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

Rules another office applies inside Center Township

Center 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

  Unincorporated land in Center township: new structures, additions, HVAC, remodels, pools, decks and roof work

  • The Area Plan page says the cities of Marion and Gas City issue their own permits; inside a city, call that city's building department.
  • The FAQ lists the work that requires a permit; accessory structures over 120 square feet also need a permit from the Area Plan.
  • Permits are issued as improvement location permits (ILPs) in Grant County per the FAQ.

  “if you answer yes to any of the following questions, you do need a permit: is it a new structure (principal or accessory building)?”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  New residential construction in unincorporated Center township, Grant County (state residential code as applied by the county Area Plan)

  • The county Area Plan uses the Indiana residential code as the basis for building inspections; the county has not been shown to adopt a separate residential code.

  “on december 26th, 2019, indiana adopted the 2018 international residential code (irc), which can be found as the 2020 indiana residential code (irc)”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted projects in unincorporated Center township

  • Inspections are scheduled with Area Plan staff; the FAQ asks for 24 hours' advance notice.

  “inspect projects associated with all permits issued according to current local and state building codes.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Completed projects in unincorporated Center township that need a permit (swimming pools are named explicitly)

  • The FAQ says a pool needs a certificate of occupancy before use and that fines are assessed for use without one.

  “a certificate of occupancy (or coo) is issued at the completion of a project following a final inspection by the area plan staff”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Unincorporated land in Center township, Grant County, Indiana: the county-adopted Grant County Areawide Zoning Ordinance (county rule, not a township ordinance). Land inside the cities of Marion and Gas City is outside this county ordinance.

  • The Area Plan page states that the cities of Marion and Gas City issue their own permits and that the Area Plan has planning jurisdiction over the listed towns and unincorporated Grant County.
  • Whether Center township land falls inside a city or town limit must be confirmed on the county GIS or with the Area Plan office at (765) 668-4765.

  “these regulations, together with all future amendments, shall be known as the “grant county areawide zoning ordinance””

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Front yard setback for most properties in agricultural or suburban areas of unincorporated Center township (agricultural district figure)

  • The FAQ says this applies to most properties; the district-by-district figures in the ordinance were not read.
  • Town-setting front yards are 15 to 25 feet depending on zoning.

  front yard setback (agricultural/suburban): 30 feet (for most properties; town settings 15-25 ft)

  “front yard setback - 30' in agricultural or suburban areas; 15' to 25' in town settings (depending on zoning)”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Side and rear setbacks for most properties in unincorporated Center township

    “side yard setbacks - 10% of front yard width with a minimum of 5' and a maximum of 25'”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Parking or storing a recreational vehicle on a residential or rural lot in unincorporated Center township

  • Occupancy is limited to temporary use of no more than ten days in any six-month period.
  • The equipment may not be hooked to utilities, sewage, septic or water unless in a recreational vehicle park.
  • The equipment may not be attached to decks, porches, dwellings or other structures.
  • Applies to residential and rural districts under the county zoning ordinance.

  temporary occupancy limit: <= 10 days (per any six-month period)

  “temporary occupancy is permitted, but shall not exceed ten days in any six-month period.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Septic systems and leach fields on land in unincorporated Center township (county health department; not the Area Plan)

  • The Area Plan FAQ routes septic and leach-field questions to the county health department; the health department's own service-area language was not read.

  “please contact the county health department at (765) 651-2401 ext. 3155.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Dividing land into lots in unincorporated Center township (county subdivision ordinance)

  • The Area Plan Commission has authority to adopt subdivision regulations; the subdivision ordinance text was not read.

  “enforce ordinances including the zoning and subdivision ordinances, as well as the ordinances for animal feeding operations, wind energy conversions, and wireless facilities.”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Development in mapped floodplains and floodways in unincorporated Center township

  • Construction in floodways is generally prohibited.
  • Floodplain construction must meet specific standards; the county flood damage prevention ordinance was linked but not opened.

  “construction today is generally prohibited in floodways. construction in floodplains is discouraged and needs to be built to specific standards for a property owner to get federally backed flood insurance from the federal emergency management agency (fema).”

• Permit processPartial

  Permit application process for unincorporated Center township

  • Some permits (roofs, electrical hookups) can be obtained by phone; the FAQ says only credit or debit cards are accepted for phone requests.
  • Contractors must provide a contract or owner letter before a permit is issued to them.
  • A new online permit system was announced; the office page says contractor registration is available online.

  “you can get permits for roofs and electrical hookups over the phone.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption for unincorporated Center township
• Zoning districts — Zoning district map and list for unincorporated Center township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size in the main residential district of unincorporated Center township
• Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size in the residential and agricultural districts of unincorporated Center township
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage limit in unincorporated Center 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.