Bolthole Index

Hendricks County, Indiana

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in the Town of Danville, Indiana

Inside the Town of Danville, Indiana, the Town's own Building Department issues building permits for structural improvements1. The Town's Planning Department handles land use and zoning inside the town limits2. Septic permits for homes not on sewer come from the Hendricks County Health Department3. Rules for land outside town limits are on the Hendricks County page.

At a glance

Building permit
Required; issued by the Town of Danville Building Department1
Zoning
Town zoning ordinance applies inside Danville limits4
Zoning office
Town of Danville Planning Department2
Septic
Hendricks County Health Department, where a home is not on sewer35
Minimum home size (R1)
1,400 sq ft ground floor for one story; 1,200 sq ft for more than one story6
Minimum lot (R1)
13,500 sq ft and 90 ft wide7
Maximum lot coverage
50 percent in R1 and RE189

Who to call

Building permits

Town of Danville Building Department

Building permits for structural improvements inside Danville town limits, plan review and inspections

317-745-4180 ext. 3001

49 N Wayne St, Danville, IN 46122

Online permits →

Zoning

Town of Danville Planning Department (Development Services)

Zoning, rezoning, subdivision, site plans, variances through the Board of Zoning Appeals, and code enforcement inside Danville town limits

317-745-4180 ext. 1101

49 N Wayne St, Danville, IN 46122

Online permits →

Also useful

Town of Danville Utilities (Clerk-Treasurer)

Applications for Town water and sewage service

(317) 745-4180

[email protected]

49 N Wayne St, Danville, IN 46122

Septic permits

Hendricks County Health Department (Environmental Health)

Onsite sewage (septic) permits, plan review and inspections under 410 IAC 6-8.3, for addresses not on sanitary sewer

(317) 745-9217

355 S Washington St #G40, Danville, IN 46122

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Danville means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does the Town of Danville, Indiana have zoning?

Yes. The Town of Danville regulates land use inside its limits through its own zoning ordinance4, and the Town's Planning Department is responsible for the use and development of land within the town's incorporated limits2. The Town now lists a 2024 Unified Development Ordinance on its Development Services page2, so confirm current district standards with the Planning Department before relying on any figure below.

The older Danville zoning ordinance describes the R1 district as low-density single-family housing10. In R1, lots need at least 13,500 square feet and 90 feet of width7, and a one-story home needs at least 1,400 square feet of ground floor, or 1,200 square feet if it has more than one story6. In the RE1 estate district, lots need at least 22,000 square feet11, with front and rear yards of 30 feet and side yards of 15 feet12. Maximum lot coverage is 50 percent in both districts89.

Do you need a building permit in Danville, and who issues it?

Inside Danville, the Town of Danville Building Department issues building permits for all structural improvements to buildings or properties1. The Town lists new home construction among the projects that typically need one1. Hendricks County's building permit rules apply to unincorporated land, so a lot inside town limits goes to the Town's office, not the county counter.

Accessory structures, pools and fences cannot sit in an easement1. Depending on the project, Planning Department approvals may be needed before the Town issues a building permit2. Indiana law requires each unit of government to require compliance with the state building and fire-safety code13; we could not confirm whether Danville grants an owner-builder exemption, so ask the Building Department.

How do septic permits work inside Danville?

Septic permits in Hendricks County, Danville included, come from the Hendricks County Health Department, not the Town3. Indiana requires a written construction permit signed by the health officer for a home that will not be connected to a sanitary sewer5. Applications include a soils evaluation and written plans, and the health department must issue or deny the permit in writing within 30 days of a complete submittal5.

Many Danville lots may be on Town sewer; we could not confirm which streets are served. Ask the Town's Utilities office about water and sewage service14. Across Hendricks County, only about 0.6% of soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system if the lot needs septic15.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Danville?

We could not confirm what Danville's ordinance says about living in an RV, camping on a lot or placing a tiny home. Call the Planning Department at 317-745-4180 ext. 1101 before buying2.

Indiana's statewide campground rule does not answer the question: it covers campgrounds with ten or more campsites and excludes tracts divided into individually deeded lots16. A permanent home of any kind in RE1 or R1 also has to meet the minimum floor-area rules617.

Building a home in Danville: the steps, in order

  1. Call the Planning Department at 317-745-4180 ext. 1101 to confirm the lot's zoning district and whether the lot is in a corridor or overlay area2.
  2. Ask the Town's Utilities office whether sewer and water reach the lot14; if not, start a septic application with the Hendricks County Health Department5.
  3. Apply for planning approvals if the project needs them, then for the building permit through the Town's online permit portal, where the Town says processing can take up to 10 business days1.
  4. Check for a driveway onto a state highway, which needs an INDOT permit18.
  5. Schedule inspections through the Building Department1.

What stays with Hendricks County, and what to check before you buy

Septic permits and health-department inspections stay with the Hendricks County Health Department3. Floodway work needs state Department of Natural Resources approval, and a permanent residence may not be built in a floodway19. Land outside town limits follows the Hendricks County page.

County-level numbers: Hendricks County has about 458 people per square mile20, and the nearest city of 100,000 or more is about 20 miles from the county center21. The county's effective property tax rate is 0.8%22, and the typical home value is about $348,55923.

Watch-outs

  • The Town lists a 2024 Unified Development Ordinance, so lot-size and setback figures from the older ordinance may have changed; confirm with the Planning Department at 317-745-4180 ext. 11012.
  • Hendricks County's building and zoning rules apply to unincorporated land; inside Danville the Town's offices handle building permits and zoning12.

Sources

  1. Town of Danville Building Department (danvillein.gov)
  2. Town of Danville Planning Department (Development Services) (danvillein.gov)
  3. Hendricks County - Onsite Sewage Systems (2026 county census)
  4. Zoning Ordinance of Danville, Indiana (Town of Danville) (Town of Danville), quoted and re-checked
  5. Indiana Register: 410 IAC 6-8.3-53 Construction permits, quoted and re-checked
  6. Zoning Ordinance of Danville, Indiana (Town of Danville) (Town of Danville), quoted and re-checked
  7. Zoning Ordinance of Danville, Indiana (Town of Danville) (Town of Danville), quoted and re-checked
  8. Zoning Ordinance of Danville, Indiana (Town of Danville) (Town of Danville), quoted and re-checked
  9. Zoning Ordinance of Danville, Indiana (Town of Danville) (Town of Danville), quoted and re-checked
  10. Zoning Ordinance of Danville, Indiana (Town of Danville) (Town of Danville), quoted and re-checked
  11. Zoning Ordinance of Danville, Indiana (Town of Danville) (Town of Danville), quoted and re-checked
  12. Zoning Ordinance of Danville, Indiana (Town of Danville) (Town of Danville), quoted and re-checked
  13. DHS Code Enforcement FAQs (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  14. Town of Danville Utilities (Clerk-Treasurer) (danvillein.gov)
  15. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  16. Environmental Public Health: 410 IAC 6-71 Campgrounds (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Zoning Ordinance of Danville, Indiana (Town of Danville) (Town of Danville), quoted and re-checked
  18. INDOT Driveway Permit Guide 2024 (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  19. Water: Regulatory Programs, quoted and re-checked
  20. Population density: Bolthole Index county data
  21. Straight-line distance from the county center to the nearest city of 100,000+ people: Bolthole Index county data
  22. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  23. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data

Written October 24, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Town of Danville

Town of Danville’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside the Town of Danville, Indiana limits, which the Town's own Zoning Ordinance regulates.

    • Section 1.2 states the ordinance regulates land use 'within the jurisdiction of the town of danville'; the exact boundary and any extraterritorial reach were not verified.
    • Use and dimensional rules apply by zoning district; see the district claims.
    • The effective date and amendment history of the ordinance text were not stated in the portion read.
    “these regulations shall hereafter be known and cited as the zoning ordinance of danville, indiana.”
  • Zoning districtsPartial

    Zoning districts of the Town of Danville, Indiana

    • Districts confirmed so far: RC1 residential conservation (section 7.2), RE1 residential estate (section 7.3), and R1 residential 1 (section 7.4).
    • Other residential, business, office, industrial, and any agricultural districts were not verified in the sections read.
    “7.4 residential 1 district (r1) a. definition. the r1 district establishes areas for low density, singlefamily residences.”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Residential dwellings in the R1 residential 1 district inside Danville town

    • The minimum applies to ground floor area for residential uses only.
    • An accessory apartment has a separate 1,000 sq ft minimum ground floor area in this district.

    minimum ground floor area, one-story building: >= 1400 sq ft (residential uses only) · minimum ground floor area, building with more than one story: >= 1200 sq ft (residential uses only)

    “6. minimum ground floor area (for residential uses only) a) one story buildings: 1,400 square feet b) buildings with more than one story: 1,200 square feet”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Specified — Residential dwellings in the RE1 residential estate district inside Danville town
      “6. minimum ground floor area: a.) one story buildings: 1,800 square feet b.) buildings with more than one story: 1,500 square feet”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    R1 residential 1 district (main single-family district) inside Danville town

    • Minimum lot width is 90 feet.
    • Section 7.4 defines R1 density as two dwelling units or less per gross acre.

    minimum lot size: >= 13500 sq ft · minimum lot width: >= 90 ft

    “f. area and height regulations for permitted uses 1. minimum lot size: 13,500 square feet 2. minimum lot width: ninety (90) feet”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • SetbacksSpecified

    RE1 residential estate district inside Danville town (low-density, rural-residential type district)

    • Double-frontage and corner lots must meet the front yard depth on each street-facing yard.

    front yard depth: >= 30 ft · rear yard depth: >= 30 ft · side yard depth: >= 15 ft

    “4. minimum depth of rear yard: thirty (30) feet 5. minimum depth of side yard: fifteen (15) feet”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    R1 residential 1 district inside Danville town

    • Lot coverage counts principal and accessory buildings and structures (zoning ordinance section 2 definition).

    maximum lot coverage: <= 50 percent

    “7. maximum lot coverage: fifty percent (50%)”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Building heightSpecified

    R1 residential 1 district inside Danville town

    • Chimneys are excluded from the height limit under the same subsection.

    maximum building height: <= 35 ft (exclusive of chimneys)

    “8. maximum building height: thirty-five (35) feet, exclusive of chimneys.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Accessory dwellingsLimited

    Accessory apartments on lots in the RE1 residential estate district inside Danville town

    • Listed as a special exception, not a permitted use, under section 7.3(e).
    • Permitted uses need no board approval, while special exceptions need board of zoning appeals approval under section 4.2 of the ordinance (not quoted here).
    • The referenced section 4 rules for accessory apartments were not read.
    • Whether R1 and other districts allow accessory apartments was not verified.
    “e. special exceptions 1. accessory apartments subject to the regulations set forth in section 4.4.e of this ordinance.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision of land inside Danville town, where plats are approved by the Town Plan Commission

    • The zoning ordinance refers to a separate Danville subdivision control ordinance, which was not opened.
    • Dimensional and open-space requirements for subdivisions are in that separate ordinance.
    “the danville plan commission shall approve the measures taken for permanently preserving the conservation open space during plat approval in accordance with the danville subdivision control ordinance.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Building permit for new residential construction inside Danville town
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for a homeowner building their own home inside Danville town
  • Building code adopted — Building code adoption for construction inside Danville town
  • Inspections — Building inspections for new residential construction inside Danville town
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes inside Danville town
16 more unanswered
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees
  • Permit process

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Town of Danville publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Hendricks County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Hendricks County: county rules, score and offices