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

Rules another office applies inside Whitewater Township

Whitewater 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

  New buildings and structural alterations on unincorporated land inside Whitewater township (applies inside Whitewater township)

  • A county building permit is signed by the building inspector and certifies compliance with the building code.
  • An improvement location permit is issued by the county executive director and is required before excavation or erection of a building (see permit_process claim).
  • The improvement location permit cannot issue until septic and water standards are met (see septic_permit claim).

  improvement location permit fee: 30 USD (for each application for an improvement location permit or for a temporary improvement location permit)

  “no improvement location permit shall be issued for excavation or for the erection, reconstruction or structural alteration of any building, before application has been made for a certificate of occupancy.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  One- and two-family dwellings built inside Whitewater township under the Indiana Residential Code

  • The state rule adopts the 2020 Indiana Residential Code as a model code with incorporated Indiana amendments.
  • The rule's listed applicable date is 12/26/2019 for the 2018 international residential code base, as shown on the rule table.
  • Franklin County's building inspector enforces the building code (county code section 80.13 definitions).

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

  “675 iac 14-4.4 2020 indiana residential code free access (model code with incorporated amendments) 2018 international residential code for one- and two-family dwellings, first printing currently in effect effective: 12/26/2019”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Changes of use and new use of buildings on unincorporated land inside Whitewater township (applies inside Whitewater township)

  • A change in the use of land (except agricultural use) or of a building requires a certificate of occupancy first.
  • The certificate of occupancy is defined as constructive notice that use complies with the county code.
  • An improvement location permit for excavation or erection of a building requires an application for a certificate of occupancy first.

  certificate of occupancy fee: 20 USD (for each application for a certificate of occupancy)

  “no change shall be made in the use of land (except an agricultural use) or in the use of any building or part thereof, now or hereafter erected, reconstructed or structurally altered, without a certificate of occupancy having been issued”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Unincorporated land inside Whitewater township, Franklin County, Indiana. Whitewater township is not one of the incorporated towns the county code names, so the county zoning code applies there. This is county zoning, not a township ordinance.

  • No Whitewater township zoning ordinance was found; the county code governs unless the township adopts its own.
  • Parcels in the wd whitewater river scenic district or the f-p flood plain zone carry extra limits.
  • The code's jurisdiction clause names the unincorporated territory and the listed towns; Whitewater township is not among the listed towns.

  “the unincorporated territory within franklin county, indiana, and the territory within the towns of laurel, cedar grove, mount carmel, oldenburg, and brookville, indiana, the boundaries of which are shown on the zone map, dated 1988, as amended, which includes all of the area over which this chapter is effective.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts for unincorporated land in Whitewater township

  • Fifteen named districts apply, including 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 and U-D.
  • The zone map is part of the code; which district applies to a parcel depends on the zone map.

  “is hereby classified and divided into fifteen (15) districts with the following names and designations:”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  R-1 single-family residence district lots in unincorporated Whitewater township

  • Where no sewer is utilized the lot must be 1 acre or larger if needed for two septic fields.
  • Where sewer is utilized the minimum is 10,000 sq ft (from the same subsection; not captured as a quotation).

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

  “minimum lot area: 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

  • District specific (with conditions) — A-1 prime agriculture district lots in unincorporated Whitewater township; the A-2 secondary agriculture and R-E recreational districts share the A-1 requirements per the code note

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

• Living in an RVLimited

  Recreational vehicles parked or stored in the open on residential property in unincorporated Whitewater township (applies inside Whitewater township)

  • Parking or storage in the open is allowed under the county code's conditions; the recreational vehicle definition is for temporary living quarters, not a permanent dwelling.
  • One additional recreational vehicle may be permitted for visitation up to thirty days in any one year.
  • In any district the wheels of a recreational vehicle may not be removed except for repairs, and the vehicle may not be permanently fixed to the ground.

  recreational vehicles parked or stored in the open on residential property: <= 2 vehicles (one additional such vehicle may be permitted for visitation not to exceed 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.”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Private land inside the wd whitewater river scenic district overlay in unincorporated Whitewater township; only where the parcel is in that overlay. No general camping allowance for other parcels was found.

  • Non-commercial personal camping only.
  • The private camping facility must be totally removed at the end of the May 1 through October 31 season.
  • Business or commercial enterprises may not be located within 150 feet of the water's edge in the scenic district.

  “nothing in this section shall preclude the use of a private landowner's property for temporary, non-commercial, personal camping usage within the whitewater river scenic district, as long as the private camping facility is totally removed at the end of the may 1 through october 31 season.”

• Manufactured homesAllowed

  Manufactured homes used as single-family dwellings in the A-1 prime agriculture and R-1 residential districts in unincorporated Whitewater township (applies inside Whitewater township)

  • Permanent manufactured or mobile home use is subject to further provisions in section 80.08.07 paragraph b.
  • Mobile home parks are a conditional use under section 80.06.04.
  • Which district applies to a given parcel depends on the zone map.

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

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Sewer, septic and water rules for land inside Whitewater township (applies inside Whitewater township)

  • The county code assigns sewer, septic and water regulation to the Franklin County Health Department and to other current state and federal regulations.
  • The health department's own septic rules were not opened, so the health department's permit steps are unverified.

  “sewer, septic, and water regulations shall be per franklin county health department, and all other current state and federal regulations.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New improvements needing an improvement location permit on unincorporated land inside Whitewater township (applies inside Whitewater township)

  • The health officer must confirm the sewage disposal system and water supply meet minimum standards before the improvement location permit is approved.
  • Where two septic fields are required, the existing two sites may not be disturbed by a permanent improvement unless a third site is approved by the health department (section 80.08.09 paragraph b).

  “an application for an improvement location permit for any use shall not be approved until it has been ascertained by the executive director that the proposed use meets the minimum standards for a sewage disposal system and water supply system as required by the health officer.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Whether owner-builders may pull permits for their own home in unincorporated Whitewater township
• Inspections — Routine residential building inspections on unincorporated land inside Whitewater township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum floor area of a single-family home in unincorporated Whitewater township
• Tiny homes — Occupancy of a tiny home as a dwelling in unincorporated Whitewater township
• Accessory dwellings — Second dwelling on a residential lot (e.g., family care unit) in unincorporated Whitewater 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.