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

Rules another office applies inside Brown Township

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

• InspectionsRequired

  Inspections for construction inside Brown township (unincorporated Hancock County), performed by the Hancock County building department

  • The page states the building department performs all required inspections; the specific inspection schedule is not stated on the page.
  • Applies to unincorporated Hancock County, not to Spring Lake or Shirley.

  “the building department is responsible for issuing electrical, pool, sign, building permits, change of uses, and commercial projects and performing all required inspections.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Brown township, which is unincorporated Hancock County. County zoning under the Hancock County Unified Development Ordinance (Ordinance 2026-9A) applies because no Brown township zoning ordinance was located.

  • The county planning page says its jurisdiction includes unincorporated Hancock County and the towns of Spring Lake and Shirley, so Brown township falls under county planning.
  • The county planning page does not state that Brown township has adopted its own zoning; no Brown township zoning ordinance was located.
  • Ordinance 2026-9A is listed as effective 10/10/26 on the county recent-changes page. The UDO text was not readable within the research budget, so its district dimensions and use rules are not recorded here.

  “areas within our jurisdiction include unincorporated hancock county and the towns of spring lake and shirley.”

• Who permits septicCounty

  Septic systems for homes in Brown township, handled by the Hancock County health department's environmental division

  • The environmental division permits and inspects septic systems for the county; the page does not give a separate Brown township service boundary.
  • Indiana state septic rules may also apply; not checked within the research budget.

  “they inspect food establishments, public swimming pools, bed and breakfast facilities, tattoo parlors, private drainage tiles, and new septic system installation.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Installation of a new septic system serving a home in Brown township

  • The inspection timing and steps are not stated on the page; the county's septic application packet was not reachable within the research budget.

  “they inspect food establishments, public swimming pools, bed and breakfast facilities, tattoo parlors, private drainage tiles, and new septic system installation.”

• Permit processPartial

  Improvement of location permits for development in Brown township

  • The planning department issues improvement of location permits (ILPs) for all development; the application steps and documents were not opened.
  • Building permits are issued by the building department, which is a separate step.

  “it also issues improvement of location permits (ilps) for all development”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for building in Brown township
• Building code adopted — Which building code governs construction inside Brown township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes in Brown township
• Zoning districts — Zoning district map and district list covering Brown township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area in the main residential and agricultural districts of Brown 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.