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

Rules another office applies inside Ervin Township

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

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Residential on-site sewage disposal systems (septic) on land inside Ervin township, Howard County, Indiana. The county, not the township, is the rule-maker; the county rule covers the whole county, including Ervin township.

  • The county residential sewage ordinance states it regulates residential sewage disposal systems 'in the county'; whether it reaches parcels inside any incorporated city or town within Ervin township was not checked.
  • Permits are handled by the Howard County Health Department, 120 East Mulberry Street, Kokomo, IN 46901-4657, per its homeowner OSDS checklist.
  • The Ervin township official site does not mention septic rules.

  “this chapter regulates the location, installation, construction, maintenance and replacement of all residential sewage disposal systems in the county”

• Septic permitRequired

  New or replacement residential on-site sewage disposal system (septic) on land inside Ervin township, Howard County, Indiana

  • Only approved subdivisions and/or a legal lot of record may apply for septic permits or receive guidelines.
  • Process: homeowner obtains the application packet; a certified soil scientist performs the soil evaluation with borings in the absorption field; the health department issues minimum system specifications; a contractor licensed in Howard County is selected; a site plan, system design sheet, plat plan and elevations are submitted; the permit is issued or denied on a first-in, first-out basis.
  • The checklist lists a new-construction fee of $200 'as of march 1, 2004' and is marked rev 01-09; that fee is not verified as current and was not confirmed against the county fee schedule in the code.

  “only approved subdivisions and/or a legal lot of record may apply for septic permits or receive guidelines”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Installation of a residential on-site sewage disposal system (septic) on land inside Ervin township, Howard County, Indiana

  • The installer must notify the health department before completion and allow the stated working days so an inspection can be scheduled before any part of the system is covered.
  • The homeowner remains responsible for installation according to code, including a final soil cover of at least 12 inches.
  • The checklist is marked rev 01-09; its procedure was not checked against the current county code.

  installer notice before inspection: >= 2 working days

  “the installer should notify the health department prior to completion of the system installation, and is required to allow 2 working days, so that an inspection may be scheduled and completed prior to covering any part of the system.”

• Permit processPartial

  Septic (on-site sewage) permit process only, for land inside Ervin township, Howard County, Indiana. No building-permit process was found.

  • The checklist is a homeowner guideline; it says 'this sheet is only a guideline' and that there may be more steps for some lots.

  “this sheet is only a guideline a there may be more steps involved for some since every lot is different”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — New residential construction inside Ervin township, Howard County, Indiana
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction of a home inside Ervin township, Howard County, Indiana
• Building code adopted — New residential construction inside Ervin township, Howard County, Indiana
• Inspections — New residential construction inside Ervin township, Howard County, Indiana
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of a new home inside Ervin township, Howard County, Indiana

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.