Building permits, zoning and land rules in Harrison County, Indiana

Yes. Harrison County requires an Improvement Location Permit before construction, alterations or additions begin, and a sewage-disposal permit and road cut-in permit may be prerequisites¹. Harrison County also adopted Building Code Ordinance No. 2021-3, which the state commission approved in 2021⁴. Applicants must complete the building-permit application and submit it to the Planner's Office, which provides an online permit portal and plan-review checklist^2,9. The available county material does not establish that the same authority serves every incorporated municipality, so confirm jurisdiction with the Plan Commission before filing⁴.

The Harrison County Plan Commission handles Improvement Location Permits, building inspections, certificates of occupancy, zoning requests, subdivisions, address issuance and sign permits². The office is at 245 Atwood St. NE, Suite 215, Corydon, and the phone number is (812) 738-8927². Permit applications can be submitted through the county's online Permit Management Portal². Harrison County requires building inspections, and a manufactured or mobile home used as a residence must pass an inspection of its electrical, heating and plumbing systems before residential use¹. The complete certificate-of-occupancy requirement and current county building-permit fees could not be confirmed; ask the Plan Commission when discussing the permit sequence².

Yes. Harrison County has countywide zoning, an official zoning map and mapped zoning districts, and the Plan Commission processes rezoning, variance and special-exception requests^1,2. Minimum lot size, setbacks, lot coverage and building height all vary by zoning district, with additional conditions tied to such details as lot type, right-of-way width, subdivision lines, septic service and proposed use¹. Public wastewater can change residential minimum-lot standards, and major subdivisions must use public water¹⁰. Land divisions also follow different procedures for major, minor, private and exempt subdivisions¹⁰. Ask the Plan Commission to confirm the parcel's mapped district and dimensional table before choosing a building site^1,2.

Harrison County Environmental Health requires a permit for new residential septic construction and repairs³. The department needs the owner's contact information, soil report, completed application and a flagged site, and a severe site problem can prevent issuance³. New-construction permits cost $150 and repair permits cost $50³. County personnel inspect residential septic sites before construction and after installation, while commercial sites require state approval¹¹. Only about 14.8% of Harrison County soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so settle septic feasibility before fixing the house location¹². A homeowner may install a septic system after passing the county installer exam, but that does not establish an exemption from the building permit^6,7.

Harrison County's complete countywide rule for living in an RV on an individually owned parcel could not be confirmed; Indiana's campground rule does not answer residential occupancy on individually deeded land⁵. A manufactured or mobile home may be placed only in a district that permits a dwelling, requires an Improvement Location Permit, and must be inspected before residential use¹. A manufactured or mobile home with less than 320 square feet of living space cannot serve as a permanent residence in any Harrison County zoning district¹. That threshold does not establish a general minimum size or complete occupancy rule for every tiny-home type, so give the Plan Commission the parcel, unit type, foundation and proposed use before purchase^1,2.

1. Ask the Plan Commission to confirm the zoning district, permitted dwelling type, dimensional standards and permitting jurisdiction^1,2.

1. Secure the soil report and residential septic permit from Environmental Health before relying on a house location³.

1. Submit the Improvement Location Permit application and plan-review materials through the county portal before work begins^1,2,9.

1. Apply online to the Harrison County Highway Department for a county-road driveway permit, which has no fee; INDOT handles connections to state highways^8,13.

1. Obtain a county Floodplain Development Permit before work in an area of special flood hazard, with state floodway review where applicable^1,14.

1. Schedule the required building and septic inspections with the Plan Commission and Environmental Health^1,11.

Start with the parcel's zoning district, minimum lot size, setbacks, coverage limit and height limit because Harrison County varies each standard by district¹. Check septic feasibility early because only about 14.8% of county soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field¹². Confirm whether the tract is in a special flood-hazard area, where a county Floodplain Development Permit is required before development begins¹. Verify legal access and the correct road authority because county-road access requires a county driveway permit and state-highway connections require INDOT permission^8,13. Ask Environmental Health whether the parcel needs a private-well permit because the available statewide source does not identify Harrison County's local rule^15,16.