 2 septic fields.
  • Where sewer is utilized: 10,000 sq. ft.
  • The lot-area text was amended by ordinance #2023-21 passed 11/1/2023 (the septic-field language).

  minimum lot area, no sewer: >= 1 acre (or larger if needed for 1 2 septic fields; applies where no sewer is utilized) · minimum lot area, sewer utilized: >= 10000 sq ft (where 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 — Agricultural A-1 district land inside the Town of Laurel (A-1 applies in the unincorporated county and in the town of Laurel per the county code)

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

• Living in an RVLimited

  Parking or storing recreational vehicles on residential property inside the Town of Laurel (county zoning code applies there; Laurel is not one of the towns with its own mobile-home and RV rule in section 80.08.07)

  • Storage or parking of recreational vehicles in the open is allowed only under the stated conditions.
  • One additional recreational vehicle may be permitted for visitation for up to thirty days a year, under the same section.
  • This section governs parking and storage, not occupancy as a dwelling; RV dwelling use under the county code was not located.

  maximum recreational vehicles parked or stored in the open on a residential property: <= 2 vehicles (one additional vehicle may be permitted for visitation not exceeding thirty days in any one year)

  “not more than two recreational vehicles will be permitted to be parked or stored in the open on a residential property at any one time; provided, however, that one additional such vehicle may be permitted for visitation not to exceed thirty days in any one year.”

• Manufactured homesAllowed

  Manufactured home as a single-family dwelling in the R-1 single-family residence district on land inside the Town of Laurel

  • Permitted use subject to the R-1 minimum lot area (1 acre, or 10,000 sq. ft. where sewer is used) and other district requirements.
  • Section 80.08.07 has additional mobile-home and manufactured-home provisions that were not all read.

  “2. single family dwelling. 3. manufactured home. 4. additional uses set forth in section 80.05”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Septic, sewer and water systems on land inside the Town of Laurel (county zoning jurisdiction includes the town of Laurel)

  • Regulations are those of the Franklin County Health Department and other current state and federal regulations.
  • Septic and well regulations apply to wind and solar energy systems as well, under the county code.

  “sewer, septic, and water regulations shall be per franklin county health department”

• Agricultural exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

  Farm and agricultural buildings inside the Town of Laurel (county zoning jurisdiction includes Laurel); farm houses and farm dwellings are not included in the exemption

  • Available only where agriculture is pursued for commercial gain.
  • Barns and agricultural buildings still need an improvement location permit and must meet zoning and floodplain requirements.
  • The exemption does not apply to farm houses and farm dwellings, including dwellings for the farm owner, operator or farm assistants.

  “where agriculture is pursued for commercial gain, farming operations are exempt from the restrictions and regulations of the building code. this exemption for farms does not apply to farm houses and farm dwellings”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdividing land inside the Town of Laurel (the county Zoning and Subdivision Control Code covers the town)

  • Primary and secondary plats are reviewed through the county process.
  • Detailed subdivision standards were not read.

  “review applications or petitions for: improvement location permits; zone map change; primary plat; secondary plat”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Development inside special flood hazard areas (SFHA) within the jurisdiction that includes the Town of Laurel

  • Applies to special flood hazard areas, not to all land.
  • Permit required for SFHA work; a violation exists if a permit is not obtained or its conditions are not met.
  • Violations carry a fine up to $2,500 per the ordinance, with a separate offense each day.

  maximum fine per violation: <= 2500 USD (each day a violation continues is a separate offense)

  “failure to obtain a floodplain development permit in the sfha or failure to comply with the requirements of a floodplain development permit or conditions of a variance shall be deemed to be a violation of this ordinance.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for a home inside Laurel town
• Building code adopted — Building code adoption for new homes inside Laurel town
• Inspections — Building inspections for new homes inside Laurel town
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for a new home inside Laurel town
• Local zoning — Land inside Laurel town limits: whether Laurel town adopted its own zoning ordinance

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.