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

Rules another office applies inside Union Township

Union 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

  New construction, alteration or extension of buildings in unincorporated Union township (outside Kokomo, Russiaville and Greentown), under the county building-regulations section

  • Applies to work with a contract price or estimated cost of more than $100 (plumbing, electrical, heating, ventilation and air conditioning work are included in the same sentence).
  • Under § 150.05(d) no permit is required for painting or other cosmetic repair or maintenance where the building is not altered or extended.
  • Permit is issued by the building commissioner after written submittal and approval.
  • Compiled code text; current amendment status not verified.

  “prior to the construction of any building, structure, dwelling or any part thereof, no extension, repair or alteration of any existing building, no plumbing, no electrical work, no heating work, no ventilation work, nor air conditioning work having a contract price or estimated cost of more than $100 shall be started until a statement in writing of the work proposed to be done shall first be submitted by the contractor or individual in charge of the work to and approved by the building commissioner, and a permit issued by him or her for the proposed construction, alteration, repair or extension work.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Required — Improvement location permit (ILP) for new homes and other improvements on land in unincorporated Union township, Howard County

    “improvement location permit information required for kokomo and howard county, indiana note: property owner's signature is required for all permit applications.”

• Zoning districtsPartial

  Howard County zoning districts that govern unincorporated land in Union township

  • Districts named in county records include AG (agricultural), RR (rural residential), IA (intense agricultural), R-1, C-1, C-2 and PR (parks and recreation).
  • The county zoning ordinance text is adopted by reference at Code § 153.01 (Ord. 1981-9, as amended); the district schedule and zoning map were not located in the compiled code or on the county site, so district boundaries are not confirmed.

  “changing the zoning classification for property described as part of the southeast quarter of section 12, township 22 north, range 5 east, union township, at 11678 east 200 south greentown, from ag (agricultural) to rr (rural residential).”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  New lot approval in the RR (rural residential) district in unincorporated Union township

  • The lot must also meet all other ordinance standards.
  • Checklist footer dated 6/8/2011; no effective date stated.

  minimum lot area (RR): 1 acre · minimum lot width (RR): >= 120 feet · minimum public street frontage (RR): >= 50 feet (access from the public street)

  “approval of a new lot in rural residential districts requires: a. the lot contain 1 acre; 120 feet minimum lot width with 50 feet on a public street with access from said public street.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — New lot approval in the AG (agricultural) district in unincorporated Union township

    “approval of a new lot in ag, agricultural districts requires: a. the lot contain at least 20 acres or b. the lot contain at least one acre and 19 acres of contiguous permanent conservation easement.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  On-site sewage system permitting and approvals in unincorporated Union township, Howard County

  • The state residential onsite sewage rule 410 IAC 6-8.3 is cited on the health department page; the county environmental health office administers permits.

  “prior to construction or repair of an on-site sewage system (septic system), the property owner is required to obtain a permit from the environmental health office.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New or repaired on-site sewage (septic) systems on lots in unincorporated Union township, Howard County

  • A soil test is needed to determine the absorption field area in all cases (per the health department page).
  • Any work on a septic system must receive prior approval before it begins (per the health department page).
  • The ILP sheet lists the septic system permit from the Howard County Health Department as an item to submit with the ILP application when building in Howard County (sheet dated 2/21/2008).

  “prior to construction or repair of an on-site sewage system (septic system), the property owner is required to obtain a permit from the environmental health office.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  Proposed residential developments (subdivisions) on land in unincorporated Union township; no sewer connection rule was found for a single home on an existing lot

  • Feasibility of extending an existing public or enclosed sanitary sewer must be evaluated before preliminary plat approval, using the maximum gross density allowed in the district.
  • Connection is required where the sewer line needed to reach the nearest property line of the project is under 300 feet per lot in the total project.
  • The county board of health considers private individual absorption (septic) systems only after collection sewers and central treatment are shown to be infeasible.
  • No water-connection rule was located.

  distance to nearest sanitary sewer: < 300 feet per lot (applies to proposed residential development only)

  “a direct connection shall be required when the total length of the sanitary sewer lines required from the existing sanitary sewer system to the nearest property line of the proposed project is less than 300 feet per lot in the total project”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision and replat of land in the unincorporated territory of Howard County, including unincorporated Union township

  • Plan commission approval is required for subdivisions; new lots must meet the district rules in the subdivision checklist.
  • The ILP sheet notes unapproved lots may require subdivision approval.

  “no plat or replat of a subdivision of land located within the jurisdiction of commission shall be recorded until it shall have been approved by the commission”

• Driveway accessRequired

  New homes on land in unincorporated Union township, Howard County (outside Kokomo)

  • Submitted with the improvement location permit application when building in Howard County (sheet dated 2/21/2008).
  • Permit is issued by the Howard County Highway Department.

  “a driveway permit from the howard county highway department (phone: 765-456-2802)”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Development in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) on land in unincorporated Union township

  • An improvement location permit is required for development in the SFHA under the county flood damage prevention chapter.
  • Floodplain map status for specific parcels was not checked.

  “failure to obtain an improvement location permit in the sfha or failure to comply with the requirements of a permit or conditions of a variance shall be deemed to be a violation of this chapter.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Improvement location permit fee for work in unincorporated Union township, Howard County

  • Sheet is dated 2/21/2008 in its footer; current fee schedule not verified.
  • Compiled code § 150.06 sets a separate permit and inspection fee table; its currency was not verified.

  ILP fee rate: 1 USD per 1,000 USD of estimated or contracted cost · ILP minimum fee: 15 USD · ILP maximum fee: 1000 USD · after-the-fact permit surcharge: 10 USD per 1,000 USD of estimated cost (applies to after-the-fact permits)

  “a permit fee which is calculated at $1.00 per $1,000.00 of estimated or contracted cost of the improvement. the minimum fee is $15.00. the maximum fee is $1,000.00.”

• Permit processPartial

  Improvement location permit application for unincorporated Union township

  • Items required: complete legal description (not tax codes), scaled plot plan showing existing and proposed buildings and all rights-of-way and easements, and the fee.
  • For new homes: verify an approved building lot; unapproved lots may require subdivision approval.
  • Septic permit, MS4 permit from the county surveyor and driveway permit are submitted with the ILP when building in Howard County outside Kokomo.
  • Sheet is dated 2/21/2008; the current application and process were not verified.

  “the following items must be submitted with the application for an improvement location permit:”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from permit or licensing for homes in unincorporated Union township
• Building code adopted — Building code applied to new homes in unincorporated Union township
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction in unincorporated Union township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes in unincorporated Union township
• Local zoning — Whether Union township itself adopts and administers a zoning ordinance for land inside its limits

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.