Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Mount Carmel, Indiana

Town of Mount Carmel’s own rules

• Building code adoptedPartial

  Structures inside Mount Carmel town limits

  • The adopted town code is the Property Maintenance Code for existing residential and nonresidential structures; it is not a new-construction building code.
  • Ordinance adopts Indiana Code 36-7-9 (Indiana Unsafe Building Law).

  “these regulations shall be known as the property maintenance code of the town of mount carmel, hereinafter referred to as "this code" and hereby adopts indiana code chapter 36-7-9, which establishes the indiana unsafe building law”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Mount Carmel

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

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts in the Franklin County Citizens Zoning and Subdivision Control Code (A-1, A-2, RE, R-1, R-2, R-3, LB, GB, PB, I-1, I-2, FP and U-D districts) as applied to land inside Mount Carmel town, to the extent the town has not adopted different rules

  • The code says town boards may waive portions or add zoning requirements by town ordinance within their jurisdictions; no Mount Carmel ordinance of that kind was found.
  • The 2012 town ordinance 14-2012 is cited in the code as changing some entries for the towns of Brookville, Cedar Grove, Mt. Carmel and Oldenburg.
  • Current status of pending 2026 amendments (ADU, data-center) was not confirmed.

  “town of brookville, oldenburg, mt. carmel and cedar grove, delete this section.”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Single-family homes in the A-1 agriculture district inside Mount Carmel town under the Franklin County zoning code

  • Two-story homes: 800 sq. ft. (1440 total) per the code text.

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

  “single-family homes: ​ 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 homes in the R-1 single-family residence district inside Mount Carmel town under the Franklin County zoning code

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

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R-1 single-family residence district land inside Mount Carmel town under the Franklin County zoning code

  • 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) per code text.

  minimum lot area (no sewer): >= 1 acre (larger if needed for septic fields) · minimum lot area (sewer used): >= 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 — A-1 agriculture district land inside Mount Carmel town under the Franklin County zoning code

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

• SetbacksSpecified

  A-1 agriculture district land inside Mount Carmel town under the Franklin County zoning code

  • Side yard is 10% of minimum lot width.
  • Front, side and rear minimums as stated; see section 80.08 for additional yard and setback requirements.

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

  “5. minimum depth of front yard: ​ 50 feet 11 section 80.01.01 a-i agriculture district 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 — R-1 single-family residence district land inside Mount Carmel town under the Franklin County zoning code

    “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

  A-1 agriculture district land inside Mount Carmel town under the Franklin County zoning code

  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 — R-1 single-family residence district land inside Mount Carmel town under the Franklin County zoning code

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

• Building heightSpecified

  A-1 agriculture district land inside Mount Carmel town under the Franklin County zoning code

  • See section 80.08 for additional height requirements.

  maximum building height: <= 35 feet

  “8. maximum building height:​ 35 feet 9. see section 80.08 additional requirements, including yard and setback, height”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Recreational vehicles parked or stored in the open on residential property inside Mount Carmel town under the Franklin County zoning code; this is a storage limit, not a rule permitting RV living

  • One additional RV may be permitted for visitation not to exceed thirty days in any one year.
  • RV wheels may not be removed except for repairs, and RVs may not be otherwise permanently fixed to the ground.

  recreational vehicles parked or stored in the open on a residential property: <= 2 vehicles (one additional for visitation up to 30 days per 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 or mobile home as a permitted use in the A-1 agriculture district inside Mount Carmel town under the Franklin County zoning code

  • Subject to district standards and the county's flood-plain rules; manufactured homes in the special flood hazard area must meet elevation and anchoring standards.

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

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Allowed — Manufactured home as a permitted use in the R-1 single-family residence district inside Mount Carmel town under the Franklin County zoning code

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

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Farm use and agricultural buildings inside Mount Carmel town under the Franklin County zoning code

  • Barns and agricultural buildings are still subject to zoning and flood plain requirements and need an improvement location permit.
  • For farm use, the code lists a class 3 hearing requirement for the towns of Brookville, Cedar Grove, Mt. Carmel and Oldenburg under ordinance 14-2012, subject to restrictive town livestock ordinances.

  “barns and other agricultural buildings are still subject zoning and flood plain requirements, but are exempt from the building code pursuant to indiana law.”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Driveways on lots inside Mount Carmel town under the Franklin County zoning code's sight-line rules

  • Applies to driveways near street intersections; vision sight lines also apply within ten feet of a driveway edge.

  minimum distance from street intersection: >= 40 feet

  “no driveway shall be located within forty (40) feet of the intersection of two street lines.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permit for new residential construction inside Mount Carmel town
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for a home inside Mount Carmel town
• Inspections — Building inspections for new homes inside Mount Carmel town
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes inside Mount Carmel town
• Local zoning — Land inside Mount Carmel town limits: whether the town adopts and administers 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.